Saturday night, I heard Talk Talk's It's My Life--another '80s one-hit wonder.

It was the first time I heard It's My Life since '94.

I'm sure Deej can give us the details of Talk Talk charting songs - where is that Duck Jockey these days anyway? :).

I know that their first hit up here was Talk Talk. Other songs that still get played regularly are Life's What You Make It, Such a Shame and Dum Dum Girl. They probably don't all qualify as "hits" though.

Good band that maybe never got the commercial success they deserved. :)

Yeah, I'm sure Talk Talk is a one-hit wonder group.

Originally posted by Jeff the '80s Music Fan:
<STRONG>Yeah, I'm sure Talk Talk is a one-hit wonder group.</STRONG>


Actually, they did have another song, "Talk Talk", but I don't know that it was a hit, at least not here in the States. It's a great song, but not as good as "It's My Life", an 80s classic.

MDC: Official Stalker of DD86
:D

The song, "talk talk" wasn't a hit, but it's definitely one their more popular non-hit songs, I think. I've heard a dj or 2 spin it before. Good song! ;)

"It's my life" was definitely their best song. Love those lyrics.

The only two Talk, Talk songs I have heard are the two mentioned. I have a 80's compilation CD that has the song "Talk, Talk" on it.

I have the tape somewhere, but I only listened to "Its my life." Great song.

Okay...I know it might count not much over there, but here are some chart positions from Germany:

Such A Shame - #2 (´84)
Dum Dum Girl - #20 (´84)

Other songs like 'Talk Talk', 'It´s My Life`, 'Life´s What You Make It' and 'Living In Another World' didn´t made it in the Top 20 here but were (and still are... ;) ) great hits nonetheless.

I loooove that song,

"Baby, life's what you make it..."

the music is.....
what's the word?

anyone care to comment?

:p

Rhythmic?
Pulsating?
Undulating?
Dead Sexy?

:p

'Sch-wing'.

yeah, something like that.

:rolleyes:

(how does he do it?..)

Well now, this is where the term "one hit wonder" gets sketchy. Technically, it would be correct to categorize them as a one hit wonder, since their only top 40 hit was "It's My Life." It reached #31 in 1984. However, a song that only gets to #31 isn't really much of a "hit," is it? Here is the American Hot 100 chart rundown for Talk Talk:

"Talk Talk" - #75, 1982
"It's My Life" - #31, 1984
"Such A Shame" - #89, 1984
"Life's What You Make It" - #90, 1986

However...they fared much better on the Album Rock Charts. These are a little different, as they only track airplay (the Hot 100 tracks airplay + sales)

"Talk Talk" - #26, 1982
"It's My Life" - #23, 1984
"Life's What You Make It" - #26, 1986

None of these charts figure in MTV aiplay, which was massive for both "Talk Talk" and "It's My Life." Both of these songs have been enduring 80's favorites, which has lead to their appearance on countless 80's compilations. Therefore, I don't feel it is fair to categorize Talk Talk as a true "one hit wonder." Remember, everyone considers "I Melt With You" by Modern English as a hit song, but at the time, it only reached #78 in 1983. However, due to its use in movies, airplay on MTV, etc, it has become an enduring classic. Neither "Talk Talk" nor "It's My Life" are nearly as memorable as "I Melt With You," but both songs are well remembered by 80's music fans.

Does anyone remember the Budweiser commercials from 1986 that featured "Life's What You Make It?"

I just remembered the other Talk Talk song I love, "Today". That is a great song. :)

I guess they are an "almost one-hit wonder", huh? Yet another band that goes unrecognized.

I absolutely love Talk Talk. I saw them live in a triple-header with Depeche Mode and New Order back in the 80's.

I can recommed the 2CD A-Sides & B-Sides, which includes dance mixes and other cool stuff.

I absolutely love Talk Talk too and was gob smacked to see them referred to as a one-hit-wonder!! My first thought was that you guys missed out big time!! Yet at closer inspection I could see that they didn't do too well in the UK charts either. Oh well - my brother and I love(d) them!

The UK charts for Talk Talk were as follows:

Life's what you make it : #16 1986
Today : #14 1982
Talk Talk (re-mix) : #23 1982

I haven't been around much because of my poopy computer. Thank you Surelyone for giving the chart info before I could. I own a copy of Talk Talk's greatest hits.

strange. I saw their videos all the time on Mtv in the 80's. And atleast 3 of their songs were played often on the radio.

I guess it all depends on "Hit" definition? I wouldn't know half the songs that charted in the 80s but they qualify as hits. And I'm certain that lots of people wouldn't even have heard 3/4 of the stuff that we used to listed to back then. :) But they were hits to us. I always figured that if 1,000 people are dancing and singing a song at a club, it's a hit. I realize that doesn't fit the technical definition though.
:)

bogie's a hit

:)

Originally posted by Bogie:
<STRONG>I always figured that if 1,000 people are dancing and singing a song at a club, it's a hit. I realize that doesn't fit the technical definition though.
:)</STRONG>
Well said! I completely agree. :)

Originally posted by Vilji:
<STRONG>bogie's a hit

:)</STRONG>

You *sniffle* are so *sob* beautiful, to *sniffle* meeee.

http://www.duhspot.com/users/smiley/s/ups/layla_phoenix/heartpump.gif

oh, lordy.

:)

:D

That's a scary definition Bogie. I once saw more than a thousand people do the macarena. I am scarred for life. Things never really returned to normal after that evening.

LOL @ Flix. Yep, that would also include the Chicken Dance pal. :D

Well, the only Talk Talk song I remember is It's My Life.

Jeff, please don't get me wrong here. I know the topic is "one hit wonders", but that doesn't mean that these bands didn't have other good songs. People in this forum are merely providing more information about the bands, and what other stuff to get if you liked that one hit. If all we wanted to do was establish whether a song was a One-Hit Wonder or not, we would quickly run out of things to say in this forum.

I am not trying to poo-poo your comments here - I am simply just telling you that this forum can be used for more than just confirming that it was indeed a one-hot wonder. The reason I am posting this in the Talk Talk topic instead of one of the other topics, is simply that this is a good example of how your topic turned into a topic of people sharing info and knowledge on the band.

Everybody's got there own definition of what a "one-hit wonder" is. As long as we remember that none of them is wrong, we'll continue to be the happy Xchangers we've all become :)

Nobody will ever be pooh-poohed around here. You're right about that Flix. Well, maybe if you get caught behind Not Man in the Freak File. LOL

If there is anyone out there that likes It's My Life but they haven't heard any other Talk Talk, I would definitely recommend a greatest hits or perhaps something else. I'm certain you'll enjoy it. :)

"All I do to you is
Talk Talk.
Talk talk talk talk.."

oops. (haha)

ok, it's the other way around.
we're going to confuse people even more now.

I think it´s also hard to tell if a track and/or an artist was a 'one-hit-wonder', since we´re coming from different nations with different chart systems.
In Germany, it´s usually the Top 20 which defines a 'successful' hit, the UK and US are defining it by the Top 40 as far as I know.

You can extend this list almost infinitetly...just another example, Nena.
She had only one hit in the US with "99 Red Balloons", but in Germany, she had a number of hits from 1982 - 1989. Oddly, an album with english lyrics wasn´t that successful.
That´s why I´m a bit cautious about a single definition of a one-hit-wonder.

Once again, I found a link... onehitwondercentral.com (http://www.onehitwondercentral.com/index.cfm) - the title of this site should say it all.

Cool link, Wave :)

You are right though. The geography makes it hard to define a one-hit wonder. The definition isn't that important. I have learned lots about bands I considered one-hot wonders over time in this forum. I find the sharing of information here far more interesting, than whether or not that obscure 1982 band, with green hair and kilts were one-hit wonders or not.

I agree it is difficult to say what is a definite one-hit wonder. Talking about Talk Talk for example,'It's my life' only got to No.46 in England on its first release but got to number twelve on re-release in 1990.

Originally posted by Flix:
<STRONG>...whether or not that obscure 1982 band, with green hair and kilts were one-hit wonders or not.</STRONG>

They were the even more rare "two" hit wonders Flix. Tenpole Tudor.

LOL. :D

Originally posted by Flix:
<STRONG>Jeff, please don't get me wrong here. I know the topic is "one hit wonders", but that doesn't mean that these bands didn't have other good songs. People in this forum are merely providing more information about the bands, and what other stuff to get if you liked that one hit. If all we wanted to do was establish whether a song was a One-Hit Wonder or not, we would quickly run out of things to say in this forum.

I am not trying to poo-poo your comments here - I am simply just telling you that this forum can be used for more than just confirming that it was indeed a one-hot wonder. The reason I am posting this in the Talk Talk topic instead of one of the other topics, is simply that this is a good example of how your topic turned into a topic of people sharing info and knowledge on the band.</STRONG>

I think Talk Talk--among numerous other bands, one-hit wonder or not--had many other good songs.

In my humble opinion, Talk Talk were not a one hit wonder. My reasons for this are as follows:

3 singles that charted in the US top 50

A 'cult' following in the UK that resulted in a greatest hits compilation 'Natural History' being released in 1990.

Subsequent re-releases from that album being perhaps more successful than the original releases.

One hit wonders? Nahh. Here's what I categorise as true one hit wonders (for those UK posters out there)

Tarzan Boy - Baltimora
Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way
Belle Stars - Sign Of The Times