If you ever want a perfect example of what new wave music sounds like, listen to “Pop Muzik” by M. It may be incredibly bizarre and catchy at the same time, but this 1979 hit by English group M was certainly a success.
The band was a collaborative project that centered around Robin Scott, a known English musician of the time. “Pop Muzik” had synthesizers that made it a perfect mix of disco and electronic pop, a style that would define the ’80s. The famous ’90s band U2 has remixed and performed the song many times.
"You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone
Even though the song is originally from a 1977 film, it was Debby Boone who made the tune world-famous after her cover. Of course, being the daughter of legendary Pat Boone didn't hurt her chances of making it big in the music world. However, Debby still carried her own weight and worked hard to propel her career.
Not only did the song spend a record-breaking time on the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Debby won a Grammy and an American Music Award for her unique version of "You Light Up My Life".
"Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder
Nick Gilder's "Hot Child in the City" was one of those wildly misunderstood songs. Its rhythm is upbeat and carefree, but if you ever took a second to read the lyrics, you'd realize the song is about young girls working in the streets. Gilder wrote the song after an eye-opening experience he had on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Gilder was a London-born Canadian musician who topped the charts with this 1978 hit. Even though he was wildly successful with his rock band, Sweeney Todd, and as a songwriter for A-list artists, this was as high as he got in terms of his solo career.
"Magic" by Pilot
Back in the '70s, Pilot was one of Scotland's most famous rock bands, and their hit "Magic" won a gold record just a few short months after its release in 1974. Not only is it an extremely catchy tune, but it also makes you think like you're in a magic show. Whether you agree or not, the song definitely had a certain kind of magic to it since it sold nearly a million copies worldwide.
"Magic" made it to number 5 in the U.S. music charts, but their following hit, "January," only made it big in the UK. Funnily enough, "Magic" made a big comeback more than 30 years later, in 2007, as the theme song for a Pillsbury commercial.
"Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)" by Daddy Dewdrop
"Chick-A-Boom" is a song that everyone has heard at least once in their life. And if you haven't, you surely remember the lyrics: "Last night I had a crazy dream about a chick in a black bikini"..." She must be a magic genie." The hit song that reached number 9 on the US Billboard Pop chart in 1971 was performed by Dick Monda, better known by his fantastic moniker, Daddy Dewdrop. In the photo below, you can see Daddy Dewdrop in all his glory - with a huge mustache and a train conductor's hat.
As it turns out, Monda was a music producer for an animated TV series called the 'Groovy Goolies'. The famous "Chick-A-Boom" was originally written and recorded for the show, and producers had no idea it would become a chart-topping hit.