10 Greatest One-Hit Wonders Of The '80s

10. Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"

‘80s hip hop tends to go one of two ways: it’s either groundbreaking stuff that inspired future generations and stands up well, or it’s lagging behind the quickly evolving trends and sounds a little goofy. Biz Markie’s charmingly slapdash hit single “Just A Friend” is an example of the latter, but endearingly so.

The beat remains cold, with era-defining boom bap drums and a hook built around a sample of Freddie Scott's 1968 song, "(You) Got What I Need" (which in fairness is pretty much wholesale slapped on this track).

Then there’s Biz’s rapping, though. He keeps things simple, remarkably simple, producing something close to a spoof of slow ‘80s emcees in the wake of Run DMC. It works fine, though, for what is essentially a novelty track - no one’s listening to this to marvel at Markie’s technique.

While it’s not necessarily a tune you’d want to get caught listening to by anyone with real musical credentials, “Just A Friend” is a fun, frothy throwback to an era in hip hop when you could get away with this kind of frivolity - before things became so serious.