10 Greatest One-Hit Wonders Of The '80s
2. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - "It Takes Two"
The duo of Rob Base and E-Z Rock didn’t just define themselves with one unbeatable single - they did so in the first 20 seconds or so of said tune. “It Takes Two” is a cracking song from beginning to end, with Base’s rapping better than many would remember, matching a slick New York style with an anti-drug message.
Really, though, it’s that intro that everyone remembers. It’s one of the catchiest and most distinctive in hip hop history. The sparse drums and hand claps, then the shouting and whooping loop, and finally the vocals. The samples are courtesy of Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It)” - this is ‘80s hip hop at its best, taking a minor moment from a mostly forgotten tune and turning it into a club anthem that’s influential to this day.
Base and Rock’s track was subsequently sampled, remixed, and covered by numerous artists across multiple genres, and remains a reliable club tune today. They had another bite of the cherry with “Get on the Dance Floor, which sold well at the time, but it’s not “It Takes Two”.