General Public were a British new-wave and ska-pop band formed by Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger after the breakup of The Beat (known in the US as The English Beat). Their place on this list comes with that pedigree in mind, but their streaming rests on one bright, bouncing hit.
"Tenderness", released in 1984, is a sunny, horn-flecked piece of new-wave pop, and it became a US hit, enduring through films and adverts to become the band's signature song.
On streaming, "Tenderness" sits near 26 million plays, while their next most-streamed track trails at around three million. That sends the ratio above 9, past our 5.0 line.
By our measure General Public are a certified one-hit wonder, with the caveat that their members were central to the influential 2 Tone ska movement with The Beat. As General Public, though, the numbers are clear: one cheerful, irresistibly catchy new-wave single became their lasting calling card, standing far ahead of everything else they recorded. Buoyed by its use in films and adverts, "Tenderness" has aged into a feel-good staple of 80s playlists, far better remembered than the band's other work.