The name-brand debut album by Martika appeared in 1988 and peaked at number 15 on the US charts. The album’s number-one hit, “Toy Soldiers,” was co-written by Martika and her producer Michael Jay. It achieved its highest position at number five in Australia and was wildly popular in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Australia.
“Toy Soldiers” reached its highest point on the charts in 1989 in both New Zealand and the US, where it remained at the top for two weeks. Two further tracks from the album, “More Than You Know” and “I Feel the Earth Move,” reached the top 40 in the US and were successful on the dance and singles charts in both that nation and the UK.
Martika’s fourth album single, “Water,” had a mediocre performance on the UK and Australian charts. The album was certified platinum in the UK and double platinum in Australia in 1990.
Martika worked with Marvin Morrow and Michael Jay on the song “Kiss Me Quick” in 1990. Martika provided background vocals for Alisha, a freestyle/pop singer who remade the song for her album Bounce Back.
Martika’s involvement in the movie business led to her becoming a soundtrack composer. She wrote and recorded the song “Blue Eyes Are Sensitive to the Light” for the movie Arachnophobia in 1990. Sara Hickman eventually remade the song after the movie’s producers complained about her voice.
Was Martika a one-hit wonder?
With the help of the smash hit “Toy Soldiers” from her 1988 self-titled first album, she rose to fame in the late 1980s. The song peaked at number five on the American Billboard Hot 100 list.
Although “Toy Soldiers” is still Martika’s most well-known and popular song, she has had a few other hits that reached the charts. “More Than You Know,” her follow-up single, peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her middling chart success included songs like “I Feel the Earth Move” and “Love… Thy Will Be Done.”
Martika continued to release songs despite not experiencing the same level of mainstream success as some other musicians, and she had a devoted following.
Did Prince write for Martika?
Yes, Martika, thy will be done. In 1991, “Love… They Will Be Done” peaked at number 10 on pop charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. Prince and Martika co-wrote the song, and Prince occasionally played it on stage.