On this day in 1989: Former actress Martika started a two week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Toy Soldiers’, a #5 hit in the U.K.

Martika wrote the song about a friend who was battling a cocaine addiction. “I was a little hesitant because I had only written two songs before and they were light songs. I came up to Michael and said I wanted to write about drugs. It was the first time I got the nerve to write about something that was scary for me to talk about, so I did.”

The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and New Zealand while reaching #5 in both the United Kingdom and Australia. On Billboard’s year-end chart for 1989, “Toy Soldiers” placed number 29. It was Martika’s only number-one single in the U.S., and her highest-ranking single in the United Kingdom. The single was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA.

here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1989:

1 4 TOY SOLDIERS –•– Martika – 10 (1)
2 2 EXPRESS YOURSELF –•– Madonna – 8 (2)
3 1 IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW –•– Simply Red – 12 (1)
4 6 BATDANCE –•– Prince – 6 (4)
5 10 SO ALIVE –•– Love And Rockets – 10 (5)
6 12 ON OUR OWN –•– Bobby Brown – 7 (6)
7 3 GOOD THING –•– Fine Young Cannibals – 12 (1)
8 8 WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW –•– Expose – 10 (8)
9 13 LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME –•– Bon Jovi – 8 (9)
10 5 BABY DON’T FORGET MY NUMBER –•– Milli Vanilli – 13 (1)

11 16 ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY –•– Great White – 11 (11)
12 7 MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY –•– Natalie Cole – 15 (7)
13 18 I LIKE IT –•– Dino – 11 (13)
14 9 THE DOCTOR –•– The Doobie Brothers – 10 (9)
15 15 CRAZY ABOUT HER –•– Rod Stewart – 11 (15)
16 19 WHO DO YOU GIVE YOUR LOVE TO? –•– Michael Morales – 13 (16)
17 24 DRESSED FOR SUCCESS –•– Roxette – 9 (17)
18 38 RIGHT HERE WAITING –•– Richard Marx – 3 (18)
19 31 COLD HEARTED –•– Paula Abdul – 5 (19)
20 29 SECRET RENDEZVOUS –•– Karyn White – 9 (20)