Toy Soldiers (song)
Toy Soldiers is a 1989 pop-rock song by American singer Martika from her debut album, Martika. It was released as the album’s second US single on April 26, 1989. The single version is about 4 minutes 23 seconds long (the album version is 4:47).
The song was written by Martika and Michael Jay. It tells the story of a friend fighting cocaine addiction, something Martika wanted to address honestly in her music.
Toy Soldiers became Martika’s only US number-one hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. It also reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, and it ranked 29 on Billboard’s 1989 year-end chart. The single was certified gold in the US.
The music video, directed by Jim Shea, features a children’s choir at the opening, including future stars Fergie, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rahsaan Patterson, Devyn Puett, and Renee Sands. The video has more than 100 million views on YouTube.
Critics noted the song’s haunting mood and childlike vocals. In 2009, VH1 ranked it No. 67 on its list of the 100 Greatest 80s One-Hit Wonders, though Martika had other top-40 hits.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:28 (CET).