Grateful Dead made the list as one hit wonders. I saw 100+ shows. I wish someone had told me they weren't going to make it.
It's National "One Hit Wonder" Day!
What's your favorite "One Hit Wonder"?
One of mine, (it’s hard to pick just one):
Come On Eileen-Dexys Midnight Runners
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/national-one-hit-wonder-day-playlist/65-282ee11d-cc3b-4502-a6a1-be76a425f900
One of mine, (it’s hard to pick just one):
Come On Eileen-Dexys Midnight Runners
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/national-one-hit-wonder-day-playlist/65-282ee11d-cc3b-4502-a6a1-be76a425f900
98 responses Add your response
Probably any criteria that might be conjured up to define "one-hit wonder" will result in at least a few anomalies. But the list that has been linked to, https://top40weekly.com/all-one-hit-wonders/, clearly defines "one-hit wonder" as an artist or group having one and only one song released as a single that made the top 40, based apparently on Billboard’s "hot 100" listings. That seems to me to be as good a definition as any other that might be conjured up, and one which makes the listing as objective as possible. And it appears that "Crazy Mama" was the only J. J. Cale single meeting that criterion. Regards, -- Al |
@tooblue, I know where you're coming from. If you look at the artists listed so far in this thread, only a handful have had a long career with a significant back catalog: JJ Cale; Concrete Blonde; Grateful Dead; Mitch Ryder and Mott the Hoople. No one's mentioned Richard Thompson yet; but, that's probably because he's never had a top 40 hit, despite a 47 year career as a solo artist. |
"Cuts You Up", Peter Murphy (Yup...) "Dear Jill". Blodwyn Pig (Deliciously sparse...) "Mexican Radio", Wall of Voodoo (Any country...including ours) "Pump Up The Volume", M/A/R/R/S (The birth of 'sample & hold') "Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven", Ellen McIlwaine (Everyone, Everywhere, Always.) "Under The Milky Way", The Church (..or Laniakea, for that matter...) There's a lot of it, out there...*G* |
Funny you should mention that one Geoff as I was listening to that German version only last night on my Amazon Music " one hit wonders" playlist. And of course we made them record it in English too, how arrogant .. Lol. 99 Red Balloons by Nina. Most of the Eurovision song contest winners faded into obscurity with one massive exception of course ... Abba. I remember watching them play Waterloo and it was like WHAT!?!? NOBODY had seen anything quite like it on the good old stoic staid Eurovision Song Contest. I thought the announcer was going to have a heart attack...lmao. And of course they cake walked it which shocked my mother who was deeply offended by them! Haha. |
Afternoon Delight-Starland Vocal Band. An iconic song in pop culture. Never had another Top 40 hit due to an early 70's acoustical based sound. The late 70's put a hex on many acts including The Carpenters-John Denver ect. Check out the album Rear View Mirror which includes possibly SVB's best song "Norfolk". |
To add to the long list of one-hit wonders stated previously: "Reach Out of the Darkness" - Friend and Lover "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" - The Peppermint Rainbow "Tracy" - The Cuff Links "Moonlight Feels Right" - Starbuck "Hey There, Lonely Girl" - Eddie Holman "Shannon" - Henry Gross "It Never Rains in California" - Albert Hammond "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) - Steam "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry "Where Have You Been All My Life" - Fotomaker "Starry Eyes" - The Records |
Good one @acresverde! The Count Five came out of the San Jose Garage Band scene of the mid-60’s, as did a couple of other One Hit Wonder bands: The Syndicate Of Sound ("Little Girl") and People (a cover of The Zombies "I Love You"). There was also The Chocolate Watchband, who didn’t have a hit on any of their three albums, but were in the Roger Corman movie "Riot On Sunset Strip". The Left Banke actually had another hit: "Pretty Ballerina". Both it and "Walk Away Renee" were on their debut album, which is in my LP collection. |
In what seems to be the generally accepted spirit of the thread: ”Sugar, Sugar” - The Archies (Also happens to be the very first record I ever owned; cut out from the back of a “Cap’n Crunch” cereal box 😊) Now, since there also seem to be varying (and questionable) criteria used for qualifying, let’s have some fun and take it to absurdity: “A song or tune by an artist that was very popular and the only that got a lot of airplay; and, likely the only one that the majority of listeners would recognize and associate with that artist”. From that standpoint, a “one hit wonder”: “Birdland” - Weather Report “The Girl From Ipanema” - Stan Getz ”Take Five” - Dave Brubeck Then, there is that tune that goes something like “ta-ta-ta-TAAA” by that guy, what was his name? Ludwig, or something like that 😄 |
