Favorite One-Hit Wonders (Spin-Off Thread)

[Shutterbug]

Men Without Hats - Safety Dance

Quite possibly the best song ever, and the video just amuses me

You beat me to it. I was just going to post this. I was in college marching band when this came out. We used to sing this on the bus everytime we headed to the game.

 

[Shutterbug]

I have Gang of Four's I Love a Man in a Uniform on my "no hit wonders" list.

It's really Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne. A 'cover" of a scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High is in the video.
There was also a car commercial featuring that song. I think some Cadillac SUV.

Yes Cadillac Commercial and a Dr Pepper Commercial:

 

[Paradise18]

True by Spandau Ballet. I love the music from the 80's.

 

[Shutterbug]

Also:
Chumbawamba - Tubthumping

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Also:
Chumbawamba - Tubthumping

Oh yea, I love that song! Reminds me of fun times back in the day.

 

[Rylee]

On my "Turning Japanese Offensive" Thread the conversation as turned to one hit wonders. So I decided to start a new thread, in hopes of getting more in put.

What are you favorite one-hit wonders?

My husband is the lead singer in a popular local party band. We got a kick out of reading this list because his band does almost every song listed here. They play mostly danceable music and some of it is quite goofy, lol. It's fun to watch the crowds' reaction when they pull out a one-hit-wonder from the past. *This is not the music he loves or listens to, he's a progressive rock guy, YES, Rush, etc., but this music gets the crowd going and up on their feet. Some of the One-Hit-Wonders they do -

Funkytown - Lipps Inc.
Pop Muzik - M
Life Is A Rock but The Radio Rolled Me - Reunion
I've Got the Music in Me - The Kiki Dee Band
The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
Precious and Few - Climax
Heaven on the 7th Floor - Paul Nicholas
Smokin' in the Boys Room - Brownsville Station
It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
Hot Child in the City - Nick Gilder
Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band
Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks
Whip It - Devo
Mickey - Toni Basil
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Undercover Angel - Alan O'Day
Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
Beach Baby - The First Class
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
I Can Help - Billy Swan

 

[disneychrista]

Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann could probably be called a "one hit wonder" (though they had a milder hit with "For You").

According to http://musicvf.com/Manfred+Mann.art they had 7 top 40 hits, 3 top 10 & 2 #1 (Blinded by the Light & Doo Wah Diddy). So technically not a One-Hit Wonder. Though I am sure Blinded by the Light is the one that everyone remembers.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades
Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
Brian Setzer Orchestra- Jump, Jive and Wail (but he does not really count IMO because of the Stray Cats)
Ylvis- The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)
Mark Ronson (but I don't think he counts either)- Uptown Funk
Bowling For Soup- 1985
Alien Ant Farm- Smooth Criminal

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I have Gang of Four's I Love a Man in a Uniform on my "no hit wonders" list.

It's really Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne. A 'cover" of a scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High is in the video.
There was also a car commercial featuring that song. I think some Cadillac SUV.

Thanks for posting the video. Now I remember why I forgot the title was too busy watching the video.

 

[Geoff_M]

Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science

I would argue Dolby doesn't qualify for that status. You may not recall, but there was more than one song off of his US debut album that got airtime in the US. Namely "Europe and The Pirate Twins", and "One of Our Submarines". His 2nd album, "The Flat Earth", also made it to #35 on the charts in the US with singles like "I Scare Myself", "Hyperactive", and the title teack. While Dolby's career was relatively brief, he wasn't a one song wonder.

My addition to this category is Billy Thorpe and "Children of The Sun". Great 70's guitar rock song, but I purchased the album and the rest of the tracks were utterly unlistenable.

 

[disneychrista]

I would argue Dolby doesn't qualify for that status. You may not recall, but there was more than one song off of his US debut album that got airtime in the US. Namely "Europe and The Pirate Twins", and "One of Our Submarines". His 2nd album, "The Flat Earth", also made it to #35 on the charts in the US with singles like "I Scare Myself", "Hyperactive", and the title teack. While Dolby's career was relatively brief, he wasn't a one song wonder.
.

The information I can find, show that Thomas Dolby had songs in the top 40 on genre specific charts (namely dance, rock & UK Charts) but only one on the Hot 100. So I guess it all comes down to how you define a one-hit wonder. I know I didn't recognize any of the songs.

 

[low-key]

Black Velvet - Alannah Myles

 

[Geoff_M]

The information I can find, show that Thomas Dolby had songs in the top 40 on genre specific charts (namely dance, rock & UK Charts) but only one on the Hot 100. So I guess it all comes down to how you define a one-hit wonder. I know I didn't recognize any of the songs.

Billboard Hot 100: Europa and Pirate Twins: #67, Hyperactive: #62. That's three songs from two different albums. I agree that "She Blinded Me..." is the one that most people recall, but it wasn't his only work that got air time or was in MTV's regular video rotation for a period of time.

My point here is not to advocate for Thomas Dolby as an artist, but to point out that I think with older works people are also lumping in groups who had a single top 10 hits that sticks in their minds today, but forget that there were other works by the same groups that did in fact receive a decent degree of attention from the masses and are overshadowed by that one hit. Another example of that couple be Roxy Music. Everyone of a certain age can easily recall "Love Is The Drug", but may not be quick to recall other works like "Avalon". But I won't call Roxy Music a "one hit wonder".

 

[disneychrista]

Billboard Hot 100: Europa and Pirate Twins: #67, Hyperactive: #62.

But not in the Top 40, which seems to be what it takes to be a "hit," according to what I have read on several websites about one-hit wonders.

 

[Geoff_M]

But not in the Top 40, which seems to be what it takes to be a "hit," according to what I have read on several websites about one-hit wonders.

Quite frankly, if that is the "gold standard," for the term then I think it is misguided and short-sighted. Each genre of radio station's in the 70's and 80's had their "hits" that might not have cracked the pop music Top 40. I listened to AOR (Album Oriented Rock) stations mostly as a youth. Per the stated definition, Pink Floyd would have been a "one hit wonder" with Money (peaked at #13) had they not later hit #1 with Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2. Think about that for a moment. The Allman Brothers Band only managed one better too. Poor Warren Zevon, he too was a flash in the pan per the Top 40 rule. Frank Zappa too!

To me, a "one hit wonder" is a group or artist that one song that was popular when it was released, and then no other effort they made ever came close to that level of appeal again. To say "They only had one work that made the Top 40, but then only had several others that only came close to Top 40 but never quite cracked it" just doesn't make sense as a standard.

Nena? Yes.
Dolby? No.
Toni Basil? Yes.
Roxy Music? No.
Billy Thrope? Yes.
Zappa? No.
Gary Numan? Yes.
Zevon? No.
Murray Head? Yes.
Dexys Midnight Runners? Yes.

etc.

 

[disneychrista]

Quite frankly, if that is the "gold standard," for the term then I think it is misguided and short-sighted. Each genre of radio station's in the 70's and 80's had their "hits" that might not have cracked the pop music Top 40. I listened to AOR (Album Oriented Rock) stations mostly as a youth. Per the stated definition, Pink Floyd would have been a "one hit wonder" with Money (peaked at #13) had they not later hit #1 with Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2.

It is the Hot 100 (all genre chart) that is supposedly the standard. I don't know if I agree 100% or not because a lot of Country Genre specific artists/songs are considered one-hit wonders but have multiple "hits" that are not cross-over hits.

 

[Shutterbug]

I have Gang of Four's I Love a Man in a Uniform on my "no hit wonders" list.

It's really Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne. A 'cover" of a scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High is in the video.
There was also a car commercial featuring that song. I think some Cadillac SUV.

Thank you for putting that earworm in my head today.

 

[Geoff_M]

It is the Hot 100 (all genre chart) that is supposedly the standard. I don't know if I agree 100% or not because a lot of Country Genre specific artists/songs are considered one-hit wonders but have multiple "hits" that are not cross-over hits.

You raise another good flaw in that standard. Exhibit A: Lee Greenwood. He's had plenty of Country chart toppers, but only one Top 40 pop tune that everyone can name. Country music is hardly a niche genre in our country. Should he go on he list?

 

[disneychrista]

You raise another good flaw in that standard. Exhibit A: Lee Greenwood. He's had plenty of Country chart toppers, but only one Top 40 pop tune that everyone can name. Country music is hardly a niche genre in our country. Should he go on he list?

Officially, by the set "standard" he is on the list (but I would not put him on MY list). I would also not put Tricia Yearwood (or a number of other Country songs/artists) on the list, even though she/they have only had one song in the top 40 on the Hot 100 chart.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

True by Spandau Ballet. I love the music from the 80's.

Spandau Ballet had a few other hits, at least IMO. "Paint Me Down" and "Communication."


Ah, Leah--Donnie Iris
Cannonball--The Breeders
No Rain--Blind Melon