The One-Hit Wonders Topic

[Sandman87]

In honor of One-Hit Wonder Day (September 25th): A place to talk about our favorite artists who only had one hit tune.

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Some rules about what constitutes a hit

Any track that makes it into Billboard's Top 40 is always considered to be a hit.

The following things may optionally  be considered hits, so that you can include things that might not be discussed otherwise. If you invoke one of these rules, mention it in your post:

1. Anything that makes it into another country's equivalent of Billboard's Top 40. The same applies to worldwide charts.
2. Anything that makes it into a more specialized similar chart for a specific genre of music. Electronica or reggae, for example.

Other optional rules may apply. Try to be reasonable about them.

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Discuss!

 

 

The Hollywood Persuaders released "Tiajuana Surf", which never charted in this country, but was the number one single in Mexico for a number of months in 1963. It was their only hit. The reason I know this is that one of the members of the group was a not-yet-famous Frank Zappa.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Sandman87

[WendyCR72]

I can think of two, both from the '80s, and the latter still used in what seems like everywhere in commercials:

Dexey's Midnight Runners: Come On, Eileen

Toni Basil: Mickey

[Sandman87]

Damn, not just one-hits, but some serious ear-worms too. I can also remember Weird Al's parody of "Mickey."

I'm going to call this song a hit even though it never actually charted because it got a lot of radio play and the video was constantly running on MTV back during the network's early years: "Who's Behind the Door?" by Zebra. I don't think MTV ever went two hours without playing it back then. Years later I had a coworker who would instantly break into a falsetto "Whooos behind the dooor?" whenever anyone would mention the song. And of course we would mention it frequently, just to hear him do that.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Sandman87

[GaT]

I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

Take on Me – A-ha

Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men

Video Killed The Radio Star - Buggles

Born to Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez

Tubthumping - Chumbawamba

[AimingforYoko]

A session musician who worked with Stevie Wonder, his big break came when a song from his first solo album was chosen for a little film called Flashdance:

[Sandman87]

6 hours ago, GaT said:

Video Killed The Radio Star - Buggles

Huh. I would have sworn that "Living In the Plastic Age" and "Clean Clean" also charted, but Wikipedia says no.

[WendyCR72]

And "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the very first music video to play when MTV launched.

[TaraS1]

For me, the greatest one hit wonder of all time shall always and forever be Nena's "99 Red Balloons" (not to be confused with the German 'luftballon' version that I could never sing along to because I don't speak German lol).

[Zola]

Zoe - Sunshine on a Rainy Day

 

Here in the UK I vaguely remember this song that hit our charts in 1990 (before I was born!) it was a good song, but regrettably that was that for Zoe.

[MargeGunderson]

I give you Jermain Stewart's opus, We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off:

You're welcome.

[UYI]

You must watch Todd in the Shadows' One Hit Wonderland. You learn everything on that show.

It's because of him that I know that a-ha were really only OHWs here. In much of the rest of the world, they were actually superstars for around 25 years.

 

Speaking of which, his first episode was about them!

[piequinn35]

[methodwriter85]

1.) "Voices Carry" by Til Tuesday, 1985

2.) "They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman. 1983

She's not a 1-hit wonder in the U.K. but she is in the U.S.  I still think it's hilarious that this comedian just up and decided to sing a song and it became a legitimate world-wide Top 10 hit, complete with a cameo from Sir Paul McCartney.

3.) "Back for Good" by Take That, 1995

Again, not a one-hit wonder in the U.K., but they are in the U.S. I think the timing just wasn't quite ready for a boyband, and in 1995-1996 everybody was all about Oasis.

4.) "I Wanna Be With You" by Mandy Moore, 2000

Technically, in the U.S., this is her only Top 40 billboard song. Candy just missed the top 40.

5.) "How Bizarre" by OMC, 1996

[Twilight Man]

VH1, back when they were playing music. also have a non-stop group of "100 Greatest" lists that would take 5 hour long episodes each

(100 Greatest Artists, 100 Greatest Albums, 100 Greatest Songs, etc. ...... )

Here is a page showing  the list of VH1's All Time Greatest One Hit Wonders (From "Kung Fu Fighting" to The "Macarena")

Here is the page dedicated to the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders from just the 1980's  (From "You're A Friend of Mine" to "Come On, Eileen)

and apparently, VH1 only did a Top 40 (???) list of Greatest One Hits from the 90's (From "Whoomp!!  (There It Is)" to "Baby Got Back")

 

Please take note that these lists came out at different times and thus, some songs, artists,  and music genres were subject to different appeal at times;

which would explain how some songs are in different positions on the charts.

(Most noticeable is how "Baby Got Back" is #1 on the 90's chart while "Macarena" is #1 on the "All Time" list and only #4 on the 90's list.)

[methodwriter85]

Apparently, Dexy's Midnight Runners basically screwed themselves because they pulled a prank on Tops of the Pops, which led to them getting banned from the show. Top of the Pops was basically MTV for the UK- once they lost the support of Top of the Pops they pretty much faded fast.

[Bastet]

22 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

2.) "They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman. 1983

She's not a 1-hit wonder in the U.K. but she is in the U.S.  I still think it's hilarious that this comedian just up and decided to sing a song and it became a legitimate world-wide Top 10 hit, complete with a cameo from Sir Paul McCartney.

Back when you made such things on VHS and shared via snail mail, a friend of a friend made a fan video of our favorite soap opera couple set to that song, and I have loved it ever since. 

[Popples]

On 10/1/2017 at 11:35 PM, methodwriter85 said:

4.) "I Wanna Be With You" by Mandy Moore, 2000

Technically, in the U.S., this is her only Top 40 billboard song. Candy just missed the top 40.

I'm a bit shocked to hear that "Candy" didn't crack the Top 40. I remember it having a pretty decent rotation on MTV. "I Wanna Be With You" sounds vaguely familiar (just clicked on it), but the only other song of hers I remember is "Walk Me Home."

[magicdog]

On 9/27/2017 at 11:24 AM, UYI said:

You must watch Todd in the Shadows' One Hit Wonderland.

Love him!  Most of the songs he profiles is like a trip down memory lane for me!

[ShortyMac]

When I think 'one hit wonder,' this immediately pops in my head. Oh, the 90's. 

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" - Deep Blue Something

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by ShortyMac

[navelgazer]

On 9/26/2017 at 11:19 AM, GaT said:

Tubthumping - Chumbawamba

Chumbawumba had another song chart at #56 in 1993 in the UK, Enough is Enough, an anti-fascist protest song (with Credit to the Nation). 

One of my all-time-favorite songs is the one hit by The Knack, My Sharona.

Edited October 4, 2017 by navelgazer

[AimingforYoko]

18 hours ago, navelgazer said:

One of my all-time-favorite songs is the one hit by The Knack, My Sharona.

I have a soft spot for that particular song because it introduced me to Weird Al Yankovic and his first hit parody, "My Bologna".

Fun fact: Lead singer Doug Fieger's brother Geoffrey is an attorney whose clients included the late Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

Edited October 5, 2017 by AimingforYoko

[Sandman87]

Aphex Twin never made the Top 40 in the U.S., but did manage to get onto Billboard's Top Heatseekers list once with "Come to Daddy" (click at your own risk - not responsible for emotional trauma). Bonus trivia: One episode of the anime show Soul Eater has a shout-out to the video, specifically the part with the screaming bald guy. AT also had one entry on the Billboard U.S. Dance chart with "Widowlicker." Both songs did pretty well on various European charts.

---------------------------

The New Vaudeville Band only had one hit song in the US, "Winchester Cathedral", which spent several weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts, was certified gold, and won a Grammy.

Bonus trivia: It's one of the few hit pop songs that features a bassoon.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Sandman87

[BuyMoreAndSave]

My favorite one-hit wonder band is definitely Tripping Daisy, their one hit being "I Got A Girl" (it only reached #95 on Billboard but it did reach #6 on the US Modern Rock charts). Despite their one-hit wonder status, they have a lot of great songs and a bit of a cult following, and they're one of my favorite bands of all time.

Another one-hit wonder band that I like is Information Society. Actually they technically had three hits, but now they are most commonly known for their song "What's On Your Mind" (except for in Brazil, they're insanely popular there for some reason), and they were referred to as a "one-hit wonder" by VH1. My favorite InSoc album is Don't Be Afraid, which was a solo project by Kurt Larson (the singer) and has a techno/industrial sound that is very different from the rest of their stuff. It's a very weird and dark album, but I am a weird and dark person, LOL.

Edited February 19, 2018 by BuyMoreAndSave

[methodwriter85]

Foster the People is reallllyyyyy close right now to breaking out of the 1-hit wonder club. They have a song called Sit Next To Me that's hanging out right now in the 40's- it got as high as 42 and it's now at 44. Come on guys, you can do it!

Foster the People on their surprise comeback hit

Previously, their only other Top 100 song was Don't Stop, which hit 86.

Edited August 2, 2018 by methodwriter85

[RealHousewife]

On 9/26/2017 at 7:42 PM, AimingforYoko said:

A session musician who worked with Stevie Wonder, his big break came when a song from his first solo album was chosen for a little film called Flashdance:

One of my favorite songs! So good. 

[WendyCR72]

On 8/2/2018 at 4:42 PM, methodwriter85 said:

Foster the People is reallllyyyyy close right now to breaking out of the 1-hit wonder club. They have a song called Sit Next To Me that's hanging out right now in the 40's- it got as high as 42 and it's now at 44. Come on guys, you can do it!

Foster the People on their surprise comeback hit

Previously, their only other Top 100 song was Don't Stop, which hit 86.

Actually, I think their biggest hit was "Pumped Up Kicks", which was #1 in the US Alternative Airplay list and Dance/Mix Airplay list. (And was banned on some radio stations because of the lyrics!)

[Blergh]

On 10/29/2021 at 2:37 AM, RealHousewife said:

One of my favorite songs! So good. 

I agree! How many other rock songs after the Wall of Sound era  have successfully featured the classical cello into the composition?

[Blergh]

I've never understood why Saga never really went anywhere after its release of 'On the Loose' (1981). It has   rather creative multi-beats and intriguing lyrics. 

[KWalkerInc]

One of my favorite one-hit wonders, which I've heard on the Music Choice '80s channel several times recently, is "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl (1988).  The duo, who were married at one point, also wrote a couple of big hits for Whitney Houston.  I don't think there was a cassette single of it, so I ended up buying the whole album and only listened to most of the songs once.  I would just play the first song (which I think was called "Bring Down the Moon") and then "Waiting for a Star to Fall," then rewind back to the beginning of the tape. 

I remember that the One-Hit Wonder countdowns on VH-1 used to make me very angry because I'd get riled up about them calling someone one when they really weren't.  It's not that I liked Vanilla Ice or Gerardo and felt bad for them, I just thought that there should have been some standards for the countdown, and they both had other songs that I had to hear a LOT on the radio in high school.  Vanilla Ice's "Play That Funky Music" reached #4, and Gerardo's "We Want the Funk" was #16.  But VH-1 decided because those songs aren't really remembered, they weren't hits or something.

[Annber03]

5 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

I remember that the One-Hit Wonder countdowns on VH-1 used to make me very angry because I'd get riled up about them calling someone one when they really weren't.  It's not that I liked Vanilla Ice or Gerardo and felt bad for them, I just thought that there should have been some standards for the countdown, and they both had other songs that I had to hear a LOT on the radio in high school.  Vanilla Ice's "Play That Funky Music" reached #4, and Gerardo's "We Want the Funk" was #16.  But VH-1 decided because those songs aren't really remembered, they weren't hits or something.

There's also the fact that some artists were one-hit wonders here in the States, but overseas, be it in their home country or elsewhere, they were hugely successful and had numerous hits. So people watching from those parts of the world would find it odd to see them on a "one-hit wonder" countdown. 

I think the general criteria is supposed to be if they only had one song hit the top 40 here, they count as a one-hit wonder...but even then, that would mean that there were many artists who were technically one-hit wonders when they really weren't. They had popular songs, they just didn't chart for one reason or another. It's tough to figure out where that line is sometimes, yeah. 

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

One of my favorite one-hit wonders, which I've heard on the Music Choice '80s channel several times recently, is "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl (1988). 

I love that song.  I hadn't thought of it in ages when someone mentioned it in a thread here years ago, and I promptly downloaded it to my iPod.  I think it pops up as one of my most-listened to songs on there, even though the others on that list have been there many more years.  It's just so catchy.

[RealHousewife]

Don't judge me!

 

[Bastet]

Ha!  I used to do aerobics to that tape.  I liked "Two of Hearts", but "Insecurity" was my favorite.

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Don't judge me!

 

I recall her performing that song when she appeared on Facts of Life (as Cinnamon- an acting pal of Tootie's) and I had to laugh when she got to the part when she did the 'machine-gun I's' -because it was supposed to be a live performance (for the character  to have done) yet it's humanly impossible for someone (sans electronic editing)  to perfectly machine-gun the word  the way she did without totally garbling it!  Try it and see if you can do it any better than holding your breath the SAME amount of time Shelley Winters's character did while  swimming underwater in the submerged part of the ship in The Poseidon Adventure!

P.S. And irony of irony is that her character becoming a 'breakout star' was the 'exit arc' for the then-unknown George Clooney's character (called George) who quit being a handyman for the FOL gang to be Cinnamon's roadie. Yet, Miss Q's stardom was almost done for even by the time that episode aired so it would have been a very short stint but Mr. Clooney sure has wound up having by far the most successful career by far of the FOL regulars! 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Blergh

[KWalkerInc]

After I complained about VH-1 labeling artists as one-hit wonders when they weren't, it turns out that I did that to Boy Meets Girl!  They had an album before the one I bought and its lead single, "Oh Girl," reached #39 on the Hot 100 in 1985.  I should look up that song to see if I recognize it at all.

[smittykins]

iHeart Radio likes to play Quarterflash’s “Harden My Heart” on their One-Hit Wonders channel, even though they also had “Find Another Fool” and “Take Me To Heart,” both of which made the Top 20.

[methodwriter85]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:58 AM, Annber03 said:

There's also the fact that some artists were one-hit wonders here in the States, but overseas, be it in their home country or elsewhere, they were hugely successful and had numerous hits. So people watching from those parts of the world would find it odd to see them on a "one-hit wonder" countdown. 

I think the general criteria is supposed to be if they only had one song hit the top 40 here, they count as a one-hit wonder...but even then, that would mean that there were many artists who were technically one-hit wonders when they really weren't. They had popular songs, they just didn't chart for one reason or another. It's tough to figure out where that line is sometimes, yeah. 

Case in point- Kylie Minogue in between "Locomotion" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head." She had a ton of hits, just not really in the U.S. 

Then there's Foster the People, who technically only had one top 40 hit with "Pumped Up Kicks", but they had "Sit Next to Me" get REALLY close to top 40 (I think it peaked at like 42?) plus a bunch of other songs that did really well on the alternative charts.

Mandy Moore technically only had one Top 40 with "I Wanna Be With You", but there's a bunch of songs she's remembered for like "Candy" (which was just short of hitting the top 40) and "Crush." 

 

[RealHousewife]

5 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Case in point- Kylie Minogue in between "Locomotion" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head." She had a ton of hits, just not really in the U.S. 

Then there's Foster the People, who technically only had one top 40 hit with "Pumped Up Kicks", but they had "Sit Next to Me" get REALLY close to top 40 (I think it peaked at like 42?) plus a bunch of other songs that did really well on the alternative charts.

Mandy Moore technically only had one Top 40 with "I Wanna Be With You", but there's a bunch of songs she's remembered for like "Candy" (which was just short of hitting the top 40) and "Crush." 

 

I like quite a few songs by both Kylie and Mandy. Love at First Sight was my jam for awhile, but I was traveling abroad so no idea if that was ever big in the US. I was also a fan of all the pop princesses growing up, so I loved listening to Mandy. I still play In My Pocket!

Edited November 16, 2021 by RealHousewife

[Thomas Crown]

One of my favorite one hit wonders is "When I'm With You" by Sheriff.  It's an 80s tune that shows up frequently on various power ballad compilations.  I love the story on how it became a # 1 hit.  Originally released in 1983, the song failed to chart in the U.S. reaching # 61. Sheriff released only 1 album and they broke up the following year.   Several years later after the band split up, a DJ in Vegas started playing the song and it started gaining momentum.  The listeners kept requesting it and word got back to the record label who then re-released it again.  And it became a # 1 hit this time in 1989.  I remember listening to Casey Kasem and he would introduce the song as a # 1 hit from the band that no longer exists.  The song also has the distinction for the leader singer getting a Guiness World Record for longest held note in a U.S. hit single. 

https://youtu.be/JyIGlUoTh9I

 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Thomas Crown said:

One of my favorite one hit wonders is "When I'm With You" by Sheriff.

I like that, too, and it's one of those songs that, even though I'd heard it dozens of times prior, once it was used in a Cold Case closing montage, that's what I came to associate it with (because that show, like all cop shows, had issues, but those montages were fabulous commentaries on the futility of violence and sometimes lovely celebrations of life). 

This was the latter, the song used to close "It's Raining Men" about a murdered AIDS activist, whose then-partner got to now celebrate his marriage (which, of course, would never have been possible back when he was with the victim) with the added bonus of finally knowing what had happened to his first love.  It's shameful the show didn't include the wedding kiss they'd have included for any heterosexual couple in this visual celebration of progress, but it's still the first thing I think of when I hear the song (which I have on my iPod - and had on at least one mix tape back in the day):

 

[WendyCR72]

Sheriff later became Alias with two of its former members plus one of the founding members of Heart. Alias also had a hit with "(I Need You Now) More Than Words Can Say". So, in a sense, it is a two-hit wonder.  😋

 

[Thomas Crown]

19 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Sheriff later became Alias with two of its former members plus one of the founding members of Heart. Alias also had a hit with "(I Need You Now) More Than Words Can Say". So, in a sense, it is a two-hit wonder.  😋

 

Alias could have pulled a Sheriff with their 2nd album.  That is getting a chart topping hit years after the band spilt up.  The first Alias came out in 1990 and is actually pretty good IMO mixing some hard rock songs with power ballads. They then recorded a 2nd album in 1992 (minus the former members of Heart) however the album was never released by the record company because by 1993 stations were playing grunge and alternative music.  The 2nd album was finally released 15 years later after it was recorded and just like Sheriff, the band at that point was no longer together.  However no songs on the album chartered. 🙁 

I actually think that Freddy Curci (lead singer of Sheriff and Alias) is a fantastic singer and really underrated.   

[Twilight Man]

So, Gary Glitter is back in jail again.

(I know, like me, you're saying, wait, they let him out??)

Apparently, he violated his parole (they won't say how??).

Gary is, of course, known for that song that sports teams would play back in the late 80s and early 90s,

(and, more recently, Joker danced to while coming down those steps)

I was shocked when they "let" Joker dance to that, but, hey, he's a bad guy, too.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Twilight Man said:

Apparently, he violated his parole (they won't say how??).

It's been reported he was trying to access the dark web, but that's by a tabloid.

[BlueSkies]

Perhaps one can tell me otherwise but this I think was their only really big song.  A good one

 

 

 

[Annber03]

Ooh, good song. I remember hearing that one when I was a kid :). 

[BlueSkies]

19 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Ooh, good song. I remember hearing that one when I was a kid :). 

Same here.  Vh1 was a good channel back in its day 

Another good light listening to one.  As far as I know it’s their only known song.

 

Its great listening at the end of long nights 

 

 

[Annber03]

Oh, I like that one, too! I heard it on some Music Choice channel years ago. I just really like the music in it, it's pretty. 

[BlueSkies]

I've heard this song 47567 times.  It's worn out a little with me but still a good one

 

 

Again I'm pretty sure this was their only big song? 

[dewelar]

Only in this country -- they were pretty big in their native UK. I actually preferred their follow-up single, which was also a top 30 song in the US.

(Can't figure out how to insert the link as an image like the previous post...)

Edited March 18, 2023 by dewelar
Tried to figure out something