Favorite "One Hit Wonder"...

[IgwanaRob]

I just thought of the single most popular One Hit Wonder ever.

The Grateful Dead - Touch of Gray

That was their only song to crack the top 10 or even the top 50. Truckin'' only made it to #64

I didn't even think they made any top lists! (other than the obvious concert sales)

 

[Seavita]

I just thought of the single most popular One Hit Wonder ever.

The Grateful Dead - Touch of Gray

That was their only song to crack the top 10 or even the top 50. Truckin'' only made it to #64

Good one AVB , I am waiting for the response from Gary on this one....:laugh:

 

[Swifty]

Men With Hats-Safety Dance

Men Without Hats

As IgwanaRob mentioned earlier many of the bands mentioned did in fact have a few if not several songs that got airplay. Below I have listed some that I beleive to be true one hit wonders. Please correct me if I am wrong.

It's Magic - Pilot
Life Is Just a Fantasy - Aldo Nova
Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider
Into The Night - Benny Mardones
Billy Don't Be a Hero - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died
Goodtime Charlie - Danny OKeef
Isealites - Desmond Decker and The Aces
At 17 - Janis Ian
Not An Addict - K's Choice
Mouth - Merrill Bainbridge
The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
Smokin' In The Boys Room - Brownsville Station
Life Is a Rock - Reunion
Puttin' On The Ritz - Taco
Undercover Angel - Alan O'Day
I Can Help - Billy Swan
Judy Mae - Boomer Castleman
Its So Nice To Be With You - Gallery
Arizona - Mark Lindsay
More More More - Andrea True Connection
Motorcycle Mama - Sailcat
Shannon - Henry Gross
Brother Louie - Stories

 

[IgwanaRob]

As IgwanaRob mentioned earlier many of the bands mentioned did in fact have a few if not several songs that got airplay. Below I have listed some that I beleive to be true one hit wonders. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Puttin' On The Ritz - Taco

I loved that song as a kid. There was one or two other songs, but they were all covers as well and not nearly as big.

 

[SweetMelissa]

Ok I saw 2 of the one hit wonders i loved...Puttin on the Ritz and Into the Night-Benny Mardonis...every time i hear that song i get all giddy...makes me think of men i have the hots for *sweet innocent smile*

Melly, the angel :love:

 

[AVB]

OK, I gotta give you Tones of Home as it did make #20 on Billboard. Howerver, Change didn't break the top 100.

Tones of Home was Blind Melons first major hit, and Change was almost bigger than both put together (although No Rain still gets a lot of play).

Gotta give you one here two. Hole Hearted made it to #4 but that is it for the US top 40. They did have 3 other top 40 songs in the UK though.

Extreme had a bunch of hits, although the ballads were big sellers at that time so most people only remember that song.

I'll bow down on this too. It made #11. I think I was out of the country and totally missed this. I still haven't heard it.

Ugly Kid Joe did a great cover of Cat's in the Cradle that was a huge hit (bigger than anything they wrote themselves)

"You" made it to #20 but again nothing else in the top 100.

That was actually Candlebox's second big hit - You was quite popular for a while (aside note - my brother was sitting next to the singer on a plane from NY to Cali when my brother's band was on their way to Australia to do the Warped Tour - just when Candlebox was getting big with Far Behind)

Again you got it. Just The Way It Is made #14

The Rembrandts first hit was Just the Way It Is, Baby and until Friends came along it was a bigger hit than I'll be there for You.

This I'm just plain embarrased about. I have all of the FoS and should have known better.

Flock of Seagulls had a bunch of big songs - more than most bands of that era/genre (Telecommunication, Space Age Love Song, Wishing [If I Had a Photograph of You], etc)

Nothing by the Toadies besides Possum Kingdom charted in the top 200 although "Away" did make #28 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1996.

Possum Kingdom - Toadies
Toadies also had a hit called Tyler, well maybe not a "big" hit, but it was OK popular IMO.

"I come from the water" was a fairly big hit off that first album as well

Just ""No Big Deal" for Love and Rockets made it to #82 the others didn't chart. in the top 100 but did show on the Modern Rock Chart. One other Divinyl sigle didn't chart either top 100 or Modern Rock and Make Out Alright made #19 on the Modern Rock Chart only.

So Alive - Love and Rockets
I Touch Myself - The Divinyls

"No New Tale to Tell" and "Ball of Confusion" were huge hits for Love and Rockets (among others).

The Divinyls had 2 other singles off that album, but only one got much play - and they both sucked

 

[MiamiCubano]

I'll admit I haven't read this whole thread closely, but I did catch that someone mentioned "People Who Died" by Jim Carrol Band. That reminded me instantly of one of my personal one-hit-wonder favorites, though I do have many (this is the first that came to mind):

"88 Lines About 44 Women" - The Nails

Awesome song - still have the cassette.

There was also...and maybe Rod could attest to this...a day back when KROQ was decent and Rodney on the ROQ ruled, when I was in So. Cal., you would sometimes here on Rodney's show:

"What Do All The People Know" - The Monroes

Classic power-pop song, of which I still have the 45.

And, I also just remembered, though they did have quite a few good songs, you can't top their cover of:

"Like a Virgin" - Lords of The New Church

 

[jgohlke]

Bow Wow Wow....I had to laugh. That girl was hot!

Now I got that friggin "I want candy" song in my brain....Yikes!

Hey, how about that song where those guys are trapped or stranded somewhere and they have to kill one of the group and eat him....I think it was by "The Buoys"...I just googled it..."Timothy".

 

[MiamiCubano]

Bow Wow Wow....I had to laugh. That girl was hot!

Now I got that friggin "I want candy" song in my brain....Yikes!

Hey, how about that song where those guys are trapped or stranded somewhere and they have to kill one of the group and eat him....I think it was by "The Buoys"...I just googled it..."Timothy".

Ah, The Buoys...featured none other than Rupert Holmes...in the days before he was drinking pina coladas and getting caught in the rain...

 

[Seavita]

Don Johnson-Heartbeat

or

Rumors-Timex Social Club


LMAO

 

[HapaLee]

I can't believe nobody said this one yet!!

867-5309 Tommy Tune

 

[Maggs44]

Don Mclean had a second hit with Vincent (happens to be the insperation for Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack). Also, Janis Ian's first song was a huge hit Society's Child. Mott The Hoople also had a couple other minor hits that were played regularly, Marionette and All The Way to Memphis.

A few more one hits are.
Come On Down To My boat Baby by Every Mother's Son
Pictures Of Matchstick Men by Status Quo (though they were/are big in the UK)
Wells Fargo by Babe Ruth
Cum on Feel The Noise by Slade (long before Quiet Riot)
Hang On Sloopy by The McCoys
I Saw The Sign by Ace of Base
The Lion Sleeps Tonight by... The Tokens?
Whiter Shade of Pale by Prochol Harem

 

[brash]

Sir Mix-a-Lot BABY GOT BACK!

 

[AVB]

I gotta give you credit for Babe Ruth. Loved that group although I only saw them twice. They did a killer version of Zappa's "King Kong" The Mexican was the flip of Wells Fargo.

Procol Harum also charted with "Shine On Brightly" reaching #24. As for Slade, they were huge in the UK with over 30 charted singles there but only "My Oh My" making it to #37 here. Some of their UK hits are
:
1971 "Get Down And Get With It" UK #16
1971 "Coz I Luv You" UK #1
1972 "Look Wot You Dun" UK #4
1972 "Tak Me Bak 'Ome" UK #1
1972 "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" UK #1
1972 "Gudbuy t'Jane" UK #2
1973 "Cum on Feel the Noize" UK #1
1973 "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" UK #1
1973 "My Friend Stan" UK #2
1973 "Merry Xmas Everybody" UK #1
1974 "Everyday" UK #3
1974 "The Bangin' Man" UK #3
1974 "Far Far Away" UK #2
1975 "How Does It Feel" UK #15
1975 "Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)" UK #7
1975 "In For A Penny" UK #11
1976 "Let's Call It Quits" UK #11
1983 "My Oh My" UK #2, US #37
(wiki search)

Wells Fargo by Babe Ruth
Cum on Feel The Noise by Slade (long before Quiet Riot)
Whiter Shade of Pale by Prochol Harem

 

[golfgar]

Wipe Out by The Surfaris

Album: Wipe Out
Date: 1963
U.S. Chart: 2
U.K. Chart: 5



The Cheater by Bob Kuban And The Inmen

Album: The Cheater
Date: 1966
U.S. Chart: 12


I don't know if 12 on the charts qualifies but 2 does.

 

[wtrfwler1]

Who could forget Disco Duck - Rick Dees
:laugh:

 

[Swifty]

Who could forget Disco Duck - Rick Dees
:laugh:

He also had a more forgetable song called "Discorilla".

 

[Maggs44]

I gotta give you credit for Babe Ruth. Loved that group although I only saw them twice. They did a killer version of Zappa's "King Kong" The Mexican was the flip of Wells Fargo.

Procol Harum also charted with "Shine On Brightly" reaching #24. As for Slade, they were huge in the UK with over 30 charted singles there but only "My Oh My" making it to #37 here. Some of their UK hits are

Wells Fargo by Babe Ruth
Cum on Feel The Noise by Slade (long before Quiet Riot)
Whiter Shade of Pale by Prochol Harem

I don't remmber My Oh My, could be some of the FM stations in town here only played certain songs by a group. I must say, Slade was the LOUDEST group I have ever seen live. I saw Slade in a small theater (about 500-700 seat) with Brownsville Station (another one hit wonder with Smokin In The Boys Room), Slade was so loud I had to leave.

Another...
She Drives Me Crazy... Fine Young Cannibals

 

[AVB]

I remember Brownsville Station having a midwest hit with MARTIAN BOOGIE. I don't think it charted but the station in Memphis played it all the time. I'm gonna have to find the single someday since my tape copy is wearing out.

 

[Peekay]

For some reason I was thinking of posters..