Best One-Hit Wonders

[Quasar1011]

Men without Hats - Safety Dance

Men Without Hats came back 5 years later, in 1988, with the minor hit Pop Goes The World.

Can't Touch This by MC Hammer, anyone?

MC Hammer had another hit, called Pray.

Here's a longer list (and I can hum about 2/3 of these), from http://www.songfacts.com/additional...

Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
My Sharona - The Knack
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Take On Me - a-ha
Tomorrow People - Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers
Whip It - Devo
You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone

I had 2 45s by some of these people. For instance, the posters that mentioned The Sun Never Shines On TV by A-ha, and Gimme Hope, Joanna, by Eddie Grant, I can vouch for.

The Knack had, what I thought was better than My Sharona, a follow-up called Good Girls Don't.

Soft Cell had a bunch of top 10 hits in Britain. I have their greatest hits CD.

In Addition to Geno, Dexy's Midnight Runners also had a hit called Jackie Wilson Said. They even performed it on The Young Ones.

Ziggy Marley had another hit called Look Who's Dancing.

Devo had a minor hit with Working In The Coal Mine.

Debbie Boone had a minor hit called California.

 

[ferenginar]

Jilted John - By Graham Fellowes

 

[Hitro]

Odd definitions here by some. A band that has several albums in the charts surely is no one-hit-wonder. A band that only has one song on the top and nothing much beyond that is.

Some good ones in this thread, like "Ready to Go", "Brimful of Asha" etc..

 

[Iggy]

I only wish The Police could have been one hit wonders. Or that they had perished in a chocolate factory accident, for that matter.

I think you would be quite suprised if you heard their first single, "Fall out". Very '77 Punk.

Anyway. My favourite one hit wonder would have to be:

Jilted John - Jilted John.
A deeply moving and beautiful song of teen angst and lost love; containing the insightful, yet subtle rebuke, "Gordon is a Moron"

 

[nonconformist]

Jilted John - Jilted John.
A deeply moving and beautiful song of teen angst and lost love; containing the insightful, yet subtle repuke, "Gordon is a Moron"

Yeah, that's a greaat song

I've been going out with a girl, her name is Julie,

 

[Keshik]

"Achy Breaky Heart"
Billy Ray Cyrus
(See my location)

 

[Keshik]

If you remember the '70's, how about "I Love the Nightlife" by... I forget the artist.

"Baby Got Back" Sir Mixalot

"Big Bad John" Jimmy Dean (of sausage fame)

"Like a Virgin" Madonna (Just seeing if you're awake!)

 

[Bigfoot]

'Radar Love' by Golden Earring, great song! I don't know if they had other hits in the rest of the world, but I think that was their only hit song in the US.

BTW, Jimi Hendrix definitely wasn't a one-hit wonder. Besides 'All Along the Watchtower' he recorded 'Foxy Lady' and 'Purple Haze' which were big hits with lots of airplay here.

 

[fe3333au]

70's

Sheena Easton - I catch the morning train

 

[Tatran]

If you remember the '70's, how about "I Love the Nightlife" by... I forget the artist.

Alicia Bridges (1979)

'Radar Love' by Golden Earring, great song! I don't know if they had other hits in the rest of the world, but I think that was their only hit song in the US.

They also had a top 10 hit in the US (1982) with "Twilight zone".

70's

Sheena Easton - I catch the morning train

Remember "For your eyes only" (1981) a James Bond theme?

 

[JonathanValjean]

Here are a few of my one-hit-wonder favorites:

She's Like the Wind, Patrick Swayze
Heart and Soul, T'Pau
The Ballad of Jayne, L.A. Guns
When I'm With You, Sheriff
I Remember You, Skid Row (They were a two-hit wonder, but hey...)
I'll Be Your Everything, Tommy Page
Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor (As far as chart strength, #1 for all of 1990, and 4 weeks at #1, this song is definitely the biggest one-hit wonder on my list.)
Ice, Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice
Epic, Faith No More
Love of a Lifetime, Firehouse (Another two-hit wonder band...)
Hungerstrike, Temple of the Dog
Back for Good, Take That
The Freshmen, The Verve Pipe
Bittersweet Symphony, The Verve (Absolutely wonderful song!)

I'm sure I could think of many more, but it's a start.

 

[fe3333au]

Don't give up on us baby - David Soul (US Actor who played a motorcyclr cop on Chips)

 

[ferenginar]

David Soul was in Starsky and Hutch not CHiPs, the lead roles in CHiPS were Eric Estrada & Larry Wilcox

 

[fe3333au]

Oops they all meld into one

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Bittersweet Symphony, The Verve (Absolutely wonderful song!)

In the UK the Verve had more hit songs. I usually hear 'The Drugs don't Work' rather than 'Bittersweet Symphony.' Not entirely sure if they count as one-hit wonders, but hey.

Fully agree with you on the wonderful song claim though

 

[ravensfire]

Two Hangmen - Mason Profitt
This Beat Goes On (Switching to Glide) - The Kings

-- Ravensfire

 

[JonathanValjean]

In the UK the Verve had more hit songs.

That is good to hear! I checked their chart history here in the States, and was surprised to see that only "Bittersweet Symphony" had charted. I also really appreciate "Sonnet" by them. Another great song!

 

[farting bob]

The crazy frog (number 1 in the UK charts in the most depressing month for the music industry and sane people everywhere) i pry will be a 1 hit wondr. I will through my 32" TV out the second stroy window if i have to watch many more adverts with the damn frog.

That is good to hear! I checked their chart history here in the States, and was surprised to see that only "Bittersweet Symphony" had charted. I also really appreciate "Sonnet" by them. Another great song!

The verve had a few big hits here. The drugs dont work was voted in the top 50 greatest songs of all time in the largest public poll on the matter for TV a few years ago. I have a album of theres somewhere, might dig it out soon.

 

[Bartleby]

I will through my 32" TV out the second stroy window if i have to watch many more adverts with the damn frog.

Please don't do that...just change the channel.

 

[Mathilda]

One of the local radio stations here made their version of the top 100 one hit wonders this spring.
I only find the top ten interesting, but here's the whole thing incase somebody cares.


1 The Connells - ´74 -´75
2 The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You
3 Paradisio - Bailando
4 Joan Osborne - One Of Us
5 Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
6 Hanson - Mmmbop
7 Scatman John - Scatman
8 Fool´s Garden - Lemon Tree
9 Los Del Rio - Macarena
10 Crash Test Dummies - Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm
11 Robin S. - Show Me Love
12 Spin Doctors - Two Princes
13 Luniz - I Got 5 On It
14 Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha
15 Apollo 440 - Ain´t Talkin´ Bout Dub
16 Corona - Rhythm Of The Night
17 Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
18 Iio - Rapture
19 Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
20 Charles & Eddie - Would I Lie To You
21 Sinead O´Connor - Nothing Compares 2 You
22 Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
23 Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
24 London Beat - I´ve Been Thinking About You
25 Las Ketchup - The Ketchup Song
26 Right Said Fred - I´m Too Sexy
27 Daze - Superhero
28 Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany´s
29 Culture Beat - Mr. Vain
30 Sixpence None The Richer - Kiss Me
31 Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5
32 4 Non Blondes - What´s Up?
33 Reel 2 Real - I Like To Move It
34 Babylon Zoo - Spaceman
35 Sin With Sebastian - Shut Up (And Sleep With Me)
36 Jam & Spoon feat. Plavka - Right In The Night
37 Meredith Brooks - *****
38 EMF - Unbelievable
39 Wamdue Project - King Of My Castle
40 Livin´Joy - Dreamer
41 Shampoo - Trouble
42 Skee-Lo - I Wish
43 Jennifer Paige - Crush
44 Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out
45 Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
46 Mr. President - Coco Jamboo
47 The Bucketheads - The Bomb (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)
48 Leann Rimes - Can´t Fight The Moonlight
49 Snow - Informer
50 Babybird - You´re Gorgeous
51 Phats & Small - Turn Around
52 Brandy & Monica - The Boys Is Mine
53 Urban Cookie Collective - The Key, The Secret
54 Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl
55 Everything But The Girl - Missing
56 DNA feat. Suzanne Vega - Tom´s Diner
57 Touch & Go - Would You?
58 Me&My - Dub I Dub
59 Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper
60 Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone
61 Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart
62 Daddy DJ - Daddy DJ
63 Anouk - Nobody´s Wife
64 Shakepears Sister - Stay
65 Lara Fabian - I Will Love Again
66 The Tamperer feat. Maya - Feel It
67 Ice Mc - It´s a Rainy Day
68 Lucy Pearl - Don`t Mess With My Man
69 Emilia - Big Big World
70 Spiller - Groovejet
71 Navigators - Superstar
72 The Grid - Swamp Thing
73 Meja - All ´bout The Money
74 Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover
75 Ultra Nate - Free
76 Fastball - The Way
77 Addis Black Widow - Goes Around, Comes Around
78 OMC - How Bizarre
79 White Town - Your Woman
80 New Radicals - You Get What You Give
81 The Blue Boy - Remember Me
82 Whigfield - Saturday Night
83 Gala - Freed From Desire
84 Shola Ama - You Might Need Somebody
85 N-Trance - Stayin´ Alive
86 Holly Valance - Kiss Kiss
87 Bellini - Samba De Janeiro
88 The Free - Love Letter
89 Morcheeba - Rome Wasn´t Build In a Day
90 Mighty Dub Kats - The Magic Carpet Ride
91 Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack
92 Sweetbox - Everything´s Gonna Be Alright
93 Warren G. feat. Adina Howard - What´s Luv Got To Do With It
94 In-Grid - Tu Es Foutu
95 Down Low - Johnny B.
96 Urge Overkill - Girl, You´ll Be a Woman Soon
97 Uncle Kracker - Follow Me
98 Superfunk feat. Ron Carroll - Lucky Star
99 The Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom Boom
100 Roger Sanchez - Another Chance