Your favorite one hit wonder

[ocugolf 1,214]

Come on Eileen -Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Romeo’s Tune- Steve Forbert

[Deej 76,921]

Not going through the entire thread, so if already mentioned, sorry.

 

[Deej 76,921]

 

[Deej 76,921]

 

[South Austin 52,604]

 

[jimmyjazz 46,130]

1 hour ago, ocugolf said:

Romeo’s Tune- Steve Forbert

I outkicked my coverage and asked a young lady who was an Arkansas Razorback football cheerleader out, and she said yes.  First date, we went to see Steve Forbert at the Texas Union.

The relationship didn't last, but holy shit that was a week I'll never forget.  I mean yeah, Arkansas, but she was stunning.  Me, not so much.

[Deej 76,921]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I outkicked my coverage and asked a young lady who was an Arkansas Razorback football cheerleader out, and she said yes.  First date, we went to see Steve Forbert at the Texas Union.

The relationship didn't last, but holy shit that was a week I'll never forget.  I mean yeah, Arkansas, but she was stunning.  Me, not so much.

"Don't care. Got laid."

[Underdog 28,773]

5 hours ago, Ollie Slatt said:

I have always thought of the Verve as possibly the best one hit wonder ever (though I know they had a few other really good songs that were not hits). 

 

Big fan of this song. 

[UTCzech III 2,907]

Produced by Pete Townshend, who also plays bass on it, and featuring a very young Jimmy McCullouch on guitar, who would go on to play in Wings (that's his scorching guitar in Junior's Farm...)

 

[GhostOfTomJoad 9,351]

 
 

Great song and album, but not OHWs as they had 2 more singles that tracked highly from Boomtown, Swallowed by the Cracks and Ain't So Easy. Definitely a One Album Wonder.

Baerwald's solo follow up (Bedtime Stories) was pretty solid, and Sheryl Crow owes him a huge debt for helping her break with Tuesday Night Music Club.

Did Concrete Blonde track more than Joey?

[cactusflinthead 27,602]

Though the writer had plenty of hits. 

 

[Rip76 4,947]

1 hour ago, UTCzech III said:

Produced by Pete Townshend, who also plays bass on it, and featuring a very young Jimmy McCullouch on guitar, who would go on to play in Wings (that's his scorching guitar in Junior's Farm...)

 

One of my favorite songs of all time.

And I love Jimmy’s playing.  Great stuff with Wings.

[mr. sunshine 2,833]

 

[Caponata 151]

^wizard

Edited October 27, 2021 by Caponata

[cactusflinthead 27,602]

I refuse to be limited to one song.

 

[Celery Man 20,996]

On 10/25/2021 at 10:02 AM, hullabelew said:

This is the band that first came to my mind.  4 really good dudes from a really good debut album, then got absolutely fucked the their record label and horrible timing. 

 

This was my answer after thinking for a few minutes.

This may go against the spirit of the thread, but Nada Surf. I don't think they've had a hit past "Popular" (which isn't good imo) bit then they have had a nice career as an indie band.

Let Go is a great album. These dudes are still together, although at some point they replaced their bassist with a cigarette

[tbone_ 14,161]

Did Concrete Blonde track more than Joey?

[Rimbo 26,109]

On 10/25/2021 at 5:48 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Were these one-hitters?

Katrina & The Waves "Walking on Sunshine"

Nena "99 Luftballons"

 

I'm thinking so, but I wasn't exactly paying a lot of attention to the radio back then.

 

On 10/25/2021 at 5:50 PM, South Austin said:

Yes, on Katrina & The Waves.  I honestly can't name another song of theirs, but that song is certainly their only hit.

Yes on Nena in America, but no idea of how her career went in Germany.

Yes to both. I have a few German immigrant neighbors. Apparently Nena has (recently) gone batshit conspiracy-nutjob crazy.

[Rimbo 26,109]

On 10/25/2021 at 5:58 PM, jimmyjazz said:

What about the "500 Miles" guys?

I'm too lazy to look this shit up.

 

Yep. Solid choice.

[Rimbo 26,109]

14 hours ago, deac_tracy said:

Technically Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Grateful Dead and Public Enemy are all one hit wonders.

Absolutely.

Also these guys:

 

[Rimbo 26,109]

13 hours ago, Ollie Slatt said:

I have always thought of the Verve as possibly the best one hit wonder ever (though I know they had a few other really good songs that were not hits). 

 

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

On 10/25/2021 at 10:04 PM, jimmyjazz said:

 

Tom Cochrane has said in interviews that he was on his way to the studio to do that vocal when he heard of John Lennon's murder.  

It's a brilliant song.

 

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

11 hours ago, Rip76 said:

 

 

What a great 80's tune.  It's amazing.  

They only had one hit, but that whole record was pretty solid, and Baerwald had a few more gems in his subsequent solo records. 

 

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

 

[Victor Lazlo 1,777]

 

[Underdog 28,773]

Venus by Shocking Blue count?  

[Napoleon 8,700]

This video is still overloads the visual sensory neurons.

 

…only 7 1/2 BILLION views so far. None of his other songs comes close to that popularity.

[Napoleon 8,700]

 

[Ogie Ogilthorpe 639]

On 10/25/2021 at 11:04 PM, jimmyjazz said:

 

While technically a OHW, Red Rider changed their name to Tom Cochrane and Red Rider and then Tom released another OHW (he had some smaller song that were only successful in Canada)

 

[jimmyjazz 46,130]

6 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

What a great 80's tune.  It's amazing.  

They only had one hit, but that whole record was pretty solid, and Baerwald had a few more gems in his subsequent solo records. 

Baerwald's first solo record is damn near a desert island disc for me.

[JCHIL 414]

6 hours ago, Underdog said:

Venus by Shocking Blue count?  

Really dig that song.

[BoomMF 1,399]

Technically, Jimi Hendrix was a no-hit wonder.

 

EDIT: All Along the Watchtower hit 20, though. I guess that counts as a hit (even though I think of hits as top 10 or even top 3 type things) so I guess I'm technically talking out of my ass.

Edited October 27, 2021 by BoomMF

[tbone_ 14,161]

It’s simple. One hit wonder means they had one song that everyone knows and no one knows shit about any of their other songs.

I get the technical argument but fucking Jimi Hendrix, Rush, etc are not one hit wonders. Knock off the nonsense.

[BoomMF 1,399]

Agree to disagree (otherwise bona fide hits from the 50s would no longer be hits because no one knows them anymore). This thread creates nothing but exceptions, because this is a list of favorite one-hit wonders, but there is a loooong list of songs that charted to the number 1 spot that have been lost to time in the popular sense.

Edited October 27, 2021 by BoomMF

[Underdog 28,773]

56 minutes ago, JCHIL said:

Really dig that song.

It’s in a group of 5 or 10 songs I never tire of hearing.  

[Dbeasy 15,092]

21 hours ago, tbone_ said:

You had a juke box in your 6th grade cafeteria?

I grew up in East Austin. It’s how we roll. 

[hullabelew 3,724]

21 hours ago, ocugolf said:

Come on Eileen -Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Romeo’s Tune- Steve Forbert

His 1991 one, The American In Me is so fucking good.  Probably in my Top 25 of all time.    In the late 90s I saw him and the house music was a soundtrack from "Across The Universe".   Ol' Steve went on multiple rants about all of the good music out today, but this places chose to play music by some obscure band called "The Beatles" .   When I say multiple, I mean after every 3rd song.  It was comical but he was not at all pleased by it.   He is still a fantastic songwriter.  

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

7 hours ago, Ogie Ogilthorpe said:

While technically a OHW, Red Rider changed their name to Tom Cochrane and Red Rider and then Tom released another OHW (he had some smaller song that were only successful in Canada)

 

 

[IDIOTsavant 8,502]

2 hours ago, tbone_ said:

It’s simple. One hit wonder means they had one song that everyone knows and no one knows shit about any of their other songs.

I get the technical argument but fucking Jimi Hendrix, Rush, etc are not one hit wonders. Knock off the nonsense.

Using this criteria, I think this sadly fits:

 

The vast majority of people just know her for this song alone...which makes me sad.

[hullabelew 3,724]

11 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

What a great 80's tune.  It's amazing.  

They only had one hit, but that whole record was pretty solid, and Baerwald had a few more gems in his subsequent solo records. 

 

Good lord, I LOVED that record.  

[hullabelew 3,724]

2 minutes ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Using this criteria, I think this sadly fits:

 

The vast majority of people just know her for this song alone...which makes me sad.

Good lord, I forgot she did this.  The balls it took to walk out on that stage with just a guitar.  That entire debut record was fantastic.  

[jimmyjazz 46,130]

I'd say Chapman's "Talkin' About a Revolution" and "Give Me Just One Reason" qualify as hits.  I think the latter did better than "Fast Car".  I know it won her a Grammy.

[jimmyjazz 46,130]

Speaking of Tom Cochrane and David Baerwald, Tom's vocals on that tune "Big League" are eerily reminiscent of Baerwald's voice.

Oh, and how Canadian can one song get?

[tbone_ 14,161]

Using this criteria, I think this sadly fits:
 
The vast majority of people just know her for this song alone...which makes me sad.

I actually think more people know this song

[jimmyjazz 46,130]

10 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

Good lord, I forgot she did this.  The balls it took to walk out on that stage with just a guitar. 

Fuuuuck.  Got kinda dusty in here.  Wow.  

[hullabelew 3,724]

4 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Speaking of Tom Cochrane and David Baerwald, Tom's vocals on that tune "Big League" are eerily reminiscent of Baerwald's voice.

Oh, and how Canadian can one song get?

Ha.  Yep....plus, it is actually based on a true story.  I have an embarrassing amount of knowledge on Canadian bands from the 80/90s.   Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers/L'Etreanger/Andrew Cash/Cash Brothers, Tom Cochrane, Grapes of Wrath, Tragically Hip.    

[IDIOTsavant 8,502]

10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'd say Chapman's "Talkin' About a Revolution" and "Give Me Just One Reason" qualify as hits.  I think the latter did better than "Fast Car".  I know it won her a Grammy.

Understand that, but current day I believe 60% people would know of her by name and 58% of that 60% would know her for that song alone. Most of the people that spend time on this board would fall into that 2%, so that's why I applied the caveat that I quoted. I think she's probably seen at large as a one hit wonder, and again, that makes me sad.

[hullabelew 3,724]

2 minutes ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Understand that, but current day I believe 60% people would know of her by name and 58% of that 60% would know her for that song alone. Most of the people that spend time on this board would fall into that 2%, so that's why I applied the caveat that I quoted. I think she's probably seen at large as a one hit wonder, and again, that makes me sad.

I bought that album as soon as I heard her voice.  Instantly reminded me of Joan Armatrading.  What a talent.

[Ogie Ogilthorpe 639]

52 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

 

Oh, and how Canadian can one song get?

Answer to your question also a OHW

 

[Ogie Ogilthorpe 639]

44 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

Ha.  Yep....plus, it is actually based on a true story.  I have an embarrassing amount of knowledge on Canadian bands from the 80/90s.   Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers/L'Etreanger/Andrew Cash/Cash Brothers, Tom Cochrane, Grapes of Wrath, Tragically Hip.    

I may have you beat there as you forgot Spirt of the West, Lowest of the Low, Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, The Watchmen, The Headstones, Moxy Fruvous, The Pursuit of Happiness, etc. Some decent bands, some succeeded only because Canadian Content rules for radio stations.