A
one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one
hit singleA hit single is a recorded track or single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio airplay and/or significant...
.
Characteristics
Some one-hit wonders are the result of novelty songs during
fadIn biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide is a redox cofactor involved in several important reactions in metabolism. FAD can exist in two different redox states and its biochemical role usually involves changing between these two states...
s. Examples include
Rick DeesRick Dees is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy nominated performing artist, and...
’ "
Disco Duck"Disco Duck" was a satirical disco novelty song performed by Memphis disc jockey Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. It became a number-one hit on the Billboard Chart for one week in October of 1976 . It also made the top 20 on the Black Singles chart, peaking at number 15...
", related to the
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
craze of the 1970s;
C. W. McCallC.W. McCall is the pseudonym of William Dale Fries, Jr. , a singer, activist and politician known for his truck-themed outlaw country songs, which used extensive sprechgesang .-Biography:In 1973, while working as a creative director for Bozell & Jacobs, an Omaha, Nebraska...
's "
Convoy"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one rated success in the USA and helped start a fad for citizens band radio...
", related to the CB radio craze of the 1970s; and
Buckner & GarciaBuckner & Garcia is a duo consisting of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia from Akron, Ohio. Their first collaboration was in 1980, when they wrote a novelty Christmas song, "Merry Christmas in the NFL," about Howard Cosell as Santa Claus...
’s "Pac Man Fever", related to the 1980s-era arcade game
Pac Man.
Some artists, such as
Shannon HoonRichard Shannon Hoon was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He rose to fame as frontman and lead singer of the band Blind Melon until his death from a drug overdose in 1995.- Early life :...
of
Blind MelonBlind Melon is an American rock band that originally existed from 1989 to 1995, and ceased with the death of lead vocalist Shannon Hoon shortly after the release of the band's second album. The band reformed with a new lead vocalist, Travis Warren in 2006. However, Warren announced his departure...
, had their careers cut short by death, while others, such as
New RadicalsThe New Radicals were an American rock band active in the late 1990s, centered on frontman Gregg Alexander, who wrote and produced all of their songs and was the sole constant member...
and
The La'sThe La's are a rock music band from Liverpool, England, consisting of frontman Lee Mavers and John Power , plus a rotating cast of guitarists and drummers...
, broke up immediately after their one hit. More commonly, however, one-hit wonders are serious-minded musicians who struggled to continue their success after their popularity waned.
Because one-hit wonders are popular for only a brief time, their hits often have nostalgic value and are featured on era-centric compilations and
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized...
s to period films. One-hit wonders are normal in any era of
pop musicPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
, but are most common during reigns of entire
genreA genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other form of art or utterance...
s that do not last for more than a few years, such as
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
,
new waveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
and
grungeGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
.
Though the term is sometimes used in a derogatory manner, some fans often have a great passion for these songs and the artists who created them. Some one-hit wonder artists have embraced this following openly, while others distance themselves from their hit in an attempt to craft successful songs with different sounds, or embark on new careers as songwriters (such as
Linda PerryLinda Perry, born April 15, 1965, in Springfield, Massachusetts, to parents of Portuguese and Brazilian descent, is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer...
of
4 Non Blondes4 Non Blondes were an American rock band formed in 1989. They consisted of bassist Christa Hillhouse, guitarist Shaunna Hall, drummer Wanda Day and vocalist Linda Perry. Prior to the release of their first album, Roger Rocha replaced Hall on guitar, and Dawn Richardson replaced Day on drums. They...
and
Gregg AlexanderGregg Alexander is an American singer/songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of the New Radicals, who scored the international hit "You Get What You Give" in late 1998. Earlier in life he recorded two solo albums, Michigan Rain and Intoxifornication...
of
New RadicalsThe New Radicals were an American rock band active in the late 1990s, centered on frontman Gregg Alexander, who wrote and produced all of their songs and was the sole constant member...
), recording industry executives (such as
GerardoGerardo Mejía , better known as simply Gerardo, is a Latin rapper and singer who later became a recording industry executive. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he has based his career in Los Angeles, California since his family moved to Glendale, California, when he was 12 years old. He became known for...
), or even game show hosts (such as
Chuck WooleryCharles Herbert "Chuck" Woolery is an American game show host. He has had long-running tenures hosting several different game shows. He was the original host of Wheel of Fortune from 1975-1981, the original incarnation of Love Connection from 1983-1994, and Scrabble from 1984-1990...
of
The Avant-GardeThe Avant-Garde was an American psychedelic pop group formed by Chuck Woolery and Elkin "Bubba" Fowler in 1967. They released three singles on Columbia Records in 1967 and 1968, backed by different session musicians on each release: "Yellow Beads", "Naturally Stoned" , and "Fly With Me"...
). One-hit artists who possess a significant legacy of music outside of the singles world (e.g. or Buffy Sainte-Marie with
IlluminationsIlluminations, released in 1969, was the sixth album by Buffy Sainte-Marie. Though most of the tracks did away with the backing she had used on her previous two albums, Illuminations had a completely different sound from anything she had previously done...
) may however distance themselves severely from their hit single ("
Mister Can't You See"Mister Can't You See" is a song written by Mickey Newbury and Townes Van Zandt that first appeared on Newbury's 1968 debut album Harlequin Melodies. Newbury's original version was slow and dominated by strings and a very simple drumbeat, with his voice telling a tale of nature's power and beauty...
") as they are likely to feel their hit in no way represents what they stand for.
Questions of definition
Most American music industry insiders consider a song in the top forty positions of the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
to be a hit. Thus, any performer who recorded only one song that reached the Top 40 is, technically, a one-hit wonder. However, the term is more generally applied to musicians best known for only one song.
Wayne Jancik's book
The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders (Billboard Books, 1998) defines a one-hit wonder rather conservatively, as "an act that has won a position on Billboard's national, pop, Top 40 just once." He therefore includes such performers as
Janis JoplinJanis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist...
(for "
Me and Bobby McGee"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller. Janis Joplin notably covered the song on the album Pearl...
") or
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
(for "
All Along the Watchtower"All Along the Watchtower" is a song written and recorded by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It initially appeared on his album John Wesley Harding...
"), solely on the basis of their Top 40 performance. In his definition of an "act", Jancik distinguishes between a solo performer and any group he or she may have performed in; thus
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey CBE is an English singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who...
is distinguished from
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
. He restricts his reporting time to the period from the start of the "rock-and-roll era" (defined by the author as 1 January 1955 to 31 December 1992). The latter date was picked to allow a five-year "lag time" before publication for a listed one-hit wonder to produce a second hit; this unfortunately does not allow for a longer hiatus between hits for a particular performer. For example,
Lenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and arranger whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads....
is listed for "
It Ain't Over 'til It's Over"It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" is a song recorded, written, and produced by American musician Lenny Kravitz for his second studio album, Mama Said . Released as the album's second single in May 1991, the song is a mid-tempo ballad, musically inspired by Motown, Philly soul, and Earth, Wind & Fire...
" (No. 2, August 1991); the book therefore misses subsequent hits, such as "
Fly Away"Fly Away" is the fourth single by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz from his 1998 album 5.-Chart performance:"Fly Away" is one of Kravitz's most successful songs to date. The song was a hit in both the United Kingdom and United States...
", which peaked at #12 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in 1999.
In the United Kingdom, the term one-hit wonder is used to describe a singer or band who had only one hit reach the Top 75 on the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
. The term was first used by the
Guinness Book of Hit Singles from the 1970s, and originally referred strictly to those artists whose first chart action was: "a number one hit, and then nothing else, ever." This is now commonly known as a "true" one hit wonder.
Below is a list of some criteria that also affect a performer's status as a one-hit wonder:
- There are many acts who earned a single Billboard Top 40 hit, but who are not typically classified as one-hit wonders due to other successes. Jancik, however, includes many of these artists, as they fall within his strict definition as a single act with a single top-40 placement. For example:
- album
An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites.-...
or even concert ticket sales: e.g. Emerson, Lake & PalmerEmerson, Lake & Palmer were an English progressive rock supergroup. In the 1970s, the band was extremely popular, selling over 35 million albums and headlining huge concerts...
, RushRush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, and Garth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks is an American country music artist. His eponymous first album was released in 1989; it peaked at #2 in the US country album chart and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart...
(whose only Billboard Top 40 hit was in his Chris GainesChris Gaines is a fictional alternative rock singer created as an alter ego for a movie project titled The Lamb by Garth Brooks. Brooks assumed the Chris Gaines personality in 1999, recording one album under the name and charting three singles on the Billboard charts, including the Top 5 pop hit...
persona)
- success on other, genre-specific charts: e.g. Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band, with members from Northern Ireland and Scotland. Formed at the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland in 1994, the band is now based in Glasgow...
, IncubusIncubus is an American Grammy Award-nominated rock band, from Calabasas, California. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school. The band expanded to include bassist Alex Katunich , and Gavin Koppell...
, The Lightning Seeds, KoRnKorn is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California, which formed in 1993. The band's catalogue consists of nine consecutive debuts in the top ten of the Billboard 200. To date, Korn has sold over 30 million albums worldwide while earning six Grammy nominations—two of which they have won...
, Queen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, singer, model, and CoverGirl...
, The ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex, England. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, as well as other acts they are pioneers of the big beat electronic dance genre which achieved mainstream popularity in...
, Garth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks is an American country music artist. His eponymous first album was released in 1989; it peaked at #2 in the US country album chart and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart...
, Randy TravisRandy Travis is a Grammy Award- and Dove Award-winning American country singer. Active since 1985, he has recorded more than a dozen studio albums to date, in addition to charting more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which sixteen have reached Number...
, WeezerWeezer is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1992. Initially, the band consisted of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Matt Sharp , and Jason Cropper . Cropper was later replaced by Brian Bell...
, blink-182Blink-182 is an American punk rock band from Poway, California that predominantly plays pop punk music. The band was formed in 1992 as "Blink" with members Tom DeLonge , Mark Hoppus and Scott Raynor . In 1998, midway through a U.S. tour, drummer Travis Barker replaced Raynor...
, and System of a DownSystem of a Down is an Armenian-American rock band from Glendale, California, formed in 1994...
- critical acclaim: e.g. Spirit
Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.- The original lineup :The original lineup of the group evolved from an earlier Los Angeles band, The Red Roosters, which included Randy California , Mark Andes and Jay Ferguson...
, Randy NewmanRandall Stuart “Randy” Newman is an American singer/songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is notable for his mordant pop songs and for his many film scores....
, Siouxsie & the BansheesSiouxsie & the Banshees were a British rock band formed in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin, the only constant members....
, The White StripesThe White Stripes is an American rock duo, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consists of songwriter Jack White and Meg White ....
, The ChurchThe Church is an Australian rock band formed in Canberra in 1980. Initially associated with New Wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of "progressive rock," featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay.The Church's debut...
, Amy WinehouseAmy Jade Winehouse is an English singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R&B, soul, jazz, rock & roll, and ska. Winehouse is best known for her soulful, powerful contralto vocals....
, BeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known by the stage name Beck...
, and Marshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan. Marshall graduated from Berkley High School in June of 1971. Crenshaw began playing guitar at age ten...
- strong fan followings: e.g. Rush
Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Frank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album...
, Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
, Faith No MoreFaith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, frontman Mike Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Wade Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
, and QueensrÿcheQueensrÿche is an American heavy metal / progressive metal band formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington. The band has released ten studio albums and several EPs and DVDs and continues to tour and record....
- influence on other musicians: e.g. Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
, RushRush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Lou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as a successful solo artist whose career has spanned several decades. The Velvet Underground gained little mainstream attention during their career,...
(with The Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground was an American art rock band formed in New York City, New York. First active from 1965 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists...
), Janis JoplinJanis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist...
, DevoDevo , often spelled DEVO or DEV-O, is an American New Wave band formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973. They are best known for their 1980 hit "Whip It", which made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
, Iggy PopIggy Pop is a songwriter, and occasional actor. Although he has had only limited mainstream commercial success, Iggy Pop is considered an influential innovator of punk rock, hard rock, and other related styles...
(with The StoogesThe Stooges are an American rock band that were first active from 1967 to 1974, then reformed in 2003. The Stooges sold few records in their original incarnation and often performed for indifferent or hostile audiences...
), and Bo DiddleyBo Diddley , born Ellas Otha Bates, was an American rock & roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was known as "The Originator" because of his key role in the transition from blues music to rock & roll, influencing a host of legendary acts including Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton...
- success as a songwriter
A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
or producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
: e.g. Buffy Sainte-MarieBuffy Sainte-Marie, OC is an Academy Award-winning Canadian First Nations musician, composer, visual artist, pacifist, educator and social activist.-Personal life:...
, Mickey NewburyMickey Newbury was an American songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music, a critically acclaimed recording artist, and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
, J. J. Cale, Norman Smith, and McFadden & WhiteheadMcFadden and Whitehead were an American songwriting, production, and recording duo, best known for their signature tune "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"...
- Some artists, including Livin' Joy
Livin' Joy is a house music group from Italy who released two successful dance hits in the 1990s. In 1994, fronted by the American lead singer Janice Robinson, they reached number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Dreamer". The song turned out to be a mild sleeper hit on pop radio,...
, Wall of VoodooWall of Voodoo was an American rock group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
, and Modern EnglishModern English are an English rock band best remembered for their songs "I Melt with You," "Hands Across the Sea," and "Ink and Paper". The group disbanded for a period in 1991, but later recorded in 1995 with some new members.-History:...
, never had a top-40 pop hit, but did have a song that received considerable airplay, even long after its day of release.
- Many popular British artists like Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood was an English dance-pop band that was extremely popular in the mid-1980s. The Liverpool group was fronted by Holly Johnson , supported by Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was famously banned by the BBC while at...
, Right Said FredRight Said Fred are an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli, all from East Grinstead...
, The VerveThe Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1990, by vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. The members had met at Winstanley Sixth Form College. Simon Tong later became a member...
, BBMakBBMak were an English pop group consisting of Mark Barry, Christian Burns and Stephen McNally. Together they sold nearly three million albums and spawned six Top 10 and Top 40 singles worldwide between 1999 when the group was formed and 2003 when they eventually disbanded...
, All Saints, Billie PiperBillie Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career as a pop singer when she was a teenager and progressed to acting; her roles include Rose Tyler, companion to the Doctor in the television series Doctor Who from 2005 to 2006, a role she reprised in 2008...
, Busted, Take ThatTake That are a BRIT Award-winning English pop band consisting of members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen. Barlow is the group's main songwriter. All of them perform primarily on vocals though each have some instrumental talent/song-writing capability. The band achieved major...
, and OasisOasis were an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
are considered one-hit wonders in the US, although they have many hits in their native UK. Similarly, US bands They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is a double Grammy Award-winning American alternative rock band which began as a duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, and currently also includes Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. Formed in 1982, they are best known for an unconventional and experimental style...
and Blue Oyster CultBlue Öyster Cult is an American rock band formed in New York in 1967 and still active in 2009. The group is especially well known for songs including " The Reaper", "Astronomy", "Godzilla", and "Burnin' for You". They have sold over 14 million albums worldwide, including 7 million in the U.S.A...
are one-hit wonders in the UK but not in their native US. Conversely, two British bands, Wang ChungWang Chung are a British New Wave musical group.The group found their greatest success in the North America, with five Top 40 hits in the US, all charting between 1984 and 1987 . In the UK, their home country, their only top 40 hit was "Dance Hall Days"...
and BreatheBreathe were a London based group formed in the early 1980s.-Career:Originally a larger, five-person band called Catch 22, all the members were actually childhood friends who went to Yateley School together in Hampshire where they lived. They later trimmed down to a quartet...
, as well as the Anglo-Australian duo Air SupplyAir Supply are a soft rock duo who had a succession of hits worldwide through the late 1970s and early 1980s. It consists of British guitarist and vocalist Graham Russell and Australian lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock , plus various...
, are one-hit wonders in the UK but not in the US.
- Prominent members of popular groups who have only one solo hit typically are not seen as one-hit wonders. Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American jazz-rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band reached a peak of popularity in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's Donald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the jazz-influenced rock band Steely Dan. Fagen is known for his use of complex jazz harmonies, elaborate arrangements, and exacting attention to detail––all...
, The Lovin' SpoonfulThe Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry."...
's John SebastianJohn Sebastian is an American songwriter and harmonica player. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
, The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance...
' Brian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the rock group The Beach Boys...
, and Michael NesmithRobert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, perhaps best known for his time in the musical group The Monkees and on the TV series of the same name...
of The MonkeesThe Monkees were a pop rock quartet assembled by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider in Los Angeles in 1966 for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968...
each achieved chart success only once as solo artists, but are all well-known for their contributions to music through their respective bands. Nesmith is also famous for creating Pop ClipsPopClips was a music-video television program, the direct predecessor of MTV.Former Monkee Mike Nesmith conceived the first music-video program as a promotional device for Warner Communications' record division...
, a concept that others would eventually turn into MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
.
- Conversely, groups led by popular solo artists are usually not called one-hit wonders. Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos were a blues-rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends....
' sole hit "Layla"Layla" is a song by rock band Derek and the Dominos and the thirteenth track from their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, released in December 1970. It is considered one of rock music's definitive love songs, featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Eric Clapton and Duane...
" is associated with group leader Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
, who had great success and fame before and after the Dominos.
- Performers who have consistent success in one part of the world but who are known for only one song outside that region are usually considered one-hit wonders in the latter. Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
's FalcoJohann Hölzel , better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian, pop and rock musician and had four #1 Hits - "Der Kommissar", "Rock Me Amadeus", "Jeanny", and "Coming Home ". With "Rock Me Amadeus" he is the first and so far only artist to score a #1 Hit in the U.S. with a German language...
and GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
’s NenaNena is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1984 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons", re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". "Nena" was also the name of the band with whom she released the song...
were very successful in German-speakingGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
countries, and CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Tom CochraneTom Cochrane, OC Canadian musician and humanitarian, best known for his hit songs "Life Is a Highway", "Lunatic Fringe", "White Hot", "Boy Inside the Man", "Big League" and "I Wish You Well". Cochrane fronted the Canadian rock band Red Rider and has won seven Juno Awards...
has had similar success in his homeland, but all are considered one-hit wonders in the US and UK.
- A small number of artists have the distinction of being regarded as one-hit wonders in both the US and UK, but with different songs. American husband and wife duo Art and Dotty Todd
Art and Dotty Todd were an American husband and wife singing duo. They got their start at the Shadow Mountain Club in Palm Desert, California. They had their own CBS radio programme in the 1950s and were later a regular attraction in Las Vegas, Nevada...
scored a hit in the UK with "Broken Wings" in 1953, but did not make it to the top forty in their homeland until "Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)" in 1958. Rock band The Icicle Works' sole UK top 50 hit was 1983's "Love Is a Wonderful Colour"; however, in North America, their only top 40 entry was "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" in 1984. Another group, After the FireAfter the Fire are a British rock band that progressed from playing progressive rock to New Wave over their initial 12 year career while having only one hit in the United States and one hit in the United Kingdom .-Early career:Keyboard player Peter Banks originally formed the band in the early...
, had their sole UK Top 40 hit with their debut single, 1979's "One Rule for You" and their sole US Top 40 hit with one of their final singles, 1982's "Der Kommissar"'" is a song first recorded by Falco in German in 1981, covered a year later by After The Fire and reworked in 1983 by Laura Branigan. Originally written by Robert Ponger and Falco, the Falco version reached the top of the charts in many countries....
".
- Performers who are successful in specific genres, but produce only one crossover hit, are generally considered one-hit wonders by the public at large, but not by fans of their respective genres. Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe...
singer Loreena McKennittLoreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist and pianist most famous for writing, recording and performing world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, warbling soprano vocals...
and Christian rockChristian rock is a form of rock music played by bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Much Christian rock has ties to the contemporary...
group Jars of ClayJars of Clay is a Grammy Award winning Christian rock band from Franklin, Tennessee. They met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois....
are popular within their respective genres, but known to the greater public for a single song each. Similar situations are common among crossover country artists and hair metal groups.
- Performers who had more than one Top 40 hit are sometimes considered one-hit wonders, if one signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
greatly overshadows the rest of their repertoire. a-haa-ha is a synthpop/-rock band from Norway, formed in 1982. The group initially rose to fame during the 1980s and has had continued success in the 1990s and 2000s.a-ha achieved its biggest success with their debut album and single in 1985...
’s "Take on Me"Take on Me" is a song by Norwegian pop band a-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" made the top 10 of VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
's 100 Greatest One Hit WondersThe Greatest is a VH1 series. Each episode counts down either songs, albums, music videos, moments, musicians, or celebrities of a particular category.-Episodes:-External links:**...
, even though the group had two Billboard Top 20 singles: "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV". However, "Take On Me" is much more remembered today, at least in the US (note that "The Sun Always Shines on TV" was a #1 hit in the UK: higher than "Take on Me"). Similarly, Great White is sometimes called a one-hit wonder for "Once Bitten Twice Shy", but "The Angel Song" was also a Top 40 hit. Furthermore, the band had several songs that charted under the Top 40 but did well on genre-specific charts that were quite popular among fans of the hair metal and hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
genres. Strawberry Alarm ClockStrawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock/pop rock band from Los Angeles best known for their 1967 hit "Incense and Peppermints". The group took its name as an homage to the Beatles' psychedelic hit "Strawberry Fields Forever"....
's #1 "Incense and Peppermints"Incense and Peppermints" is a song by the Los Angeles based bubblegum and psychedelic pop band Strawberry Alarm Clock. It was released as a single during 1967 by UNI Records and reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for one week before beginning its fall down the charts...
" so overshadowed their #23 "Tomorrow" that they are often considered a one-hit wonder. The same applies for Falco in the US; his #1 "Rock Me Amadeus"Rock Me Amadeus" is a 1986 song by the Austrian pop musician Falco from his album Falco 3. It topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It was Falco's only major hit in the United States and one of only two singles to make the Top Ten in the United Kingdom, despite his popularity...
" greatly overshadowed its #18 follow-up single "Vienna Calling" in that country. The same is true for German singer Peter SchillingPeter Schilling is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes...
whose international hit "Major Tom (Coming Home)" vastly overshadowed the album it was released on and the titular single from it, "Different Story (World of Lust and Crime)". Billy Ray CyrusBilly Ray Cyrus is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor, best known for his #1 single "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
reached #1 with "Achy Breaky Heart"Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart," it was recorded by the The Marcy Brothers on their self-titled second album but was not released as a single. The name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by...
" in 1992; although he had many other countryCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
hits, he did not return to the Top 40 until 2008 with "Ready, Set, Don't Go"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country pop song released in 2007 by Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, from Billy Ray's album, Home at Last. Released in August 2007, it did not reach its peak position until March 2008. The single debuted at #47 and was Cyrus' first chart entry on the U.S...
"; by that time, he had become better-known as an actor and the father of Miley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American pop-rock singer and television and film actress. Cyrus is best known for starring as the title character in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Following the success of Hannah Montana, in October 2006, a soundtrack CD was released in which she sang eight songs...
, with whom he stars in the series Hannah MontanaHannah Montana is an Emmy Award-nominated American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night,...
.
- Some artists had a number of hits chart quite high on Billboard's charts. Yet only one of their songs is remembered after the days of their popularity.
- Performers like Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When The Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
, The FoundationsThe Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of West Indians, White British, and a Sri Lankan, are best known for their two biggest hits, "Baby Now That I've Found You" and written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod; and "Build Me Up Buttercup" The...
, The Left BankeThe Left Banke was a 1960s American pop-music group best remembered for its two hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often utilized what was referred to as "baroque" string arrangements, which led its music to be termed "Bach-rock"...
, Maxine NightingaleMaxine Nightingale is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in the 1970s, with the million seller, "Right Back Where We Started From" , 1977's "Love Hit Me" and "Lead Me On" ....
, Donna FargoDonna Fargo is an American country music singer-songwriter, who is best-known for a series of Top 10 country hits in the 1970s...
, A Taste of HoneyA Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. They later went on to score one of the best known songs of the disco era. After their popularity waned during the early 1980s Johnson went on to record as a solo artist and...
, Mr. MisterMr. Mister was an American pop rock band of the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report record called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as representative of...
, Jan HammerJan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. He is probably best known for playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 70s, as well as his "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s US television program, Miami Vice.Hammer has collaborated with some...
, Johnny LoganJohnny Logan , is an Irish singer and composer.-Early life and career:Logan was born in Frankston near Melbourne, Australia. His father was an Irish tenor, Patrick O'Hagan, who performed three times at The White House, for John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon...
, Vanessa ParadisVanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer and actress. She became a child star at 14 with the huge worldwide success of her single Joe le taxi. Since then, she has accomplished a career in music, movies and modelling....
, The Fat BoysThe Fat Boys, originally known as The Disco 3, were an American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City, that emerged in the early 1980s.-Former Members:*Mark Morales a.k.a. "Prince Markie Dee"...
, PilotPilot was a pop rock musical group, formed during 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland by the former Bay City Rollers members, David Paton and Billy Lyall.-Career:Joined by Stuart Tosh and Ian Bairnson, the band recorded several demos during 1973 and 1974....
and Ugly Kid JoeUgly Kid Joe was an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band’s name is a pun on the band Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound touched on a range of styles, including rock, hard rock and heavy metal...
, who produced two major hits before fading into obscurity, are sometimes called "two-hit wonders," but this term is not as common.
- Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. It is also UMG's oldest active label.-History:...
and Vox RecordsVOX Records is a budget classical record label. The name is Latin for "voice."-History:The company began with 78-rpm discs and continued into the LP era in the 1950s, specializing in imported classical recordings. It was one of the last major recording companies to adopt stereo recording, about...
have both released albums of classical one-hit wonders. The de-facto criterion common to the albums is composers who have a single work that has become popular outside classical circles as several of the composers on both albums are known for multiple works inside classical circles. The works on these albums (or fragments and variations) are frequently heard in movies, television shows and commercials.
Other uses
The term "one-hit wonder" is occasionally used to refer to an artist, other than a musical performer, who is best known for a single work. Examples in literature include
Harper LeeNelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007.-Early life:...
's only novel,
To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful and has become a classic of modern American literature...
, which sold 30 million copies; and author
Joseph HellerJoseph Heller was an American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright. He wrote the influential novel Catch-22 about American servicemen during World War II...
, who wrote several novels, but is still best known for
Catch-22Catch-22 is a satirical, historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller, first published in 1961. The novel, set during the later stages of World War II from 1943 onwards, is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century...
.
Margaret MitchellMargaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was an American author, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for her novel Gone with the Wind. The novel is one of the most popular books of all time, selling more than 30 million copies...
never wrote another book after her first novel,
Gone With the WindGone with the Wind is a romantic drama and the only novel written by Margaret Mitchell. It is set in Jonesboro and Atlanta, Georgia during the American Civil War and Reconstruction...
, was a smash best-seller.
The Eye of ArgonThe Eye of Argon is a heroic fantasy novella that narrates the adventures of Grignr, a barbarian. It was written in 1970 by Jim Theis and circulated anonymously in science fiction fandom since then...
, Jim Theiss' only work of fiction, is an unusual example: it is famous (or rather infamous) for its
lack of quality. The term is also applied to in the film industry: one such case lies in the career of actress
Natasha HenstridgeNatasha T. Henstridge is a Canadian fashion model turned actress. Her most notable on-screen roles include Species, The Whole Nine Yards, The Whole Ten Yards and the Canadian TV mini-series Would Be Kings for which she won the Gemini Award for best actress...
, who has yet to match the success of the
1995 filmThe year 1995 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg....
,
SpeciesSpecies is a 1995 science fiction horror film directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina and Marg Helgenberger...
. Classical composers such as
Johann PachelbelJohann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak...
, despite being very popular in his time, known today almost solely for
Pachelbel's Canon, are also sometimes described thus.
In the sports world, there are several athletes known to casual sports fans for one event in their careers. Examples include
Bill MazeroskiWilliam Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, who is the only player in
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
history to end a seventh game of the
World SeriesThe 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees from October 5 to October 13, 1960. It is most notable for the Game 7, ninth-inning home run hit by Bill Mazeroski, winning the game for the Pirates 10–9, and also winning them their third Championship, their...
with a
walk-off home runIn baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
;
Paul HendersonPaul Henderson is a retired Canadian hockey left winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames...
, a Canadian
ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
player who scored the deciding goal in the 1972 Summit Series; and
Jimmy GlassJames "Jimmy" Glass is a former football goalkeeper, who is remembered for scoring the last minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999.- Early career :...
, an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
goalkeeperIn many team sports, a goalkeeper is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal...
, who is remembered for scoring a goal in the last seconds of the final day of
1998-99-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30million which netted Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke,...
English Third DivisionFrom the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest division in the overall English football league system. Before that it was the third division overall, but that ended with the creation of the...
that kept
his clubCarlisle United F.C. are an English football team based in Carlisle, Cumbria. The club are currently plying their trade in League One - tier 3 of the English football pyramid.-Carlisle United is born:...
in
The Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. His subsequently released biography was titled
One-Hit Wonder.
In drug culture, the term 'one-hit wonder' is often applied to highly potent specific varieties of substances, such as certain strains of
cannabisCannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for medicinal purposes, and as a...
that require only one "hit" (a single inhalation of smoke), or a "hit" of
LSDLysergic acid diethylamide, LSD-25, LSD, formerly lysergide, commonly known as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family...
(a single dose), to achieve the desired psychoactive effects.
VH1's list of "100 greatest one-hit wonders"
In 2002, the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cable network
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
aired a countdown of the VH1's 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders, It listed musicians with only one American hit, regardless of international success, which has been substantial and long-lived for musicians like
a-haa-ha is a synthpop/-rock band from Norway, formed in 1982. The group initially rose to fame during the 1980s and has had continued success in the 1990s and 2000s.a-ha achieved its biggest success with their debut album and single in 1985...
and
NenaNena is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1984 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons", re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". "Nena" was also the name of the band with whom she released the song...
(see below). In fact, if the "only one American hit" criterion had been strictly applied, a-ha and Falco would not be eligible for the list, as they each actually had two top-20 US hits—although as noted above their second hits were greatly overshadowed in the US by the prior hit. The same goes for Vanilla Ice: his follow up to his #1 hit was a #4 hit titled, "Play Tha Funky Music". Gerardo also had another Top 15 hit. Los del Río likewise had two top forty hits, though both were versions of Macarena.
The countdown also omitted acts such as
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
and
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
who, while technically charting with only one single, became too well-known for their entire bodies of work to merit inclusion on the list. They did get mentioned, though, in a short segment of one hit wonders that had popular followings. The top ten consisted of:
- Los del Río
Los del Río is a Spanish music duo composed of musicians Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruíz. They are originally from the city section of Dos Hermanas in Seville. As a duo, Romero and Ruiz have been a consistent, and persistent, act since the early 1960s...
— "MacarenaMacarena is a Spanish song by Los del Río and Fangoria about a woman of the same name, or any woman from the La Macarena neighborhood of Seville, Spain. It was popular between 1995 and 1996, although it continues to have a cult following to this day....
" (1996)
- Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and David Ball on synthesizers. The duo is well known for their huge worldwide hit in 1981 with a cover version of "Tainted Love"...
— "Tainted Love"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous other groups and artists...
" (1982)
- Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid-1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come on Eileen" and "Geno".-Searching for the Young Soul Rebels:...
– "Come On Eileen"Come On Eileen" was a single released by Dexys Midnight Runners in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It originally appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay...
" (1982)
- Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred are an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli, all from East Grinstead...
— "I'm Too Sexy"I'm Too Sexy" is a song by English trio Right Said Fred from their album Up. The single topped the American charts for three weeks in early 1992, after having peaked at number two for six weeks in the band's home country the previous year....
" (1992)
- Toni Basil
Toni Basil is an American musician, video artist, actress and choreographer. Basil is best-known for her #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
— "Mickey"Mickey" is a 1982 hit U.S. pop song recorded by singer and choreographer Toni Basil. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty," it was first recorded by UK pop group Racey in 1979....
" (1982)
- Baha Men
Baha Men is the name of a pop group from Nassau, Bahamas that plays a modernized style of Bahamian music called Junkanoo. The group's debut, Junkanoo, was released in 1992, and was very traditional in its sound...
— "Who Let the Dogs Out?"Who Let the Dogs Out?" is a song written and originally recorded by Anslem Douglas for Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival season of 1998. It was heard and taped on a float by hairdresser Keith from the London salon Smile, who played it to Jonathan King, who recorded it and released it under the name...
" (2000)
- Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper. Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Van Winkle released his debut album, Hooked, in 1989 through Ichiban Records, before signing a contract with SBK Records, which released a...
— "Ice Ice Baby"Ice Ice Baby" is an American hip hop song written by rapper Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
" (1990)
- a-ha
a-ha is a synthpop/-rock band from Norway, formed in 1982. The group initially rose to fame during the 1980s and has had continued success in the 1990s and 2000s.a-ha achieved its biggest success with their debut album and single in 1985...
— "Take On Me"Take on Me" is a song by Norwegian pop band a-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
" (1985)
- Gerardo
Gerardo Mejía , better known as simply Gerardo, is a Latin rapper and singer who later became a recording industry executive. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he has based his career in Los Angeles, California since his family moved to Glendale, California, when he was 12 years old. He became known for...
— "Rico Suave"Rico Suave" is a 1991 single by Ecuadorian rapper and singer Gerardo. It appeared on his album Mo' Ritmo. The track peaked at #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart on April 13, 1991, and reached #2 on the Hot Rap Singles chart a week earlier...
" (1991)
- Nena
Nena is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1984 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons", re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". "Nena" was also the name of the band with whom she released the song...
— "99 Luftballons"99 Luftballons" is a Cold War-era protest song by the German singer Nena. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons"....
" (1984)
Soft Cell, Dexys Midnight Runners, Right Said Fred, Baha Men, a-ha and Vanilla Ice have had multiple hits in the UK and would therefore not qualify as one-hit wonders. Gerardo has never had any hits in the UK at all, but he is still a highly honored performer in his homeland of Ecuador, as well as in other Latin American countries. This leaves only Toni Basil, Nena and Los del Río from this list as one-hit wonders on both English-speaking sides of the Atlantic, though Nena has continued her success in Germanic countries.
Channel 4's "50 Greatest One Hit Wonders"
A 2006 television poll, conducted by
Channel 4Channel 4 is a UK public-service television broadcaster which began working on November 2, 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station owned now and operated by the Channel Four Television...
in the UK, asked viewers to select their favourite one hit wonder from a shortlist of 60. Respondents could also vote by e-mail to select a song that was not on the original list, if they so wished. The top 50 were:
- "Kung Fu Fighting
"Kung Fu Fighting" is a song written and performed by Carl Douglas and Vivian Hawke. It was released as a single in 1974, at the cusp of a chopsocky film craze, and quickly rose to the top of British and American charts. "Kung Fu Fighting" was also number one on the soul singles chart for one week...
" — Carl DouglasCarl Douglas is a Jamaican born singer, most famous for his song "Kung Fu Fighting", which reached number one on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart in 1974. Douglas was also the first Jamaican born artist to score a number one single in the United States.-Career:Douglas was...
- "99 Red Balloons" — Nena
Nena is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1984 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons", re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". "Nena" was also the name of the band with whom she released the song...
- "Because I Got High
"Because I Got High" is a Grammy nominated song by Afroman, from his album of the same name, about how cannabis use is degrading his quality of life...
" — AfromanJoseph Foreman , better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American comedy rapper who came to prominence with his singles "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap". Initially unknown when beginning his career, his song "Because I Got High" circulated around the Internet before becoming a hit worldwide...
- "Sugar, Sugar
"Sugar, Sugar" is a pop song written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim. It was a four-week 1969 number-one hit single by fictional characters The Archies. Produced by Jeff Barry, the song was originally released on the album Everything's Archie. The album is the product of a group of studio musicians...
" — The ArchiesThe Archies is a fictional garage band founded by Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones, a group of adolescent fictional characters of the Archie universe, in the context of the animated TV series, The Archie Show....
- "Can You Dig It?
The Mock Turtles are a Manchester based indie rock band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1985, who enjoyed some success in the early 1990s...
" — The Mock TurtlesThe Mock Turtles are a Manchester based indie rock band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1985, who enjoyed some success in the early 1990s...
- "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a popular song written by Eric Idle that originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.-History:Whilst trying to come up with a...
" — Monty PythonMonty Python were a British comedy group that created the influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
- "Spirit in the Sky
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
" — Doctor and the MedicsDoctor and the Medics are a London based psychedelic rock band, famous in the 1980s. The band currently performs, with a different line-up, as a tribute act to various artists.-Career:...
(also Norman GreenbaumNorman Greenbaum is a singer-songwriter. He studied music at Boston University. Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky", which sold two million copies across 1969 and 1970. This disc sold over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A....
)
- "Who Let the Dogs Out" — Baha Men
Baha Men is the name of a pop group from Nassau, Bahamas that plays a modernized style of Bahamian music called Junkanoo. The group's debut, Junkanoo, was released in 1992, and was very traditional in its sound...
- "The Safety Dance
"The Safety Dance" was the best-selling single by the 1980s Canadian New Wave band Men Without Hats, written by frontman Ivan Doroschuk. Released in the United States on March 16, 1982 and in the United Kingdom in September 1983, the song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number...
" — Men Without HatsMen Without Hats is a Canadian synthpop group from Montreal, Quebec characterized by the deep, expressive vocals of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk and their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing...
- "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please
Splodgenessabounds is an English punk rock band formed in Keston, Bromley, Kent. The band is associated with the Oi! and Punk Pathetique genres. Their frontman is Max Splodge.-Career:...
" — SplodgenessaboundsSplodgenessabounds is an English punk rock band formed in Keston, Bromley, Kent. The band is associated with the Oi! and Punk Pathetique genres. Their frontman is Max Splodge.-Career:...
- "Groove is in the Heart
"Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by dance music band Deee-Lite from their debut album, World Clique. Released as a single in late 1990, it was a hit in many countries, including in Australia where it was a number-one hit.-Background:...
" — Deee-LiteDeee-Lite was a House and Club/Dance group formed in New York City, USA. Its best-known single is "Groove Is in the Heart", from its 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S...
- "Trouble" — Shampoo
Shampoo were a British all-girl band in the 1990s, formed by Jacqui Blake and Carrie Askew. They were most famous for their hit song, 'Trouble'.-History:...
- "It's Raining Men
"It's Raining Men" is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979, and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982. The song had been offered to Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Cher, and Barbra Streisand before being accepted by Martha Wash and Izora Armstead of The Weather Girls, with...
" — The Weather Girls
- "All by Myself
"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse borrows very heavily from the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, which Carmen believed was in the public domain...
" — Eric CarmenEric Carmen is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored with numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself" "Hungry...
- "Jilted John" — Jilted John
- "I’ll Be There For You
"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American rock band The Rembrandts released as the first single from their third studio album LP. The song is also well-known as the theme song to the American sitcom Friends, which premiered during 1994, and ended in 2004.-Song information:"I'll Be There for...
" — The RembrandtsThe Rembrandts is an American popular-rock musical band formed by Phil Solem and Danny Wilde in 1989. They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981....
- "Doctorin' the Tardis
"Doctorin' the Tardis" is a 1988 electronic novelty pop single by The Timelords . The song is predominantly a mash-up of the Doctor Who theme music, Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll " with sections from "Blockbuster!" by Sweet and "Let's Get Together Tonite" by Steve Walsh...
" — The TimelordsThe KLF were a band from the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning in 1987, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, and on one occasion as The Timelords...
- "Rock Me Amadeus
"Rock Me Amadeus" is a 1986 song by the Austrian pop musician Falco from his album Falco 3. It topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It was Falco's only major hit in the United States and one of only two singles to make the Top Ten in the United Kingdom, despite his popularity...
" — FalcoJohann Hölzel , better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian, pop and rock musician and had four #1 Hits - "Der Kommissar", "Rock Me Amadeus", "Jeanny", and "Coming Home ". With "Rock Me Amadeus" he is the first and so far only artist to score a #1 Hit in the U.S. with a German language...
- "Video Killed the Radio Star
"Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song by the British synthpop/New Wave group The Buggles, released in 1979. It celebrates the golden days of radio, describing a singer whose career is cut short by television. The song topped several music charts and has been covered by many recording artists...
" — The BugglesThe Buggles was a New Wave band formed in 1977 consisting of Trevor Horn , Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley.-Early days:...
- "Je t'aime... moi non plus
"Je t'aime... moi non plus" is the title of a French song written by Serge Gainsbourg, arranged by Arthur Greenslade and sung by Gainsbourg and his lover at the time, Jane Birkin.-History:...
" — Jane BirkinJane Mallory Birkin OBE is an English actress, model, singer and film director who lives in France. She is best known for her duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus" with Serge Gainsbourg....
& Serge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's varied musical style and individuality made him difficult to categorize...
- "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)
"Mambo No. 5" is a mambo and jive dance song originally recorded and composed by Pérez Prado in 1949.The song's popularity was renewed by Lou Bega's sampling of the original, released under the same name on Bega's debut album A Little Bit of Mambo....
" — Lou BegaDavid Lubega , is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949. Bega added his own words to the song and sampled the original version extensively.-Career:Bega's mother is from Sicily and...
- "Turning Japanese
"Turning Japanese" is the most popular song released by the English band The Vapors from their album New Clear Days, and the song for which they are best known...
" — The VaporsThe Vapors were a new wave and power pop band from England, that existed between 1979 and 1981. They had a hit with the song "Turning Japanese" in 1980, which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart, and #36 in the corresponding U.S...
- "Mickey
"Mickey" is a 1982 hit U.S. pop song recorded by singer and choreographer Toni Basil. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty," it was first recorded by UK pop group Racey in 1979....
" — Toni BasilToni Basil is an American musician, video artist, actress and choreographer. Basil is best-known for her #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
- "Mouldy Old Dough
"Mouldy Old Dough" is a popular song, recorded by Lieutenant Pigeon.It was written by Nigel Fletcher and Rob Woodward and produced by Woodward and Fletcher, under the name of their other band, Stavely Makepeace....
" — Lieutenant PigeonLieutenant Pigeon was a British novelty popular music group, originating from Coventry.-Career:Lieutenant Pigeon was a British musical group popular in the early 1970s. A spin-off from an experimental music band Stavely Makepeace, it was fronted by Rob Woodward...
- "Pump Up the Volume
"Pump Up the Volume" is a song by British recording act M|A|R|R|S. Despite being the act's only single, it was a number-one hit in many countries and is generally regarded as a significant milestone in the development of British house music and music sampling.The single was the...
" — M/A/R/R/S
- "Lovin' You
-Film:*Loving You, an Elvis Presley movie and soundtrack album*Loving You , a melodramatic love story film produced and distributed by Regal Films-1950s:*I'll Never Stop Loving You , written by Nicholas Brodzsky and Sammy Cahn...
" — Minnie RipertonMinnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her vocal range of more than five octaves and her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph...
- "Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" — Harold FaltermeyerHarold Faltermeyer is a German musician, keyboardist, composer and record producer.He is recognized as one of the composers/producers who best captured the zeitgeist of 1980s synth-pop in film scores...
- "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)
"Fuck It " is a single released by American pop singer Eamon in 2004.The song is most notable for the frequency of its expletives, especially for a mainstream pop song. It became the first song with an expletive in its title to enter on the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #16. It...
" — EamonEamon Jonathan Doyle , professionally known as Eamon, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter. He is perhaps best known for his hit single, "Fuck It ."-Early years:...
- "I'm the Urban Spaceman
"I'm the Urban Spaceman" was the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's most successful single, released in 1968. It reached #5 in the UK charts.The song was written by Neil Innes and produced by Paul McCartney and Gus Dudgeon under the pseudonym "Apollo C. Vermouth"...
" — The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
- "Spaceman
"Spaceman" is a song by Wolverhampton, England singer-songwriter Jas Mann, of Babylon Zoo. Known for its heavily distorted guitars and metallic, robotic-sounding vocals, it went straight to Number 1 on the UK singles chart on January 21, 1996, selling 418,000 copies in the first week of release...
" — Babylon ZooBabylon Zoo were a British rock band of the mid-1990s from Wolverhampton, England, fronted by Jas Mann. They were best known for the song Spaceman which on its release on January 21, 1996, went straight to Number 1 on the UK singles chart selling 418,000 copies in the first week of release, a...
- "My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart...
" — The KnackThe Knack is a Los Angeles-based rock quartet that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in the second half of 1979....
- "Shaddap You Face
"Shaddap You Face" is a song written and performed by Joe Dolce in 1981. It has set a number of sales and longevity records.The song was full of broad Italian humour and included the chorus:...
" — Joe Dolce Music TheatreJoe Dolce is an African-born, Australian-resident singer/songwriter who achieved fame with the million-selling song "Shaddap You Face", recorded under his vehicle, the group named Joe Dolce Music Theatre and released in 1980. The song reached number one in 15 countries...
- "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" — Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is a Golden Globe and Academy award-nominated Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy.- Personal life :...
- "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry’s Song)
Brian & Michael are a British music duo best known for their 1978 UK number one hit single, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs". Without further chart entries, they remain one-hit wonders in the UK...
" — Brian & MichaelBrian & Michael are a British music duo best known for their 1978 UK number one hit single, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs". Without further chart entries, they remain one-hit wonders in the UK...
- "MacArthur Park
"MacArthur Park" is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally written as part of an intended cantata rejected by The Association, it was first recorded by Richard Harris in 1968 and then covered by many other performers. One of the best known covers of the song is Donna Summer's 1978 disco hit...
" — Richard HarrisRichard Saint John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer...
- "Monster Mash
"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in October 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes...
" — Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers
- "Rapper’s Delight" — Sugarhill Gang
- "Fire
"Fire" is a 1968 song by Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane, Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker. Performed by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, it was released as a single and on the band's debut album, also called The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The single made #1 in the UK and Canada. In October, it made #2...
" — Crazy World of Arthur BrownThe Crazy World of Arthur Brown were an English psychedelic rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967.-Personnel:*Arthur Brown – vocals*Vincent Crane – organ, organ bass pedals*Nick Greenwood, Sean Nicholas – bass guitar...
- "The One and Only
"The One and Only" is a popular song written by Nik Kershaw and recorded by Chesney Hawkes. Produced by Kershaw and Alan Shacklock, Hawkes's recording was featured in the film 1991 Buddy's Song which starred Hawkes as the eponymous Buddy and Roger Daltrey as his father...
" — Chesney HawkesChesney Lee Hawkes , is an English pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actor. He is best known for his 1991 single "The One and Only", which topped the charts in the UK and went Top 10 in the U.S.-Life and career:...
- "Louie, Louie" — The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen are a 1960s garage rock / frat rock band from Portland, Oregon. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
- "Since Yesterday
Strawberry Switchblade was a female pop rock band formed in Scotland in 1981 by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, best known for their song "Since Yesterday" in 1984.-History:...
" — Strawberry SwitchbladeStrawberry Switchblade was a female pop rock band formed in Scotland in 1981 by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, best known for their song "Since Yesterday" in 1984.-History:...
- "My Boy Lollipop
"My Boy Lollipop" is a song written in the mid-1950s and usually credited to Robert Spencer, Morris Levy and Johnny Roberts. It was originally recorded by the American singer Barbie Gaye and became a minor Rhythm & Blues hit in late 1956, spelled "My Boy Lollypop" on the original 78 record label...
" — Millie SmallMillie was often known as "Little Millie Small", and in the United States as "Millie Small", and is best known as the singer of the 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop".-Career:...
- "Read a Book, Nigga" — D'Mite
- "Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)" — Morris Minor and the Majors
Morris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks . They were made vaguely famous by their 1988 song, "Stutter Rap ". The song aimed to parody the then popular Beastie Boys...
- "Just Say No" — Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
Cast
- "Woo Hoo
"Woo Hoo" is a rockabilly song, originally released by The Rock-A-Teens in 1959. The song is distinctive for its lack of lyrics apart from its title words, which gave it popularity around the world as it is not subject to language barriers...
" — The Rock-A-TeensThe Rock-A-Teens were an American rockabilly group from Richmond, Virginia, active in the late 1950s.They are best known for their 1959 single "Woo Hoo", backed with "Untrue", released on Roulette Records. The song hit #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it proved to be their only hit....
- "Japanese Boy
"Japanese Boy" is a UK No.1 hit single by Scottish singer Aneka, released in 1981. The song became her biggest hit and provided the singer with a memorable Japanese image, which she found difficult to discard.- Background :...
" — AnekaMary Sandeman is a Scottish folk music singer.As Aneka, she hit number one in the UK singles chart in August 1981 with her song, "Japanese Boy". She was well known for the Oriental image she adopted for the song...
- "Save Your Love
"Save Your Love" is the first single from Tracie Spencer's second album, Make the Difference, written by Kenny Harris and released on August 30, 1990...
" — Renee and RenatoRenée and Renato was a female/male vocal duo, who had a UK Number one hit in December 1982 with "Save Your Love". The follow-up single "Just One More Kiss" peaked at #48...
- "Brimful of Asha
"Brimful of Asha" is an East-West Fusion pop-rock song by the British band Cornershop, which originally reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. A remix by Fatboy Slim became a hit in 1998 on the US and UK charts, reaching #1 in the UK. The original hit #16 on the Billboard Modern Rock...
" — CornershopCornershop are a British indie band formed in Leicester in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in...
Even this list is riddled with inaccuracies, since at least fifteen of the fifty acts ranked in the Top 50 by the poll had multiple Top 40 hits in the UK singles chart, thus disqualifying them from the appellation 'one-hit wonder', although the success of the other hits was (with one very notable exception) of a lesser measure than those included in the poll:
- Millie reached No. 30 with 'Sweet William' in 1964.
- Lieutenant Pigeon reached No. 17 with 'Desperate Dan' in 1972.
- Carl Douglas reached No. 35 with 'Dance the Kung Fu' in 1974 and No. 25 with 'Run Back' in 1977.
- The Buggles reached No. 16 with 'Living in the Plastic Age' and No. 38 with 'Clean Clean' in 1980.
- Splodgenessabounds reached No. 26 with the double A-side 'Two Little Boys' / 'Horse' in 1980.
- Doctor and the Medics reached No. 29 with 'Burn' in 1986.
- Falco reached No. 10 with 'Vienna Calling' in 1986.
- Deee-Lite reached No. 25 with the double A-side 'Power of Love'/'Deee-Lite Theme' in 1990.
- Chesney Hawkes reached No. 27 with 'I'm a Man Not a Boy' in 1991.
- Shampoo reached No. 27 with 'Viva La Megababes' in 1994, No. 21 with 'Delicious' in 1995, No. 36 with 'Trouble (1995)' in 1995, and No. 25 with 'Girl Power' in 1996, thus notching up no fewer than five hits including two different versions of 'Trouble'.
- Babylon Zoo reached No. 17 with 'Animal Army' and No. 32 with 'The Boy with the X-ray Eyes' in 1996.
- Cornershop reached No. 23 with 'Sleep on the Left Side' in 1998 and No. 37 with 'Lessons Learnt From Rocky I To Rocky III' in 2002.
- Baha Men reached No. 14 with 'You All Dat' in 2001 and No. 16 with 'Move It Like This' in 2002.
- Afroman reached No. 10 with 'Crazy Rap' in 2002.
- Eamon (featuring Ghostface) reached No. 27 with 'Love Them' in 2004.
- Eric Carmen charted many times in his prior career with The Raspberries
Raspberries are a power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio in the United States. They had a run of success in the 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for...
, and as a solo act, although he was far more successful in his native U.S. A decade after "All By Myself"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse borrows very heavily from the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, which Carmen believed was in the public domain...
", he returned to prominence through his work on the Dirty DancingDirty Dancing is a 1987 romantic film made in the . Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach. The story is a coming of age drama that documents a young débutante's rebellion against her father by...
soundtrack, charting with "Hungry Eyes"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. It is available on the film's soundtrack and it has also been featured in a television advertisement for the Irish fast food restaurant abrakebabra. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood,...
" and also writing "Almost Paradise"Almost Paradise...Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet by singers Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, written by pop music singer-songwriter Eric Carmen....
", a hit for Mike RenoMike Reno , born January 8, 1955 in New Westminster, British Columbia is a Canadian musician, drummer, and lead singer of the rock band Loverboy. He has also fronted other bands, including Moxy....
and Ann WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is the lead singer, flute player and occasional guitar player of Heart.-Biography:...
.
- Most notably, The Timelords reached the UK Top 40 eight times—once under that name; once as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu; once as 2K; and five times, including one #1, under their best-known name, The KLF
The KLF were a band from the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning in 1987, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, and on one occasion as The Timelords...
.
"20 to 1: One Hit Wonders"
In 2005, the Australian series
20 to 120 to 1 is an Australian television series, currently hosted by Bert Newton that counts down Australian pop culture's most defining moments. Previously the show had been hosted by Charles "Bud" Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne...
aired their episode
20 to 1: One Hit Wonders, a list of songs that had been the only one by that artist to have success in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
.
| # | Title | Performer |
|---|
| 20 |
"Tainted Love "Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous other groups and artists...
" |
Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and David Ball on synthesizers. The duo is well known for their huge worldwide hit in 1981 with a cover version of "Tainted Love"...
|
| 19 |
"Mambo No.5" |
Lou Bega David Lubega , is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949. Bega added his own words to the song and sampled the original version extensively.-Career:Bega's mother is from Sicily and...
|
| 18 |
"Venus" |
Shocking Blue Shocking Blue was a Netherlands rock band from The Hague formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus," went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
|
| 17 |
"Achy Breaky Heart "Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart," it was recorded by the The Marcy Brothers on their self-titled second album but was not released as a single. The name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by...
" |
Billy Ray CyrusBilly Ray Cyrus is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor, best known for his #1 single "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
|
| 16 |
"Mickey "Mickey" is a 1982 hit U.S. pop song recorded by singer and choreographer Toni Basil. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty," it was first recorded by UK pop group Racey in 1979....
" |
Toni Basil Toni Basil is an American musician, video artist, actress and choreographer. Basil is best-known for her #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
|
| 15 |
"I'll Be Gone "I'll Be Gone" or "Some Day I'll Have Money" is a song by Australian progressive rock group Spectrum released as their debut single by EMI on Harvest Records in January 1971. It peaked at #1 on the national singles chart, while it reached Top 5 in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The song was...
" |
SpectrumA spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
|
| 14 |
"Tubthumping "Tubthumping" is a song by the English band Chumbawamba. The single release went to #2 on the UK Singles Chart, #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #1 on the Italian Singles Chart. The cover art for the single is based on the logo for the manufacturing...
" |
ChumbawambaChumbawamba is an English band. Over a 27-year career, the band plays music ranging from pop-influenced dance music, a cappella/choral music and world music to acoustic folk music....
|
| 13 |
"Counting the Beat "Counting the Beat" is a single by New Zealand rock band The Swingers released in 1981 from their album of the same name, Counting the Beat.-History:The single was performed by a New Zealand band, The Swingers with frontman Phil Judd from Split Enz...
" |
The Swingers The Swingers were a New Zealand rock band. Formed out of the remnants of The Suburban Reptiles, the founding members were Phil Judd , Wayne Stevens , and Mark Hough . Formed in 1979, the band released the single "One Good Reason" which was a top 20 hit in New Zealand...
|
| 12 |
"Slice of Heaven "Slice of Heaven" is a single by New Zealand singer/songwriter Dave Dobbyn with the band Herbs, released in 1986 alongside the animated motion picture, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail Tale. The single charted at #1 in both New Zealand and Australia...
" |
Dave Dobbyn Dave Dobbyn, ONZM is an award-winning musician, singer-songwriter and record producer from New Zealand.-Th' Dudes:Dobbyn's first success came with a band, Th'Dudes, which he formed while still at Sacred Heart College in the suburb of Glen Innes, Auckland...
& The HerbsHerbs are a New Zealand reggae vocal group formed in 1979 once described as "New Zealand's most soulful, heartfelt and consistent contemporary musical voice". It has been said their debut EP Whats' Be Happen? "set a standard for Pacific reggae which has arguably never been surpassed".-History:Herbs...
|
| 11 |
"Rockin' Robin Rockin' Robin usually refers to either:* Rockin' Robin , Robin Smith, a professional female wrestler* Rockin' Robin , a rock 'n' roll song...
" |
Bobby Day Bobby Day , was an early African American rock and roll and R&B musician.Born Robert James Byrd, Sr., , in Fort Worth, Texas, he moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of fifteen...
|
| 10 |
"Pass the Dutchie "Pass the Dutchie" was a song recorded by the British group Musical Youth from their 1982 album The Youth of Today. It was a major hit, holding the number one position on the UK singles charts for three weeks in September and October 1982.-Background:...
" |
Musical Youth Musical Youth are a British-Jamaican pop/reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, England. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie." The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael...
|
| 9 |
"Don't Worry, Be Happy"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is the title and principal lyric of a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 2...
" |
Bobby McFerrin Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is a jazz and a cappella vocal performer, vocal improviser and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy".He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
|
| 8 |
"99 Luftballons "99 Luftballons" is a Cold War-era protest song by the German singer Nena. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons"....
" |
NenaNena is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1984 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons", re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". "Nena" was also the name of the band with whom she released the song...
|
| 7 |
"Spirit in the Sky "Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
" |
Norman Greenbaum Norman Greenbaum is a singer-songwriter. He studied music at Boston University. Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky", which sold two million copies across 1969 and 1970. This disc sold over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A....
|
| 6 |
"Come on Eileen "Come On Eileen" was a single released by Dexys Midnight Runners in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It originally appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay...
" |
Dexys Midnight Runners Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid-1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come on Eileen" and "Geno".-Searching for the Young Soul Rebels:...
|
| 5 |
"Funkytown"Funkytown" is a 1979 song performed by the disco band Lipps Inc. The song expresses the pinings for a metaphorical place that keeps "me movin', keeps me groovin' with some energy". It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Dance charts, also reaching number 1 in Austria, Switzerland,...
" |
Lipps Inc Lipps Inc. was a studio band that achieved one significant hit, "Funkytown" in 1979.The group was formed in Minneapolis by Steven Greenberg, who wrote and produced all of the group's music, and who also played several musical instruments...
|
| 4 |
"Turning Japanese "Turning Japanese" is the most popular song released by the English band The Vapors from their album New Clear Days, and the song for which they are best known...
" |
The Vapors The Vapors were a new wave and power pop band from England, that existed between 1979 and 1981. They had a hit with the song "Turning Japanese" in 1980, which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart, and #36 in the corresponding U.S...
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"Video Killed the Radio Star "Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song by the British synthpop/New Wave group The Buggles, released in 1979. It celebrates the golden days of radio, describing a singer whose career is cut short by television. The song topped several music charts and has been covered by many recording artists...
" |
The Buggles The Buggles was a New Wave band formed in 1977 consisting of Trevor Horn , Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley.-Early days:...
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"Born to Be Alive Born to Be Alive is a 1979 album by Patrick Hernandez.The album's title track was a significant pop hit and also hit number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Born to Be Alive" was also covered by pop-punk group Los Nikis, with lyrics consisting just of repetitions of Me voy a Benidorm...
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Patrick Hernandez Patrick Hernandez is a French singer who had a worldwide hit with "Born to Be Alive" in 1979.-Biography:...
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"My Sharona "My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart...
" |
The Knack The Knack is a Los Angeles-based rock quartet that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in the second half of 1979....
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C4's UChoose40: One Hit Wonders
In September 2006,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
's terrestrial music channel,
C4C4 is a television station operating in New Zealand and owned by MediaWorks New Zealand.The station was originally named TV4, and was launched on June 29, 1997 as a station for an 18-30 year-old audience featuring a mix of programmes, with the Tyson-Holyfield Rematch as its very first broadcast...
, aired an episode dedicated to "One Hit Wonders" on the weekly theme-based chart show,
UChoose40, where the chart was ranked entirely by viewer's votes from the website. Moreover,
Meredith BrooksMeredith Ann Brooks is an American singer/songwriter and guitarist. She is best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award.- Early life :...
's hit single "Bitch" was mentioned on the candidates list but failed to make the Top 40.
The top ten ranking are as follows:
- "The Final Countdown
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song written by Joey Tempest for the Swedish rock band Europe. It was the first single released from the band's third studio album, The Final Countdown, in 1986. It is the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song reached No. 1 in 25 countries, including...
" — EuropeEurope is a Swedish hard rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest and guitarist John Norum. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
(1986)
- "Teenage Dirtbag
"Teenage Dirtbag" is a single by Wheatus, released in 2000. It was included on the soundtrack of the movie Loser. The single was massively successful in Australia, spending three weeks at #1 and becoming the second-highest selling single of the year. It also reached #2 in the United Kingdom and...
" — WheatusWheatus is an American rock group from Northport, New York. They are known largely for their 2000 hit single "Teenage Dirtbag" which was featured in the movie Loser.-History:Wheatus was formed by Brendan B. Brown in 1995...
(2000)
- "How Bizarre
"How Bizarre" is the debut single of New Zealand musical group OMC from their debut album of the same name. It was released as a single in New Zealand in 1995 and internationally in 1996....
" — OMCOMC, or Otara Millionaires Club, is a music duo from Otara, Auckland, New Zealand best known for their 1996 hit "How Bizarre". The full name of the band is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Otara's status as one of the poorest suburbs of Auckland....
(1996)
- "Because I Got High
"Because I Got High" is a Grammy nominated song by Afroman, from his album of the same name, about how cannabis use is degrading his quality of life...
" — AfromanJoseph Foreman , better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American comedy rapper who came to prominence with his singles "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap". Initially unknown when beginning his career, his song "Because I Got High" circulated around the Internet before becoming a hit worldwide...
(2001)
- "Ice Ice Baby
"Ice Ice Baby" is an American hip hop song written by rapper Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
" — Vanilla IceRobert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper. Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Van Winkle released his debut album, Hooked, in 1989 through Ichiban Records, before signing a contract with SBK Records, which released a...
(1990)
- "Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a song performed by the American rock band Survivor from the album Eye of the Tiger, released in 1982. It was used at the request of Sylvester Stallone for the film Rocky III...
" — SurvivorSurvivor is an American rock band formed in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its pop-rock sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its Double Platinum-certified 1982 mega-hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
(1982)
- "Tubthumping
"Tubthumping" is a song by the English band Chumbawamba. The single release went to #2 on the UK Singles Chart, #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #1 on the Italian Singles Chart. The cover art for the single is based on the logo for the manufacturing...
" — ChumbawambaChumbawamba is an English band. Over a 27-year career, the band plays music ranging from pop-influenced dance music, a cappella/choral music and world music to acoustic folk music....
(1997)
- "My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart...
" — The KnackThe Knack is a Los Angeles-based rock quartet that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international hit in the second half of 1979....
(1979)
- "Video Killed the Radio Star
"Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song by the British synthpop/New Wave group The Buggles, released in 1979. It celebrates the golden days of radio, describing a singer whose career is cut short by television. The song topped several music charts and has been covered by many recording artists...
" — The BugglesThe Buggles was a New Wave band formed in 1977 consisting of Trevor Horn , Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley.-Early days:...
(1979)
- "Who Let the Dogs Out?
"Who Let the Dogs Out?" is a song written and originally recorded by Anslem Douglas for Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival season of 1998. It was heard and taped on a float by hairdresser Keith from the London salon Smile, who played it to Jonathan King, who recorded it and released it under the name...
" — Baha MenBaha Men is the name of a pop group from Nassau, Bahamas that plays a modernized style of Bahamian music called Junkanoo. The group's debut, Junkanoo, was released in 1992, and was very traditional in its sound...
(2000)
- "I Touch Myself
"I Touch Myself" is a 1991 pop rock song written by Christina Amphlett, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg and Mark McEntee for Australian rock band Divinyls' self titled album.-Composition and recording:...
" — DivinylsDivinyls are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
(1991)
Classical music one-hit wonders
Deutsche GrammophonDeutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. It is also UMG's oldest active label.-History:...
and
Vox RecordsVOX Records is a budget classical record label. The name is Latin for "voice."-History:The company began with 78-rpm discs and continued into the LP era in the 1950s, specializing in imported classical recordings. It was one of the last major recording companies to adopt stereo recording, about...
have both released albums of classical one-hit wonders. Many of the works on the CDs are from composers who have two or more works that are popular in classical music circles but have a single work that has become popular outside these circles. The works will be familiar to most people because they have been used in commercials or in movies and television shows. The two CDs differ but the works common to both are:
- Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak...
— Canon in DPachelbel's Canon, also known as Canon in D major, or more formally Canon and Gigue in D major for three Violins and Basso Continuo , is the most famous piece of music by Johann Pachelbel...
- Samuel Barber
Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is among his most popular compositions and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music....
— Adagio for Strings"Adagio for Strings" is a work for string orchestra, arranged by the American composer Samuel Barber from his first string quartet.-Genesis:...
- attrib. Tomaso Albinoni
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni was a Venetian Baroque composer...
— Adagio in G minorThe Adagio in G minor for strings and organ continuo is a neo-baroque composition by Remo Giazotto first published in 1958. It is usually referred to as "Albinoni's Adagio", or "Adagio in G minor by Albinoni, arranged by Giazotto", but it has been established as an entirely original work by...
(this was actually written by Remo GiazottoRemo Giazotto was an Italian musicologist, music critic, and composer, mostly known through his systematic catalogue of the works of Tomaso Albinoni...
and contains no Albinoni material)
- Jean-Joseph Mouret
Jean-Joseph Mouret was a French composer whose dramatic works made him one of the leading exponents of Baroque music in his country...
— Rondeau from Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper (theme to Masterpiece, formerly Masterpiece Theatre)
- Luigi Boccherini
Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...
— minuet from String Quintet in E
- Jeremiah Clarke
Jeremiah Clarke was an English baroque composer.Thought to have been born in London in 1674, Clarke was a pupil of John Blow at St Paul's Cathedral. He later became organist at the Chapel Royal. "A violent and hopeless passion for a very beautiful lady of a rank superior to his own" caused him to...
— "Trumpet Voluntary", more properly known as "Prince of Denmark's MarchThe Prince of Denmark's March, commonly but erroneously called the Trumpet Voluntary, is a musical composition written about 1699 by Jeremiah Clarke, the first organist of the then newly rebuilt St Paul's Cathedral....
"
- Jules Massenet
Jules Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, his style went out of fashion, and many of his operas fell into almost...
— Meditation from his opera "Thais"
- Pietro Mascagni
Pietro Mascagni was an Italian composer most noted for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece, Cavalleria rusticana, caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and singlehandedly ushered in the Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music...
— "Cavalleria rusticanaCavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
"
- Léo Delibes
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a French composer of ballets, operas, and other works for the stage.-Biographical data:...
— "The Flower Duet"The Flower Duet" is a famous duet, between characters Lakmé and Mallika, from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé, first performed in 1883.-Movies, television and commercials:...
" from the opera LakméLakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, based on the 1880 novel by Pierre Loti....
- Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov
Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov was a Russian composer, conductor and teacher.- Biography :...
— "Caucasian SketchesCaucasian Sketches is a pair of orchestral suites written in 1894 and 1896 by the Russian composer Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov. The Caucasian Sketches is the most often performed of his compositions and can be heard frequently on classical radio stations. The final movement of the...
"
- Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer, largely of operas.-Biography:Born in Paderno Fasolaro, now Paderno Ponchielli, near Cremona, Ponchielli won a scholarship at the age of nine to study music at the Milan Conservatory, writing his first symphony by the time he was ten years old.Two years...
— "Dance of the HoursDance of the Hours is a ballet from the opera La Gioconda composed by Amilcare Ponchielli.The ballet was used in the Walt Disney animated film Fantasia, albeit with ballet-dancing hippos , ostriches, alligators and elephants...
" from the opera "La GiocondaLa Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835....
"
- Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie Jean Albert Widor was a French organist, composer and teacher.-Life:Widor was born in Lyon, France to a family of organ builders, and initially studied music there with his father, François-Charles Widor, titular organist of Saint-François-de-Sales from 1838 to 1889...
— Toccata from Symphony for Organ No. 5The Symphony for Organ No. 5 in F Major was composed by Charles-Marie Widor in 1879. It lasts for about thirty-five minutes. Its Toccata is the best known of all of Widor's compositions.-Structure:The piece has five movements:# Allegro vivace...
- Aram Khachaturian
Aram Khachaturian was a Soviet-Armenian composer whose works were often influenced by Armenian folk music.-Life:...
— "Sabre Dance"The Sabre Dance" is a movement in the final act of the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane, completed in 1942. It evokes a whirling war dance in an Armenian dance, where the dancers display their skill with sabres...
" from the ballet "GayaneGayane is a four-act ballet with music by Aram Khachaturian. Originally composed in 1942, to a libretto by Konstantin Derzhavin, and choreographed by Nina Aleksandrovna Anisimova, the score was revised in 1952, and in 1957, with a new plot...
"
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier was a French composer of the Baroque era.He was a prolific and versatile composer, producing music of the highest quality in several genres...
— Te DeumMarc-Antoine Charpentier composed his grand polyphonic motet Te Deum in D major probably between 1688 and 1698, during his stay at the Jesuit Church of Saint-Louis in Paris, where he held the position of musical director...
Two-hit wonders
Some artists have managed to gain recognition for just two songs based on one or more of the above descriptions, and are often referred to as
two-hit wonders. Though this term is not official in the music industry, the term is used by many fans.
Two-hit titan is another term with the same meaning. There are some situations where a artist or group would have a long and lasting following and populartity but technically only had 1 or 2 singles that became chart hits. Notable examples of two-hit wonders in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
include:
- A Taste of Honey
A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. They later went on to score one of the best known songs of the disco era. After their popularity waned during the early 1980s Johnson went on to record as a solo artist and...
— "Boogie Oogie Oogie"Boogie Oogie Oogie" is the name of a popular song by disco/R&B group A Taste of Honey. Released from their self-titled album in 1978, it became an extremely popular "crossover" song. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the Hot Soul Singles chart, .and the Hot Dance Club Play chart....
" (#1 in 1978) and "Sukiyaki"Ue o muite arukō" is a Japanese song that was performed by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, and written by Rokusuke Ei and Hachidai Nakamura. It is best known under its alternative title "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking parts of the world...
" (#3 in 1981)
- The Left Banke
The Left Banke was a 1960s American pop-music group best remembered for its two hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often utilized what was referred to as "baroque" string arrangements, which led its music to be termed "Bach-rock"...
— "Walk Away Renee"Walk Away Renée" is a song made popular by the band The Left Banke in 1966 , composed by the group's then 16-year-old keyboard player Michael Brown and Tony Sansone...
" (#5 in 1966) and "Pretty Ballerina"Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown and was a top 30 hit for his band The Left Banke on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The original Left Banke version of the song, released December 1966, was sung by Steve Martin Caro...
" (#15 in 1967)
- Strawberry Alarm Clock
Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock/pop rock band from Los Angeles best known for their 1967 hit "Incense and Peppermints". The group took its name as an homage to the Beatles' psychedelic hit "Strawberry Fields Forever"....
— "Incense and Peppermints"Incense and Peppermints" is a song by the Los Angeles based bubblegum and psychedelic pop band Strawberry Alarm Clock. It was released as a single during 1967 by UNI Records and reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for one week before beginning its fall down the charts...
" (#1 in 1967) and "Tomorrow" (#23 in 1968)
- Crispian St. Peters
Crispian St. Peters was a British pop singer of the 1960s. He is best known for his 1966 hit, "The Pied Piper".-Early career:...
— "The Pied Piper" (#4 in 1966) and "You Were on My Mind"You Were On My Mind" is a song written by Sylvia Tyson in 1964 and originally performed by her duo Ian and Sylvia. It was covered in a modified up-tempo version, with somewhat altered lyrics, the following year by the California pop quintet We Five. The song was published in sheet form by M...
" (#36 in 1967)
- Surfaris — "Wipeout" and "Surfer Joe"
- Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb is an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and 1966 recording of "Sunny".-Life and career:Hebb's parents, William and Ovalla Hebb, were both blind musicians...
— "Sunny" (#2) and "A Satisfied Mind" (#39, both in 1966)
- Blaque
Blaque is an American R&B vocal trio. Blaque stands for Believing in Life and Achieving a Quest for Unity in Everything. The group was originally known as Blaque Ivory and is still known by that name outside the United States...
— "808" (#8 in 1999) and "Bring It All To Me" (#4 in 2000)
- Paula Cole
Paula Cole is an American singer/songwriter. Her single "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, and the following year she won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.-Early life:...
— "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone"Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" is the name of a song by Paula Cole. It is featured in her album This Fire. The song is Cole's only U.S. Top Ten hit on Billboard's Hot 100, reaching number 8...
" (#8 in 1997) and "I Don't Want to Wait"I Don't Want to Wait" is a song written, performed and produced by Paula Cole. It was Cole's second single from her album This Fire. It was the opening theme for the TV-series Dawson's Creek. The single was #10 on the 1997 Hot 100 Singles on the Billboard year end summary...
" (#11 in 1998)
- Crowded House
Crowded House is a Australian rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand musician and singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is widely recognised as the primary songwriter and creative direction of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New...
— "Don't Dream Its Over" (#2) and "Something So Strong" (#8, both in 1987)
- Johnny Hates Jazz
Johnny Hates Jazz is an English pop band formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler , Calvin Hayes , and the German born Mike Nocito .-Career:...
— "Shattered Dreams"Shattered Dreams" is a hit pop song by British pop group Johnny Hates Jazz.Written by the band's lead singer, the band's debut single was a worldwide hit....
" (#2) and "I Don't Want to be a Hero"I Don't Want to be a Hero" is a 1987 song by the British band Johnny Hates Jazz. It reached #11 in the UK top 40 in September 1987 spending 10 weeks on the chart...
" (#32, both in 1988)
- Tara Kemp
Tara Leslye Kemp is an American pop and R&B singer. She is best known for releasing two Top 10 singles, "Hold You Tight" and "Piece of My Heart," in 1991.-Career:...
— "Hold You Tight" (#3 in 1990) and "Piece of My Heart" (#7 in 1991)
- Tommy Tutone
Tommy Tutone is a power pop-rock band, best known for its 1982 hit "867-5309/Jenny", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it is usually referred to as a San Francisco band, it was actually based in Willits, California, at the time that "Jenny" was released...
— "Angel Say No" (#38 in 1980) and "867-5309/Jenny"867‒5309/Jenny" is a song written by Alex Call and Jim Keller and performed by Tommy Tutone that was released on the album Tommy Tutone 2, on the Columbia Records label. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in 1982...
" (#4 in 1982)
- Maxine Nightingale
Maxine Nightingale is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in the 1970s, with the million seller, "Right Back Where We Started From" , 1977's "Love Hit Me" and "Lead Me On" ....
— "Right Back Where We Started From" (#2 in 1976) and "Lead Me On" (#5 in 1979)
- Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American & Latin Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and producer. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Marc Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The five-time Grammy winner has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
— "I Need to Know" (#3 in 1999) and "You Sang to Me" (#2 in 2000)
- Neneh Cherry
Neneh Mariann Karlsson and known as Neneh Cherry is a two-time Grammy Award-nominated and MTV Europe Music Award-winning singer-songwriter and rapper. Cherry is also an occasional DJ and broadcaster...
— "Buffalo Stance"Buffalo Stance" is a song by Neneh Cherry from her album Raw Like Sushi.-History:An early version of the song appeared as the B-side on the 1986 single "Looking Good Diving" by group Morgan-McVey...
" (#3) and "Kisses on the Wind" (#8, both in 1989)
- Sophie B. Hawkins
Sophie Ballantine Hawkins is an American singer, songwriter, musician and painter. Her biggest hits are "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover", "Right Beside You", and "As I Lay Me Down".-Career:...
— "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover"Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" was a hit song in the U.S. by Sophie B. Hawkins. Released in 1992, it is from her album Tongues and Tails...
" (#5 in 1992) and "As I Lay Me Down" (#6 in 1995)
- Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain is an American alternative rock singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:...
— "I'll Be"I'll Be" is a song written and sung by American Alt-Rock singer/guitarist Edwin McCain. The song was released as the first single from his second album, Misguided Roses...
" (#5 in 1998) and "I Could Not Ask for More"I Could Not Ask for More" is a pop song composed by Diane Warren. It was first recorded by American artist Edwin McCain; released in 1999, McCain's version was the last single from his album Messenger.-Sara Evans version:...
" (#37 in 1999)
- Tone Lōc
Anthony Terrell Smith , better known by his stage name Tone Lōc is a Grammy nominated American rapper and actor, best known for his deep, gravelly voice and his million selling hit singles, "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina".-Studio...
— "Wild Thing"Wild Thing" is the name of rapper Tone Lōc's 1989 hit single from the album Lōc-ed After Dark. The title is a reference to the phrase "doin' the wild thing," a euphemism for sex, unlike The Troggs' hit song, "Wild Thing", in which the "wild thing" was a girl.Tone Lōc's song peaked at number two...
" (#2 in 1988) and "Funky Cold Medina"Funky Cold Medina" is a hip hop song written by Young MC and performed by Tone Lōc. It was the second single from Tone Lōc's debut album Lōc-ed After Dark . The single was released on March 18, 1989, and rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month...
" (#3 in 1989)
- Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American rock band from Washington, D.C., United States, famous for the late '90s/early '00s hits "You're a God" and "Everything You Want". Their most current release, Burning the Days, was released on September 22, 2009...
— "Everything You Want" (#1) and "You're A God" (#23, both in 2000)
- Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor, best known for his #1 single "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
- "Achy Breaky Heart"Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart," it was recorded by the The Marcy Brothers on their self-titled second album but was not released as a single. The name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by...
" (#4 in 1992) and "Ready, Set, Don't Go"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country pop song released in 2007 by Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, from Billy Ray's album, Home at Last. Released in August 2007, it did not reach its peak position until March 2008. The single debuted at #47 and was Cyrus' first chart entry on the U.S...
" (version with his daughter Miley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American pop-rock singer and television and film actress. Cyrus is best known for starring as the title character in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Following the success of Hannah Montana, in October 2006, a soundtrack CD was released in which she sang eight songs...
, #37 in 2008)
- Sgt. Barry Sadler — "The Ballad of the Green Berets
"Ballad of the Green Berets" is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the Green Berets, an elite special force in the U.S. Army. It is one of the very few songs of the 1960s to cast the military in a positive light and yet it became a major hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Charts for...
" (#1) and "The "A" Team" (#30, both in 1966)
- Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot was an American heavy metal band whose 1983 US Festival appearance helped to solidify metal's image. They are best known for their hit singles "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Metal Health." They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the name Mach 1...
— "Cum On Feel the Noize"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one...
" (#5) and "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" (#31, both in 1983)
- Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that formed in San Diego and enjoyed significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is most notable for their songs "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Way Cool Jr." and "Back For More." Though the group lost popularity in...
— "Round and RoundRound and Round is a faux finish technique of applying paint in a circular motion, usually with a sponge....
" (#12 in 1984) and "Lay It Down" (#40 in 1985)
- Great White
Great White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
— "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (#5) and "The Angel SongThe Angel Song is the debut album by Ezio, released in 1993. The album, named after the closing song, was self-released by the band and the proceeds from sales of the album at gigs were used to fund further touring.-Track listing:...
" (#30, both in 1989)
- The Troggs
The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in Britain and the USA, including their most famous song, "Wild Thing". The Troggs were from the town of Andover in southern England...
— "Wild Thing" (#1 in 1966) and "Love Is All Around" (#7 in 1968)
- Kix
Kix is an American hard rock band who achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Formation:Kix was started by Ronnie "10/10" Younkins and Donnie Purnell in Dec. of 1977 in Hagerstown, Maryland....
— "Don't Close Your Eyes" (#11 in 1989) and "Girl Money" (#25 in 1991)
- Slade
Slade are an English rock band. Slade were one of the most recognizable acts of the glam rock movement and were, at their peak, the most commercially popular band in the UK...
— "My Oh My"My Oh My" is a power ballad originally sung by rock band Slade. The song is a power ballad, beginning with a soft piano and concluding with a great choir. The song appears on Slade's album The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome, released in 1983, and on the band's American counterpart release, Keep Your...
" (#37 in 1983) and "Run Runaway"Run Runaway" is a hard rock song performed by English band Slade. The song was written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and was on their 1983 album The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome. It reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart....
" (#20 in 1984)
- Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees was an American hard rock supergroup.-History:The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of Amboy Dukes and his own solo career, and Michael Cartellone...
— "High EnoughHigh Enough is a song by American supergroup Damn Yankees from their self titled debut album.The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart....
" (#3 in 1990) and "Where You Goin' NowWhere You Goin' Now is a single from the band Damn Yankees.-Track listing:All songs written by Jack Blades/Ted Nugent/Tommy Shaw.# "Where You Going Now" – 4:27# "Where You Going Now" – 4:46# "High Enough" – 4:36...
" (#20 in 1992)
- Matthew Wilder
Matthew Wilder is an American musician and record producer, best known for his 1983 Top 5 hit, "Break My Stride"....
— "Break My Stride"Break My Stride" was a major hit single for Matthew Wilder in 1983 and 1984. It was covered by many artists throughout the years, including Blue Lagoon in 2004. It has also been used in the UK, as the musical accompaniment for the advertisement of the soya beverage Alpro.-Chart...
" (#5) and "The Kid's American" (#33), both in 1984
- White Lion
White Lion is an American/Danish glam metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the Children Cry"...
— "WaitIn computing, wait is a command which pauses until execution of a background process has ended.-Usage: wait [n]where n is the pid or job ID of a currently executing background process...
" (#8) and "When the Children Cry"When the Children Cry" is a power ballad, performed by the rock group White Lion on their 1987 album Pride. The single peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #53 in Canada, and #88 in the UK in early 1989....
" (#3), both in 1988
- Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
— "Somebody to Love"Somebody to Love" is a rock song that was written by Darby Slick and originally recorded by 1960s folk-psychedelic band the Great Society and later by the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane...
" (#5) and "White Rabbit"White Rabbit" is a psychedelic rock/acid rock song from Jefferson Airplane's 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band's second top ten success, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (#8), both in 1967
- The Cyrkle
The Cyrkle was a short-lived American rock and roll band active in the mid-1960s. Though not officially a one-hit wonder , they are best known for their 1966 version of the song Red Rubber Ball, which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and still receives significant airplay on oldies radio...
— "Red Rubber Ball"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song which became a hit in the 1966 version recorded by The Cyrkle.It was co-written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley . According to Cyrkle guitarist Tom Dawes, Simon offered it to The Cyrkle when they were opening for Simon and Garfunkel on tour...
" (#2 in 1966) and "Turn-Down Day" (#16 in 1966)
- Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. Edgar is a multi-instrumentalist, performing on the keyboards, and as a vocalist, saxophonist and percussionist, well-versed in jazz, blues and rock. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band The Edgar Winter Group...
— "Free RideFree Ride is a song written by Dan Hartman and performed by the The Edgar Winter Group. The single was a top 20 U.S. hit in 1973. The song is featured in the movies Air America, Dazed and Confused, Jack Frost, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Days of Thunder and in the video games Prey and...
" and "Frankenstein"Frankenstein" is a rock instrumental by The Edgar Winter Group from their album They Only Come Out At Night. In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument...
"
- Alias
Alias was an Album-oriented rock/hard rock, supergroup, band, formed in 1988 by vocalist Freddy Curci and guitarist Steve DeMarchi of the Canadian arena rock band Sheriff , along with Heart founding members Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen, and Mike DeRosier.The band released its self-titled debut album...
— "More Than Words Can Say" More Than Words Can Say" is a power ballad by Canadian rock band Alias. It became a top-ten hit in the United States, and reached number one in Canada in 1990....
" (#2 in 1990) and "Waiting For Love" (#13 in 1991)
- Mims
Shawn Mims , popularly known as MIMS, is a Jamaican - American rapper of Jamaican descent, raised in Washington Heights, Manhattan.-Career:...
— "This Is Why I'm Hot"This Is Why I'm Hot" is a song by American rapper Mims. The song was written by Mims and produced by Blackout Movement for his debut album Music Is My Savior .Released in 2007 as the first single from the album, the song reached #1 on the U.S...
" (#1 in 2007) and "Like This"Like This" is the second single from Mims' debut album, Music Is My Savior. It features guest vocals from Rasheeda. Junior Reid is featured in the video.The track uses string productions, sampler, and synthesizer.-Remixes:...
" (featuring Rasheeda, #32 in 2007)
- Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
— "Money"Money" is the sixth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Written by bassist Roger Waters, it opened side two of the original vinyl LP, and is the only song on the album to enter the top 20 on the United States singles charts...
" (#13 in 1973) and "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2"Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part I, Part II, and Part III, respectively, all of which were written by Pink Floyd's bassist and then lead songwriter, Roger Waters...
" (#1 in 1980).
- 311
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, formed in 1988. Their musical structure incorporates a variety of musical styles including alternative rock, hip hop, reggae, and funk....
— "Down" (#37, Hot 100 AirplayThe Hot 100 Airplay is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard Hot...
) and "All Mixed Up" (#36, Hot 100 Airplay, both in 1996)
- The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard rock jam band that has sold over 20 million albums. They were hailed by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". In 1990, the readers of Rolling Stone named it the 'Best New American Band'...
— "Hard to Handle"Hard to Handle" is a 1968 song originally recorded by Otis Redding and written by Redding, Al Bell and Allen Jones. It was released posthumously after Redding's death in 1967 on the album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding's version reached #38 on the Billboard R&B charts and #51 on the pop charts...
" (#26 in 1990) and "She Talks to Angels"She Talks to Angels" is a song by The Black Crowes from their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. The song made it to 30 on the US Hot 100...
" (#30 in 1991)
- Buddy Jewell
Buddy Jewell Jr. is an American country music artist who was the first winner on the USA Network talent show Nashville Star...
— "Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)"Help Pour Out the Rain " is a song written and recorded by country music artist Buddy Jewell. It is the lead-off single released from his 2003 self-titled third album Buddy Jewell. It peaked at #3 in the United States.-Content:...
" (#29 in 2003) and "Sweet Southern Comfort"Sweet Southern Comfort" is a song recorded by country music artist Buddy Jewell. It is the second single released from his 2003 self-titled third album Buddy Jewell...
" (#40 in 2004)
- Extreme
Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...
— "More Than Words"More Than Words" is a ballad written by and originally performed by the rock band Extreme. It is built around acoustic guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt and the vocals of Gary Cherone , it was released in 1990 on the album Extreme II: Pornograffiti...
" (#1) and "Hole HeartedHole Hearted is an acoustic rock stomp by American group Extreme. The song was released as the 4th single from their successful Pornograffitti album in 1991 and reached #4 on the Billboard Top 100....
" (#4, both in 1991)
- Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer-songwriter, whose career has now spanned four decades. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead vocalist of pioneering British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and eventually achieved a multi-platinum solo career which revolutionized the heavy metal genre...
— "Close My Eyes Forever" (#8 with Lita Ford in 1989) and "Mama, I'm Coming Home"Mama, I'm Coming Home" is the third song on the 1991 Ozzy Osbourne heavy metal album No More Tears. The song is about his wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, whom he nicknames "Mama", and his return to her following his imminent retirement. The song was co-written by Lemmy, frontman of the heavy...
" (#28 in 1992)
- Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career during the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
— "Kiss Me DeadlyKiss Me Deadly is a film noir drama produced and directed by Robert Aldrich starring Ralph Meeker. The screenplay was written by A.I. Bezzerides, based on the Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer mystery novel Kiss Me, Deadly. Kiss Me Deadly is often considered a classic of the noir genre...
" (#12 in 1988) and "Close My Eyes Forever" (#8 with Ozzy Osbourne in 1989)
- Vixen
Vixen is an all-female American hard rock band which achieved some commercial success during the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the Los Angeles, California glam metal scene.-Early years:...
— "Edge of a Broken Heart" (#26) and "Cryin'" (#22, both in 1988)
- Steve Holy
Steve Holy is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records since 1999, he has released two studio albums: 2000's Blue Moon and 2006's Brand New Girlfriend...
— "Good Morning Beautiful"Good Morning Beautiful" is a single, released in 2001, by American country music artist Steve Holy.Featured in the movie Angel Eyes and on Holy's debut album Blue Moon, the love ballad "Good Morning Beautiful" began its slow climb up the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in...
" (#29) and "Brand New Girlfriend"Brand New Girlfriend" is a country song from American country music singer Steve Holy. The song, which took 36 weeks to reach #1, set a record for the slowest climb to #1 by a country single since Billboard started using Nielsen SoundScan data in 1990. The record has since been broken by Tracy...
" (#40)
- Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a French Canadian pop punk band based in Montréal, Québec. They have released three studio albums: No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls , Still Not Getting Any... , and Simple Plan ; as well as two widely marketed live albums: Live in Japan 2002 and MTV Hard Rock Live .-Formation...
— "Perfect----"Perfect" is the fourth and final single taken from Simple Plan's debut album No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls.The acoustic version of the song was featured on the soundtrack of the comedy film Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen which stars Lindsay Lohan...
" (#24 in 2003) and "Welcome to My Life"Welcome to My Life" is the first single taken from Simple Plan's second studio album, Still Not Getting Any....The song's intention is to express teenage angst about life becoming so frustrating that no one can understand how awful it is for them...
" (#40 in 2004)
- Sixpence None the Richer
Sixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their song "Kiss Me", and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is inspired by a passage from...
— "Kiss Me"Kiss Me" is a song recorded by Sixpence None the Richer and released on the 1997 album Sixpence None the Richer. It reached number two on the U.S...
" (#2) and "There She Goes"There She Goes" is a song written by Scouse singer/guitarist Lee Mavers and recorded first by Mavers' band, The La's. Structurally, the song is very simple and contains no verses, only a single chorus repeated four times and a bridge...
" (#32, both in 1999)
- Plain White T's
Plain White T's is an American pop rock band started in 1997, originally from Villa Park, Illinois. Formed by high school friends Tom Higgenson and Ken Fletcher, the group had a mostly underground following in Chicago basements, clubs, and bars in its early years, and underwent numerous personnel...
— "Hey There Delilah"Hey There Delilah" is the third single released from the band Plain White T's 2005 album All That We Needed. In June 2007, over two years after the song's release, it became the band's first hit in the United States, eventually reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in July...
" (#1 in 2007) and "1, 2, 3, 4"1, 2, 3, 4" is the second single from the Plain White T's second worldwide album Big Bad World. It reached #34 on the U.S...
" (#34 in 2008)
NB: The peak positions shown are in the
Billboard Hot 100 only and do not hold true in other countries. For example, some of these artists have had more than two hits in other countries:
- Neneh Cherry has had nine distinct solo Top 40 hits in the UK and Sophie B. Hawkins four.
- Marc Anthony has had continued success in Latin American countries, as well as the Latin music market in the US.
- Pink Floyd had eight top 40 hits in their native UK.
- Crowded House had multiple top 40 singles and albums in Australia and New Zealand.
By contrast, others have had only one hit in another major market:
- A Taste of Honey charted in the UK with "Boogie Oogie Oogie" only.
- Wang Chung's only Top 40 hit in their native UK was "Dance Hall Days".
Still others have had two but not both the same songs:
- In the UK, Billy Ray Cyrus charted with "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Could've Been Me" in 1992, but did not chart in 2008 at all.
The peak positions also do not hold true for other charts in the US, For example:
- Vertical Horizon has since charted on the Billboard Adult Top 40 several times.
- Billy Ray Cyrus had five top-10 country hits between the two named hits, and several other Top 40 country hits.
- Buddy Jewell has had four Top 40 country hits.
- Steve Holy has had ten top 40 country hits.
Because of the methodology used in compiling this list, spin-off or successor acts are considered as separate from the originals, even though the later acts may be seen by the wider public as connected to the original act. For example, several members of the original Jefferson Airplane formed the spinoff band
Jefferson StarshipJefferson Starship is an American rock band that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Although its origins are complex, it is generally regarded as a spinoff from Jefferson Airplane and evolved from a 1970 science fiction-themed concept album by then-Airplane member Paul Kantner entitled Blows...
, which had two Top 10 hits under that name, and three #1s plus another Top 10 as Starship.
See also
- One-hit wonders in Canada
A one-hit wonder is a Top 40 phenomenon: the combination of artist and song that scores big in the music industry with one hit, but is unable to repeat the achievement with another hit. The term can refer to the artist, the song, or both together...
- One-hit wonders in Ireland
This list covers songs which were one-hit wonders in Ireland by Irish artists only. Most of the one hit wonders in the UK and the USA were also one hit wonders in the Republic of Ireland.-1970s:* "Things You Hear About Me" - Maxi, Dick and Twink...
- One-hit wonders in the UK
A One-hit wonder has been defined by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles as an artist who has achieved a No.1 hit in the UK Singles Chart and has never had another hit....
- One-hit wonders in the United States
A one-hit wonder is a Top 40 phenomenon; the combination of artist and song that scores huge in the music industry with one single, but is unable to repeat the achievement...
- Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
- Summer hit
A summer hit is a term in entertainment industry which refers to a title released and peaked in its popularity during summer and often later quickly faded away..Rick Lyman, a culture reporter for The New York Times, wrote:...
- That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do! is a 1996 film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of a one-hit wonder rock band, called The Wonders, following their whirlwind rise to the top of the pop charts, and just as quickly, their dissolution...
External links