Cooperative greatest song by a one-hit-wonder thread

[steve(thelil)]

What I mean is, let's discuss (throw out names of) songs that are the greatest songs that qualify as one-hit-wonders*

*or more properly greatest songs by artists who turned out to be one-hit wonders on the basis of this song

(I think I enjoyed the premature footnote)

THEN, once we throw out some names and discuss whether they qualify, we can post our lists of the 10 greatest ever.

This came to me when I was listening to 2 sports radio guys discuss some list of one-hit-wonder-songs that sucked. It pissed me off)\\It purported to not only be post-1988, but the only song before then was the MID 60's song"96 Tears" - which they hadn't heard of and which they said was by "The Mysterions" (rather than ? and the Mysterions). Their list included "The Safety Dance" (Men Without Hats): Rapper's Delight; Rico Suave (Gerardo), Macarena (?), Ice, Ice, Baby (Vanilla Ice); 99 Luftballoons (Nina); ;

By one-hit-wonder SONG mean a song that was actually a HIT (single?).

By one-hit-wonder I mean an artist who only had one (this) HIT.

So Dean Friedman's BREATHTAKING Ariel doesn't qualify (I think)


Some nominees (most of which are 60's songs - so sue me):

Psychotic Reaction: Count Five
Expressway to Your Heart : Soul Survivors
Gloria: Shadows of Night
Dirty Water : Standells
Easybeats: Friday on My Mind
Because I Got High: Afroman
Louie Louie: Kingsmen
Concrete and the Clay: Unit Four Plus Two
Sweet Soul Music: Arthur Conley
(He was) Really Saying Something : Bananarama
She Drives Me Crazy: Fine Young Cannibals
She Blinded Me With Science: Thomas Dolby
Turning Japanese: Vapors
Try A Little Tenderness : The Committments
One Toke Over the Line : Brewer and Shipley
Electric Avenue: Eddy Grant

-steve(thelil)(aka: mr.parenthecal)

[kenny weir]

I guess with some it depends on where a tune was a hit - the Easybeats certainly had more hits than just Friday On My Mind, but not sure about how those tunes went in the US.

Two more:

Scott McKenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Patchouli in Your Hair)

The Knackery - My Sharona

[steve(thelil)]

Good point. I was aware that the Easybeats had other hits in Australia (and maybe other places too)

By trying to make it based on charts,I assumed I would be understood to be talking about American charts.

Sorry. I know Americans can suck about thinking the world revolves around them. I actually don't.

But then again, I'm a fucking saint.

[Sergio Zamora]

The song I'm listening to right now: 'In a Big Country' by Big Country.

Oh, and 99 Luftaballoons and Rapper's Delight are GREAT songs.

[Captain Hate]

Was Lies the only song that made the charts for the Knickerbockers?

I doubt that the Swingin' Medallions had more songs than Double Shot of My Baby's Love.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally posted by Sergio Zamora
The song I'm listening to right now: 'In a Big Country' by Big Country.

Oh, and 99 Luftaballoons and Rapper's Delight are GREAT songs.

Not questioning that, really. My real problem was that they purported to go back to the 60's but only really had late 80's and 90's.


And I still don't think 99 Luftballoons is an ALL TIMe great anything

[al j]

Big Country (and said tune) were hardly a one-hit wonder, fer chrissakes. Stuart Adamson would have rolled in his venerable grave, rest him. Shame, Omar.


How about

Elvin Bishop - FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE
Randy Vanwarmer - that tune that Randy Vanwarmer did

[Dr Dave]

"Ride Captain Ride" by Blues Image
"We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet" Blues Magoos
"I Fought The Law" Bobby Fuller Four
"Public Execution" Mouse and the Traps
"Goodbye To You" Scandal
"I Just Can't Wait for Saturday Night" Herman Brood and his Wild Romance
"Gay Bar" Electric Six
"Journey To The Center Of The Mind" Amboy Dukes
"Groove Me" King Floyd

Man, don't get me started...

[Pete C]

Originally posted by Dr Dave

"We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet" Blues Magoos

"Never Goin' Back to Georgia" doesn't count as a hit?

Manteca!

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by Joe Christmas
Big Country (and said tune) were hardly a one-hit wonder, fer chrissakes. Stuart Adamson would have rolled in his venerable grave, rest him. Shame, Omar.

Did they have other songs that charted highly in the American pop charts?

[al j]

"Look Away" was up there.

Their work with the E-bow was revolutionary too. Sorry, I'm a huge fan of theirs and have always wondered why there aren't many of us.

[moneyp]

Originally posted by steve(thelil)

Try A Little Tenderness : The Commitments

Okay.... no. I like their version of it, but no. There are extenuating circumstances here.

[moneyp]

Originally posted by Joe Christmas
"Look Away" was up there.

Their work with the E-bow was revolutionary too. Sorry, I'm a huge fan of theirs and have always wondered why there aren't many of us.

"Look Away" actually charted higher than "In a Big Country." I liked the first two albums (which were all I heard).

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by mone peterson
"Look Away" actually charted higher than "In a Big Country." I liked the first two albums (which were all I heard).

Well, I stand corrected. I'll admit my pre-1989 American pop culture knowledge was acquired after the fact or through the meager crumbs that filtered down south.

[lazarus]

Zager & Evans - In The Year 2525

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky

[steve(thelil)]

WARNING: RULES DISCUSSION SOLICITATION BELOW

I too am troubled by applying the term "one hit wonders" to bands that had a great output and some album success - but one HIT- but I don't know any way around it.

[Dr Dave]

Originally posted by Pete C
"Never Goin' Back to Georgia" doesn't count as a hit?

Manteca!

I never heard it, so it's not a hit to me.

Jeez, who recorded "Bang Bang?" Not the Sonny and Cher tune, the three-chord party hit...

[VIBEr]

Originally posted by Dr Dave
Jeez, who recorded "Bang Bang?" Not the Sonny and Cher tune, the three-chord party hit...

It was written by Joe Cuba, who I believe had a Latin hit with it as well.

Would the Grateful Dead qualify as one-hit wonders since they only had one Top Ten hit to my knowledge ("Touch of Grey"?

[mjb]

How bout

Thunderclap Newman - Something in the Air
Tornadoes - Telstar
The Chantays - Pipeline
The Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy Hippy Shake (I bought their ep - "Live at the Cavern!)
John Fred & His Playboy Band - Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)
Arthur Brown - Fire
Cascades - Rhythm of the Rain?

I had them all ...

Now I'll go check thelilrules.

[shrugs]

Sister Christian Night Ranger

or maybe not

[John L]

Toussaint McCall: Nothing Takes the Place of You

[Root Doctor]

No Good to Cry by the Wildweeds
Respect by Adeva

[Dr Dave]

VIBEr! Thank you! You've made my day!

[Boris Badenov]

Focus - Hocus Pocus
Delbert McClinton - Givin' It Up For Your Love
Mason Williams - Classical Gas

[Chris D]

Me and Mrs. Jones, Billy Paul

[Root Doctor]

Angie: Peppermint Lump

[Dr Dave]

Originally posted by David Gitin
What was that 'buttercup' song, revived in Something About Mary? That had to be a one-hit wonder.

"Build Me Up Buttercup" was by the Foundations, who had a second sound-alike hit, "Baby, Now That I've Found You."

[Gentle Giant]

"Magic" by Pilot ("oh oh oh it's Magic, you know, never believe it's not so")

"Sideshow" by Blue Magic

"Too Late to Turn Back Now" by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose (I know they had at least one other semi-hit, but I can't think of what it was; hope I'm not breaking any frickin' rules here)

[Root Doctor]

Originally posted by Gentle Giant
"Too Late to Turn Back Now" by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose (I know they had at least one other semi-hit, but I can't think of what it was; hope I'm not breaking any frickin' rules here) [/B]

"Treat Her Like a Lady" was their other one.

[HenryMc]

"Easybeats: Friday on My Mind"

As Kenny W said The Easy's had a huge string of hits in Australia from 1965 to probably 1969
Including

Sorry
I'll make you happy
Wedding Ring


I think their song St Louis charted in the States in 1969 but in the lower reaches

Lots of what we thinkof as on hit wonders actually charted a few times ..maybe not top ten or even top forty but certianley hot 100