One Hit Wonders? (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

Amazon Music has a playlist called “Rediscover the ‘70s: One Hit Wonders. Some of them are true one hit wonders, but are these:
American Pie-Don McLean-Sure he didn’t have another big album, but there some great songs on it like Vincent that got a lot of play
Cat’s in the Cradle-Harry Chapin-What about Taxi? He was having a great career until his unexpected death.
I Can See Clearly Now-Johnny Nash-Nash wrote this song, but yeah, I can’t think of another hit he had.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm always skeptical of claims of an artist being a "one hit wonder." They may be most remembered or associated with one trademark song, but often in reality had multiple "hit" songs. I consider anything that hits the Mainstream Top 40 a notable "hit", and that's before you start considering the specialized charts of other genres (rock, R&B, dance, AC, etc.) which is just as important if that's the genre in which the artist generally works.

In your example, I wouldn't consider Don McLean a one hit wonder, as he had six Top 40 hits on the US Hot 100, and two Top 5's (AP was #1, "Crying" was #5). He may be most remembered for "American Pie," but that was not his only hit. And most all of his singles were Top 10 on the adult contemporary charts.

Harry Chapin had four Top 40 hits, "Taxi" was his third biggest at #24 ("Sequel" was the second biggest at #23).

Johnny Nash had six Top 40 hits, with "Hold Me Tight" hitting #5 in 1968, and "Stir It Up" at #12 in 1973.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I'm always skeptical of claims of an artist being a "one hit wonder." They may be most remembered or associated with one trademark song, but often in reality had multiple "hit" songs. I consider anything that hits the Mainstream Top 40 a notable "hit"

I agree with this.

I’d consider someone like Rebecca Black (“Friday”) to be a one hit wonder. That song was everywhere for a brief period and then it was just over.

I’d think of Don McLean as someone best known for one song rather than a one hit wonder. My late uncle, a former drummer and later A&R man, always claimed to have played tambourine on the song though proof had never been forthcoming. I claim it as true only when it makes a story better

 

[Malcolm R]

I’d consider someone like Rebecca Black (“Friday”) to be a one hit wonder. That song was everywhere for a brief period and then it was just over.

If we're going by the charts, she's not even that. "Friday" never hit the Top 40 (though it was certified "Gold" by RIAA, so it probably should have an asterisk next to it). It was mostly just a YouTube hit.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

If we're going by the charts, she's not even that. "Friday" never hit the Top 40 (though it was certified "Gold" by RIAA, so it probably should have an asterisk next to it). It was mostly just a YouTube hit.

True but then again, I heard that song a zillion times everywhere and I never once sought it out. That’s gotta count for something, right?

 

[jcroy]

(More generally).

Unfortunately categorizations like this will have different / ambiguous definitions, depending on who you're talking to.

It is an even bigger minefield of definitions, when it comes to musical genres like heavy metal, punk rock, country music, etc ....

In practice, I've found that the folks who have an extreme fetish for such categorizations, were almost always the hardcore nerdy / geeky types who want to "write the bible" for a particular niche/genre (whether figuratively or literally).

 

[jmegas]

One of my favorite artists of the late 1970s that was always called a "one hit wonder," but really wasn't, was Charlie Dore and "Pilot of the Airwaves." I bought her first album "Where to Now" which I liked very much. It took a long time but it finally made it to CD. She was a British artist based in London and she went on to write many songs which were recorded by other artists. I still treasure "Where to Now" more than 40 years later.

I also saw Don Mclean in 1971 when "American Pie" was really hot and I'd say that "Starry, Starry Night" was pretty popular as well at that time.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Amazon Music has a playlist called “Rediscover the ‘70s: One Hit Wonders. Some of them are true one hit wonders, but are these:
American Pie-Don McLean-Sure he didn’t have another big album, but there some great songs on it like Vincent that got a lot of play
Cat’s in the Cradle-Harry Chapin-What about Taxi? He was having a great career until his unexpected death.
I Can See Clearly Now-Johnny Nash-Nash wrote this song, but yeah, I can’t think of another hit he had.

Yes your point about Harry Chapin is a great one. I think Taxi is a better song than Cradle, and he’s had other minor hits. I don’t put artists like Chapin in this category anyway- he made several records. I think of one hit wonders as an artist/band that made one record, maybe two.

Remember Brand New Key by Melanie?
Not a fan. The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace qualifies. Hooked On A Feeling by Blue Swede- yes, and no. Yes because it was a hit. No because it was a cover
(I think B.J. Thomas originally did it).
Love Beat Is A Heartbeat by The DeFranco Family is another. Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes by Edison Lighthouse.

the first song I always think of when I hear the term “one hit wonder” is Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners.

This is a fun topic.

 

[BobO'Link]

Melanie had several songs in the US Billboard Top 100. She's not a "one hit wonder."

Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) - #6
Ruby Tuesday (Cover of the Rolling Stones song) - #52
Ring the Living Bell - #31

And a few others.

 

[Malcolm R]

the first song I always think of when I hear the term “one hit wonder” is Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners.

They had a pretty good career in the UK with eight Top 20 singles. "Eileen" was actually their second #1 there ("Geno" hit #1 two years earlier in 1980). But "Eileen" was pretty much their only worldwide success.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

In 1998 "The Billboard Book of One-Hit-Wonders" was published. The simple criterion for inclusion: "A one-hit-wonder is an act that has won a position on Billboard's national, pop, Top 40 just once."

Don McLean, Harry Chapin, Johnny Nash, Melanie, and Johnny Nash are not included because they all had multiple Top 40 hits. Rebecca Black isn't listed because she never had a Top 40 hit. Charlie Dore is included because she had only one Top 40 hit in the United States. Dexy's Midnight Runners also are included for the same reason, although the book acknowledges that they had four Top 10 hits in the U.K.

 

[Jeffrey D]

In 1998 "The Billboard Book of One-Hit-Wonders" was published. The simple criterion for inclusion: "A one-hit-wonder is an act that has won a position on Billboard's national, pop, Top 40 just once."

Don McLean, Harry Chapin, Johnny Nash, Melanie, and Johnny Nash are not included because they all had multiple Top 40 hits. Rebecca Black isn't listed because she never had a Top 40 hit. Charlie Dore is included because she had only one Top 40 hit in the United States. Dexy's Midnight Runners also are included for the same reason, although the book acknowledges that they had four Top 10 hits in the U.K.

Charlie Dore did Pilot Of The Airwaves, right?

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Charlie Dore did Pilot Of The Airwaves, right?

Yes, it went to #13 in the U.S. in 1980, her only record to chart here.

 

[Malcolm R]

Yes, it went to #13 in the U.S. in 1980, her only record to chart here.

I just happened to hear that on the SiriusXM 80's channel a couple weeks ago. Mark Goodman gave a bit of history about her, including that this was her only major hit. I'm not sure I'd ever heard it, though I likely would have been too young at the time of its initial release. My first memories of starting to like certain songs and artists and pay attention to pop music is around 1983.

I see it seems like she's still recording as recently as 2020. Looks like her next biggest charting hit was "Time Goes By" in 1997, in some European countries.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I just happened to hear that on the SiriusXM 80's channel a couple weeks ago. Mark Goodman gave a bit of history about her, including that this was her only major hit. I'm not sure I'd ever heard it, though I likely would have been too young at the time of its initial release. My first memories of starting to like certain songs and artists and pay attention to pop music is around 1983.

I see it seems like she's still recording as recently as 2020. Looks like her next biggest charting hit was "Time Goes By" in 1997, in some European countries.

I go back a lot farther than you, but I can think of a number of U.K. musicians who had multiple Top 40 hits there but only one here. Some examples:

Kenny Ball (Midnight in Moscow)
Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger)
Mr. Acker Bilk (Stranger on the Shore)
Frank Ifield (I Remember You)
Roger Whittaker (The Last Farewell)
The Springfields (Silver Threads and Golden Needles) (multiple UK hits before Dusty went solo)

 

[Johnny Angell]

I go back a lot farther than you, but I can think of a number of U.K. musicians who had multiple Top 40 hits there but only one here. Some examples:

Kenny Ball (Midnight in Moscow)
Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger)
Mr. Acker Bilk (Stranger on the Shore)
Frank Ifield (I Remember You)
Roger Whittaker (The Last Farewell)
The Springfields (Silver Threads and Golden Needles) (multiple UK hits before Dusty went solo)

Shirley Bassey, Mr. Ackerman Bilk, and Roger Whittaker are so familiar to me that I don’t think of them as one hits. But then I try to remember other hits and I can’t. For Roger Whittaker, many of his songs are familiar to me such as Durham Town, I Don’t Believe in If Anymore, and River Lady. But not hits I guess.

I always found it interesting how Mr. Bilk always insisted on the “Mr.” billing.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Shirley Bassey, Mr. Ackerman Bilk, and Roger Whittaker are so familiar to me that I don’t think of them as one hits. But then I try to remember other hits and I can’t. For Roger Whittaker, many of his songs are familiar to me such as Durham Town, I Don’t Believe in If Anymore, and River Lady. But not hits I guess.

I always found it interesting how Mr. Bilk always insisted on the “Mr.” billing.

Roger Whittaker has sold millions of albums. I saw him live at the Paramount Theater in Denver back in the 1980s. He also is a great whistler. I was surprised that Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds are Forever" never cracked the Top 40 here. She has a great voice.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Both the 70s on 7 and 80s on 8 channels at SiriusXM play weekly countdown shows from the week of varying years. Those shows are great- a lot of “oh, yeah, I remember that song”. Yesterday morning, the Casey Kasem countdown from 1974 played. The song by Reunion- Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)- without google, I would think this is a one hit wonder. Last week, the countdown from 1982 played a song by Steel Breeze- You Don’t Want Me Anymore. Host Mark Goodman said that was the only song from the group to make the charts in the USA
(it peaked at #16). I posted earlier that I thought Blue Swede’s Hooked On A Feeling was their only success- not true.
Another song they had on the charts in the USA was Never My Love- got to #7.

 

[Malcolm R]

I was recently in the Caribbean and heard T'Pau's "China in Your Hand" several times. I was aware of the track, but know that they're remembered pretty much only for "Heart & Soul" in the US. Looking it up, "China in Your Hand" was actually their biggest worldwide success, reaching #1 in several countries though it did not even chart in the US.

So while they're remembered as a one hit wonder in the US, the song they're known best for here is not even their biggest hit, and overall they had eight Top 40 hits in the UK across three Top 10 albums from 1987 to 1991.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Yesterday I heard Clint Holmes’s Playground In My Mind. I would think that’s his only hit. Truly awful song- glad I didn’t wreck the company truck.