From Oddee.com. Be glad most of these only had one hit. But the list is wrong: some aren't one-hit wonders at all, as noted below.
1. Los Del Rio - Macarena (1996) - I suffered through this song at 57 wedding receptions in the late 90s.
2. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby (1990)
3. Baha Men - Who Let the Dogs Out? (2000) - who let you in... to the studio?
4. Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy (1991)
5. Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (1982) - The entire band looked like they needed a bath.
6. Joan Osbourne - One Of Us (1995)
7. Nena - 99 Luftballons (1984) - the video cost $18, including tax.
8. The Knack - My Sharona (1979) - Not a one-hit wonder. Their follow-up single, "Good Girls Don't," made it to #11 on the Billboard charts.
9. Meredith Brooks - Bitch (1997)
10. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (1982) - Survivor had several Billboard hits after this: "Burning Heart" (#2), "The Search Is Over" (#1), "I Can't Hold Back" (#1).
11. New Radicals - You Get What You Give (1999)
12. 4 Non Blondes - What's Up (1993)
13. Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U (1990) - Prince wrote it.
14. Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (1988) - I had one of those motion-activated singing fish that that did this song. It inexplicably went missing from my office after just two weeks.
15. Minnie Riperton - Lovin' You (1975) - It's not really fair to include Minnie, since she died of cancer in 1979 at age 31. She didn't have time to make more hits.
16. The Cardigans - Lovefool (1996)
17. Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1982) - I think Rihanna made more money from this song than Soft Cell did.
18. The Archies - Sugar, Sugar (1969)
19. Europe - The Final Countdown (1986) - here's a fantastic cover of this song.
20. Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (1999) - I detest this song.
21. Aqua - Barbie Girl (1997)
22. EMF - Unbelievable (1991)
23. Eifel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee) (1999)
24. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (1997) - the soundtrack of a gazillion commercials.
25. Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (1985) - Falco's "Der Kommissar" was a #10 hit on Billboard two years before "Rock Me Amadeus."
26. Spandau Ballet - True (1983)
27. Chumbawamba - Tubthumping (1997)
28. Haddaway - What Is Love? (1993)
29. Des'ree - You Gotta Be (1994)
30. Blind Melon - No Rain (1992)
31. Ziggy Marley - Tomorrow People (1988) - Marley's "Tumblin' Down" (#1), "Look Who's Dancing" (#2) and "Kozmik (#6) were all bigger Billboard hits than "Tomorrow People," which peaked at #16.
32. Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star (1979) - the first video MTV ever played. But you knew that already.
33. OMC - How Bizarre (1996) - my wife liked this song, so I bought her the CD. I should've just wiped my ass with a $10 bill instead.
34. Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown (1980)
35. Semisonic - Closing Time (1998)
36. A-ha - Take On Me (1985)
37. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax (1984) - "Two Tribes" was a #3 U.S. hit for FGTH that same year, and #1 in the U.K.
38. The Church - Under the Milky Way (1988) - I love this song.
39. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart (1990)
40. Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music (1976) - I had this 45 as a kid. My sister hated it, so I played it even more to annoy her.
41. Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians - What I Am (1989) - at the start of this vid, Edie squats low to the ground as she sings.. trying be all funky and hippie and cool. On a Beavis & Butthead episode, they're watching this vid, and Beavis says, "Hey look, Butthead. She's takin' a dump!" Then Butthead says, "Hey Beavis.. why do they call it taking a dump when you're really leaving one?" I laughed my ass off when I heard that.
42. Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting (1974) - I had this 45 too.
43. Gary Numan - Cars (1979)
44. Gerardo - Rico Suave (1991)
45. Toni Basil - Mickey (1982) - not music.. cheerleading
46. The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (1979) - Paul Schaffer wrote this song. But you knew that already.
47. Afroman - Because I Got High (2001)
48. Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag (2000)
49. L.A. Guns - The Ballad of Jayne (1989)
50. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha (1998)
Saturday, February 2, 2008
50 Greatest One-Hit Wonders
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
Interesting tidbit about Rock Me Amadeus being Falco's second hit, but I think the version of "Der Kommissar" that was popular and hit the charts (though Falco did record it as well) was by a band called "After The Fire" who covered it. So as a singer, I think "Rock Me Amadeus" was indeed his one hit wonder.
TMG - you're somewhat right. After The Fire's version was a top 10 hit, but Falco's original version was #10 on Billboard's Club Play Singles chart.
Ah, good times. Thanks for the musical memories.
What is up with that Come On Eileen video? Are there really gangs of urban British hillbillies?
I watched the Edie Brickell video, too. I had that CD when I was in high school and I remember liking the song. Hey, philosophy is a doggone cereal box and religion is a smile on a dog. I had to watch, though, because I thought I was only remembering some of the words. Nope. There's just not too much to the song. I had to shut it off midway. Dadooyeah.
It's amazing how many of these songs my kids know, too. They get a big kick out silly 80s stuff especially.
Oh.. Billboard's "Club Play" Singles Chart. Ok that makes sense. Now that I think of it, if memory serves it also made Billboard's "Bar-B-Q Cookout Fun" Singles Chart as well. :-)
Where's "Brandy" by Looking Glass?
Thank goodness for iTunes! Makes it possible to wipe your ass on just a $1 bill to get the song you want, and not a bunch of extraneous crap you don't want.
Some good songs here.
Hi Cary, how ya been?
Hey, you left out the Greatest One Hit WOnder - In the Year 2525 by Zager & Evans. I still love that weird song.
96 Tears. Questionmark and the Mysterians. My kids actually made it my ringtone because I ASSURED them there was NO WAY that song could be available.
Maybe it's because I'm thinking in European, but some of those were far from one hit wonders - aha? Spandau Ballet? Sinead O'Connor? Long and successful careers!! The folks at billboard be insane. Maybe they mean a single number one? Or maybe there's no logic at all...
Jenni - I don't know about urban British hillbilly gangs. I'm with you on Edie, though.. that song is dull, and she always struck me as a fruitcake.
TMG - I'm holding up a digit for you. Guess which one it is? Heh.
GD - great! I need to get over to your blog.
Boomer & Country Girl - both great examples of bad one-hit wonders.
Deirdre - Spandau and Sinead had other hits? What were they? I know Sinead has been around a long time, but I don't remember any other hits from her.
Sorry, but I disagree, this is the worst cover of The Final Countdown ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAnoiZsrfRg
(Bear with the first 40 seconds or so of the guy speaking Spanish, the best -or worst, comes right after).
Hello all, great topic,carymc..80's music and all, couldn't resist.
Spandau - "Gold" and also the more well known "True".. depending on where you are in the world (I was born in the U.S.A.,have now lived in Australia 7 years now) I've found that "Gold" over here seems to be a more favoured hit than "True". I think that the deliciousness to me was a statement that arrogantly delivered about "never going to be one of those one hit wonders" on some (M)TV program back then. Anyone else remember that?
Thanks, Ben. The two of us need look no more.
Just an FYI - the Fear Factory cover of "Cars" is awesome. In case anyone was wondering.
I'll agree with most of this list, except the inclusion of the Cardigans. Just because that is their most recognizable hit here in America, they did have others here, and are way more famous the rest of the world over. Also... one of my favorite bands.
Thought of another one: "Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band. Tesla covered it a few years ago, but the original is best.
Post a Comment