One Hit Wonders
Posted November 20, 2009 by
Morning Show Crew 
Comments(44)
Comments(44) 
Norman Greenbaum, whose song “Spirit in the Sky” topped the charts in December 1970, celebrates his birthday today. In the Question of the Day, we’re grooving to our favorite one hit wonders!
How about “In the Year 2525″ – by Zager & Evans, as I recollect. Big hit when I was a long haired hippie college student.
Was Not Was–Love Is All Around (I may be off on both the artist and the song title, but it’s on the “Four Weddings & a Funeral” soundtrack)
Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone–Glass Tiger (They put this one out in the mid-80s, had one follow-up, then vanished off the face of the earth. A couple of weeks ago you told me you didn’t remember this band. Playing this might jog your memory.)
Enjoy!
OK, limit of two one-hit wonders (too numerous too
mention): “Alone Again, Naturally”-Gilbert O’Sullivan; “Fooled Around
and Fell in Love”- Elvin Bishop……thanks for another great question
of the day!
The New Radicals You Get What You Give (still making money from movie soundtracks)
Edie Brickell What I am (Shooting Rubber Bands… was a great album, but only one hit.)
Edwyn Collins A Girl Like You
My favorite one hit wonder, and one that has definitely stood the test of time as evidenced by how many great artists have covered it, is Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke.
An embarrassing blast from the past:
LITTLE WILLIE – by Sweet
One Hit Wonders(?) OMG! So many!
“Magic” (Pilot)
“Angel In The Morning” (Marilee Rush)
“My Sharona” (The Knack)
“MacArthur Park” (Richard Harris)
“Ringo” (Lorne Greene)
“(In the Year) 25/25” (Zager & Evans)
“Elusive Butterfly” (Bob Lind)
“What I Like About You” (The Romantics)
And, from the soundtrack of ‘That Thing You Do’ (the story of a rock & roll band, from Erie, PA, that had were one-hit-wonders, the song: “That Thing You Do”.
Ariel by Dean Friedman. It can’t be dumb, Pete Fornatale played it on his show one time!
My favorite jukebox wonder was “fooled around and fell in love” by elvin Bishop. Remember that one?
Back in the early 80’s (all of my best recollections are from the early 80’s – must be because I was in my early 20’s then – LOL) there was a song called “What Do All the People Know” by a band called the Monroes. It was a big hit and I don’t recall them having any other hits after that.
Did the Archies do anything else of note besides “Sugar, Sugar?” If that’s all they did, then let’s take a stroll back about 40 years and play that?
And what happened to Rick Astley? Not exactly one hit wonder – had a couple but he dropped off the planet! How bout “Never Gonna Give You Up”!
Ok – Work calls for me!
Have a great weekend , Claudia!
Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest (72-73)
The Way – Fastball (98)
An FUV one-hit wonder — Wicked Son – Slo-Mo
“Closing Time” by Semisonic
” Come and Get Your Love ” — Redbone
one of the few hits by a Native American band.
You just have to play these 2 songs! Wooly Bully and Li’l Red Riding Hood. Please give a shout out to Staten Island’s Frank Carabetta who played and wrote music with Sam. Their influence on America’s Rock and Roll seen has been overlooked mostly because of the British Invasion and their name. Please tell Frankie “Put your lips to the metal and blow us some more beautiful tunes” You still have it, just use it!
Can you play the tunes at 9:45 AM?
Seeing as FUV does not seem to typically play one hit wonders or play more than just the one song I would suggest a song about one hit wonders. Keller Williams ‘One Hit Wonder’
In spite of the CB radio songs, I’m sure your listeners will come up with some great choices, but here’s my favorite:
Concrete and Clay, Unit 4 2
Awesome old song that stands the test of time.
Ride Captain Ride
American Rock Band Blues Image
Moonlight feels right
Starbuck
Life is a rock (But the radio rolled me)
Reunion
Precious and Few
Climax
One toke over the line
Brewer & shipley
G’day y’all
I would like to submit for your consideration of ‘one hit wonders’ -
96 Tears by the Mysterians
Dirty Water by the Standells
Classical Gas by Mason Williams?
In-A-Godda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly [What else did they do?]
San Francisco Girls – Fever Tree [Great rendition - but no followup]
Sweet Sixteen – Diga Rythm Band
Highway Song – Aztec Two Step
You might consider this a one hit wonder because of its topicality -
Right Wing Roundup- Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
Special mention:
for the groups
Cry, Cry, Cry – only 1 album produced – bummer.
Blind Faith – ’nuff said
From Alan from Hartsdale:
Good morning Claudia, it is always a reassuring pleasure to hear you on the airwaves…and you are rockin’ on the $ this morning….
Regarding the question of ‘one hit wonders,’ I think “Time” by the Chambers Brothers would both qualify and be a blast to hear again!!
Life in a northern town by the dream academy
Here is a “one hit wonder” song that has pretty much stayed in my song playlist. “96 Teardrops” by ? and the Mysterians. (Actually, I listen to the Garland Jeffreys version from his CD “Escape Artist”.)
DEJA VU by CSNY.
A man by the name of Eric Jacobsen at Trans Tone Music owns the rights to Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky.” we tried to negotiate for permission to use the song in our short doc film…but it was too much.
My answer to the QOD is: Marianne Faithful’s “the Ballad of Lucy Jordan” is ONE hit that I WONDER why it doesn’t get played more.
I Melt With You – Modern English
Tom Tom Club “Genius Of Love”
Trying to reach past the obvious ones like Brandy (Looking Glass), and
Com’on Eileen (Dexie’s Midnight Runners). I also suppose they have to be
older, because if someone newer has their first hit doesn’t mean it’s their
last or only. So I’ll offer: Jenny Jenny/867-5309 (Tommy Tune) and I Touch
Myself (Divinyls),
I also think you have to consider the one-hit wonders that qualify because
the masses only ever got to hear that one song on mass radio but they have
about a million hits if you’re a fan. Like:
Wondering Where The Lions Are (Bruce Cockburn) –some people’s only
knowledge of him 40 years and 50 albums later
Personally (Karla Bonoff)
Trunkin’ (Grateful Dead) — there are those out there that know only that
one Dead, so sad
Thanks — please hurry up with the antenna, Sports Radio in the afternoon
is killing me.
Inscense & Pepermints by the Strawberry Alarm Clock (1967)
i’m never sure whether bands are truly one-hit wonders or if i just haven’t heard their other hits. one site i looked at listed the buffalo springfield, richie havens, and loudon wainright. so i’ll stick with The Safety Dance (Men Without Hats). i don’t think they had another hit.
Best one hit wonder ever—The Proclaimers” I Will Walk 500 Miles.
There are at least 2 kinds of one-hit wonders: One is the Norman Greenbaums who *seemingly* arise from nowhere and return there after their one hit.
The other is the artist who creates a body of good or even great music but for whatever reason only achieves widespread success once–someone who would otherwise be thought of as a cult favorite. Suzanne Vega calls herself a one-hit wonder (for the DNA version of Tom’s Diner), but I don’t really buy that. Luka and the original Tom’s Diner both qualify as hits as far as I’m concerned.
My favorite example of the second kind (by far) is Michael Penn. Could you play something *other* than No Myth to show the world how great he is? If you don’t have a choice, mine would be “Knocking at the Big House” from March.
It makes me wonder, though. For the Norman Greenbaums of the music world, is there a body of good music we’ve missed, and do *they* have fans who are amazed the rest of us don’t appreciate them?
Have a beatiful, sunny day!
I know it is late but I just got to work. What about “More than Words” by Extreme? They may have had some success but that is the only song I can remember that had any airplay on mainstream stations.
Sunny by bobby hebb
They’re Coming To Take Me Away – Napoleon XIV
Four Non Blondes “Whats goin’ on?”
Thanks for the 80,s flashbacks, now I want to wear Capezios while I drink my coffee.
My favorite one hit wonder is probably
Come on Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners?
Others from the 80s:
Also, maybe I Go Crazy or Post Cards From Paradise by Flesh For Lulu – I realize that’s two songs, but I’m not sure if both (or either ) qualified as hits
Just Got Lucky – JoBoxers
From the 70s,
The Night Chicago Died – Paper Lace
Beach Baby – no idea who the artist was
I have one from the sixties. In the Year 2525 by Zager and Evans (did I spell that right?)
Eve of destruction by?
Lies, the knickerbockers
Dirty water, the standells
Incense, peppermints, strawberry alarm clock
I could go on forever…I’m cheating from my Nuggets cd collection
“How Bizarre,” by OMC.
i know this probably won’t make the playlist, but my favorite one hit wonder of all time (and rated greatest rock single of all time” by some major magazine–newsweek?), would be:
“96 tears”–? and the mysterians
it doesn’t get any better (or cheesier) than this!!!
thanx for keeping me interested all these years.
Reflections of My Life–Marmalade
I Can’t Find the Time To Tell You–Orpheus
Love Can Make You Happy—Mercy
I Don’t Want To Love You(but you got me anyway)—Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
What about… hmm… what was that song called…
Hands to Heaven – Breathe
and
Running in the Family – Level 42 (I *love* this song, haven’t heard it in years and years. I guess I could surf on over to youtube and seek it out! I loves the interwebs.)
First, a few comments on some of the suggestions:
Gilbert O’Sullivan – in addition to Alone Again, Naturally, he had a modest hit with Claire.
The Left Banke – In addition to Walk Away Renee, they had a hit with Pretty Ballerina. By the way, if you like the Left Banke, their CD that has everything by them has a lot of terrific songs.
Redbone – In addition to Come And Get Your Love, they had Maggie.
Sam The Sham – You mentioned two songs, and they had other hits as well. So they are not one-hit wonders.
Concrete And Clay – I’ve always preferred this song by your mention, The Unit 4 Plus 2. It was also a hit by Eddie Rambeau. Two one-hit wonders.
Iron Butterfly – In addition to the edited single of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, they followed up with In The Time Of Our Lives.
Fever Tree – San Francisco Girls was indeed their only regional hit, but they also did a slower, thoughtful version of Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing.
Strawberry Alarm Clock – Incense And Peppermints was followed up by a moderate hit Barefoot In Baltimore.
CSN&Y – Besides Deja Vu, how about Woodstock, Teach Your Children, Carry On, and Ohio?
Now, onto my suggestions. Feel free to make corrections to any errors in my list.
Avenging Annie – Andy Pratt
Pop Muzik – M
Paralyzed – The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
I Can Help – Billy Swan
Me & Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
Money – The Flying Lizards
Signs – The Five Man Electrical Band
Ode To Billie Joe – Bobbi Gentry
Major Tom – Peter Schilling (in German & English)
99 Luftballoons – Nena (in German and English)
Autobahn – Kraftwerk
Hocus Pocus – Focus
Little Old Man – Bill Cosby
Oxygene Part IV – Jean-Michel Jarre
I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake
Thunderclap Newman – Something In The Air