Jump to content

Your favorite one hit wonder


VABuckeye

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, ocugolf said:

Romeo’s Tune- Steve Forbert

I outkicked my coverage and asked a young lady who was an Arkansas Razorback football cheerleader out, and she said yes.  First date, we went to see Steve Forbert at the Texas Union.

The relationship didn't last, but holy shit that was a week I'll never forget.  I mean yeah, Arkansas, but she was stunning.  Me, not so much.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I outkicked my coverage and asked a young lady who was an Arkansas Razorback football cheerleader out, and she said yes.  First date, we went to see Steve Forbert at the Texas Union.

The relationship didn't last, but holy shit that was a week I'll never forget.  I mean yeah, Arkansas, but she was stunning.  Me, not so much.

"Don't care. Got laid."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
Great song and album, but not OHWs as they had 2 more singles that tracked highly from Boomtown, Swallowed by the Cracks and Ain't So Easy. Definitely a One Album Wonder.

Baerwald's solo follow up (Bedtime Stories) was pretty solid, and Sheryl Crow owes him a huge debt for helping her break with Tuesday Night Music Club.

Did Concrete Blonde track more than Joey?
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, UTCzech III said:

Produced by Pete Townshend, who also plays bass on it, and featuring a very young Jimmy McCullouch on guitar, who would go on to play in Wings (that's his scorching guitar in Junior's Farm...)

 

One of my favorite songs of all time.

And I love Jimmy’s playing.  Great stuff with Wings.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/25/2021 at 10:02 AM, hullabelew said:

This is the band that first came to my mind.  4 really good dudes from a really good debut album, then got absolutely fucked the their record label and horrible timing. 

 

This was my answer after thinking for a few minutes.

This may go against the spirit of the thread, but Nada Surf. I don't think they've had a hit past "Popular" (which isn't good imo) bit then they have had a nice career as an indie band.

Let Go is a great album. These dudes are still together, although at some point they replaced their bassist with a cigarette

image.jpeg.68a4f9f38ef912afbf4dcff490ba83ed.jpeg

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/25/2021 at 5:48 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Were these one-hitters?

Katrina & The Waves "Walking on Sunshine"

Nena "99 Luftballons"

 

I'm thinking so, but I wasn't exactly paying a lot of attention to the radio back then.

 

On 10/25/2021 at 5:50 PM, South Austin said:

Yes, on Katrina & The Waves.  I honestly can't name another song of theirs, but that song is certainly their only hit.

Yes on Nena in America, but no idea of how her career went in Germany.

Yes to both. I have a few German immigrant neighbors. Apparently Nena has (recently) gone batshit conspiracy-nutjob crazy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

What a great 80's tune.  It's amazing.  

They only had one hit, but that whole record was pretty solid, and Baerwald had a few more gems in his subsequent solo records. 

Baerwald's first solo record is damn near a desert island disc for me.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Technically, Jimi Hendrix was a no-hit wonder.

 

EDIT: All Along the Watchtower hit 20, though. I guess that counts as a hit (even though I think of hits as top 10 or even top 3 type things) so I guess I'm technically talking out of my ass.

Edited by BoomMF
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree to disagree (otherwise bona fide hits from the 50s would no longer be hits because no one knows them anymore). This thread creates nothing but exceptions, because this is a list of favorite one-hit wonders, but there is a loooong list of songs that charted to the number 1 spot that have been lost to time in the popular sense.

Edited by BoomMF
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, ocugolf said:

Come on Eileen -Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Romeo’s Tune- Steve Forbert

His 1991 one, The American In Me is so fucking good.  Probably in my Top 25 of all time.    In the late 90s I saw him and the house music was a soundtrack from "Across The Universe".   Ol' Steve went on multiple rants about all of the good music out today, but this places chose to play music by some obscure band called "The Beatles" .   When I say multiple, I mean after every 3rd song.  It was comical but he was not at all pleased by it.   He is still a fantastic songwriter.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, tbone_ said:

It’s simple. One hit wonder means they had one song that everyone knows and no one knows shit about any of their other songs.

I get the technical argument but fucking Jimi Hendrix, Rush, etc are not one hit wonders. Knock off the nonsense.

Using this criteria, I think this sadly fits:

 

The vast majority of people just know her for this song alone...which makes me sad.

  • Hook 'Em 4
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Using this criteria, I think this sadly fits:

 

The vast majority of people just know her for this song alone...which makes me sad.

Good lord, I forgot she did this.  The balls it took to walk out on that stage with just a guitar.  That entire debut record was fantastic.  

  • Hook 'Em 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Speaking of Tom Cochrane and David Baerwald, Tom's vocals on that tune "Big League" are eerily reminiscent of Baerwald's voice.

Oh, and how Canadian can one song get?

Ha.  Yep....plus, it is actually based on a true story.  I have an embarrassing amount of knowledge on Canadian bands from the 80/90s.   Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers/L'Etreanger/Andrew Cash/Cash Brothers, Tom Cochrane, Grapes of Wrath, Tragically Hip.    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'd say Chapman's "Talkin' About a Revolution" and "Give Me Just One Reason" qualify as hits.  I think the latter did better than "Fast Car".  I know it won her a Grammy.

Understand that, but current day I believe 60% people would know of her by name and 58% of that 60% would know her for that song alone. Most of the people that spend time on this board would fall into that 2%, so that's why I applied the caveat that I quoted. I think she's probably seen at large as a one hit wonder, and again, that makes me sad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Understand that, but current day I believe 60% people would know of her by name and 58% of that 60% would know her for that song alone. Most of the people that spend time on this board would fall into that 2%, so that's why I applied the caveat that I quoted. I think she's probably seen at large as a one hit wonder, and again, that makes me sad.

I bought that album as soon as I heard her voice.  Instantly reminded me of Joan Armatrading.  What a talent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

Ha.  Yep....plus, it is actually based on a true story.  I have an embarrassing amount of knowledge on Canadian bands from the 80/90s.   Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers/L'Etreanger/Andrew Cash/Cash Brothers, Tom Cochrane, Grapes of Wrath, Tragically Hip.    

I may have you beat there as you forgot Spirt of the West, Lowest of the Low, Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, The Watchmen, The Headstones, Moxy Fruvous, The Pursuit of Happiness, etc. Some decent bands, some succeeded only because Canadian Content rules for radio stations. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...