Sep. 25th is National One-Hit Wonder Day!

[duaneiac]

It's been great to be reminded of some really great songs mentioned here.  "Sweet City Woman" -- my older brother had that 45 when we were kids.  I haven't heard that song in a long time.  And "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog" -- I 'm sure I haven't heard that tune in a couple of decades!  I had thought about including The Weathergirls in my original post.  I had the pleasure of seeing them perform twice back when they were big (pun semi-intended) -- once on a bill that included A Flock of Seagulls and The Thompson Twins!

I think to qualify as a "hit" a record needs to at least make it to the Top 40 charts.  I've never heard of either of those other John Fred & HPB songs.  Not sure how much airplay they got back in the day.  That "Hey Hey Bunny" song sounds like it would have been a great Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels record.

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

 

"Best of? Ha!! One hit and they still put out a Best Of CD.

[Soulstation1]

 

 

Edited September 27, 2019 by Soulstation1

[duaneiac]

Those last three songs sure brought back some memories.  Unfortunately, those memories would not have included the performers' names , so thanks for giving them each another moment of fame.

 

[sidewinder]

3 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

 

Followed by many months of Kung Fu madness. Remember when this was first broadcast on ‘Top of the Pops’. Everyone at school trying the fancy kicks the next day 

Actually quite a cool backing arrangement, Biddu Orchestra I think.

Apologies in advance. 

Edited September 28, 2019 by sidewinder

[JSngry]

Do Christmas songs count?

[Brad]

I’ve always loved this song but unfortunately Deep Blue Something never did anything after this. The tune is catchy, the lyrics are pretty good and it reminds you of a great movie, Holly Golightly and the sublime Audrey Hepburn.  

Lyrics:

 

[duaneiac]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Do Christmas songs count?

Little Augie Rios would say, "Si!".

[JSngry]

Well then...

 

[ghost of miles]

Mjzee beat me to it, but I gotta post anyway... Beverly Bivens! 

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by ghost of miles

[Soulstation1]

 

 

[Brad]

21 minutes ago, Soulstation1 said:

 

 

Where have you been?

[Soulstation1]

😃

[Brad]

Cliff Richard doesn’t belong on the list. He’s had many hits. Nor does Randy Newman. Aside from Short People, he’s had a couple of other hits, although no number 1s. 

[sidewinder]

10 minutes ago, Brad said:

Cliff Richard doesn’t belong on the list. He’s had many hits.

Most definitely - 5 decades of No. 1s. Hard to match that !

 

[Brad]

52 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

Most definitely - 5 decades of No. 1s. Hard to match that !

 

I’m happy to be proved wrong but I don’t think he was as popular in the US as Europe. When I lived in Spain he was a legend. 

[sidewinder]

What I remember is that this ‘hit’ booted Ultravox ‘Vienna’ off of the No. 1 slot !

[duaneiac]

On 9/28/2019 at 3:05 PM, Brad said:

Cliff Richard doesn’t belong on the list. He’s had many hits. Nor does Randy Newman. Aside from Short People, he’s had a couple of other hits, although no number 1s. 

I can't find any record of another Top 40 hit for Randy Newman.  I would have thought "You've Got a Friend In Me" would have been a modest hit for him, but I can't find any proof that it made a US Top 40 chart.  I know that seems kind of odd, but think about it.  Are songs like "Burn On", "Political Science, "Rednecks" or "Louisiana 1927" really  Top 40 audience material? His songs make people think and thinking is hard.  Instead of listening to songs which might make them question the world around them and their own place in that world, most folks would rather listen to "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"

It seems unfair to label Randy Newman as a "one-hit wonder" though.  To me, that term defines a performer/band that will be remembered (if they are remembered at all) for just one record, one moment where everything feel into place and Fate took them on that rocketship ride to fame and quickly back to obscurity.  Randy Newman will be remembered long after King Harvest (and man, I do love "Dancing In The Moonlight"!) is forgotten.  His contributions as a songwriter are even greater than his legacy as a recording artist.  And one Top 40 hit ain't bad.  How many Top 40 hits did Jimmy Webb or Leonard Cohen have as recording artists, after all?

Now, onto a real one-hit wonder:

 

Gosh, he sure looks like an early prototype of Dr. Teeth!

[GA Russell]

Regarding Randy Newman, were not both Short People and I Love L.A. hits?

[Brad]

I agree about Randy not having other hits but he was such a prolific songwriter and had songs like I Love LA — which I understand is played every game at Dodgers Stadium— that it’s hard to describe him as a one hit wonder.  

[duaneiac]

According to Wikipedia, "I Love L.A." failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

[GA Russell]

8 minutes ago, duaneiac said:

According to Wikipedia, "I Love L.A." failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

In that case, I'm surprised I'm aware of it!

[duaneiac]

4 minutes ago, GA Russell said:

In that case, I'm surprised I'm aware of it!

I seem to recall the music video for "I Love L.A." getting a fair amount of broadcast time back in the day, so I'm sure the song got exposure.  But would folks living in Des Moines, Savannah, Altoona or  even New York City really rush out to buy a song telling them how great L.A. is?  I'm guessing that song was not a very big hit in San Francisco.

[JSngry]

Hey - is there anywhere in the world where big nasty redheads aren't popular?

[duaneiac]

The king of one-hit wonders must have been vocalist Tony Burrows who sang lead on all of these: