VeeshanVault

Im looking for a decent list of the 1 hit wonders of the 80's. This is some of my favorite music of all time but due to way to much beer and ummm other stuff I cant remember half of them. So here is just a few off the top of my head, please add any that you can think of.

Pro's and Con's of hitchhiking..roger waters

One night In Bankok..Murry Head

Relax..Frankie Goes To HollyWood

Smugglers Blues...Glen Frey

Lunatic Fringe...Red Rider

You must have Roger Waters on your list by mistake. I don't see how anyone could consider him a one hit wonder, even in his solo career.

Well, you have to define Hit. I have Radio Kaos by Roger Waters and while I really love that cd I know that it would never really fly on the radio.

I would add Black Betty by Ram Jam as my one hit wonder.

Actually Roger Waters makes my list for the fact that besides the Pro's and Con's record his solo career was mediocre. Yes there are a bunch of tunes he did that are great but almost none made the charts. For that matter Pros and Cons didnt do that great eather but it happens to be one of my personal favorites from him post Pink Floyd.

Rock Me Amadeus - Falco

Well, I think Roger, just like the rest of the members of Pink Floyd only do albums and such when they feel like it. It isn't like they need the money, so there is no need for them to try and churn out something new every year or two like the up and coming bands do. Radio Kaos, Pros and Cons, Amused to Death were all amazing works of music.

I generally thinkg of one hit wonders as people who basically luck into a big hit, and don't have what it takes to keep being successfull. I think Roger made exactly as many albums as he wanted to.

As far as one hit wonders, there's a lot of bands that we (Americans) considered one hit wonders that continued to have successfull careers in Europe. Having said that:

Dexys Midnight Riders - Come on Eileen
Aha- Take on me
Flock of Seagulls - I ran (obvious)
Taco - Puttin on the Ritz
Tommy Tutone - Jenny
Nena - 99 Luftballons
Falco - Rock me Amadeus
Buster Poindexter - Hot hot hot
Bow Wow Wow - I want candy
Thomas Dolby - She blinded me with science

Tainted Love- Soft Cell
Melt With You- Modern English
Always Something There to Remind Me-Naked Eyes
Take My Breath Away-Berlin

Wang Chung - Everybody have fun tonight.

Here are the One Hit Wonders that I really loved:


Little Red Riding Hood - Sam the Sham and the Pharaos

No Rain - Blind Melon

Heart -n- Soul - Tpau

Harden My Heart - Quarterflash

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

Electric Blue - Icehouse

Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider

Walking On Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves

Beach Baby - First Class

Children of the Sun - Billy Thorpe

Black Velvet - Allanah Miles

Breakfast at Tiffanies - Deep Blue Something

Cliffs of Dover - Eric Johnson


and finally... the greatest, ultimitate one hit wonder of all time:

My Sharona - The Knack

Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

True - Spandau Ballet

For So Long - Fisher Z

Love Plus One - Haircuts 100

Turning Japanese - The Vapours

Sister - Icehouse

I Do the Rock - Tim Curry (not a memorable solo career in music...)

Video Killed the Radio Star - Buggles

Pop Music - M

Whip It - Devo (pretty much their one chart venture thoughI hate to class them here)

Cars - Gary Numan

Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo

Major Tom - Peter Schilling

Der Kommisar - After the Fire

The Future's so Bright (I gotta wear shades) - Timbuk 3

I Don't Mind At All - Bourgeois Tag

hrmmmm back to this list as memory permits...

sarlen wrote:Smugglers Blues...Glen Frey

Also had the hit, "You Belong to the City"

Sir Mix OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS - Baby Got Back

Romeo Void - Never Say Never

Big Country - In a Big Country

The Vapors - Turning Japanese

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

Tommy Tutone - 867-5309 (Jenny)

Devo - Whip It

ice ice baby

Heavy Metal - Glenn Felder

It's Going Down - Executioners

Is She Really Going Out With Him - Joe Jackson

Kargyle wrote: As far as one hit wonders, there's a lot of bands that we (Americans) considered one hit wonders that continued to have successfull careers in Europe.

David Hasselhoff comes to mind... =P

John Tesh as well I think.

sarlen wrote:Actually Roger Waters makes my list for the fact that besides the Pro's and Con's record his solo career was mediocre. Yes there are a bunch of tunes he did that are great but almost none made the charts.

A radio hit, does not a great artist make.

She Don't Use Jelly---Flamming Lips

Jump Around---House of Pain

I Got A Girl---Tripping Daisy

Possum Kingdom---Toadies

Cannonball---Breeders

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor---Drowning Pool

Last Resort---Papa Roach

I Can't Wait One Minute More---Civ

Plowed---Sponge

California---Wax

Praise You Like I SHould---Fat Boy Slim

Connection---Elastica

Man, I could go on forever with semi-modern bands that are one hit wonders. If none of the bands ring any bells, DL the songs I mentioned. You've heard them before, trust me.

Toadies had more potential than virtually any band I have ever heard in my life. It's a shame they only did the one album, some soundtracks, and an EP. They really could've been something. Shame.

Fairweather Pure wrote:She Don't Use Jelly---Flamming Lips

rofl

The Flaming Lips are still very much around... Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is an excellent album.

http://www.flaminglips.com/main.php

You can listen to some songs from it at their website.

Fatboy Slim isn't really a one hit wonder either. He's been around much longer than Praise You. (discography)

Toadies lost their guitar player after Rubberneck came out, while working on a second album. I was pretty steamed too, I really liked them a lot, especially since they were from the Dallas area.

They may still be around, but they did only have one hit. Is there a different deffinition that I'm not aware of? Does the band have to be broken up?

In reguards to Toadies, this thread got me thinking, so I did some research.

They released a second album called Hell Below/Stars Above. They were touring to promote it, and thier bass player walked. Three days later, the band broke up. I just ordered the CD from Amazon after reading a couple of favorable reviews. They also have a greatest hits and a live CD as well. Apparently Interscope didn't back them at all on thier last release and that is what they blame everything on.

On the plus side, the leade singer from Toadies formed a band with the drummer from The Reverend Horton Heat and the made a group called The Burden Brothers. They released one CD and broke up too. Grrr.

They are huge over in Europe. So much so that *gasp* Justin Timberlake made a guest appearance as a guitarist on some British talk show. It was in the last issue of Rolling Stone. (BTW their latest album is getting rave reviews here in the states)

Fairweather Pure wrote:They may still be around, but they did only have one hit. Is there a different deffinition that I'm not aware of? Does the band have to be broken up?

A 'hit' need not be defined by radio play on FM stations. Do you know how coprorate radio (stations owned by Clear Channel, Inifinity Broadcasting, etc.) work? (Not trying to be condescending, a lot of people just don't know this.) Record companies pay the broadcasting company x amount of dollars to play song y z times a day. This is why you hear the same thing on radio stations over and over and over (etc.) every day.

Basically, you are being told what to listen to, in the hopes that you will like it and go buy the album. DJs have very little control over what they get to play anymore. It used to be you listened to a DJ because they had good taste in music and you listened to them because you liked what they would spin on-air ... now they're just minor local celebrities. (With great job benefits like meeting all the bands for concerts they promote on air.)

Admittedly, this isn't always a bad thing as it gives airtime to some bands that are truly deserving of it. However, many great bands never get airplay on coprorate radio stations because they don't have a record contract with one of the major lables.

If you're interested, you can check out a real radio station and I guarantee you will hear bands such as The Flaming Lips get airtime. =) You'll hear a lot of other excellent music that you won't hear on the radio in your car.

As far as TFL, they have several songs on the latest album that I would definitely consider hits.

A 'hit' need not be defined by radio play on FM stations.

Then we need a better operational definition of "hit". My personal definition was basically songs that pretty much the average person has heard or could identify as having heard. Obvioulsy, corporate/FM stations would be by far the most common source for hearing the vast majority of what is deemed "popular" music.

I agree that Indpendant stations and such have a much more broad spectrum of music. However, we have to have limits upon the definition or else I could name 30 local bands that are only played on the local area community college radio station and deem them as having hits.

I contend that the Flaming Lips, despite being a good band with several albums, are still a one hit wonder because they only had a single "hit" that falls into my above operational definition.

A similar example would be "Song 2" by Blur. Blur has had several albums, a few songs/videos, as well as a decent cult following. However, they have only had one "hit". I could say the same about many bands. Even someone as huge as Phish or The Grateful Dead have only had one radio "hit", despite having legions of fans and sold out concerts.

Okay gotcha, we're just going by "hits" as defined by the pop-culture masses. =)

Understandable then. Check out TFL new album though, if you haven't and you like them.. it really IS good. =D

I tend to define 1 hit wonders as bands who only had one song, off one album, that was even considered listenable to. Just my personal thing, though.

1 hit wonders as bands who only had one song, off one album, that was even considered listenable to

That would really make things more difficult I'll see what I can think up along those terms tomarrow.

Fairweather Pure wrote:Praise You Like I SHould---Fat Boy Slim.

Sorry, I just noticed this, but FBS is in no way a one hit wonder. He has had four hits right off the top of my head. "Gangsta Trippin," "Praise You," "Funk Show," and "Weapon of Choice." Weapon of Choice won dance video of the year (It featured the incomparable Christopher Walken) at last years VMA's.

Rockafeller Skank was a pretty big hit too.

Doh! That was the name of that song. I put "Funk Show."

Lunatic Fringe...Red Rider

Red Rider = Tom Cochrane who has had many much bigger than Lunatic Fringe.

Smugglers Blues...Glen Frey

He sang quite a few popular tunes with the Eagles.

Relax..Frankie Goes To HollyWood

Relax was, without a doubt, a gigantic hit, but they had a number of #1 hits in England and sold millions of records worldwide. I seem to recall that The Power Of Love was a fairly big hit in North America as well.

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

9 Albums and a career spanning 18 years != One Hit Wonder

Another 1 hit wonder from the 80s: Nowhere Girl ... B Movie


Frankie Goes to Hollywood I'd rank a bit higher than a 1 hit wonder.
Joe Jackson - 25+ year career!

Fairweather Pure wrote:A similar example would be "Song 2" by Blur. Blur has had several albums, a few songs/videos, as well as a decent cult following. However, they have only had one "hit".

Didn't they have one other radio hit a couple years before Song 2? I think it was "Boys and Girls" or something like that....

Sunserae wrote:

Fairweather Pure wrote:A similar example would be "Song 2" by Blur. Blur has had several albums, a few songs/videos, as well as a decent cult following. However, they have only had one "hit".

Didn't they have one other radio hit a couple years before Song 2? I think it was "Boys and Girls" or something like that....

Girls who are boys
Who like boys to be girls
Who do boys like they're girls
Who do girls like they're boys
Always should be someone you really love!

Great song, it's a cover - I think... but it was good! Blur has a new album coming out too, and if you like them a lot, check out Gorillaz. Good stuff.

Story around the campfire is they have a new album in the works. Also the lead singer from blur is the lead singer from The Gorillaz. I like them a great deal as well.

Zamtuk wrote:Story around the campfire is they have a new album in the works. Also the lead singer from blur is the lead singer from The Gorillaz. I like them a great deal as well.

wtf I just said that! =)

Xouqoa wrote:
Great song, it's a cover - I think... but it was good!

Nope, not a cover.

Blur are definately not one hit wonders.
They've been around 13 years, had 6 studio albums plus a greatest hits collection and a string of number one hits in england.
I think every Blur album debuted at number one on the UK charts.

I remember seeing them in 1991 at this small venue just down the street from me(Lee's Palace) and it was so bloody loud, my ears were ringing the next day...the place was half empty before they finished because it was so loud.

miir wrote:Nope, not a cover.

Just looked it up, I thought Pet Shop Boys did it originally but their version is just a dance club remix of the Blur original. That always bothered me, and I always had meant to look it up.

Xouqoa wrote:

Zamtuk wrote:Story around the campfire is they have a new album in the works. Also the lead singer from blur is the lead singer from The Gorillaz. I like them a great deal as well.

wtf I just said that! =)

Son of a bitch! I have done that twice today. Sorry.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Roger Waters
A-ha
Berlin
Fine Young Cannibals
Sir Mix OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS....

are hardly one hit wonders


The best 80's one hit wonder would have to be When in Rome - 'The Promise'.

Name one other hit from Sir Mix OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS. I have heard one other song from him and it was on the Beavis and Butthead soundtrack (I was in 7th grade, shut up) called Monsta Mack.

I have every Sir Mix OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS CD he ever made, includeing one he made with Presidents of the United States of America after they broke up.

This gets into definitions again. Blur is still a 1 hit wonder, I don't care if they have 100 albums and are #1 in Iceland for 6 years straight. The average person can only name one Blur sang which happens to be Song 2.

Zamtuk wrote:Name one other hit from Sir Mix OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS. I have heard one other song from him and it was on the Beavis and Butthead soundtrack (I was in 7th grade, shut up) called Monsta Mack.

My Posse's on Broadway.

Don't forget Buttermilk Biscuits from the same album!

Patrick Hernandez - Born to be alive!

This one is a little shakey but I'll throw it out there anyway.

Kim Karnes..Betty Davis Eyes

look no more
VH1 One Hit Wonders

wtf took me 10 minutes to make their damn site work and now when it's linked the links to songs don't work
oh well

with a little patience and browsing that site you can find links to audio files for each song
I'll paste the list when I get home

'80s in red
80s



100. "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas (1974)


99. "No Rain" by Blind Melon (1993)


98. "Two Of Hearts" by Stacey Q (1986)


97. "Whoomp! There It Is" by Tag Team (1993)


96. "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow (1982)


95. "Harper Valley P.T.A." by Jeannie C. Riley (1968)


94. "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes (1993)


93. "Don't Give Up On Us Baby" by David Soul (1977)


92. "Heart & Soul" by T'Pau (1987)


91. "Electric Avenue" by Eddie Grant (1983)


93. "Don't Want To Fall In Love" by Jane Child (1990)


89. "Achy, Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus (1992)


87. "Barbie Girl" by Aqua (1987) (this should be '97)


93. "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston (1977)


86. "Bust A Move" by Young MC (1989)


85. "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum (1970)


84. "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree (1994)


83. "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats (1983)


82. "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses (1982)


81. "Just A Friend" by Biz Markie (1990)


80. "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot (1983)


79. "Puttin' On The Ritz" by Taco (1983)


78. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies (1994)


77. "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians (1989)


76. "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" by Jermaine Stewart (1986)


75. "I've Never Been To Me" by Charlene (1982)

74. "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" by Digable Planets (1993)


73. "Convoy" by C.W. McCall (1975)


72. "Maniac" by Michael Sembello (1983)


71. "How Bizarre" by OMC (1997)


70. "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence (1973)


69. "Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc. (1980)


68. "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins (1995)


67. "Epic" by Faith No More (1990)


66. "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega (1999)


65. "In My House" by The Mary Jane Girls (1985)


64. "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals (1998)


63. "Jump Around" by House Of Pain (1992)


62. "Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3 (1986)


61. "Round And Round" by Ratt (1984)


60. "More, More, More" by Andrea True Connection (1976)


59. "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone (1982)


58. "What Is Love?" by Haddaway (1993)


57. "Smokin' In The Boys Room" by Brownsville Station (1973)


56. "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton (1975)


55. "It's Raining Men" by Weather Girls (1982)


54. "Makin' It" by David Naughton (1977)


53. "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell (1984)


51. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers (1995)


50. "I Touch Myself" by The Divinyls (1991)


49. "Turn The Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson (1976)


48. "True" by Spandau Ballet (1983)


47. "Rock & Roll, Pt. 2" by Gary Glitter (1972)


46. "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin (1988)


45. "Lovefool" by The Cardigans (1996)


44. "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco (1986)


43. "How Do You Talk To An Angel" by The Heights (1992)


42. "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder (1978)


41. "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1985)


40. "In A Big Country" by Big Country (1983)


39. "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve (1998)


38. "Me & Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul (1972)


37. "I Melt With You" by Modern English (1982)


36. "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors (1980)

35. "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks (1997)


34. "Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band (1976)


33. Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn (1979)


32. "Hot Hot Hot" by Buster Poindexter (1987)


31. "Unbelievable" by EMF (1983)

30. "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks (1974)


29. "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth (1983)


28. "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock (1988)


27. "Pop Musik" by M (1979)


26. "Stumblin' In" by Suzi Quatro (1979)


25. "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo (1983)


24. "Whip It" by Devo (1980)


23. "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba (1997)


22. "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry (1976)


21. "Cars" by Gary Numan (1980)


20. "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby (1983)

19. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida " by Iron Butterfly (1968)


18. "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor (1990)


17. "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister (1984)

16. "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang (1980)


15. "96 Tears" by ? And The Mysterians (1966)


14. "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite (1990)

13. "The Hustle" by Van McCoy (1975)


12. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot (1994)



11. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone (1977)


10. "99 Luftballoons" by Nena (1984)


9. "Rico Suave" by Gerardo (1991)


8. "Take On Me" by A-Ha (1985)


7. "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice (1991)


6. "Who Let The Dogs Out" by Baha Men (2000)


5. "Mickey" by Toni Basil (1982)


4. "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred (1992)


3. "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners (1983)


2. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (1982)


1. "The Macarena" by Los Del Rio (1996)

List too long, is Rico Suave on there? His mullet was ub3r~

sure it is, it's 1991 however, or so VH1 says

Eddie Grant's 'Electric Avenue' was his only mainstream hit but he was a pretty successful reggae artist for many years.


Aqua had a few number one hits. Maybe you could call them a 4 hit wonder.


Crash Test Dummies have had a notable career spanning over 12 years.


OMC were definately a 'one hit wonder' but they are, surprisingly, a very good band.


New Radicals is a funny one.
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too is an exceptional album that was essentially an experiment by Gregg Alexander. One of my favorite albums of the 90s... not a weak song on it. Greg Alexander a bit of a chameleon and a very prolific songwriter. I've been a fan of his since the early 90s. You Get What You Give was the only single realeased from the only album that will ever be released under the name The New Radicals.



Quite a few more on that list whos 'one hit wonder' status is debatable.

Soft Cell listed as #2 is one I take real exception to.
Dave Ball and Marc Almond released 5 albums under that monicker which sold fairly well and had a few top 10 singles (in europe and the UK). Their individual solo careers were somewhat noteworthy. Dave Ball had a club hit as 'The Grid' with the track 'Swampthing'..... and Marc Almond released over 10 more albums (with vary degrees of success) through to the late 90s.
He started getting back into the 'new wave' suff somewhere in the mid 90s.. about the same time I lost interest in his music. The Stars We Are was a brilliant album when it came out.

Eddie Grant's 'Electric Avenue' was his only mainstream hit but he was a pretty successful reggae artist for many years.


Aqua had a few number one hits. Maybe you could call them a 4 hit wonder.


Crash Test Dummies have had a notable career spanning over 12 years.


OMC were definately a 'one hit wonder' but they are, surprisingly, a very good band.


New Radicals is a funny one.
Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too is an exceptional album that was essentially an experiment by Gregg Alexander. One of my favorite albums of the 90s... not a weak song on it. Greg Alexander a bit of a chameleon and a very prolific songwriter. I've been a fan of his since the early 90s. You Get What You Give was the only single realeased from the only album that will ever be released under the name The New Radicals.



Quite a few more on that list whos 'one hit wonder' status is debatable.

Soft Cell listed as #2 is one I take real exception to.
Dave Ball and Marc Almond released 5 albums under that monicker which sold fairly well and had a few top 10 singles (in europe and the UK). Their individual solo careers were somewhat noteworthy. Dave Ball had a club hit as 'The Grid' with the track 'Swampthing'..... and Marc Almond released over 10 more albums (with vary degrees of success) through to the late 90s.
He started getting back into the 'new wave' suff somewhere in the mid 90s.. about the same time I lost interest in his music. The Stars We Are was a brilliant album when it came out.