It's National "One Hit Wonder" Day!

The Swinging Medallions/Double Shot of my Baby's Love

"Brandy You're a fine girl" by Looking Glass

"Chevy Van"  Sammy Johns
"Black Betty"  Ram Jam

"Talk Talk" by The Music Machine. "The Witch" by The Sonics. "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen (they had a smaller follow-up in "The Jolly Green Giant", but it is for "LL" that they are known). "Hey Little Girl" by The Syndicate Of Sound. "I Love You" by People (a cover of The Zombies song). "The End Of The World" by Skeeter Davis.

"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum has long been my favorite "one hit wonder".

Where Do You Go To My Lovely, Peter Sarstedt.

’Tainted Love’, by Soft Cell...

'A Girl Like You' by Edwyn Collins.
Guess I have two favorites!

Reflections of My Life, Marmalade.  A goodie, I think.

Gail Garnett, We'll Sing in The Sunshine.

Baker Street ... Gerry Rafferty.

One more, What's Up, 4 non-blonds.

I wouldn't know where to start but I DID by chance just hear "Brother Louie" by The Stories (original version with killer bass and piano).  

The Rain,the Park,and Other Things(I love the flower girl) by the Cowsills

In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry 

https://youtu.be/wvUQcnfwUUM

JD

Take on ME .... A-Ha.

Tainted Love .... Soft Cell

Relax ... Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

You Spin Me Round ... Dead or Alive.

867- 5309 ... Tommy Tutone.

Turning Japanese .... The Vapours.

St Ellos Fire ... John Parr.



Just SO many.... Lol

"Unbelievable" - EMF
"Cars" - Gary Numan
"I’ll Be" - Edwin McCain
"With a Girl Like You" - The Troggs
"Music Eyes" - Hartsfield
"My Music" - Bill Quateman

Tiptoe Through the Tulips by Tiny Tim

Friday on my Mind by the Easy Beats

Oh gawd yes, "Friday On My Mind" is insanely great! Another is the double-sided hit 45 by The Left Banke, "Walk Away Renee"/"Pretty Ballerina". "Money (That's What I want)" by Barrett Strong (which makes The Beatles version sound tame) is wicked. "Juke" by Little Walter. "Lies" by The Knickerbockers (better than The Beatles ;-). And lastly, "Caroline, No", the only song recorded by The Beach Boys but released as a Brian Wilson 45 (I had Brian sign my copy at his debut solo album release appearance at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd.). It's on the Pet Sounds album.

One night in Bangkok- Murray Head

Well, I don't know if that song was technically a hit, but I love it and certainly cannot name another Murray Head song.

uberwaltz

Technically, Gerry Rafferty with Baker Street is not a one hit wonder. He also had Right Down the Line, which reached #12. I only know this because I play music trivia and the host said Baker Street was a one hit wonder as well and that didn't sound right to me, so I looked it up and found his second hit.

My choice:  Edison Lighthouse –•– Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

Winnardt
After looking it up I concur but....
How many people actually KNOW that!
Lol.......

Not myself for sure.

Now I could be pedantic and say that Edison Lighthouse ALSO had a second single , " it’s up to you Petula" crack the UK top 50.

But not sure that’s really a hit... Lol.

Or truly in the spirit of this thread.....

"Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9lh7lqZojc

Good list so far.  I would add:

Suavecito-Malo

Venus-Shocking Blue

Tubthumping-Chumbawamba

Israelites-Desmond Dekker

I want to hold your hand   the Beatles.  What ever became of those clowns?

Many thanks to Elizabeth for posting the link to the comprehensive list of one-hit wonders.  Brings back a lot of memories.

Although I'm mostly a classical music listener, I enjoy listening to a lot of those listed from the late 1950s and the 1960s in my cars on the Fifties on Five and Sixties on Six channels on SiriusXM. 

I was surprised to see Bo Diddley listed as a one-hit wonder, and for "Say Man" rather than for "Bo Diddley."  But sure enough I see in the Wikipedia writeup on him that "Say Man" reached no. 20 on the pop charts, while "Bo Diddley" didn't hit the pop charts at all, although it reached no. 1 on the R&B chart. 

Anyway, while I like many of the vocal recordings on the list I'll single out for mention three oldies that are instrumentals:

"Midnight in Moscow" -- Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.  (In addition to liking the music this sounds remarkably good on my main system, played from a commercial CD compilation of various instrumentals of the time).

"Harlem Nocturne" -- The Viscounts.

"Love is Blue" -- Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra.

Regards,
-- Al

I actually took a couple of guitar lessons from Dennis Zager in Lincoln Nebraska back in the 80s.  Zager & Evan's, in the year 2525.  Not sure I got the title right, but they had one hit

Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Hocus Pocus - Focus
Sukiyaki -Kya Sakamoto

Pretty sure that Sylvia was an even bigger hit than Hocus Pocus so definitely NOT a one hit wonder band were Focus I am afraid.

Oh Lordy, In the Year 2525 by Zager & Evans, I should NOT have forgotten that one as it was one of the very first singles I ever called my own!

"Spooky" Classics IV
"Magnet and Steel" Walter Egan
"Vehicle"  Ides of March"

Actually, the Easybeats had a song called Hello, How Are You that charted at #20 in the  UK. Wonder if you can get a CD of them....

The Ballroom Blitz, by Sweet.
I know it's not a one hit wonder. I just love that song.
DON'T JUDGE ME...!!

Great topic!!!

Baby It's You - Smith
Nothing But A Heartache - The Flirtations
Thunder and Lightning - Chi Coltrane
I'm On Fire - Dwight Twilley Band
Hold On - Ian Gomm
No Time To Lose - Tarney - Spencer Band

Driver’s Seat - Sniff ‘n the Tears
Time Won’t Let Me - The Outsiders
incense and Peppermint - Strawberry Alarm Clock

+1 on Driver's Seat

Driver's Seat??! Always thought they said "Travesty"!
Good song but the video, hooboy.....

"Joey" Concrete Blonde

"Devil With the Blue Dress On"
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels

I like a lot of the songs listed above.  In many cases a particular song is heavily identified with a group or individual and is clearly their biggest hit.  But, does that make that song a one-hit wonder if the group or individual had other songs that were moderately popular?  I really like the suggestion of "Devil with a Blue Dress On," and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels are not that famous, but, if I mention that they did "Sock it to Me, Baby," how many of you would also recognize that song?

"Bend me Shape me"... The American Breed
"Keep your Hands to Yourself"...The Georgia Satellites
"Run Run Run"....Jo Jo Gunne

Anybody remember "Run Joey Run" by David Geddes?

Edwin Starr "War"

You Belong to Me--The Duprees  1962

Sinatra recorded it too, as did others, but I think this was their only hit.

16 Candles by The Crests was also big, but they had several other hit tunes down the line.  However, I believe Johnny Maestro was gone by then.

Fun thread!

Cheers...

Rich, no, neither of those groups were one-hit wonders. The Duprees also did "My Own True Love" and "Have You Heard," among others.

And The Crests, with Johnny Maestro, did "Step By Step," "The Angels Listened In," "Trouble In Paradise," and others. For example, here’s Johnny performing "Step By Step" as a member of The Crests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E284QNyoJug

All of these were solid top-40 hits.

Regards,
-- Al

96 Tears
Question Mark and the Mysterians

Oh, larryi,  I remember "Sock it to Me, Baby" from Mitch Ryder; just slipped my mind. Good one

I was walking down Baker St. in London with a native English friend one day. I mentioned the song by Gerry Rafferty. He said he didn't even chart in England. Crazy huh?
   Question please;almarg stated; Many thanks to Elizabeth for posting the link to the comprehensive list of one-hit wonders. Brings back a lot of memories. I don't see a posting from Elizabeth on this thread. What am I missing? Joe

Hi Joe,

Looks like Elizabeth's post was deleted.  But here is the link she had provided:

https://top40weekly.com/all-one-hit-wonders/

Regards,
-- Al

Oh, no she didn’t! 😬