It's National "One Hit Wonder" Day!

Groovy Kind of Love - Mindbenders

I wanted, earlier to mention "Patches" by Clarence Carter. Out of fear of being wrong, I passed.

Thanks @bdp24 , I consider it a honor to be corrected by you.

@slaw, perhaps you're too young to have heard it when it was new, but surely you're heard Dion's "Runaround Sue" on oldies radio, not to mention "Lovers Who Wander." To hear him sing a song as no one else could have, give a listen to "(I Was) Born To Cry." Intense!

"Abraham, Martin & John"  Dion

In what seems to be the generally accepted spirit of the thread:

”Sugar, Sugar” - The Archies

(Also happens to be the very first record I ever owned; cut out from the back of a “Cap’n Crunch” cereal box 😊)

Now, since there also seem to be varying (and questionable) criteria used for qualifying, let’s have some fun and take it to absurdity: “A song or tune by an artist that was very popular and the only that got a lot of airplay; and, likely the only one that the majority of listeners would recognize and associate with that artist”. From that standpoint, a “one hit wonder”:

“Birdland” - Weather Report
“The Girl From Ipanema” - Stan Getz
”Take Five” - Dave Brubeck

Then, there is that tune that goes something like “ta-ta-ta-TAAA” by that guy, what was his name? Ludwig, or something like that 😄

"Bottle of Wine (fruit of the vine)" - The Fireballs

@flatrocker, hey it just dawned on me that is you, need to get togeather, have your people call my people and we will put it togeather. Enjoy the music

Can't believe no one has brought up "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five. Big +1 to those who mentioned "Classical Gas" and "Walk Away Renee"

Rare Earth; Get Ready (Here I Come)

Maria Muldaur; Midnight at the Oasis

"Painted Ladies" - Ian Thomas
"It’s Good News Week" - Hedgehoppers Anonymous
"Everyone's Gone To The Moon" - Jonathan King

Nice ones!

To add to the long list of one-hit wonders stated previously:

"Reach Out of the Darkness" - Friend and Lover
"Will You Be Staying After Sunday" - The Peppermint Rainbow
"Tracy" - The Cuff Links
"Moonlight Feels Right" - Starbuck
"Hey There, Lonely Girl" - Eddie Holman
"Shannon" - Henry Gross
"It Never Rains in California" - Albert Hammond
"Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) - Steam
"Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry
"Where Have You Been All My Life" - Fotomaker
"Starry Eyes" - The Records

Afternoon Delight-Starland Vocal Band. An iconic song in pop culture.
Never had another Top 40 hit due to an early 70's acoustical based sound. The late 70's put a hex on many acts including The Carpenters-John Denver ect. Check out the album Rear View Mirror which includes possibly SVB's best song "Norfolk".

Maybe someone already mentioned, She's About a Mover, Sir Douglas Quintet.

I'm with tooblue with Doubleshot, but I also like Hot Smoke and Sassafrass by Bubblepuppy.  96 Tears is up there, too.

Kung Fu Fighting-Carl Douglas

"I Fought the Law" ,  The Bobby Fuller Four.

Plastic Bertrand: "Ca plane pour moi."

Little Bit O'Soul - Music Explosion

Funny you should mention that one Geoff as I was listening to that German version only last night on my Amazon Music " one hit wonders" playlist.
And of course we made them record it in English too, how arrogant .. Lol.
99 Red Balloons by Nina.

Most of the Eurovision song contest winners faded into obscurity with one massive exception of course ... Abba.

I remember watching them play Waterloo and it was like WHAT!?!?
NOBODY had seen anything quite like it on the good old stoic staid Eurovision Song Contest.
I thought the announcer was going to have a heart attack...lmao.
And of course they cake walked it which shocked my mother who was deeply offended by them! Haha.

99 Luftballoons

"Sally Go Round The Roses" is the best record.
Otherwise, "Denise" by Randy and the Rainbows.  "Driver's Seat" by Sniff and the Tears.  "Magnet and Steel" by whatsisname.  "Our Day  Will Come" by Ruby and the Romantics.

Elephant's Memory. Mongoose

“Mexican Radio”
Wall of Voodoo

How about 'Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep' by the Kissoons?!

Sorry, rpeluso. Have to call you on that one!
The First Edition did that song. They bounced between that name and adding Kenny Rogers and had 3 hit singles.

How Do You Do,  Mouth and McNeil.

YES for Shivaree!!

Remembered another one:  "I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in", Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.

@avsjerry, + 1 on all of your picks. 

One more:

Shivaree:  "Goodnight Moon"

"Cuts You Up", Peter Murphy (Yup...)
"Dear Jill". Blodwyn Pig (Deliciously sparse...)
"Mexican Radio", Wall of Voodoo (Any country...including ours)
"Pump Up The Volume", M/A/R/R/S (The birth of 'sample & hold')
"Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven", Ellen McIlwaine (Everyone, Everywhere, Always.)
"Under The Milky Way", The Church (..or Laniakea, for that matter...)

There's a lot of it, out there...*G*

@tooblue, I know where you're coming from. If you look at the artists listed so far in this thread, only a handful have had a long career with a significant back catalog: JJ Cale; Concrete Blonde; Grateful Dead; Mitch Ryder and Mott the Hoople.

No one's mentioned Richard Thompson yet; but, that's probably because he's never had a top 40 hit, despite a 47 year career as a solo artist. 

A-Ha?
Their massive hit was Take On Me.

So another not a one hit wonder ... Lol.

@almarg , the term, one hit wonder, certainly rolls me down a different path and it's one that I didn't see JJ Cale on as I rolled down it.

The Sun Always Shines on TV - by A-ha! 

Probably any criteria that might be conjured up to define "one-hit wonder" will result in at least a few anomalies. But the list that has been linked to, https://top40weekly.com/all-one-hit-wonders/, clearly defines "one-hit wonder" as an artist or group having one and only one song released as a single that made the top 40, based apparently on Billboard’s "hot 100" listings. That seems to me to be as good a definition as any other that might be conjured up, and one which makes the listing as objective as possible.

And it appears that "Crazy Mama" was the only J. J. Cale single meeting that criterion.

Regards,
-- Al

Whaaaaaaaaaat, JJ Cale is a one hit wonder, I think not sir.

"Where's Your Head At?" - Basement Jaxx
"Walking on the Sun" - Smash Mouth

Hot Smoke and Sassafrass - Bubble Puppy
Crazy Mama - JJ Cale
There She Goes - The La's
You Got Me Anyway - Sutherland Brothers & Quiver

As long as you don't count hits from members of the band, my all time favorite anthem is:

Mott the Hoople--"All the Young Dudes"

@winnart,

No problem brother, I figured I'd get caught sooner or later.

slaw7

I don't mean to be the fact checker on here, but Classics IV were by no means a one hit wonder. They also had Stormy, Traces, Everyday with You Girl, and the vastly underrated What Am I Crying For. The true one hit wonders would kill for career like the Classics IV.

Grateful Dead made the list as one hit wonders.  I saw 100+ shows.  I wish someone had told me they weren't going to make it.

Oh, no she didn’t! 😬

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