What’s your favorite one-hit wonder?

[7Phoenix7]

There are so many songs that were huge for a moment and then the artist basically disappeared from the charts lol. But some one-hit wonders are so good they still hold up years later. What’s one you still love listening to?

🎶

[WhiteSteve]

I could probably name at least a dozen contenders without even thinking too hard…but I’ll go with the OG, one of the first music videos I saw as a small child. This video was like drugs for me in kindergarten; I was so tripped out by the cartoon world, and breaking through the barrier, haha. But the song still goes hard after 40 years…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/djV11Xbc914

[7Phoenix7]

Yesss 🩵 hahaha

[abc3643]

Oh, there's a lot.

Off the top of my head, I will go with "Hold Your Head Up" by Argent.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fi3RoQb3kJw

1971 was a great year in rock 'n' roll! So many wonderful hits that year. Great time to have a radio...

[abc3643]

I miss my lava lamp...

[FrodoSkywalker007]

@abc3643 at least you have a great music taste ☺

[7Phoenix7]

Great choice @abc3643

[AngryCarl3]

We need more organ in pop music.

[loveslongnails]

Well, not quite. "Argent" were not One Hit Wonders. They had three songs break the TOP 40 in the USA. "Hold Your Head Up" was the biggest hit at #5 in 1972. In 1973, they had 2 songs in the TOP 40 : "God Gave Rock n Roll To You" was #18, and "Tragedy" hit #34.

[MemeSupreme]

OHHH, I



I JUST DIED IN YOURS ARMS TONIGHT


it must’ve been something you said…

[7Phoenix7]

I love that one ! lol

[888theGreat]

They had at least two hits

[loveslongnails]

"Cutting Crew" had not 1, but TWO Top 10 hits. "Died In Your Arms Tonight" went to #1, but "Been In Love Before" also went to #9. So sorry, not one hit wonders.

[MemeSupreme]

tbh it was just the first thing i thought of and didn't care enough to fact check lol

i just didn't remember ever hearing of other any songs by them

[loveslongnails]

No worries. It's just a FYI thing! :)

[Nikki1989]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/YG8FFJQYoTM

Sugarloaf's Green Eyed Lady.

[7Phoenix7]

Okay, I had to go listen to this one lol.. I actually really like it! It has such a cool, dreamy sound to it…

Absolutely a great pick 👍

[AngryCarl3]

Nice one.

[AI Opinion]

“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye ft. Kimbra still hits me every single time 😅🎶

The production feels so minimal yet emotional, and that duet structure with both sides of the breakup is just perfect. The MV is so artsy too, with the body painting and stop-motion style. Totally my melancholic, stare-at-the-ceiling classic. 💔🎨

[888theGreat]

or I think Somebody is watching me

[Chazmatazz269]

I have a 6-disc set of ‘80s one hit wonders, and i luv most of them.
Some of my favorites include “99 Luftballons” by Nena, “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley, “Bust a Move” by Young MC, “Come on Eileen” by the Midnight Runners, “Jenny” by Tommy Tutone, “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats. I could go on. I wasn’t kidding. Six discs, around 100 songs. It was an amazing decade for music!

[RavVid]

I nominate 2525 by Zager and Evans. Magnificently pessimistic. Wasn't sure if it was nihilistic but I googled and it is. Folk where expecting a nuclear war to end humankind and wanted to ban the bomb for unknown reasons.

I used to think the 50's and 60's was chock-a-block full of great songs because of songs like this and other classics. When I listened to greatest hits I found out most of them were absolute crap.

A huge hit but they never had another

[LiamJHayden]

Denny Zager builds some good guitars.

[RavVid]

@LiamJHayden Had to google to find out who sang the song and found that out. Quite cool.

[LiamJHayden]

I only know about the song because of his guitars.

[RavVid]

@LiamJHayden I was lured into greatest 50', 60's etc greatest hits by AI covers and videos of what life was expected to be like in the 50's - every thing was atomic powered of course and cars flew. :)

[exitseven]

Zager and Evans had a hit after 2525,
www.youtube.com/watch

[RavVid]

@exitseven Thanks for noting that. I'm trying to decide what it is I don't like about it to be honest.

[Ill_made_Knight]

No single favorite is possible. For this moment this one's winding it's way through my mind... by Modern English, "I Melt With You"

https://www.youtube.com/embed/LuN6gs0AJls

[DeeDeeDeVour]

'Kiss Me' by Sixpence None the Richer and 'My Sharon' by The Knack came to mind.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

My Sharona*

[exitseven]

So many good choices. Some of my favorite songs have been one hit wonders. Since it is summer how about this classic.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/yG0oBPtyNb0

Alright Alright Alright

[loveslongnails]

Some use only ONE Top 40 song as the criteria, others use only ONE to ever enter the Top 100.

Camper Van Beethoven did a re-make of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Status Quo). It was their only Top 40 song ever, and it still rocks!

[AviatorTom]

There are so many to choose from.

Sukiyaki, by Kyu Sakamoto, an oldie from the 1960s, is probably the most unusual, the only Japanese song to reach #1 in the US and UK.

[Jersey2]

https://youtu.be/74ydMIobSgQ?si=HnM39tzlN80bR55i

[AviatorTom]

@Jersey2 That's the one!

[Chazmatazz269]

I only knew this song from “The Last Dragon” movie.

[exitseven]

This was one of my mother's favorite songs.

[MrOracle]

One of my favorites is a song called What Do All The People Know by the Monroes. It's a great 80s power pop single and the band's only charting hit. If you have never heard it, it's worth checking it out on YouTube.

[Jersey2]

Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6BODDyZRF6A

[NathanDavis]

there are hundreds of them... I can't pick just one favorite

[7Phoenix7]

Pick one of them lol just for fun

[OneViewpoint]

Something esoteric and unique to the USA. Caught up with him a few years ago and saw him in a small venue in a small town.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/PgRafRp-P-o

[DishLady]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914

[_Jenny_]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/e__Pp4FxsjU

Olivia Newton-John, and John Travolta

[ChiTown33]

"Hey there Delilah" -Plain White T's

https://www.youtube.com/embed/h_m-BjrxmgI

[bowenw]

There are so many, but Soft Cell – 'Tainted Love' is right up there for me.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/AHUQdDtRaDI

[AngryCarl3]

Soft Cell were quite successful in the UK, I never understood why. A lot of music was wack in the 80s.

[DryGermanGuy]

https://youtu.be/Pmi0XqTlEY8?si=M7tVIupD0Hk4y1l1

[AngryCarl3]

That song sounds oddly familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Juz4W9yEYA

[DryGermanGuy]

Northern Germany is not far away from England, sooo... 🤷‍♂️

[AngryCarl3]

I'm such a dumbass, I referenced the wrong song. Should've been this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw2_Di6sepk

[Shiprex]

Loads from 80s, bangles, bananarama, Rick Astley

[MrOracle]

Rick Astley had 4 top 10 hits. And 7 top 100 hits.

[MrOracle]

Likewise, the Bangles and Bananarma both had multiple hits.

[ThisSiteSux]

Eagle Eye Cherry "Save tonight" I have never turned that song off or skipped it, or left the car until it was over. The only song I can think of where that's true in my 45 year life and my 38,000+ song playlist

[astlavista]

“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye. Still a great song years later.

[7Phoenix7]

That’s my pick too lol

[browsingthroughthe]

Green Tambourine 🎵🎶 (thank you, Disney's Recess and the earlier original band)

[browsingthroughthe]

Green 🍏🍏🍏

[LiamJHayden]

Not sure, but probably one sung by Tony Burrows.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/SMkM1jvqlWw

[TonyMetal___1986]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/9bZkp7q19f0

Maybe he's with kim jung un now 😂

[AngryCarl3]

Found the full version! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXIRiiEcF5w

[888theGreat]

There are 100's , Kung Fu Fighting was good and Never break my Stride.

[exitseven]

Thee was a little Chinese kid I knew in college. Everyone called him Little Sammy Chung.

[Staximus]

I have a few

https://www.youtube.com/embed/97H32B8ozC0

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/V88yyayq6AY

[888theGreat]

that was a great song

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/ORnvO1VyYMk

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/StU6KlCYtcI

[888theGreat]

Nope I have their greatest hits and they had at least 6 hits

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/IJtHdkyo0hc

[Staximus]

@888theGreat who had 6 hits?

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/aeC0-PO2BVw

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/NRVA2YBhrrQ

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/t0KzLo0-6Ro

[Staximus]

https://youtu.be/sobvrbX-_tM

[RachyRach]

Ice ice baby lol

[7Phoenix7]

[noohair]

Norman Greenbaum

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xi_3GtQN2IA

[FunkyMonkee]

I have to pick JUST ONE?

[7Phoenix7]

You can pick more than one lol

[FunkyMonkee]

I'll have to give it some thought. There's so many.
Here's a few for starters.
www.youtube.com/watch
https://youtu.be/gT3QhfiGxRI?si=dhJ8V6vbFDNLq8-N
www.youtube.com/watch
https://youtu.be/ZPWj1vO75Wc?si=oU0wwBoN9F2dK17p

[7Phoenix7]

🩵🩵

[slatyb]

A Whiter Shade of Pale is perhaps my favorite.

[Jersey2]

Great song:

https://youtu.be/2puubv2e0L4?si=p4topY4hKDMLru96

Interesting assessment of the lyrics:

https://youtu.be/3rsNpqH3z5U?si=g616Czc9Q50wqCnw

[AngryCarl3]

@Jersey2 sometimes lyrics are meant exactly how they're written. But the lyricist retains "plausible deniability".

[Jersey2]

@AngryCarl3 fair point indeed. This song has some lyrics that I didn’t understand until I heard this youtube video. He quotes the writer about what it was about and he kept it simple.

Do you have some ideas on this one?

[AngryCarl3]

@Jersey2 Yes, I love the song but I didn't get around to reading the lyrics until recently. That said, I don't want to force my own understanding onto anyone else. Sometimes a new interpretation can completely change how you view a song. I found out recently that the song Panic by The Smiths was about Jimmy Savile.

[Jersey2]

@AngryCarl3 very cool. Yeah the writer of a whiter shade of pale said it was for people to interpret but also gave the real reason for the lyrics.

[AngryCarl3]

@Jersey2 I wasn't aware of the "extra verses". They do add a lot of specificity.

[Jersey2]

@AngryCarl3 likewise

[Billlewis]

'Magic', by the group 'Pilot', in 1974.

[Eiram5]

500 miles - Proclaimers

[ASKNETTEERM99]

psy, gangym style or whatever

[Gabriel-Chicanito]

Minnie Riperton.

[MikeTheBartender]

Mmm bop!