OT: National One Hit Wonder Day

[RockyMTblue2]

Laura Branigan's Gloria. 36 weeks on the charts. Hugely popular.



That is debatable, because her recording of Self Control hit number 1 in Canada and the UK. Laura Branigan - Self Control [Official Music Video]

 

[Bigboote]

Judy in Disguise:

 

[Bigboote]

I'm not a fan of this song, but really liked Alan O'Day, who wrote songs like Angie Baby and Easy Evil. I bought his first album from a cutout bin in about 1975 and love it. I can't find it anywhere, but have ripped the album to CD.

 

[EricLA]

One is enough. Although it's kind of cute?

One hit wonder? She sang it in English - 99 Red Balloons - so is that 2 hits?

 

[EricLA]

I saw these guys live when I was at UConn. I think the concert was $2, at Jorgesen Auditorium. They did have other releases, but none were nearly as big as this:

One of my all time favorite oldies. It's just such a fun happy song.

 

[Aluminny69]

One of my all time favorite oldies. It's just such a fun happy song.

"Red Rubber Ball" was written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley of The Seekers. More history here:

Red Rubber Ball

 

[MilfordHusky]

My favorite 1-hit wonder changes over time. It was "Beach Baby" and "Float On" for a time. Now it's:

This is perhaps the classic OHW. It still gets a lot of play today.

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

These guys actually had 2 hits, but they are fun, so I hope it's ok to include them.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Did these guys have more than 1 hit? BYW, that's a young Max Weinberg on the drums.

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think these guys qualify:

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[JordyG]

Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana. Composed it in 18 days to make an entry deadline for a one-act opera contest, but never wrote anything of any significance afterwards. It remains one of every opera buff’s favorites, with the orchestral interlude regularly winning favorite melody contests.

The intermezzo. My god! One of musics most beautiful and heart rending melodies. I'd also say Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Although, of course he wrote other major works (that wonderful Harold In Italy and that Requiem), he only wrote one symphony...and boy what a work it is! One of the 10 greatest and perhaps, the most original.

 

[donalddoowop]

McFadden and Whitehead-Ain't No Stopping Us Now
Little Joe and The Thrillers-Peanut
The Mello Kings-Tonight, Tonight

 

[meyers7]

1962 - Chubby Checker - The Twist

Chubby had another good hit though - "Let's Twist Again" which charted at #3 in the US:

Yea, gotta call foul on Chubby. He had a couple #1's and a few top 20's. Don't think he qualifies as a 1 hit wonder.

 

[meyers7]

This was pretty big and I don't know of anything else they ever did.

Tubthumping - Chumbawamba

 

[meyers7]

First video on MTV (yes they used to have music videos on there )

Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

 

[Bigboote]

Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana. Composed it in 18 days to make an entry deadline for a one-act opera contest, but never wrote anything of any significance afterwards. It remains one of every opera buff’s favorites, with the orchestral interlude regularly winning favorite melody contests.

Well, thanks for this; I've learned something new today. I'm not much of an opera fan, but I'll have to give this one a listen.

 

[Waquoit]

Now that's a song with quality cowbell

 

[nwhoopfan]

Nina Gordon was a member of Veruca Salt, who had a few hits in the 90s. As a solo artist I think she qualifies as a OHW though.

 

[Boreifs]

The intermezzo. My god! One of musics most beautiful and heart rending melodies. I'd also say Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Although, of course he wrote other major works (that wonderful Harold In Italy and that Requiem), he only wrote one symphony...and boy what a work it is! One of the 10 greatest and perhaps, the most original.

Well, technically he wrote four symphonies. Harold in Italy, Symphonie Triumphal et Funebre and Romeo et Juliet are all labeled as such. If you are into Berlioz, give a listen on YouTube to his “Lélio”, which is a sequel to “Symphonie Fantastique”. The most uniquely original composition ever written by a major composer.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm not a fan of this song, but really liked Alan O'Day, who wrote songs like Angie Baby and Easy Evil. I bought his first album from a cutout bin in about 1975 and love it. I can't find it anywhere, but have ripped the album to CD.

I always thought of these two songs together (key lyric: "Yeah, I guess I am"):