"One hit wonders" that actually have other very good songs/other hits. | The Boneyard

"One hit wonders" that actually have other very good songs/other hits.

Travelman6

Travelman6

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We all know them for "Down Under" but, IMO, "It's a mistake" is not only just as good, but even better, but for sure less-heralded, for whatever reason!

What examples do you have of One-hit wonders that actually are not one-hit wonders and have other solid songs?
 
Travelman32 said:


We all know them for "Down Under" but, IMO, "It's a mistake" is not only just as good, but even better, but for sure less-heralded, for whatever reason!

What examples do you have of One-hit wonders that actually are not one-hit wonders and have other solid songs?
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I wouldn't call Men at Work a one hit wonder. Who Can It Be Now? was also a big hit from the Business As Usual album and Overkill was also a pretty big hit from the Cargo album.
 
NPR does an ongoing series on one-hit-wonders' other best songs. They've played some pretty good stuff.
 
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Between ages 9-12, I was a huge Presidents of the United States of America fan and listening to them 20+ years later, their stuff still holds up and I enjoy rocking out to them every once in a while.

Sounds funny to say, but they were very influential to me as a kid and their songs were some of the first songs I learned how to play on guitar. My friend Ian was a big fan of the band too, and we were in a band together in our teens and early 20s. In 4th grade, I have fond memories of going over to his house and, along with his older brother two years our senior, we'd pretend we were in this band, air-guitarring and singing along to their cd's.

I love their twangy, garage-y type sounds and they sound kinda like a sugar-coated Morphine in the sense that there are five strong in total between the two guitar players. Their level of imagination for a bunch of grown men is pretty impressive.

One of my favorite songs by them is "Bath of Fire".

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
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Travelman32 said:


We all know them for "Down Under" but, IMO, "It's a mistake" is not only just as good, but even better, but for sure less-heralded, for whatever reason!

What examples do you have of One-hit wonders that actually are not one-hit wonders and have other solid songs?
Expand ...

Men at Work had several big hits, Overkill is a way better song than Down Under. Overkill is an all-time great song.
 
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sharonT said:
A isn't the definition of one hit wonders is that they have only one hit? Once the 2nd song appears they are no longer one hit wonders.
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Ugh, if the 2nd song "appears" and it's not a hit, then by definition, no.
 
Travelman32 said:
We all know them for "Down Under" but, IMO, "It's a mistake" is not only just as good, but even better, but for sure less-heralded, for whatever reason!

What examples do you have of One-hit wonders that actually are not one-hit wonders and have other solid songs?
Expand ...
Overkill is also awesome.


Edit: Looks like I should have scrolled down, others called this also.
 
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Led Zeppelin only had one Gold Record as a single (Whole Lotta Love).
 
A few off top of my head:

Thomas Dolby - beyond "She Blinded Me With Science" there was "Hyperactive"

Big Country - beyond "In a Big Country" there was "Fields of Fire", "We're Not in Kansas", "Wonderland" and "Look Away" among others that charted outside the US.

Midnight Oil - why they appear on lists of one-hit wonders is questionable, but it is apparently true that only "Beds are Burning" made the top 40 in US. So many to choose from - "Bullroarer", "Blue Sky Mine", "Truganini" and more.

XTC - "Dear God" charted in US top 40 but dayum, XTC's "greatest hits" CD is a better listen than hundreds of "greatest hits" compilations from far more popular bands. "Generals and Majors", "Nigel", "Senses Working Overtime", "Life Begins at the Hop"... far more.

I was gonna say The Waterboys, but turns out they never charted in US Top 40. Highest they ever got was 48, with a song I don't even like all that much. Still going strong 40 years later and still an excellent live show.
 
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Hey Adrien! said:


Between ages 9-12, I was a huge Presidents of the United States of America fan and listening to them 20+ years later, their stuff still holds up and I enjoy rocking out to them every once in a while.

Sounds funny to say, but they were very influential to me as a kid and their songs were some of the first songs I learned how to play on guitar. My friend Ian was a big fan of the band too, and we were in a band together in our teens and early 20s. In 4th grade, I have fond memories of going over to his house and, along with his older brother two years our senior, we'd pretend we were in this band, air-guitarring and singing along to their cd's.

I love their twangy, garage-y type sounds and they sound kinda like a sugar-coated Morphine in the sense that there are five strong in total between the two guitar players. Their level of imagination for a bunch of grown men is pretty impressive.

One of my favorite songs by them is "Bath of Fire".

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
Expand ...

Good call on the Presidents. I'd have gone with "Lump" as the second, though :)
The Presidents of the USA - Lump
 
87Xfer said:
I was thinking about this after and you're probably not far off. Shame because I like most of their other stuff more.
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Agreed. Saw them open for Lenny Kravitz at the Mullins Center. Had to be 94? I liked them as much, if not more.
 
Deepster said:
Agreed. Saw them open for Lenny Kravitz at the Mullins Center. Had to be 94? I liked them as much, if not more.
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I don't doubt that at all. Not to derail the thread, but quarantine = need for diversion. I'm dating myself here, but did anyone here ever see a show at Riverside Park in Agawam (the amusement park - pretty sure it became a Six Flags)?

I remember seeing the Screaming Trees and the Spin Doctors there (it was probably around the time of the UConn Dream Season), and they were both really good. I have no recollection of who opened for who, but it was a great show from start to finish.

*edited to make readable...
 
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I think a hit is defined as a record that reaches the Billboard Top 40. Thus you can have that one big hit, and then several more that reach the bottom 60 of the Top 100, and you'd still be considered a one hit wonder. Also, there are many major r&b, and country acts that have tons of hits in their genre, but if they only crack the pop Top 100 once, they would be technically considered a one hit wonder.
 
87Xfer said:
I don't doubt that at all. Not to derail the thread, but quarantine = need for diversion. I'm dating myself here, but did anyone here ever see a show at Riverside Park in Agawam (the amusement park)? I remember seeing the Screaming Trees and the Spin Doctors there, and they were both really good. I have now recollection of who opened for who, but it was a great show from start to finish.
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I was there, 8th grade. Screaming Trees, Soul Asylum, and Spin Doctors.
 
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