"One hit wonders" that actually have other very good songs/other hits. | Page 3 | The Boneyard

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

I just looked up two of my favorite two-hit wonders (Gary Wright, The Babys) and it turns out they had a 3rd lesser hit that I forgot about. But I have this:
 
Phil Seymour - Precious to Me



Some other "hits" that apparently didn't hit the top 40. I was a little surprised that neither got in the top 40.

Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe
Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't it be Good
 
Split Enz - I Got You.
If you look at the body of work for Neil Finn, He's not a 1 hit wonder. But Split Enz only had this and Crowded House had Don't Dream It's Over and Something So Strong.

 
8893 said:
I know a lot about them, except I have no idea what their "one hit" would be. "One Week"? "If I Had A Million Dollars"? "Be My Yoko Ono"? "Brian Wilson"?

I have their first five studio albums, as well as Rock Spectacle, a live album. I like them all, but unfortunately I don't think they've ever come close to the brilliance of Gordon, their debut album. That is probably a desert island selection for me. I have seen them live several times, all while Stephen Page was still in the band, and they were great every time. And hilarious.
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Agreed on all fronts on BNL.

My contribution - Del Amitri. Most will only know their one top 10 song in the US: Roll to Me.

Trust me, buy that album (Twisted). It's been a mainstay for me for close to 25 years now. They had a couple of other chart entries (Kiss this thing goodbye, always the last to know), but a single top 10.

They're actually recording their first new material in 18 years right now, assuming new album this year. Can't wait!
 
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nomar said:
I guess Touch of Grey makes the Dead a one-hit wonder too, then. (Peaked at #9; second-highest chart location was Truckin' at #64.)
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By that definition, this guy was a one hit wonder.
 
One persons one hit wonder band is another persons top ten band ever. I'm sure the tightly knit Boneyard community can find common ground on defining what a one hit band wonder truly is Head bang BTW Haircut 100's best song is Love Plus One.
 
Dove said:
The Smithreens. One hit. Great band.
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What?
(the one hit part, not the great band part).

The Smithereens

www.billboard.com www.billboard.com

As an aside, after Pat DiNizio passed on, AW posted a vid of them playing a house party in someone's backyard and it was my favorite song by them, "Behind a Wall of Sleep" (#23 on Hot 100). Their greatest hits CD is simply wall to wall goodness.
 
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Dream Jobbed 2.0 said:
I mean there are litterally millions of great bands/artists that have no “hits.”
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Exactly. I could go through virtually any band's catalog and find something I really like.

Maybe a good thread would be "what are your favorites songs from obscure / unknown acts?"
 
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storrsroars said:
What?
(the one hit part, not the great band part).

The Smithereens

www.billboard.com www.billboard.com

As an aside, after Pat DiNizio passed on, AW posted a vid of them playing a house party in someone's backyard and it was my favorite song by them, "Behind a Wall of Sleep" (#23 on Hot 100). Their greatest hits CD is simply wall to wall goodness.
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I wiki-ed them and it shows "Behind the Wall of Sleep" as a non charter on the US Hot 100. The Rock chart, different story.

Blessed to have seen them in Hamden a few summers ago. Love these guys.

"Yesterday Girl" !!!
 
metsfan2323 said:
I know very little about the Barenaked Ladies but they probably would fit this odd category.
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The Barenaked Ladies opened up for Hootie and the Blowfish this summer. I didn't know a ton about the band either but as they played I think I knew at least 4 songs by them - "If I Had a Million Dollars", "One Week", "Pinch Me", "It's All Been Done"..... they put on a great show too - really engaged with the audience, lots of humor and good musicians
 
"I Ran" was the big hit, but "Space Age Love Song" was the better song.

 
How about Los Lonely Boys? They had a big hit "heaven".

About 12 years ago I got dragged to the park in New Haven to see a free show and was shocked at how good they were (I knew nothing about them). They are a great and I mean great Blues band.
 
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alexd. said:
The Divinyls.... There was a lot more to their 1991 self titled LP than 'I touch myself"....
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That's Randy Jackson on bass (American Idol, also played in Journey)!
 
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Glad to see that Blind Melon and Big Country were already featured!

Blind Melon was a fantastic band; insofar as "No Rain" was not even close to their best song. Big Country is super underrated. They were doing some really cool stuff and instead were lumped in with a lot of the cheesier 80s bands. "Inwards" is an incredibly cool tune.
 
Fairfield_1st said:
Phil Seymour - Precious to Me



Some other "hits" that apparently didn't hit the top 40. I was a little surprised that neither got in the top 40.

Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe
Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't it be Good
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Seymour's cover of "let her dance" was killer.
 
Saw the Smithereens at Toads Place circa 1990. Went to Apple Music to download their stuff and saw a Beatles tribute album they did.

Let's just say, if you're going to do the Beatles? You better do it well and the album is really good. It's slanted towards the older Beatles stuff. 3 minutes a song, rock and roll. That's a niche for them and it's in their sweet spot. A new find thanks to this thread.
 
Fairfield_1st said:
Split Enz - I Got You.
If you look at the body of work for Neil Finn, He's not a 1 hit wonder. But Split Enz only had this and Crowded House had Don't Dream It's Over and Something So Strong.

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Dirty Creature was a great song.
 
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Deepster said:
Saw the Smithereens at Toads Place circa 1990. Went to Apple Music to download their stuff and saw a Beatles tribute album they did.

Let's just say, if you're going to do the Beatles? You better do it well and the album is really good. It's slanted towards the older Beatles stuff. 3 minutes a song, rock and roll. That's a niche for them and it's in their sweet spot. A new find thanks to this thread.
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Great band....saw them first in 1986 and last in 2012. Interesting to see them touring now after Dinizio's death with Marshall Crenshaw or Robin Wilson singing.
 
here's kevin rudolfs one hit

after that, not only does he have lots of other great beats, but his fingerprints were all over many other 'famous' names work. a quiet legend.
the 'lyrics' version of this (4m+ hits!) is somehow more raw. I like it better, too.

- 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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The Church and Smithereens not one hit wonders. I debated Big Head Todd and the Monsters, but I didn’t the quality.

How about Crash Test Dummies? That first record had many good songs.
 
Temporary Thread Hijack:

I follow a photographer on the Twitter and he like posting ads from old concerts. Today was an ad for the Agora showing AC/DC as a special guest for...

Mink Deville?

Never heard of Mink Deville and now watching on Youtube. This guy is great!!

 
HuskyHawk said:
The Church and Smithereens not one hit wonders. I debated Big Head Todd and the Monsters, but I didn’t the quality.

How about Crash Test Dummies? That first record had many good songs.
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Big Head Todd has always been criminally underrated. I'll never understand how Todd Park Mohr was never more famous, he has everything you should want in a frontman. Sister Sweetly is still one of my favorite albums.
 
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