"One hit wonders" with pretty decent collections

Cafe Society
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Flipping through stuff on my iPod today, it struck me how many of my favorite bands could be considered one hit wonders, even though they have a long list of great work they’ve done aside from that one hit. A few off the top of my head, or bands/singers I noticed on this wikipedia list:

Better Than Ezra - famous for “Good” in 1995. Since then they’ve released four albums, each of which has been better than the last (this is all IMO of course). Check out: Sincerely, Me

The Cardigans - famous for “Lovefool” in 1997, a song that was barely representative of their sound then, and nothing like their sound proceeding from their next album (Gran Turismo) forward. Their last three albums have all been outstanding. Check out: Live and Learn

Jars of Clay - famous for “Flood” in 1995. I never really liked the song, but the album was good, and I’ve picked up most of their stuff since. They had a couple clunkers between then and now, but they’ve released some great music too. Check out: Dead Man (Carry Me)

Aimee Mann - famous for “Save Me” in 1999. For once the one hit is one of my favorite songs. :slight_smile: She’s amassed a great catalog over the years though, with her last album The Forgotten Arm being absolutely brilliant. Check out: Going Through The Motions

Fountains Of Wayne is the most bizarre entry I saw on Wikipedia’s list. They’ve somehow managed to become a one hit wonder twice, first with “Radiation Vibe” off of their first album in 1996, and again recently with “Stacy’s Mom” in 2003. Either way, they’re a great band with a long list of worthwhile songs to peruse. Check out: Someone to Love

Radiohead is also on Wikipedia’s list, for “Creep” back in 1993. I’m not sure I’d consider them a one hit wonder, but if they are, they certainly qualify for this topic. “Creep” was the best track off their mediocre first album, but everything they’ve done since has blown the early stuff away. Check out: Paranoid Android if you somehow haven’t heard it already. :stuck_out_tongue:

Who else is out there with this distinction? Did I miss the mark with any I posted?

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This list is suspect. On what planet are Radiohead one-hit wonders?

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This Hendrix guy has a pretty good oeuvre for someone with just one Top 40 hit. :wink:

I assume Radiohead have just the one Top 40 hit on the Billboard US pop chart.

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More famous for Voices Carry, in a way, isn’t she? Does that make her a double threat - did 'Til Tuesday have any other hits?

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Frank Zappa.

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The Cardigans hit in the UK at least with Rise & Shine (#29), Lovefool, My favourite Game (#14), Erase/Rewind(#7) and other songs . They’re not really one hit wonders either.

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Yet, bafflingly, they were nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy in 2003.

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Bobby McFerrin had a hit with “don’t worry, be happy”, then continued on to have a successful career as a jazz singer, with at least 13 albums in addition to the one with “don’t worry, be happy”.

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Well, Rush has had exactly one Top 40 hit in their career (New World Man reached #21 in 1982). Do they count?

24 gold and 14 platinum records say “no” :smiley:

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The Breeders Alt-rockers from the 90’s with one hit (“Cannonball”), but they have 3 albums and are about to release a fourth.

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Grateful Dead only had one hit chart - Touch of Gray.

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My friend Ty on the Eagle AFKN AM in 93…

“If they are Better than Ezra, then Ezra must really suck.”
Brilliant!

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I’d nominate Marc Cohn, whose only really well-known song was “Walking in Memphis”, despite the fact that it was IMO the fifth or sixth best song on his debut album. (On the other hand, his subsequent albums haven’t really lived up to that standard, so maybe I should withdraw.)

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Marcy Playground only ever had one hit, with “Sex and Candy,” but I’ve enjoyed all three of their albums quite a bit.

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Radiohead is italicized in the list, indicating that while they only had one U.S. Top 40 single in the 1990s they are not considered a one hit wonder (I suppose because of album sales or work in the following decade.) They’re really not a singles kind of band, though, are they? Most recently, I see that In Rainbows hit number one on the U.S. album chart, so that has to count for more than a single.

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As I’ve posted before, Dean Friedman is my personal favorite.

One hit in 1977 (Ariel) and he never has another US hit on the top 40. But his catalog is beautiful. He’s still making music and selling it direct to his fans on his website.

I saw him in concert at a small club on Long Island last year. He is so passionate about his music - and loves his fans.

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Never heard “Good” by Better Than Ezra; it may have just predated my escape from classic-rock stations. Their “Desperately Wanting” got a fair amount of airplay around 1998, so they must be at least a two-hit wonder. :slight_smile:

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The problem we have here is a misunderstanding of what a “one hit wonder” really is. A “one hit wonder” is an artist aiming at mainstream success but for one reason or another failing to get more than one hit. Most of them are acts with mediocre material who just happened to get lucky. Artists who mainly aim at the “underground” market (like Lou Reed or Iggy Pop) or who are highly popular at another type of music but got just a single pop crossover hit (such as Charlie Pride in country or Dave Brubeck in jazz) really shouldn’t be included in that category.

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Dream Theater charted with Pull Me Under, but nothing else in their 20 year career. They are about to release a compilation album, Dream Theater - Greatest Hit (…and 21 other pretty cool songs), on April 1.

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I agree. To simplify:

A “one hit wonder” is a recording artist or group that has only one hit, and that hit is the source of most of their fame.