# Artists with a big volume of works who are only known for one or two **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778 "2010-06-28T13:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/41 "2010-06-28T21:00:03Z")
With a nod to Unca Cecil, [Nostradamus](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/45/was-nostradamus-really-able-to-predict-the-future) ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/42 "2010-06-28T23:25:49Z")
Don Mclean has Starry Starry Night to keep him off the One-Hit Wonders lists. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/43 "2010-06-29T01:23:30Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Don Mclean has Starry Starry Night to keep him off the One-Hit Wonders lists. Actually, the correct title of that song is _Vincent_. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/44 "2010-06-29T04:03:27Z")
Vangelis has made a lot of great music over the years, but many people are unaware he ever did anything except the “Chariots of Fire” soundtrack. Robert Penn Warren had a long, distinguished career, but is known to most people solely as the author of _ **All the King’s Men.** _ ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/45 "2010-06-29T04:05:11Z")
Alexandre Dumas (pere) is mostly known only for _The Three Musketeers_ and _The Count of Monte Cristo_. Maybe you could include _The Man in the Iron Mask_ and _The Corsican Brothers_, although I don’t know if most people would identify him as the author. But he has a [huge list of works](http://www.dumaspere.com/pages/oeuvre/dictionnaire.html), which includes plays, non-fiction, and more stories of the Musketeers. (And yet the Disney movie adaptation ignored all of them but for the names. The Richard Lester-directed movie _The Four Musketeers_ is actually only the second half of the first book, though _Return of the Musketeers_ is based on _Twenty Years After_.) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/46 "2010-06-29T04:07:20Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Don Mclean has Starry Starry Night to keep him off the One-Hit Wonders lists. He also wrote a handful of hits for other artists. For example, Perry Como’s last big hit was Don McLean’s “And I Love You So.” ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/47 "2010-06-29T04:10:02Z")
Let’s not forget Pearl Buck, who won a Nobel Prize for her body of work, of which most people have only ever heard of _The Good Earth_. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/48 "2010-06-29T04:50:15Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Jazz buffs, of course, know that Dave Brubeck has been a remarkably prolific composer and musician over his astonishingly long career, but I’d wager "Take Five"is the only Brubeck piece 99% of the population could name. I doubt if much more than 1 percent of the population could name Dave Brubek, much less recognize “Take Five” abd name it. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/49 "2010-06-29T06:14:55Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Alexandre Dumas (pere) is mostly known only for _The Three Musketeers_ and _The Count of Monte Cristo_. Maybe you could include _The Man in the Iron Mask_ and _The Corsican Brothers_, although I don’t know if most people would identify him as the author. > But he has a [huge list of works](http://www.dumaspere.com/pages/oeuvre/dictionnaire.html), which includes plays, non-fiction, and more stories of the Musketeers. (And yet the Disney movie adaptation ignored all of them but for the names. The Richard Lester-directed movie _The Four Musketeers_ is actually only the second half of the first book, though _Return of the Musketeers_ is based on _Twenty Years After_.) I read Vingt Ans Apres. And some other stuff. I would have to say, the Musketeers (with the classic three-duels-in-ten-minutes opening) and Monte Cristo (with the prison/escape scene – and Oh my God have you been to Chateau D’If in Marseilles? It is beautiful and exactly what you imagined) are what he should be remembered for. The contemporaneous dispute over “the literary workshop of M. Dumas” (implicitly accusing him of hiring appentices to write much of his stuff) seems in my uninformed opinon to have been . . . probably on the money. The sequels to the Musketeers dragged on and on and on (as did the unabridged Musketeers, mind you). ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/50 "2010-06-29T10:43:14Z")
Pierre Boulle - not well known at all - but you might have heard of Planet of the Apes or seen Bridge Over the River Kwai > **[Pierre Boulle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Boulle)** > > Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French author. He is best known for two works, The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952) and Planet of the Apes (1963), that were both made into award-winning films. > Boulle was an engineer serving as a secret agent with the Free French in Singapore, when he was captured and subjected to two years' forced labour. He used these experiences in The Bridge over the River Kwai, about the notorious Death Railway, which became an ... ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/51 "2010-06-29T13:27:09Z")
Children’s writers seem to suffer this fate–L. Frank Baum wroe about more than Oz, and Lewis Carroll more than Wonderland, but who remembers them for anything else? I mentioned Ed McBain in my OP. Most peole only remember Evan Hunter for writing “Blackboard Jungle,” but he was very prolific. The punchline being McBain was Hunter’s alter ego. ---
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/52 "2010-06-29T21:40:14Z")
If you look at pre-20th century authors, it might be quicker to list the ones that _don’t_ fall into this category (and haven’t been forgotten entirely). Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a dozen novels, plus poetry, travel books and several collections of short stories. Today, everyone’s heard of _Treasure Island_ and _The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde_ - but how many can think of a third (though _Kidnapped_ and _The Master of Ballentrae_ have both been TV series in the UK). Anthony Hope wrote more than 30 novels - good luck finding anyone who’s heard of more than _The Prisoner of Zenda_. _The Scarlet Letter_ was not Nathaniel Hawthorne’s only novel, and he also wrote short stories. James Fennimore Cooper - another one who wrote 30 novels. He’s remembered for _Last of the Mohicans_ and Mark Twain’s commentry on it. Come to that, I wonder how many people can name Twain’s works past _Huckleberry Finn_ and _Tom Sawyer_? ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/53 "2010-06-29T21:47:17Z")
To the masses, Van Morrison’s career is simply Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance or possibly Gloria, while his vast catalog of music (30+ original albums) is universally revered by musicians and music critics alike. He may be THE ultimate “musician’s musician” but to the average punter, he is just another oldies-circut one hit wonder… ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/54 "2010-06-29T22:33:36Z")
I came to mention **Golden Earring** , but someone beat me to it. I’ll instead offer **Nena** who has been reliably kicking out awesome music post- 99 Luftballons ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/55 "2010-06-30T06:59:07Z")
Rush? 36 years, 18 studio albums, and most people can name “Tom Sawyer” and probably nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/56 "2010-06-30T11:48:34Z")
> [@](#): > > The Scarlet Letter was not Nathaniel Hawthorne’s only novel, and he also wrote short stories. > > James Fennimore Cooper - another one who wrote 30 novels. He’s remembered for Last of the Mohicans and Mark Twain’s commentry on it. Come to that, I wonder how many people can name Twain’s works past Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer? I have to dispute this. Perhaps things have changed since I was a kid, but each of these authors were featured in the game “Authors”, so anyone who played that knows at least four works by each. And Classics Illustrated gave you more (they really seemed to like Cooper – I think they adapted all of the Leatherstocking stories except _The Pioneers_). And i easily know lots of novels and short stories by both authors – House of Seven Gables, Tanglewood Tales, Twice-Told Stories – and that’s without trying. CooperFor Twain it’s Connecticut Yankee, Joan of Arc, Prince and the Pauper, Life on the Mississippi, Pudd’nhead Wilson. I admit that I’m a huge Twain fan, but the guy has gotten a lot of press over the past couple of decades. I think he’s better known. By the way, Twain wrote _two_ literary takedowns of Cooper. Besides the more famous “Cooper’s Literary Offenses” ( [http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/projects/rissetto/offense.html](http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/projects/rissetto/offense.html) ), there is “Cooper’s Prose Style”, which appeared in the way-posthumous collection _Letters from the Earth_: [Llumina.com is for sale | HugeDomains](http://www.llumina.com/mark_twain_on_cooper.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/57 "2010-06-30T11:54:23Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I came to mention **Golden Earring** , but someone beat me to it. As did I. they’ve been around for over 40 years, and 40 of those with the same core of 4 guys. They have 24 or so albums and tour the Netherlands constantly. I’ve seen them twice, and they still rock and sell out where they play. ---
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/58 "2010-06-30T16:13:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I have to dispute this. Perhaps things have changed since I was a kid, but each of these authors were featured in the game “Authors”, so anyone who played that knows at least four works by each. Perhaps it’s the difference between British and American literary culture - I’d certainly heard nothing of any other works by Hawthorne until I looked him up to see if he _had_ written anything else, and _Last of the Mohicans_ is the only title of Cooper’s that would get significant recognition on this side of the Atlantic. But they may well be better remembered in the US. Twain was a guess, after the comment on Cooper got me thinking of him - he wrote two stories that everyone’s heard of and then … I wondered how much the rest of his work was known outside literary circles.\* Connecticut Yankee\* is a good comeback though. I’ve never heard of the game “Authors” - I don’t think we have it in the UK, and if we did the authors would probably be different. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/59 "2010-06-30T16:21:51Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve never heard of the game “Authors” - I don’t think we have it in the UK, and if we did the authors would probably be different. That’s too bad – a lot of the authors in the game are British – Dickens, Shakespeare > **[Authors (card game)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authors_%28card_game%29)** > > Authors or, The Game of Authors is an educational game for three to five players. First published by G. M. Whipple & A. A. Smith of Salem, Massachusetts in 1861, The Game of Authors was in 1897 published by Parker Brothers, also located in Salem, Massachusetts at that time. > The Game of Authors is one of the earliest versions of the family of Go Fish games, in which players call on each other to give up a named card. The play is based on a specialized deck of playing cards. > Later decks included ... > **[Authors Card Game: Inc. U S. Games Systems: 9780880791601: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Authors-Card-Game-Games-Systems/dp/0880791608)** > > Authors Card Game \[Inc. U S. Games Systems\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Authors Card Game ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778/60 "2010-06-30T16:29:37Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Is there room for Loudon Wainwright III on that poster? What’s his famous song? > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > And from the Director of the Sixth Sense… Well, true, but I think Unbreakable and Signs were decent hits. It’s true that he will probably always be remembered for that movie, though. > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > S. Morgenstern wrote a ridiculous number of scholarly works while at Columbia University, but is only really remembered for his satirical allegory of European monarchies. I thought most of his works were still not translated from Florinese, though. 😕 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-with-a-big-volume-of-works-who-are-only-known-for-one-or-two/544778.md?page=4)