# Favorite One-Hit Wonder **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831 "2003-08-04T04:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/61 "2003-08-05T01:46:21Z")
I may be wrong… I thought Mexican Radio was one of CSNY… Great song tho! ---
**Author:** ![Strychnos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Strychnos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strychnos)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/62 "2003-08-05T01:53:31Z")
Frankie goes to Hollywood had yet another massive hit: The Power of Love ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/63 "2003-08-05T01:54:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > > * * * > > **zeldar** - Gilbert O’Sullivan had a 3rd hit - “Get Down” - told you once before and I won’t tell you know more Get Down, etc > > \*\* Thanks! Never heard it. Probably never will. Any idea what year that would have been a hit? I know AA(N) was 1972. Same year Bobby Fischer won the World Chess thing from Spassky and Spitz was winning all the medals at the Olympics. (Also the bad shit at Munich). Based on nothing more than a gut feeling, I’d guess maybe 1975? ---
**Author:** ![TeaRoses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@TeaRoses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaRoses)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/64 "2003-08-05T01:55:28Z")
Mexican Radio was definitely Wall of Voodoo. I actually had their EP, which came out before that song. That had their cover of Ring of Fire (am I the only one that remembers that)? A Google search on that cover had one website referring to it as an “under-ground smash” but if it charted, I couldn’t dig that up. So yeah, one hit. ---
**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:** [August 5, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/65 "2003-08-05T01:56:26Z")
“Jane” by Jefferson Starship (not the same thing as Jefferson Airplane so you can’t count “White Rabbit”) ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/66 "2003-08-05T02:08:03Z")
My bad, TeaRoses and bibliophile. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/67 "2003-08-05T04:09:46Z")
**Evil Captor** I think, Jefferson Starship had a bigger hit in “Nothing`s Gonna Stop US” (also used in the Mannequin OST) but I am not sure. Their “We built this city” was pretty famous too. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/68 "2003-08-05T04:51:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe K \* > \*\*Mine was mentioned already: _Green-Eyed Lady_ by **Sugarloaf**. To me, the long (normal) version isn’t long enough. \*\* Sugarloaf had a second top ten hit with _Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You_ in 1975. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/69 "2003-08-05T05:04:04Z")
Get down (G O’S) is from 1973. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/70 "2003-08-05T05:12:37Z")
The One-ders. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/71 "2003-08-05T05:23:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*“Jane” by Jefferson Starship (not the same thing as Jefferson Airplane so you can’t count “White Rabbit”) \*\* Jefferson Airplane had two Top 40 hits, Jefferson Starship had 9, and Starship had 6. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/72 "2003-08-05T06:21:08Z")
This thread is a strong testimony to the incredible differences in pop music 'round the world. Status Quo, Thompson Twins, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Digital Underground, Corey Hart, Hanson, Crash Test Dummies, The Outfield and a-ha aren’t truly one-hit wonders at all. Ah, but Pretty Poison certainly was, and their song “Catch Me I’m Falling” (from the soundtrack to a bad Jon Cryer movie) still makes me shake stuff. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/73 "2003-08-05T06:44:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Dream Academy had another Top 40 hit with _The Love Parade_ the same year. \*\* I’m inclined to ignore a #36 “hit” that barely made a blip on the radar. Others’ MMV. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/74 "2003-08-05T10:52:48Z")
**Fire** by _The Crazy World of Arthur Brown_ as well as **Black Betty** by _Ram Jam_ and who can forget **Psychotic Reaction** by _Count Five_ ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/75 "2003-08-05T11:05:25Z")
_Live is Life_ by **Opus**. ---
**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:** [August 5, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/76 "2003-08-05T11:11:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Jefferson Airplane had two Top 40 hits, Jefferson Starship had 9, and Starship had 6. \*\* OK, so they’re … 15 hit wonders … the only one I remember is Jane … man, it was good. The lyrics were drivel but the melody rocked! ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/77 "2003-08-05T11:27:25Z")
Just as a comment: It’s funny to remember the days when a one-hit wonder stepped into the musical scene. Among many others, **Anita Ward** with his _Ring my Bell_, for example, was announced in TV, magazines, and other media as “The New Great Disco Star!”, and they claimed that she would last for decades. Years later, people only recalled the song itself. Too many cases like hers, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/78 "2003-08-05T11:39:38Z")
1980 - Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins. I’m pretty sure the “Martha” in that band was Martha Davis who went on to form “The Motels”. Another hit from 1980 was a band (I’m pretty sure) called “The Romantics” and their killer hit “What I like about you!”. Man, that opening riff - played on a Rickenbacker through a vintage VOX AC30 - just as good a guitar riff as you’re gonna get. Another classic in that vein - speaking of classic riffs - “Alright Now” by “Free” in 1971 - featuring a very, VERY young Paul Rogers who later went on to form a “Bad Company”. I’m pretty sure his name is Paul Rogers - I know he was only very young when he did the vocal for “Alright Now”. Sorry if I got his name wrong. And there was a band in 1988 called “The Rembrandts”. Remember them? Amongst my various instruments and amp collection, I own two VOX AC30’s - one from 1967 and the other from 1971. And amongst my guitars I own a glorious Cherry Red 1968 Gibson ES335 with a stop bar - identical to the one Eric Clapton played when he was with Cream. To play songs like “Alright Now” on such classic vintage equipment is pure bliss I gotta tell ya. Even the 60 year olds in my condiminium tap their feet when I break that stuff out on Christmas Day. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/79 "2003-08-05T11:45:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeaRoses \* > \*\*Mexican Radio was definitely Wall of Voodoo. I actually had their EP, which came out before that song. That had their cover of Ring of Fire (am I the only one that remembers that)? A Google search on that cover had one website referring to it as an “under-ground smash” but if it charted, I couldn’t dig that up. > > So yeah, one hit. \*\* I have that album in my collection. And a shitload of other “obscure” classics from the time frame. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831/80 "2003-08-05T11:57:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pastor of Muppets \* > **_Take On Me_ - a-ha** a-ha’s second single, _The Sun Always Shines On TV_, also charted in the US and got a fair amount of attention at the time. Like many other artists mentioned in this discussion, they also had a number of other singles on the charts in Europe. > [@](#): > > **But the absolute coolest and/or most bizarre example may be _True_ by Spandau Ballet. Great, great song. Everyone assumes that it’s a love song (logical given the melody and the title), but have you listened to the words on this song. It makes no frigging sense. At all.** Ah, yes. “A thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue” indeed. :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-one-hit-wonder/192831.md?page=5)