Okay, so the 80s was the decade of the one-hit wonders. and there were plenty of them in the 50s,60s and 70s as well. But it would be tough to think of THE quintessential one-hit wonder of the 90s, since there were so few of them.
Except I have.
It has all the requirements of:
– snappy band name
– uncontrollably infectious hook
– no more radio play of said artist
undoubtedly It is “New Age Girl” by Dead Eye Dick.
(“plowed” by sponge is also a good nomination, seeing as it is my 3rd favorite song ever. However, I must admit, despite the fact that the hook is great, it doesnt partake as much of that, um, hookiness, as New Age Girls bassline-shout riposte hook.)
Don’t forget that tune Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Deep Blue Something. That song was about as banal as it was ubiquitous. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything else by those guys and I doubt if I’d recognize them if I did. It bridged the gap between the undifferentiated morass of grunge rock and the featureless sheen of teeny bop and got lost in the transition.
The Rembrandts. What’s funny is that they had originally only written the 45 seconds heard on the opening of the show, and then they had to rush around and write a few more verses after NBC kept bitching at them to fill out the song.
Toad the Wet Sprocket broke up in 1998 after releasing four (?) albums. I believe their last release was a greatest hits type thing.
And the Peaches song was Presidents of the United States of America and technically, they had two hits: Peaches and Lump (which was lampooned by Weird Al, I might add).
– the rembrandts had a song a few years before friends with “thats just the way it is baby”
– i swear i have heard more than 1 toad the wet sprocket song. on the radio.
– there are bands that sound like they were influenced by Deep Blue Something…or at least it seems their influence goes beyond just that one song. I dont have any proof or links, just a gut feeling. Other than that they certainly seem like a 1-hit wonder
I was thinking of that one song by Fastball. I don’t remember hearing anything else from them and I can’t even remember the one song that was played on the radio all the freaking time.
The Fastball song was “The Way”, and it earned a very nice spot in my own Personal Hell after the radio played it 24/7 for an entire summer. Another song of theirs got a little airplay, as well… can’t remember the name, it was incredibly bland and forgettable. I don’t think anyone actually liked it, it was just something for the stations to play in between popular songs.
Marcy Playground was the group that did “Sex and Candy”, which I liked. When I was 13.
What about… what’s her face. That did that one song. “I love you always forever. Near or far, closer together. Everywhere, I will be with you. Everything, I will do for you.” God.
Then there’s Lisa Loeb with “Stay.” Although, say what you will, the video for “I Do” is still awesome. You heard me.
Or what about… god dammit it’s late, but that one song by “Crash Test Dummies.” Lord. Even as a kid I couldn’t stand that song.
Was All 4 One a one hit wonder? Because if not, they really should have been.
Okay, just thinking about popular music circa 1995/96 is making me really sick.
The Crash Test Dummies song was “mmm mmm mmm”…but they did have a minor hit a few years before with “Super Man’s Song”.
Don’t quot me on this but I think the follow up song by Fastball was “Singing In My Sleep”
How about Poe’s “Angry Johnny”, House of Pain’s “Jump Around” or the ever loveable Geggy Tah and his one infectious song “All I Want To Do”
House of pain had a few more hits but it was only in rap circles since most of their music couldnt be played on radio
The main “singer” of the group everlast had am inor hit wiht "what its like also "
But if your looking for "what ever happened to " stuff look them up on cdnows site they usually have a good biography section along with the cd listing
‘Singing in My Sleep’ was by Semisonic, of ‘Closing Time’ and ‘FNT’ fame. Their last single, largely overlooked by commercial radio, was called ‘Chemistry’ or something, and sucked.
I think Fastball’s second single was ‘Fire Escape,’ which sucked. ‘Out of My Head’ was just about my favorite cut from their extremely spotty record All the Pain Money Can Buy (not their debut, btw), but it wasn’t a single-friendly song at all.
The Crash Test Dummies’ God Shuffled His Feet is incredibly underrated.
