# One hit wonder groups that had some other decent songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [June 19, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633 "2021-06-19T15:53:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/81 "2021-06-21T15:46:55Z")
**Sophie B. Hawkins** just sprung to mind. “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” was a brilliant big hit in 1992 (though I question the grammar of its title…in the Queen’s English shouldn’t it be “I Wish I Were Your Lover”?), then the follow-up single “Right Beside You” was just as solid but didn’t make as big an impact. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/82 "2021-06-21T16:22:22Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Epic reached #21 and was a much bigger hit than the song Easy that only made it to #58. Epic still get plenty of plays on classic radio stations, I haven’t heard Easy in years. Which makes them a one hit wonder by the [standard definition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-hit_wonder). > In _The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders,_ music journalist Wayne Jancik defines a one-hit wonder as “an act that has won a position on [the] national, pop, Top 40 record chart just once.” Standard isn’t the same as official, of course, but needing to make the Top 40 settles bets. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > The OP specifies a “group” – does a singer count? Many years ago, there was a similar thread on the Straight Dope, and that thread introduced me to Joan Osborne. One-hit wonder with “What If God Was One Of Us?”, but lots of other catchy songs that really show off her vocal talent. Sure. “One of Us” was probably the worst song on _Relish_, a wonderful album. Listen to “St. Teresa,” or “Ladder” instead. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/83 "2021-06-21T16:29:33Z")
Joan Osbourne reminds me of Maria Muldaur, who eponymous debut solo album had the deserved smash “Midnight at the Oasis,” making her a one hit wonder. But the rest of the album were covers of the some of the best singer-songwriters of the era: Dolly Parton, Kate McGarrigle, Dan Hicks, Mac Rebenneck, and Wendy Waldman, plus a couple of classic country and blues oldies. She sure could pick 'em. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/84 "2021-06-22T01:05:17Z")
Sophie B. Hawkins’ “As I Lay Me Down” was a Top 10 hit and was in hot rotation on soft rock stations for years. May still be for all I now. It’s a good song, and very much unlike “Damn, Wish I Was Your Lover,” which is also a good song. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/85 "2021-06-22T01:14:03Z")
Maria Muldaur reminds me of Nicolette Larson, who was roughly of the same mid-to-late 70s era. She had a Top 10 hit with Neil Young’s “Lotta Love,” then sank into obscurity, chart-wise. She was another talented individual who deserved better than she got. Died much too young, at 45. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/86 "2021-06-22T01:30:22Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Hey, what about Warren Zevon? (-: Based on the standards we’re using, he’s probably count - one very popular and well known album with two songs getting the majority of the airplay. Specifically the album Excitable Boy featuring “Werewolves of London” and “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” I also like “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” from the same album, but hear it far less on ‘classic rock.’ While most of the rest of his work didn’t attract a lot of attention (His Album ‘The Wind’ was well regarded, sadly posthumously), my personal favorite is from his second, self-titled album. “[Desperados Under the Eaves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-qOiCZGpwU)” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/87 "2021-06-22T02:00:04Z")
Oh, absolutely. I just put that smiley in there because he was also mentioned in the OP. And you’re spot on about Desperadoes Under the Eaves. It’s my favorite song. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/88 "2021-06-22T02:05:34Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > While most of the rest of his work didn’t attract a lot of attention David Letterman was a fan, and Zevon appeared a number of times on his show (I think that’s where I first encountered him). ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/89 "2021-06-22T02:56:18Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > **Fastball** : you couldn’t escape “The Way” in 1998 but “Fire Escape” was just as great. Came here to mention Fastball! I was also partial to “Out of my Head,” “Vampires,” and “Love is Expensive and Free.” I saw them in concert at a small venue in the early aughts. I had prepared myself for the possibility that they would be tired of playing “The Way,” but they obliged us, with some good-natured self-deprecating humor. They also sounded even better live, which a lot of bands of that era didn’t. I instantly recognized the homage in Camila Cabello and Machine Gun Kelly’s “Bad Things.” It made me smile to think of today’s teenagers grooving to a riff on that piece of my teenage years. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/90 "2021-06-23T13:35:52Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > > [@racer72](#): > > > > Faith No More does not qualify for this thread. > > I feel chastened 😟 Sticklers gonna stickle. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/91 "2021-06-23T14:14:14Z")
Perhaps I can rescue my reputation in this thread by suggesting Crash Test Dummies. _Mmm Mmm Hmm Hmm_ was their one hit but the whole of that album _God Shuffled His Feet_ is pretty decent. Trivia for extra points: The song was originally written with “fucking shitty” instead of “mmm mmm mmm mmm”, but the band realised it was too good a song to make commercially unviable with swearing. Probably the right decision. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/92 "2021-06-23T14:55:35Z")
Absolutely. “Afternoons & Coffeespoons” is even better. That and five other songs went top ten in Canada but “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” didn’t, oddly. (You spelled that two different ways, but all "m"s is correct.) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/93 "2021-06-23T15:18:18Z")
> [@oldoaktree](#): > > And actually the “Weird Science” theme song was one of my least favorite songs, but their biggest commercial hit. > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQAdimmig8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLQAdimmig8) _Dead Man’s Party_ is their best song and got a little love commercially, but I agree, they have quite a few decent songs. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/94 "2021-06-23T16:16:39Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You spelled that two different ways, but all "m"s is correct. I didn’t even noticed I did that! Trying to work out how my fingers could have drifted when all I had to do was to hammer the same letter 24 times. What a weird sort of dyslexia I must have! ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/96 "2021-06-23T19:13:02Z")
I dug deep into their catalogue after they broke here and found Head Injuries to be my favorite. Back on the Borderline! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/97 "2021-06-23T19:38:29Z")
[The Royal Guardsmen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Guardsmen) are a good cover band but their original songs – aside from the first three about Snoopy – never really went anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/98 "2021-06-23T22:14:16Z")
If you want to see something special look for their Goat Island concert on Youtube. It was a surprise concert they did to celebrate an anniversary of an alternative youth radio station (4JJJ). The setting is spectacular and the music superb. It’s usually all available on YouTube ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/99 "2021-06-24T00:10:35Z")
Lots of good ones in this thread. Was I the only person in the world that listened to the other side of _Inna-Gadda-Da- Vida_ by Iron Butterfly? Haven’t heard it in decades but I remember liking it. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/100 "2021-06-24T03:40:16Z")
Actually I just remembered the concert is called “Oils on Water”. https://www.youtube.com/embed/1dV6vbb1YqI?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PL4AD87E05E406A94B Their frontman Peter Garrett can’t sing that well but he’s a stage presence like few other. And this was while they still had their original bassist, Peter Gifford, who has been described as the most aggressive bass player ever, and I’m not arguing. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633/101 "2021-06-24T11:23:49Z")
The Royal Guardsmen had a very minor non-Snoopy hit called “Baby Let’s Wait,” which went to #35 in 1968. The first radio station I worked for (in 1971) had it in the Oldie library and I recall playing it occasionally. Haven’t heard it or even thought about it since. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonder-groups-that-had-some-other-decent-songs/944633.md?page=6)