Thomas Dolby’s only hit was “She Blinded Me with Science.” But his first two albums had plenty of other strong songs and his fourth album, Astronauts & Heretics, is a wonder all to its own.
Funny that you mention this. That’s the song I always confuse with the aforementioned “Weird Science”.
Neko Case had one top 10 hit, Which I believe was ‘People Got a Lot of Nerve’ from Middle Cyclone, which peaked at #3 on the album chart.
But she has a long list of great songs. ‘Fox Confessor Brings the Flood’ is just full of great songs, as is ‘Blacklisted’ and others. Then there’s her amazing voice…
While out driving this afternoon, Nick Lowe’s “Cruel to Be Kind” came on the radio, and I think he definitely qualifies. That song was his only top 40 hit in the U.S., but I love several of his other songs, including “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ‘n’ Roll),” “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass,” and “When I Write the Book” (which is technically from the one and only album from Rockpile).
John Otway (with and without Wild Willy Barrett) has been plowing his own furrow for about half a century. He’s on tour again in a few weeks. Here’s his hit, from 1977.
(I believe Bunsen Burner may also have scraped into the charts, but barely).
The thing about Otway is, he has a loyal fanbase like no other. Here they are helping him out in a unique version of House Of The Rising Sun:
The song starts at ~ 0.55; the first minute is Otway explaining how Bunsen Burner was just barely his second hit.
j
Excellent selection. I would even add his buddy, Dave Edmunds, who had one #1 (I Hear You Knocking), but I dig pretty much all of his output.
mmm
Absolutely agreed!
For some reason, Radar Love is one of the very few songs I will crank to 11 when I hear it. It’s not like it’s a headbanger song. It just feels like I have to do it.
You have to be careful with these kinds of lists, especially if they don’t lay out a rubric for what they define a one hit wonder as. The podcast Hit Parade has an episode (in two parts for free listeners) where the host takes a look at VH1s list of 100. Many artists have snuck back to the charts but never really made another impression in the culture of the US. (The podcast is pretty much chart focused on Billboard, especially the Hot 100)
So I feel like a lot of One Hit Wonders kinda just got slapped with the label and people moved on without much, if any, questioning. Besides, who gets called a OHW these days of streaming and downloads? I has really tapered off since the 90s. (For instance, Rebecca Black has released a new album and it’s got at least one good review, so not even a meme song is going to stop future success these days)
I just thought of the Flaming Lips which are a good example for this thread. In their early career, they had a surprise novelty hit with “She Don’t Use Jelly”, but that was in 1993, shortly after Nirvana had not only opened the door, but smashed the barricades that stood in the way for alternative bands getting chart success. That remained their only hit, but later they turned into an album band with modern classics such as “The Soft Bulletin” and “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots”, a famous live freak show attraction and an all around indie institution. They are still going strong.
Santo and Johnny had one #1 song with Sleepwalk, probably the best belly-rubbing tune ever written to close out a dance. After that, there was not much, although I like a good steel guitar and their Greatest Hits (ha!) album is pretty good.
There are definitely problems in determining whether a song is a “hit”. If a song has to reach the Top 40 of the chart, then there’s a lot of “one-hit wonders” that had fabulously successful albums or cult appeal without charting singles. My main go-to example is Rush, whose one Top 40 hit (New World Man) I never heard on the radio, while there are at least 6 other songs by them that are (Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Red Barchetta, Spirit of the Radio, Freewill, and Fly by Night) so using the Top 40 as a way of assessing what’s actually a hit isn’t a great idea. But what other metric are you supposed to use?
https://11points.com/11-music-superstars-technically-one-hit-wonders/
Plenty of successful groups are even no-hit wonders. Including Led Zeppelin apparently.
A good example would be the Grateful Dead, which I believe only had one hit with ‘Touch of Grey’, but had already been packing stadiums for a decade and a half before that song.
Edit: After reading your link I see they are already listed there.
Second edit after reading the next response: I’m an idiot.
Hey, what about Warren Zevon? (-:
As mentioned in post #1 
Huh. I would have guessed Blue. But, yeah. This is such a great band. I tell everybody every chance I get to listen to Hollywood Town Hall. Not a single bad note on the whole album.
In America Gary Numan/Tubeway Army is basically only known for Cars.
However, some of his other songs are better.
Apparently, he is a real nice guy, too. My wife and her friend have been to many shows, and he always spends time with any fan who wants to talk. They have met him several times and always say what a nice guy he is.
Repeated for Truth. Also, the same could be said for Tomorrow the Green Grass.
Nena (99 Luftballon) had been putting out albums regularly for 40 years or so. She has a deep catalogue of some great stuff. The albums Willst Du Mit Mir Gehen, and Nena Feat Nena (modern new performances of her older singles) are both superb.
I had no idea that they were a OHW, and I’m sorry to hear that “She Don’t Use Jelly” was their only hit, it’s a bit cringe (OK to do a joke song, but not when that becomes the only thing you’re known for).
Is that the same Rush that wrote YYZ? (Checks) Wow, their main hit is a pretty lousy representation of their best too.