# One Hit Wonders who deserved better **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456 "2011-04-23T14:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/21 "2011-04-25T01:24:10Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > Whoa! I actually thought that was a Sixpence None the Richer original. SNTR probably deserve better but I have no idea since I only ever heard this song and Kiss Me. I had one of their albums briefly. If they did in fact not write “There She Goes,” that explains a lot. No, I’m not convinced SNTR deserved more. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/22 "2011-04-25T01:25:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Timbuk3. They were together for eleven years and released six albums with a lot of good music. But the only song people remember is “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”. I’m particularly fond of Pat MacDonald’s first solo album (after he and Barbara K. divorced), **Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar**. The opener _To Track You Down_ is a creepy, tense mofo of a song. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/23 "2011-04-25T02:38:48Z")
Til Tuesday are only known for “Voices Carry”, and that is a shame. I discovered Fountains of Wayne with the song “Mexican Wine”, and loved the entire album. I was thrilled when “Stacy’s Mom” became a hit. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/24 "2011-04-25T03:28:42Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > They also had “Hanging Around,” a nice little earworm from the late 90s. Yeah, but it’s not as big a hit. If you mention the band to someone, and they ask what song the band sings, “Hangingaround” (all one word) isn’t what you would name. **fusoya** , that song gets an automatic disqualification from me because of Vanessa Carlton’s involvement, but I see your point. If the radio would play the version without her “bop bop bop” in the background, I’d enjoy it more. ---
**Author:** ![Renifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Renifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renifer)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/25 "2011-04-25T03:40:43Z")
[quote=“Superdude, post:14, topic:579456”] Counting Crows deserve to be known for more than “Mr. Jones” and that song that was on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, “Accidentally In Love.” “The Rain King” is popular too. It’s the song playing in Scrubs when JD and Elliot go bungee jumping. And "Long December"was on the top 10 chart for weeks. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/26 "2011-04-25T04:01:19Z")
In Europe and Japan, Status Quo have had a VERY long and very successful career. But in the USA, if they’re remembered at all, they’re remembered as the one hit wonder band that recorded “Pictures of Matchstick Men.” For that matter, the Small Faces were (deservedly) huge and highly influential in England, but in America, they’re thought of as one-hit wonders. “Itchycoo Park” was the only popular single they ever had in the States. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/27 "2011-04-25T04:32:42Z")
> [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](#): > > James has a lot of good stuff besides “Laid” and “Sometimes”, both off their fantastic 1993 Laid album. I didn’t hear more than those two songs here in the States. Bill Forman’s Amazon review for Laid called them “a chronically underrated band”. Their best-known song–and my personal favorite song by any band ever–was “Sit Down,” the best-known version of which was on their 1991 album **James** (although there’s a much earlier version floating around from their 80s Rough Trade Records days, with slightly different lyrics). Yeah, James deserve much better than they’ve gotten. Could Tim Booth’s acting career be getting in the way? He played Zsasz in **Batman Begins** , you know… ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/28 "2011-04-25T07:47:33Z")
> [@Renifer](#): > > > [@Superdude](#): > > > > Counting Crows deserve to be known for more than “Mr. Jones” and that song that was on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, “Accidentally In Love.” > > “The Rain King” is popular too. It’s the song playing in Scrubs when JD and Elliot go bungee jumping. > > And "Long December"was on the top 10 chart for weeks. True. But I still think it qualifies under the OP. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/29 "2011-04-25T08:45:45Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I had one of their albums briefly. If they did in fact not write “There She Goes,” that explains a lot. > > No, I’m not convinced SNTR deserved more. Sixpence None the Richer were an anomaly. They had two charting songs, the La’s cover and their own song, “Kiss Me” which is probably what they’re best known for. And neither song accurately reflect that at their, SNTR is/was a contemporary Christian band, whose songs were less about romance and more about a different sort of love. I’ll have to strongly agree with a-ha. I have the title track “Hunting High and Low” playing as I type this. What a gorgeous little piece of pop balladry that is. I have to disagree with Counting Crows contention in this. All of their singles have charted on one or more Billboard charts, and 6 have been in the mainstream Top 40. I think a half dozen top 40 songs goes a bit beyond “one hit wonder” even if people don’t _remember_ all their other songs until they hear them. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/30 "2011-04-25T11:29:59Z")
Can we clarify something? Counting Crows are in no way a OHW. They’ve had several songs chart, and get significant airplay, across several albums. My vote goes to Deep Blue Something. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was ubiquitous for a while. But that album was full of well-crafted pop songs. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/31 "2011-04-25T12:09:49Z")
Jill Sobule had “I Kissed a Girl” (and then a much smaller hit with her cover of “Supermodel” on the Clueless soundtrack). She’s still recording and albums like “Happy Town” and “Pink Pearl” and her most recent album which was made by pre-funding it with fan money, “California Years”, is quite wonderful. Imani Coppola had a minor hit with “Legend of a Cowgirl” and then made more albums with little label support and still full of poppy bouncy goodness. She had a more recent hit with a band called Little Jackie “The World Should Revolve Around Me”. Gary Jules made a splash with his cover of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears, but the rest of his acoustic guitar based music is much more Cat Stevens-esque and is the perfect Sunday morning music. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/32 "2011-04-25T12:27:50Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > The Grateful Dead is the classic example of this. I believe the only Top 40 hit they ever had was “Touch of Gray,” **but they have a huge back catalog, including a number of classics like “Sugar Magnolia” and “Truckin’”, not to mention an enormous fanbase and tours that consistently sold out**. Okay, so explain how much better does it get than that? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/33 "2011-04-25T12:37:03Z")
The Thamesmen “Gimme Some Money” Although they did capture the zeitgeist of the times in a later group with “Listen to the Flower People”. Oh, the times I used to go into the village to see them at the Electric Banana. But don’t look for the club now, it’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/34 "2011-04-25T12:46:44Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > **Past members of The La’s:** > Lee Mavers > John Power > Mike Badger > Phil Butcher > John “Timmo” Timson > Jim “Jasper” Fearon > Bernie Nolan > Tony Clarke > Paul Rhodes > Tony Russell > Barry Walsh > Paul Hemmings > Mark Birchall > Peter “Cammy” Camell > Iain Templeton > John “Boo” Byrne > Chris Sharrock > Barry Sutton > Neil Mavers > James Joyce > Lee Garnett > Edgar Summertyme > Jay Lewis > Nick Miniski > WTF!? That’s at least two new members for every year they’ve been together. Where did you come up with that list of names. As far as I or [allmusic.com](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-las-p4717) know the members were Lee Mavers, Cammy, Neil Mavers, Paul Hemmings, John Timson and John Power. Searching the other names listed doesn’t show anything to do with _The Las’s_. The best track on the album was the Beatlesesque _Feelin’_ with its awesome guitar tones. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/35 "2011-04-25T13:04:09Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > The Thamesmen “Gimme Some Money” Although they did capture the zeitgeist of the times in a > later group with “Listen to the Flower People”. Oh, the times I used to go into the village to see them at the Electric Banana. But don’t look for the club now, it’s gone. They sold out. Last I heard they were playing folk music on the casino circuit. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/36 "2011-04-25T13:12:48Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Where did you come up with that list of names. [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_La's) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/37 "2011-04-25T13:15:44Z")
Lee Michaels. Do you know what I mean? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/38 "2011-04-25T13:58:07Z")
There’s more to Cake than **Short Skirt / Long Jacket**. ---
**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:** [April 25, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/39 "2011-04-25T14:03:45Z")
I always thought [Mungo Jerry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Summertime_(Mungo_Jerry_song)) deserved fame for more than In the Summertime. They were just ahead of their time. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456/40 "2011-04-25T14:04:40Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_La's) Fair enough but 11 of them are merely musician’s laborers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-wonders-who-deserved-better/579456.md?page=3)