Joe Budden, a rapper best known for his vacuous club hit Pump it Up is one of my favorite rappers.
He’s an extremely talented lyricist with a real depth of emotion, but his name is forever associated with that one song. He never released another major studio album, but he still has a decent-sized following mostly through the release of his 4-part Mood Muzik mixtape series.
Do they really count if Chase This Light peaked at 5th in album sales at the time?
Came in to say this. Chumabwamba is an excellent band with great range and sharp minds. Tragic that they’ll probably only ever really be known for an intentionally-vapid pop track.
Hearing “Send Me on My Way” in an Enterprise car rental ad reminds me that Rusted Root was an awesome (local to me) band for a very long time, and that weirdo fluke hit that they had doesn’t encapsulate who they are and what they can do at all. But I don’t think that they care.
I do know what you mean.
Especially when what you mean is that his self-titled album is one of the best examples of “white guys doing the blues” – tastiest Hammond B3 with a leslie ever. And that was only one of many examples of his talent.
Which reminds me of Days of the New: They were a local band that became well-known for a bit, then the lead singer, Travis Meeks, got heavy into drugs and was on A&E’s Intervention.
ETA: Flaw was another local “band made good.”
Indeed. They apparently even feel this way. For those not familiar, on the song Torturing James Hetfield from the album ABCDEFG, they poke fun at Tubthumping being their only hit. The song is a little jazz track about capturing James Hetfield of Metallica, who apparently condoned using loud music to torture Iraqi prisoners, and tortured him by playing certain songs. A snip of the lyrics:
<snip>
well we tried every tune in the songbook
to loosen his tongue
…
then we had an idea
a new plan of attack
thought that even a deaf man
would bend and crack
…
now look what we’ve brought for you james
your favorite disc
it’s Chumbawamba-
their greatest hits (there’s only one)
…
he cried like a baby
and told us everything (it was Lars!)
Not just that album, I love almost all their work. I always thought that they should have had so much more success than they did. Even now, almost 20 years after Puzzle was released, I still listen to them. Outside of U2, they’re likely my favorite band of the last 20 years.
One more vote for Da Da. I often wish that dizz knee land song never made the album. Puzzle was a wonderful album tarnished by it’s most popular song.
I would like to add Toad the Wet Sprocket. So much more to them besides that jibberish song about going to the beach.
Oh and I forgot to mention Travis.
I think Dream Theater fits this category perfectly. More than 20 years as one of the best prog metal bands ever, but the only song ever to make it on American radio was* Pull Me Under*. In fact, when they finally came out with a Best Of album, they named it…
First to mention Fastball? I bought their first album, featuring “The Way” and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Due to their status of OHW, though, I had forgotten about them by the time they released other albums. I rediscovered them when I digitized all my and my Fiance’s collection of CDs, and we both like the album a ton; enough that I may pursue their other stuff.
There’s three songs from Toad the Wet Sprocket that I still hear on the radio: Walk on the Ocean, All I Want, and Something’s Always Wrong. Those are the only three I know from them though.
Also, “Good Intentions” makes it on local radio from time to time.
Yes! I agree with this one, and I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself when I saw the thread. I really enjoy their album “Home” and I think it’s a shame they didn’t have more hits.
Back in the 1980s I would mention liking Sandy Dennyof Fairport Convention to a number of co workers, the AOR (classic rock) crowd. They inevitably said “who?” so I identified her as the woman who duetted with Robert Plant on “Battle of Evermore”. Their eyes would light and they would say “so that’s who that woman is. That is a great song”.
There was a lot more to like about Devo than Whip It.
Years ago I watched Austin City Limits on PBS. Los Lobos were playing.
Wow! Their typical music is way different than La Bamba. They’re really a blues-rock band. I thought they were great (I can’t remember much, but do remember enjoying it).
I love them, but which of Travis’ singles is considered their one hit? “Driftwood”? “Why Does It Always Rain on Me”? “Sing”? “Side”? “Turn”? I didn’t think any of them were that popular to even count as a hit.
IANAL, but I play one in this thread…
Fastball had two hits: “The Way” and the just as popular “Out of My Head.” They’ve had a few other minor hits over the years, but one hit wonders they are not.
I second Chumbawumba and Big Country, and strongly second Devo and Yello, and would like to add Wall of Voodoo and Gary Numan (who at least in the US I think counts as a OHW)