# Two hit wonders **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387 "2003-11-15T05:05:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/41 "2003-11-16T07:18:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MonkeyMule \* > \*\*\*\*And for my two cents > Arested Development: Everyday People. Tennesse > a case could be made for MR.Wendal, but I choose to ignore it. \*\* It’s pretty dificult to ignore, as it was a [Billboard Top 10 hit](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311132306241668&sql=TP4tklu3x5andk~C). ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/42 "2003-11-16T08:14:36Z")
tnx **Jeff** I remembered seeing “Take the ‘L’ out of Lover” on MTV quite frequently and that is what led me to think it must have been a gigantic hit. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/43 "2003-11-16T13:23:29Z")
**Men Without Hats** are best known for _Safety Dance_, but the title track of their later release _Pop Goes the World_ also got a good bit of airtime. And damnit, I don’t care what anyone else says, I _like_ them! ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/44 "2003-11-16T13:40:28Z")
Thomas Dolby: The Greater: She Blinded Me With Science And the lesser : Hyperactive ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/45 "2003-11-16T14:03:58Z")
Two acts that many people in the U.S. think of “one hit wonders” actually had exactly two Billboard Top 40 hits in the U.S.: **Jesus Jones** Right Here, Right Now (#2, 1991) Real, Real, Real (#4, 1991) **Tommy Tutone** Angel Say No (#38, 1980) 867-5309/Jenny Jenny (#4, 1992) Some other U.S. Top 40 two-hit wonders: **Jethro Tull** (!) Living in the Past (#11, 1972) Bungle in the Jungle (#12, 1974) **"Weird Al" Yankovic** Eat It (#12, 1984) Smells Like Nirvana (#35, 1992) **Kim Wilde** Kids in America (#25, 1982) You Keep Me Hanging On (#1, 1987) **Eddie Murphy** Party All Time Time (#2, 1985) Put Your Mouth On Me (#27, 1989) ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/46 "2003-11-16T14:35:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joel \* (with additions in [brackets]) > > _Fine Young Cannibals_ - **She Drive Me Crazy** , & **Good Thing** [also **Don’t Look Back** (#11, 1989)] > _Information Society_ - **Pure Energy** and **Think** [also **Walking Away** (#9, 1989)] > _Erasure_ - **Chains of Love** and **Respect** [also **Always** , (#20, 1994)] > _Simple Minds_ - **Don’t You (Forget About Me)** and \*\*Alive and Kicking \*\* [also **Sanctify Yourself** (#14, 1986), **All The Things She Said** (#28, 1986), and **See The Lights** (#40, 1991)] > _Bananarama_ - **Venus, Cruel Summer** [also **I Heard a Rumor** (#4, 1987)] ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/47 "2003-11-16T20:24:45Z")
We mustn’t forget Mr. Rick Astley - **Together Forever** and **Never Gonna Give You Up**. He was the 1980’s answer to Clay Aiken! ---
**Author:** ![Blassie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@Blassie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blassie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/48 "2003-11-16T20:37:10Z")
Wasn’t Rick Astley’s **Cry For Help** a good sized hit? It was far and away the best of his three well-known songs, I can tell ya that! ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/49 "2003-11-16T21:03:22Z")
I’d say the Box Tops count with _The Letter_ (#1 in 1967) and _Cry Like a Baby_ (#2 in 1968). OK, so _Neon Rainbow_ reached #28 in '67 as well, but I still wouldn’t call it a _hit_. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/50 "2003-11-16T21:36:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Labdad \* > \*\*I’d say the Box Tops count with _The Letter_ (#1 in 1967) and _Cry Like a Baby_ (#2 in 1968). OK, so _Neon Rainbow_ reached #28 in '67 as well, but I still wouldn’t call it a _hit_. \*\* They also had _Soul Deep_ which got to #18 in 1969. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/51 "2003-11-16T22:02:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by whitetho \* > \*\*They also had _Soul Deep_ which got to #18 in 1969. \*\* Oops! Forgot about _Soul Deep_. OK - they were four hit wonders. Never mind. And we won’t even START to talk about Alex Chilton, Big Star, and the rest that followed his stint with the Box Tops! ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/52 "2003-11-16T23:16:08Z")
Damn, so many singers/groups that I thought only had two hits are turning out to have a few more, although half of the names aren’t familiar at all. OK, I’ll try again, and let’s see somebody add another hit to this group! :mad: (J/K) _Wang Chung_ - **Dance Hall Days** and **Everybody Have Fun Tonight** ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/53 "2003-11-16T23:47:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joel \* > \*\*Damn, so many singers/groups that I thought only had two hits are turning out to have a few more, although half of the names aren’t familiar at all. > OK, I’ll try again, and let’s see somebody add another hit to this group! :mad: (J/K) > _Wang Chung_ - **Dance Hall Days** and **Everybody Have Fun Tonight** \*\* **Let’s Go!** (#9, 1987) was actually a bigger hit than **Dance Hall Days** , and they had a couple of other songs that made the lower reaches of the Top 40 chart. By the way, all the information I been giving comes from Joel Whitburn’s _The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits_. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/54 "2003-11-17T00:00:06Z")
AGGGHHH!!! Damn you, damn you all!!! 😃 But seriously, once again, you named a hit that doesn’t sound familiar, or should I say, the only song called **Let’s Go** that I can think of was sang by _The Cars_. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/55 "2003-11-17T03:26:02Z")
Howzabout **Scandal**? They had “The Warrior,” and “Goodbye to You.” Patty Smyth’s solo stuff doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/56 "2003-11-17T04:01:25Z")
And all this time I thought that **Goodbye to you** was Patty Smyth solo. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/57 "2003-11-17T12:17:28Z")
Gary Wright - “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive”. AMG lists “Really Wanna Know You” as a chart hit as well, but don’t I’ve ever heard it. Al Stewart - “Year of The Cat” and “Time Passages” Slaughter - “Fly to the Angels” and “Up All Night” Spin Doctors - “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” and “Two Princes” ---
**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:** [November 17, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/58 "2003-11-17T13:30:56Z")
\*\* Elaine Paige\*\*–She had the debut recording of “Memory” and dueted with Barbara Dickerson on “I Know Him So Well,” which went to #1. Best selling female duet ever. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/59 "2003-11-17T13:41:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flodnak \* > And a fourth category: > > Long-lived artist that just doesn’t appeal to the mainstream enough to hit the charts, except once: The Grateful Dead - Touch of Gray Frank Zappa - Valley Girl ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387/60 "2003-11-17T16:39:08Z")
How about _Power Station_ - **Bang a Gong** and **Some Like it Hot**? I don’t think that they had any others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-hit-wonders/213387.md?page=4)