# Underappreciated music: Many one hit wonders hide good bands **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627 "2004-12-19T08:18:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/61 "2004-12-28T04:59:12Z")
> [@lost in the post](#): > > Didn’t they also do that “love the one you will” song … ? If you’re thinking of _Love the One You’re With_, the most well-known version was by Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash fame. ---
**Author:** ![lost\_in\_the\_post](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@lost\_in\_the\_post](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost_in_the_post)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/62 "2004-12-28T05:10:24Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > If you’re thinking of _Love the One You’re With_, the most well-known version was by Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash fame. Yeah, that must be it. Two decades of brain cell loss … ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/63 "2004-12-28T05:17:52Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > I’m a big fan of Elastica, who most people only know from “Connection.” Also, the entire Republica album is pretty good; “Ready to Go” is one of the weaker tracks. Both of Elastica’s American releases are really good albums. I like _Elastica_ more, but both are good. Republica’s CD is awesome too. I’m adding two more here: **Fleming & John** , best known for their song “Ugly Girl”, but the album it appears on (_The Way We Are_) is beginning to end fantastic. Lyrically very inventive and musically brilliant. And the tragically underappreciated **Aimee Mann**. How a woman can write such powerful music and still be best known for “Voices Carry” from her group Til Tuesday 20 years after the fact is truly a mystery. I own all of her solo albums, from _Whatever_ through _Lost in Space_, and they are all absolutely wonderful. She’s my favorite artist, and it’s hard to single out the best, but my most-liked album from her is _I’m With Stupid_, followed by _Lost in Space_ and _Bachelor No. 2_. Even if you don’t like her music, her lyrics are worth a read. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/64 "2004-12-29T17:04:26Z")
> [@nitroglycerine](#): > > Does anybody remember the one hit wonder band **Belfegore**? Yep. I found that album in the bins about ten years ago. It’s actually pretty good. Another one I thought of: Modern English. They had a number of decent songs apart from “I Melt With You”. And **AwSnappity** , I guess we’re going to have to agree to disagree, although I do understand what you’re saying. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/65 "2004-12-29T18:49:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Chumbawamba were the first band I ever saw live, sometime around 1991. I liked a couple of their albums, but their worthiness just grated - there’s only so many agit-pop songs about miscarriages of justice or the iniquities of capitalism you can hear in a row without grinding teeth. You need to pick up a few McCarthy CDs and test your mettle! I think Talk Talk’s hit singles act to hide their best work, namely their last two albums “Spirit Of Eden” and “Laughing Stock.” ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/66 "2004-12-29T21:22:31Z")
Everybody knows the song **“Oh Yeah”**. Or they know it better as **“The Ferris Bueller Song”** from the 80’s. It was done by the Swiss duo **Yello.** They started back in 79’ and are still making albums. Their stuff is still cutting edge experimental electronica. Excellent demo cd’s for audiophiles. ---
**Author:** ![Lost\_Horizon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@Lost\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lost_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/67 "2004-12-29T21:50:08Z")
Had one hit in the early nineties with “DizzKneeLand”, but have been putting out criminally under-appreciated music ever since. As a bonus, they are one of the tightest live bands I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/68 "2004-12-29T22:52:51Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > And **AwSnappity** , I guess we’re going to have to agree to disagree, although I do understand what you’re saying. Agreed. Or disagreed? Whatever. I understand your point too. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/69 "2004-12-29T23:06:37Z")
I just thought of two more: The Nails of “88 Lines About 44 Women” fame, and the German band Trio who struck it rich twice with that annoying “Da Da Da” song. Most of the rest of that album however, was chock full of pretty cool annoying german minimalist punk rock. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/70 "2004-12-29T23:15:53Z")
> [@AwSnappity](#): > > I think in this case some knowledge of the artist is necessary. This thread is about bands whose only recognition to the unwashed masses is that one particular hit, while the rest of their repertoire goes unnoticed. Since most people don’t know that Blur sings “Girls and Boys”, they can’t really say, “Well, I like ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Song 2’ so I’m going to check out this artist.” They only know that Blur did “Song 2”, so Blur looks like a one-hit wonder. The entire catalog of Blur can’t be eclipsed by “Girls and Boys” if people don’t know that Blur did that song–people aren’t going to use “Girls and Boys” to make judgments on Blur’s work if they don’t know that Blur did “Girls and Boys”. I think this is actually a good example for this thread: the song “Girls and Boys” is being used in commercials and such, so it _is_ getting some recognition, but because the Blur + “Song 2” association is so strong, people don’t realize that Blur did “Girls and Boys”. > > Or something like that. It makes sense in my head, but I’m not good with words. I definitely do not think of Blur as a one-hit wonder in the US. They also had the single “There’s No Other Way” which peaked higher (at number 5) than Song #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts (which peaked at 6). “Girls and Boys” got as high as number 4, but also made the Billboard Hot 100 AND the Top 40 Mainstream, which neither “Song #2” nor “There’s No Other Way” did. “Song #2” did make Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks at #25, though. I don’t think there’s any good argument in calling Blur a one-hit wonder, especially with two Top Ten Modern Rock songs, and two songs hitting the mainstream charts. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/71 "2004-12-30T02:18:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I definitely do not think of Blur as a one-hit wonder in the US. Wasn’t it Blur that did the “all-time greatest video EVER” with the little milk carton that treks off to find his home? Awsome song. Great video. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/72 "2004-12-30T04:00:11Z")
> [@EvilHamsterOnCrack](#): > > Oh! And I’m not sure, but did the Bloodhound Gang have any other big hits besides “The Bad Touch” (that “lets do it like they do on the discovery channel” song)? I don’t know, I don’t keep up with the charts much. If they didn’t, I’d count em. “Fire Water Burn (The Roof is On Fire)” was a pretty big hit. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/73 "2004-12-30T06:14:48Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > Wasn’t it Blur that did the “all-time greatest video EVER” with the little milk carton that treks off to find his home? Awsome song. Great video. Ah, yes. The “Coffee and TV” video. Totally spaced on that one. More evidence against Blur=one hit wonder. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/74 "2004-12-30T08:00:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ah, yes. The “Coffee and TV” video. Totally spaced on that one. More evidence against Blur=one hit wonder. I could name you off every video they ever made, and I’m sure you’d recognise a good bunch of them. They are a fantastic band with great, entertaining videos (except Popscene, I hate the video for Popscene, it gives me a headache!)- I should know - I own them all. But does it make them “hits”? I know I retracted them earlier, and even apologised, but since it wasn’t acknowledged, I decided to do some research. > [@](#): > > The stylized new wave dance-pop single “Girls and Boys,” entered the charts at number five \*\*(in the UK); \*\* the single managed to spend 15 weeks in the U.S. charts, peaking at number **52** This was from [VH-1](http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/blur/bio.jhtml). On the Billboard site, for the year 1999, their album “_13_” is not even in the Top 50. I search and search for the chart position for \*\*Coffee + TV \*\* (US only, as I specified earlier). I know that the _video_ for \*\*Coffee + TV \*\* was nominated as a breakthrough video for an MTV award in 1999, but what about the song? Someone please point me in the right direction, I’ve been a Blur fan for _14 years_, and I keep my eyes and ears open for them at all times. What did I miss? What constitutes a hit here in the US? How high on the charts does it have to be to be a hit? Cites for US chart positions of said singles? (I searched high and low for them tonight, just out of curiousity - lots of UK chart cites, or maybe I’m not Googling with a full deck… 😉 ) I’m not trying to be contrary. I even apologised earlier and was going to let it drop, but the issue is being pushed. So please inform the ignorant, here 😉 If something makes it into the top 100, is it actually considered a hit? If so, I do apologise, and firmly retract Blur. They’re my boys and I love them, and I wish them every success. My old mailing-list buddies used to whine and moan about how little recognition Blur was getting here in the US, even two years ago they still moaned on… so I just assumed… gimme some cold, hard factoids, Dopers! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/75 "2004-12-30T08:30:05Z")
[Allmusic.com](http://Allmusic.com) is where I’m getting all my info. Blur’s highest charting album in the US was their self-titled release. It got up to 61 on the Billboard Top 200. 13 only made it to 80. Here’s the album breakdown: > [@](#): > > 1991 Leisure Heatseekers 20 > 1992 Bang Hot Dance Music/Club Play 40 > 1994 Parklife Heatseekers 6 > 1995 The Great Escape Heatseekers 6 > 1995 The Great Escape The Billboard 200 150 > 1997 Blur The Billboard 200 61 > 1999 13 The Billboard 200 80 > 1999 13 Top Canadian Albums 11 > 2000 The Best of Blur The Billboard 200 186 > 2000 The Best of Blur Top Canadian Albums 14 Here’s the singles breakdown > [@](#): > > 1991 There’s No Other Way Hot Dance Music/Club Play 15 > 1991 There’s No Other Way Modern Rock Tracks 5 > 1992 There’s No Other Way The Billboard Hot 100 82 > 1993 Chemical World Modern Rock Tracks 27 > 1993 Chemical World Modern Rock Tracks 29 > 1994 Girls & Boys Hot Dance Music/Club Play 21 > 1994 Girls & Boys Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 23 > 1994 Girls & Boys Modern Rock Tracks 4 > 1994 Girls & Boys The Billboard Hot 100 59 > 1994 Girls & Boys Top 40 Mainstream 40 > 1997 Song 2 Mainstream Rock Tracks 25 > 1997 Song 2 Modern Rock Tracks 6 > 2003 Crazy Beat Canadian Singles Chart 30 > 2003 Crazy Beat Modern Rock Tracks 22 To me, when I think of one-hit wonder, I think of bands like Dexy’s Midnight Runners with “Come on Eileen” (though in the UK more than just that charted. Actually, they’re a band that perfectly fits the OP. Lot of good albums, but are utterly and completely unknown in the US except for a single song.) Blur has had enough success in the US to not deserve the title of one-hit wonders. I mean, I don’t exactly consider them obscure or anything. In my opinion, Song #2 and Boys & Girls qualify as minor hits. Not exactly mainstream chart-toppers, but if you’re using “Song #2” as your basis for calling Blur a one-hit wonder, then by that criteria I really think you have to include “Girls & Boys” as well, thereby negating Blur’s one-hit wonder status by definition. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/76 "2004-12-30T08:40:20Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Many people don’t realize that the Zombies, most known for “time of the season”, were actually an incredibly inventive, interesting band who should be held as equals alongside the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Hear, hear! I think _Odyssey and Oracle_ should be ranked up there with _Pet Sounds_ and _Sergeant Pepper_. What a great band. But, once again, I wouldn’t call them a one-hit wonder, either. The song “She’s Not There” actually charted higher than “Time of the Season” and “Tell Her No” was a major hit (Top 10), as well. Although any opportunity to spread the Zombies love should be taken. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/77 "2004-12-30T09:02:25Z")
Oh, and to finally get to the OP, I would say the following bands have a strong body of work and are undeservedly known for only a singly tune: Dexy’s Midnight Runners (“Come on, Eileen”) Mott the Hoople (“All the Young Dudes”) Gary Numan (“Cars”) Prefab Sprout (“The King of Rock and Roll”—the song with the “Hot Dog, Jumping Frog, Albuquerque” line in it. This may just be a UK one-hit wonder.) The Left Banke _almost_ qualify with their hit “Walk Away Renee,” but “Pretty Ballerina” also had chart success. Enough so that I heard it at Walgreen’s the other day. Along with The Zombies, they’re also an oft-neglected band from the 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/78 "2004-12-30T11:10:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Blur has had enough success in the US to not deserve the title of one-hit wonders. I mean, I don’t exactly consider them obscure or anything. In my opinion, Song #2 and Boys & Girls qualify as minor hits. Not exactly mainstream chart-toppers, but if you’re using “Song #2” as your basis for calling Blur a one-hit wonder, then by that criteria I really think you have to include “Girls & Boys” as well, thereby negating Blur’s one-hit wonder status by definition. Okay, that’s fair enough for me 🙂 You are right, I _was_ using Song 2 as a yardstick, and it would only be fair to include Girls & Boys and possibly even Coffee + TV. I know they all got somewhat popular, but only in certain circles: ie: Girls & Boys was a a big club hit (mind you, I’m not saying _exclusively_ clubs, but that’s where I heard it the most, especially the PSB remix), Song 2 might have just seemed more in-your-face because it was used by beer/sports commercials, movies, etc. Though personally, I think they should be a little more recognised for their work, anyway _grumble grumble_☹ Firmly retracted. Carry on 😃 ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/79 "2004-12-30T15:03:47Z")
i think you could call de la soul a one hit wonder. their second single “me myself and i” is the song people think of when they hear de la soul. that, and dayglo yellow, bad haircuts, and daisies. but de la has an amazing catalog of music. “ring ring ring (hey hey hey)” was also a nominal hit, and so was “saturdays”. well, maybe not so much a one hit wonder. but i think most people identify de la soul with that first video. oh, and some people confuse them for PM dawn, which is just WRONG. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627/80 "2004-12-30T16:17:57Z")
Oh, you poor, deluded children. Distracted by your Blur you’ve missed the greatest band that is a one-hit wonder anyone will ever see. I give you two words, honey-child: ‘Cowboy Mouth’ The had a sort of hit in the mid/late 90s with ‘Jenny Says’ off their first major label release ‘Are You With Me’. Attempts to follow it up never quite made it. But the albums before and after are thunderous rock and roll music with some blues and country influence. Never made it during the alt-rock years because they were pretty much a straight ahead rock and roll band (and an older one at that) they are… THE GREATEST LIVE BAND THERE WILL EVER BE I have seen, literally, over 1000 bands perform live. Cowboy is clearly the best. The enthusiasm, the charisma, the raw sex appeal of the music is something no one else has ever done. Cake magazine once wrote “On a bad night they’ll tear the roof off the house…on a good night they’ll save your soul.” You come out of Cowboy Mouth shows **knowing** that you’re better than when you went in because of the music you just experienced. It gives you strength to take on the day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-music-many-one-hit-wonders-hide-good-bands/280627.md?page=5)