Huh, Falco died 20 years ago. Who knew?
Okay. One more nomination: Smoke From A Distant Fire by Sanford-Townsend Band
And my last four secondings (lemmee look at the list up above…)
Dream Academy: Life in a Northern Town
Redbone: Come and Get Your Love
Gale Garnett: We’ll Sing In the Sunshine
Lee Michaels: Do You Know What I Mean?
Notes: Procol Harum’s Conquistador reached #16 in the U.S., and the album (with the Edmonton Symphony) reached #5. Their “Salty Dog” album sold well and is often considered a classic.
I like Crash by the Primitives, but Wikipedia says they had four other songs in the Top 40, with two of those in the top 25.
Haven’t read thread, so no idea if The Rapper by the Jaggerz has been mentioned yet.
King Missile’s Detachable Penis
I totally forgot about Conquistador. Procol Harum is now off the table.
mmm
The following tunes are in need of a second to make the poll:
Alice Merton - No Roots
Big Country - In a You-Know-What
Billy Thorpe - Children of the Sun
Blur - Song no. 2
Bob Kuban - The Cheater
Bobby Caldwell - What You Won’t Do For Love
Bram Tchaikovsky - Girls of My Dreams
Buckner & Garcia - Pacman Fever
Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth
Charlene - I’ve Never Been To Me
Chumbawumba - Tubthumping
Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen - Hot Rot Lincoln
Coven - One Tin Soldier
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Cutting Crew - I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
David Essex - Rock On
Dean Friedman - Ariel
Deee-Lite - Groove Is In the Heart
Diesel - Sausalito Summer Nights
Digable Planets - Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
Disclosure - Latch
Dobie Gray - Drift Away
Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
EMF - Unbelievable
Eumir Deodato - Also Sprach Zarathustra
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus
Four Jacks and a Jill - Master Jack
Gerardo - Rico Suave
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
Golden Earring - Radar Love
Hot Butter - Popcorn
John Fred and his Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise (with glasses)
Kate Bush - Running Up the Hill
King Missile – Detachable Penis
Kongos - Come With Me Now
Love and Rockets - So Alive
Madness - Our House
Martika - Toy Soldiers
Martin Briley - Salt In My Tears
Masters of Reality - She Got Down
Michael Penn - No Myth
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
Mountain - Mississippi Queen
Mouth and MacNeal - How Do You Do
Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie
Napoleon XIV - They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha, Ha!
Nena - 99 Luftballoons
O-Zone - Dragstea Din Tei
Player One - Space Invaders
Propellerheads - History Repeating
Ray Parker, Jr. - Ghostbusters
Redbone - Come and Get Your Love
Right Said Fred - I’m Too Sexy
Rob Jungklas - Memphis Thing
Sammy Johns - Chevy Van
Sanford-Townsend Band – Smoke from a Distant Fire
Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back
Spacehog - In the Meantime
Spirit - I Got a Line on You
Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right
Steve Forbert - Romeo’s Tune
Taco - Puttin’ on the Ritz
Tarney Spencer Band - No Time To Lose
Tasmin Archer - Sleeping Satellite
The Beta Band - Dry the Rain
The Chantays - Pipeline
The Icicle Works - Whisper to a Scream
The Jaggerz – The Rapper
The Knack - My Sharona
The La’s - There She Goes Again
The Monroes - What Do All the People Know?
The Music Explosion - Little Bit O’ Soul
The Normal - Warm Leatherette
The Open Mind - Magic Potion
The Pipkins - Gimme Dat Ding
The Polecats - Make a Circuit with Me
The Primitives - Crash
The Stampeders - Sweet City Woman
The Surfaris - Wipe Out
The Swingers - Counting the Beat
The Wallflowers - One Headlight
The Weather Girls - It’s Raining Men
Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me with Science
Timmy Thomas - Why Can’t We Live Together
Toadies - Possum Kingdom
Toni Basil - Mickey
Ultravox - Vienna
US3 - Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)
Zager & Evans - In the Year 2525
The Cascades – Rhythm of the Rain
The Exciters – Tell Him
Doris Troy – Just One Look
Barrett Strong – Money (That’s What I Want)
Gale Garnett – We’ll Sing in the Sunshine
Flying Machine – Smile a Little Smile For Me
Merrilee Rush – Angel of the Morning
Hugh Masakela – Grazing in the Grass
Desmond Dekker – Israelites
Christie – Yellow River
Jonathan Edwards – Sunshine (Go Away Today)
Has anybody mentioned “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell?
I won’t say it’s my favourite, but the first song to come to my mind was Earthquake Song by The Little Girls.
Same with The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.
But no, none of those were “one hit wonders”.
They all had much music that charted, and were major contributors outside their signature song.
I’ll second the following:
John Fred and his Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise (with glasses)
Sammy Johns - Chevy Van
The Knack - My Sharona
The Surfaris - Wipe Out
I’m avoiding the temptation to second songs that I’ve nominated.
Again, the Kingsmen were by no means a One hit wonder. Not even close.
I will second these.
I think Dolby qualifies:
Ray Parker is most definitely NOT a OHW.
Nor is Golden Earring.
OK, we have 50 tunes. I like round numbers. We’re good to go.
I’m guessing that you have me on ignore, then, right?
Yep, I mentioned that previously. Every single released from their first album and the “Heroes” soundtrack cover, 5 songs total, were in heavy rotation on MTV and charted highly on every rock and pop airplay chart. Maybe some didn’t hit the Hot 100 because of the weird singles chart policy and record label album marketing decisions of the time, but they were hits.
Of course not. What am I missing?
mmm
ETA: Oh, now I see it. Oversight. Apologies.
Nah. Apologies on my part. Not having a good day.
Some already mentioned:
Looking Glass - Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears - Driver’s Seat
David Naughton - Makin’ It
The Surfaris - Wipe Out
Billy Paul – Me and Mrs. Jones
Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting
Soft Cell – Tainted Love
Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me with Science
After the Fire – Der Kommisar
The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men
Alan O’Day - Undercover Angel
Benny Mardones - Into the Night
Breathe Carolina - Blackout
The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel…
Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You
Dirty Vegas - Days Go By
Edwin McCain - I Could Not Ask for More
Everything But the Girl - MIssing
Jesse Cook - Cafe Mocha
Missy Higgins - Where I Stood
Moving Pictures - What About Me
Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
Neon Trees - Everybody Talks
O.A.R. - Shattered (Turn the Car Around)
Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen
Teena Marie - Lead Me On
Taco – Puttin’ On the Ritz
Murray Head – One Night in Bangkok
a-ha – Take On Me
Baltimora – Tarzan Boy
Right Said Fred – I’m Too Sexy
The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
New Radicals – You Get What You Give
Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
D’oh! I missed the “only five” rule.
So I’ll go with:
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears - Driver’s Seat
Benny Mardones - Into the Night
Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel…
Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You
I’m sorry, but I need to add “Emotion” by Samantha Sang. One of the best songs of the seventies, IMO.