# What artist made the biggest career out of one song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079 "2007-07-17T02:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/21 "2007-07-17T04:10:29Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] Wow, is he really touring on his own steam, for the one song? QUOTE] He was just on some oldies concert show on PBS. Guess what he sang. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/22 "2007-07-17T04:18:12Z")
[QUOTE=I’m Ron Burgundy?] Springsteen [/QUOTE] Surely you’re whooshing us? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/23 "2007-07-17T04:18:14Z")
[QUOTE=Spoons] Wow…I was at that concert too! The Ontario Place Forum, right? [/QUOTE] Yeah, that was the one! ETA: With The Turtles. “We must get off drugs _now!!!_” Yeah, Mark. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/24 "2007-07-17T04:22:21Z")
[QUOTE=Quint] While not a one hit wonder exactly (due to their no hit status), I’ve always felt that the best example of this is **The Violent Femmes**. The only album anyone listens to was released in 1982, yet they are _still_ touring based on that album. Of course it is a near perfect “high school angst” album, but 25 years is too long for the angry teen schtick. [/QUOTE] Disagree; the Femmes followed that album with the amazing 180 of _Hallowed Ground_, which arguably invented a subgenre of music. They continued to make several great records - “American Music,” one of their most beloved songs, came out in '90 or so! ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/25 "2007-07-17T04:25:06Z")
[QUOTE=Starving Artist] How’s about Chris Isaak with _Wicked Game_? The guy has been living off the fame and exposure that song has wrought for 15 or 16 years now…[and living pretty damn well, at that](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001389/). [/QUOTE] Chris Isaak first broke into the public consciousness with “Wicked Game,” but he’s shown himself more than competent as an actor since then. If that song were the sole basis for his fame, the [show](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268789/) would have been called “The ‘Wicked Game’ Show.” Which would have been a pretty cool title, now that I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/26 "2007-07-17T04:35:26Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] Yeah, that was the one! ETA: With The Turtles. “We must get off drugs _now!!!_” Yeah, Mark. [/QUOTE] Yes, and the Turtles ripped the Mamas and the Papas list of songs off the floor! They did put on a great show though: “We don’t play that shit. We play _this_ shit!” I went with my ex. She was in a hurry to get a seat in the Forum, and in trying to keep up, I nearly knocked over Mackenzie Phillips, who was making her own way to the venue. Literally, a brush with…well, something. 😉 Small world, eh? ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/27 "2007-07-17T04:39:51Z")
They weren’t exactly one-hit-wonders, but ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ was certainly the catalyst for The Captain and Tenille getting their own variety show, etc. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/28 "2007-07-17T04:41:02Z")
Or how about The Knack with ‘My Sharona’? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/29 "2007-07-17T04:50:09Z")
How about Don Ho? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/30 "2007-07-17T04:55:51Z")
Don McLean? I know he’s released other stuff, but shit on a Pringle, he has truly drained the teat with “American Pie.” And I’m sure someone will come along and name two dozen other songs he’s done, but to most people born in the 70s or later, the only reason they even know this guy’s name is because of “American Pie.” A phenominal song, indeed, but I wager he wouldn’t have one tenth of the career he’s had, nor would he be asked to perform anywhere today, had he not written it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/31 "2007-07-17T05:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] Disagree; the Femmes followed that album with the amazing 180 of _Hallowed Ground_, which arguably invented a subgenre of music. They continued to make several great records - “American Music,” one of their most beloved songs, came out in '90 or so! [/QUOTE] While this may be true, my local alternative station will trot out “Blister in the Sun” every couple of years and play it as part of the regular rotation like once a day for several months. No one pretends it’s a new song, but no one acknowledges it’s almost as old as most of the DJs are either. I had no idea it was released in 1982! ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/32 "2007-07-17T05:44:52Z")
It’s 2007, [_Viva Terlingua_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_Terlingua) was recorded thirty four years ago and Gary P. Nunn is still opening and closing his shows with London Homesick Blues. Besides that and playing the root on the downbeat and the 5th on the backbeat, what else has he done? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/33 "2007-07-17T06:24:19Z")
Chris Isaak is a very talented singer-songwriter with a more than respectable catalog of songs. Believe me, I know - my wife has all nine of his studio albums, including his Chistmas album, which is actually pretty good. The man’s a hard-working performer who had the good fortune - or misfortune - to see one of his songs break out as a monster hit. If that hadn’t happened, he’d have been that really good singer only the music snobs have heard of. Is that better than being a one-hit wonder? ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/34 "2007-07-17T06:44:05Z")
The all-time champ for this sort of thing has to be Chubby Checker. Note how many times he dipped back into the “The Twist” well by recording variations on the same theme. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/35 "2007-07-17T07:24:49Z")
I can’t beleive you are the only person in America who hasn’t watched VH1’s “One Hit Wonders” hosted by Bill Shatner (who does a great job, btw) That answers any thing you’d ever want to know about OHWs. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2007, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/36 "2007-07-17T07:39:20Z")
Dead now, but I’d vote for “Tiny Tim” (Herbert Khaury) with _Tiptoe Through the Tulips_. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/37 "2007-07-17T07:51:10Z")
I suspect that this may be an impossible question to answer. Tiny Tim, Don Mclean (I thought of him first), and many others are excellent candidates. Do we measure success by the amount of money the song has earned them directly? If we can include musical groups how about the Greatful Dead? How many top 40 hits have they had because I can only think of “Touch of Grey.” I think they were one of the most profitable touring bands ever. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/38 "2007-07-17T11:54:51Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] Don McLean? I know he’s released other stuff, but shit on a Pringle, he has truly drained the teat with “American Pie.” [/QUOTE] No cite, but I’ve heard he requires at least 5 songs be put on any promotional posters as to not be “that guy that sings American Pie.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/39 "2007-07-17T11:56:18Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] I was gonna say Norman Greenbaum with Spirit in the Sky but it turns out he’s one of those rare two-hit wonders. 🙂 [Wikipedia Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_in_the_Sky) [/QUOTE] Uh, I read the wiki link but it does not tell me, what is the second hit? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/40 "2007-07-17T12:02:27Z")
[QUOTE=MGibson] If we can include musical groups how about the Greatful Dead? How many top 40 hits have they had because I can only think of “Touch of Grey.” I think they were one of the most profitable touring bands ever. [/QUOTE] Except, of course, that their touring success was independent of, and before (and after), the success of that song – they didn’t even like to play it in concert. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079.md?page=3)