# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/81 "2007-07-18T01:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=astorian] That’s his signature song, but his biggest hit on the singles chart, by far, was “Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast.” [/QUOTE] True, but that hit didn’t come along until he had already built an empire on “Danke Shoen.” ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/82 "2007-07-18T01:33:37Z")
[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] Definitely agree. My own appreciation was a bit delayed, though. I loved their debut (and still think it’s one of the greatest albums of the '80s) but I was bitterly disappointed by their follow-up, which I bought the day of its release. It took me a few years and a bit more maturity before I was able to appreciate _Hallowed Ground_ as a great album in its own right. [QUOTE=Alessan] 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? [/QUOTE] Yep. I think he’s played here at the Fallsview Casino at least 3 times and each time his shows have sold out and garnered great reviews. I’ve sworn that I’m going to get tickets the next time he comes through town. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/83 "2007-07-18T01:39:17Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] Carl Perkins, “Blue Suede Shoes.” The rest are all pikers. [/QUOTE] Oh uh huh, Honey don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/84 "2007-07-18T01:44:49Z")
Also, to defend Chris Isaak (who I am a huge fan of), he had a second sizeable hit back in 1999 with the rockabilly-infused “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing,” which was featured prominently in the horrible film _Eyes Wide Shut_ (but also had a video in regular rotation and a good bit of radio airplay). Plus he’s done lots of touring, recording, acting, and had the awesome _Chris Isaak Show_, which I wish was available on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/85 "2007-07-18T02:33:02Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Jimmy Buffet and “Margaritaville” Don McLean had “Starry Starry Night” [/QUOTE] Jimmy Buffett has had many, many great songs, even if they were not all top 40 hits. And the name of that Don MacLean song is Vincent. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/86 "2007-07-18T02:40:11Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] Surely you’re whooshing us? [/QUOTE] Well, the humour is so lifeless it’s more like flopping, really. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/87 "2007-07-18T03:13:00Z")
**Britney Spears.** She has reworked, or rather her producers have reworked, that same stupid hit song of hers way WAY past its 15 minutes of fame… ---
**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:** [July 20, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/88 "2007-07-20T12:49:39Z")
Two pages and no mention of Billy Ray Cyrus and Acky Breaky Heart? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/89 "2007-07-20T13:05:36Z")
“Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys is on the radio right now, and I’m guessing they’ll get another decade out of that song, at least. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/90 "2007-07-20T13:41:49Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus] Jimmy Buffett has had many, many great songs, even if they were not all top 40 hits. And the name of that Don MacLean song is Vincent. [/QUOTE] The question was not about one hit wonders or many, many great songs that didn’t make the top 40. Buffet has a whole career based on Margaritaville, and I think even the most die hard Parrothead has to admit it. [QUOTE=Trunk] Directly answering “biggest career out of one song” (and not just “biggest one hit wonder”), would have to be Buffet (as a previous poster said). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margar...e#Merchandising](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margar...e#Merchandising) It’s got a chain of restaurants, margarita mix, tequila, food brand. His company is Margaritaville Holdings LLC Sure, he had a couple other hits, but “Margaritaville” is an industry. [/quote] Sorry about the song title mishap. ETA: A little Googling reveals that Maragritaville was co-witten with Alan Jackson, who mentioned it in one of his own songs: [It’s 5:00 Somewhere](http://www.mp3lyrics.org/a/alan-jackson/its-five-o-clock-somewhere). ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/91 "2007-07-20T15:07:49Z")
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Tommy Tu-Tone yet. That’s the first artist I thought of when I clicked the thread. 864-5789 ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/92 "2007-07-20T15:27:16Z")
Tommy Tutone had a huge career? Did he ever do anything else? Is he still touring on the one song? I would have thought he was more of a flash in the pan (no disrespect to the actual Flash And The Pan, who were really a flash in the pan). ---
**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 20, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/93 "2007-07-20T16:03:10Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] ETA: A little Googling reveals that Maragritaville was co-witten with Alan Jackson, who mentioned it in one of his own songs: [It’s 5:00 Somewhere](http://www.mp3lyrics.org/a/alan-jackson/its-five-o-clock-somewhere). [/QUOTE] I don’t think that’s right. Jackson would’ve been 19 the year Margaritaville came out (1977). ---
**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:** [July 20, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/94 "2007-07-20T16:25:20Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] I don’t think that’s right. Jackson would’ve been 19 the year Margaritaville came out (1977). [/QUOTE] ’ My Bad. He & Buffet did a duet of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/95 "2007-07-20T18:42:36Z")
My vote is the Danke Schoen dude…Wayne Newton. I still don’t believe a man is singing that, nor do I want to know what kind of deal he had to make with the devil for his voice to never, ever change. I guess I should pull out my soapbox and defend Jimmy Buffett. While I understand what people say about Margaritaville, it does seem to have a life of its own. Ok. Point taken. Yes, Jimmy can live his entire life eating coconuts and drinking margaritas because of it. But as far as I’m concerned, he has many, many, much better songs. Little Miss Magic, Island are two. I worked in an island style restaurant and I swear, every 3rd person came in and asked us to play Margaritaville. We hid the CD. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/96 "2007-07-20T19:27:09Z")
[QUOTE=Hockey Monkey] I can’t believe no one has mentioned Tommy Tu-Tone yet. That’s the first artist I thought of when I clicked the thread. 864-5789 [/QUOTE] One of the biggest one hit wonders, where **everyone** knows the phone number and you typed it wrong?!?!? :rolleyes: [867-5309/Jenny](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/867-5309) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/97 "2007-07-20T19:28:19Z")
Well, Bobby “Boris” Pickett was able to cash in every Halloween since the early '60’s. Monster Mash. ---
**Author:** ![EdwinBirdsong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@EdwinBirdsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinBirdsong)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/98 "2007-07-20T19:41:37Z")
[QUOTE=Suburban Plankton] I came into this thread specifically to mention Chubby Checker. He recorded at leat 5 versions of the song (including a country version), plus the classics _Let’s Twist Again_ and _Slow Twistin’_. [/QUOTE] Fortunately, he wasn’t \*\*all \*\* about that. Chubby’s 1971 album _New Revelation_ (also entitled \*Chequered \* in the UK) is one of the more amazing–and unexpected–forays into fuzzed-out psychedelia. Heavy acid-laced guitars, raw vocals, reverb–the songs “Stoned in the Bathroom” and “Goodbye Victoria” alone are worth the price of admission! Not a hint of twist to be found on the entire record. It has yet to be reissued, but hopefully soon that will be remedied. Apparently Chubby himself doesn’t like to talk about this record anymore, which is a shame, because it’s by far the best thing he ever did, and totally unique… ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/99 "2007-07-20T23:02:50Z")
What about “_Baby got Back_” by Sir Mix a Lot? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079/100 "2007-07-20T23:56:21Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Rupert Holmes has written several successful Broadway musicals and wrote one successful TV series, **Remember WENN**. He’s written novels, too. **Escape** is a sidelight of his career, not a centerpiece. [/QUOTE] Saying _Escape_ was the defiining work of Holmes career would be like saying _One Night in Bangkok_ was Murray Head’s “moment in the spotlight”. He just happened to be the guy in the original production of the musical _Chess_ and that was one of the songs he sang in the show. Quite nifty that it got radio play, but he was solidly entrenched in the theatre and that was just a flukey little tangent to a weighty career in a different branch of the arts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-artist-made-the-biggest-career-out-of-one-song/412079.md?page=6)