… Alive and Kicking, top 10 by Simple Minds
She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
Yeah, I know, they charted with another track or two from that one album. And, they’re 2/3 of the English Beat, or something. Still, I think they deserve a mention. Not in the poll, I know.
They didn’t just “chart” with another track. “Good Thing” was number one here in the US. A band with two number one hits cannot be a one-hit wonder by any sort of definition.
True. But ask 50 people right now who have hard of FYC, aged 25 to 60, to:
- Name the first “Fine Young Cannibals” song that comes to mind, and then
- Name ALL the FYC songs they can recall,
I’ll bet 49 out of 50 will say “She Drives…” for the first, and 40 out of 50 will say “nothing” for the second.
Maybe we need another phrase for this, instead of “one-hit wonder.” Carry on!
Well, I guess I’m one of those 1 out of 50 (and I bet a good percentage more who grew up at the time FYC was popular than that would name “Good Thing.”). But I also bet if you played “Good Thing” for them, they’d go “Oh yeah!” just like I did when the Simple Minds suggestion came up. I wouldn’t have been able to name another song other than “Don’t You Forget About Me,” but then I clicked on “Alive and Kicking” and said, “oh, of course, I know that one!”
The Raspberries have a few hits.
Today, he is a Christian pastor, with a wife and a couple of teenage daughters. An interviewer once asked him how he explained the song’s lyrics to his daughters. He blushed, and grimaced, and said, “Uh, Daddy was just kidding, honey.”
Voted for several 80s 1-hit-wonders, but my particular faves didn’t make the list: Don’t You Forget About Me & Always Something There To Remind Me.
The first was disqualified because of Alive and Kicking. I wondered about that, too, and then listened to the link above and thought, oh, yeah, that was a pretty big song, too. I was only 10 at the time, but I still know that song very well from radio to this day (as in I still here it on radio regularly. I had no idea it was Simple Minds until this thread, I’m somewhat embarrassed to say.)
The second one probably wasn’t nominated. Or maybe “Promises Promises” disqualifies it. I certainly know the latter well,though it was before my radio-listening time and I would never have been able to name Naked Eyes as the band for this one or “Always There to Remind Me.” (It looks like they both charted closely. The former peaked at #8 with 22 weeks on the charts, the latter at #11 with 20 weeks.)
Until I saw that awful commercial for a new diabetic drug called Ozempic, I had totally forgotten about Pilot’s “It’s Magic.”
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate prescription drug advertising? :mad:
Here’s the original tune. Notice how the drummer is shown more than the other band members, and put out in front, because he’s the best looking band member.
There are many great songs on that list, but I voted for only one: “Brandy” by the Looking Glass. First heard it in junior high and it remains one of my favorites.
:smack: In spite of the fact that both songs are in my library, I completely forgot about Alive & Kicking. :smack:
In spite of its chart position, Promises, Promises was utterly forgettable. So, I forgot it.
And Love Song, Glittering Prize, Promised You A Miracle, Waterfront… that I can think of off hand.
There are many great songs on the list, and a few that I loathe, but if I could vote 100 times, it would always be for Spirit in the Sky.
I thought way too hard about my selection and finally went with The Buggles. It wasn’t merely a throwaway hit. It was a pivotal moment in the evolution of music, being the first MTV video played, the prophetic lyrics, the production sound that would define a decade of music…the pedigree on this one was just too strong to choose another.
would have voted for 99 Luftballons had it been there, grumble grumble…
It’s sort of unfair to mix in talented groups that had only one big pop chart hit with true one-hit wonders.
For instance, Fountains of Wayne was a terrific group with plenty more to offer beyond the power pop classic “Stacy’s Mom”. It doesn’t deserve being grouped with Taco and Starland Vocal Band.
I voted for City of New Orleans because it’s my favorite song on the list by far. But Arlo Guthrie has had a long and great career and doesn’t really belong in the category at all. Steve Goodman (who wrote the song) might fit the description a little better.
Maybe. But here in Chicago, he’d be known for “Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request,” “Go Cubs Go,” and “Lincoln Park Pirates.” Outside of Chicago, I don’t think any of his originals would be known at all (just the cover[s] of"City of New Orleans." Actually, baseball fans might know “Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request.” And Dr. Demento listeners may know that one and a few others.)