# What one-hit-wonder songs were actually really good, even GREAT, songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148 "2007-11-29T05:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/181 "2007-12-01T16:40:11Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] The best holiday one hit wonder: “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” by Patsy & Elmo. [/QUOTE] Your screen name notwithstanding, yuck to that song! And my contribution: “Give Me Just A Little More Time” by Chairmen of the Board (yes, they had other top 40 songs, but the others are pretty obscure). ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/182 "2007-12-01T17:38:35Z")
[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach] Think of how the Robbie Williams fans feel. [/QUOTE] I’m one of those, too. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/183 "2007-12-01T18:25:43Z")
“Wild Thing”, the 1966 hit by the Troggs [QUOTE=ChiefScott] “Come on Eileen” – Dexie’s Midnight Runners [/QUOTE] Lisa: You beat Dexy’s Midnight Runners!!! Homer: Well, you haven’t heard the last of them ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/184 "2007-12-01T18:50:30Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] Your screen name notwithstanding, yuck to that song! . [/QUOTE] "Monster Mash’ is the best Holiday Novelty song of all time. Hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/185 "2007-12-01T19:12:15Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] [“Right Place, Wrong Time”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0F4jXhAca4&feature=related) (YouTube clip) - Dr. John [/QUOTE] I was going to refute this, but if your criterion is Top 40, you’re right. [_Such a Night_](http://www.epinions.com/content_3925778564) only made it to #42, and _(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away_ only climbed to #92, although IIRC it was on the Top 40 chart (printed weekly in the _Showtime_ magazine of the late lamented _Cleveland Press_) of a Northeast Ohio station that played it in heavy rotation when it was released. **Boyo Jim** : As was mentioned earlier in the thread, The Knack made it to #17 with _Good Girls Don’t_. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/186 "2007-12-01T21:25:36Z")
[QUOTE=Unintentionally Blank] That’s the thing that depresses me a little. A-ha has 7 albums or so, all excellent, they just didn’t hop the pond, as it were. [/QUOTE] I actually considered a preemptive post concerning a-ha, as they always seem to come up during these discussions. The fact that they had 2 Top 20 singles in the US, have shifted many millions of albums worldwide, and have continued to release albums with the same lineup on a major label (still with Warner Bros.) would make them ineligible for this list. One of the local channels in Austin used the instrumental break from “The Sun Always Shines on TV” during sports highlights into the 1990s. I suspect more people know that song, but just don’t recognize it as a-ha - it’s a lot less techno-sounding that “Take On Me.” I would think also, as a US-based board, we tend to have a narrow view. I think bands and/or artists who have had significant success in English-speaking countries (UK, Canada, Australia, etc.) as well as a hit in America should _not_ be considered 1HWs. So that takes out Robbie, who I believe was one of the top selling artists in the UK during the 1990s, and had a minor hit with “Millennium” in America. ETA: Several artists, including Coldplay, Kanye West, and U2, have noted the influence of a-ha on their music. (That’s not a typo, I did say Kanye West.) Their last album, _Analogue_, is simply brilliant - it came out in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/187 "2007-12-01T22:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=jimmmy] “Wild Thing”, the 1966 hit by the Troggs [/QUOTE] The Troggs also hit with “Love Is All Around Us” ---
**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:** [December 2, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/188 "2007-12-02T00:55:01Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] The Troggs also hit with “Love Is All Around Us” [/QUOTE] And “With a Girl Like You.” ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/189 "2007-12-02T02:06:58Z")
[QUOTE=Old Goat] You Keep Me Hanging On – Mary McCaslin (cover) [/QUOTE] Holy shit. I thought I was the sole fan of the album that came from, or of Ms. McCaslin herself. I just got it on CD a while ago; to replace an old LP version. This Dope place amazes me sometimes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/190 "2007-12-03T14:29:47Z")
Play That Funky Music, White Boy was a one hit wonder for “Wild Cherry” before covered badly by Ice. Still a staple of garage bands and oldie shows. Another great song; ripping instrumental, best rock and roll, play it loud, get on up is “Frankenstein” by the Edgar Winter Group. I’ve got lots of the Winter Bros. (Johnny and Edgar) but don’t remember too much else for air play. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/191 "2007-12-03T14:45:01Z")
TheBoltEater: > [@](#): > > Back to the original post, does the band a-ha count? Apparently they charted in America with 2 songs (the second one being “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.”), but is there anyone in America who remembers them for anything other than “Take on Me?” I, an American, also remember them for having sung the theme song of the James Bond movie “The Living Daylights.” It’s one of my favorite Bond themes. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/192 "2007-12-03T15:15:16Z")
Take On Me - Aha edit: I read a lot of the posts, but not the last page before listing this. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/193 "2007-12-03T16:32:21Z")
[“Keep on Smiling”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NWa4PZm7gA) (YouTube clip) - Wet Willie ---
**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:** [December 3, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/194 "2007-12-03T16:50:30Z")
[QUOTE=smithsb] Another great song; ripping instrumental, best rock and roll, play it loud, get on up is “Frankenstein” by the Edgar Winter Group. I’ve got lots of the Winter Bros. (Johnny and Edgar) but don’t remember too much else for air play. [/QUOTE] Free Ride was also a sizable hit. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/195 "2007-12-03T20:49:48Z")
“Amie” by Pure Prairie League. Surely a nice country-rock song like that would come from a great album? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Eolbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Eolbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eolbo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/196 "2007-12-07T02:13:12Z")
Many will disagree about its greatness I’m sure but I just can’t get enough of _Ca Plane Pour Moi_. And an honourable mention to \*Something In the Air \* by Thunderclap Newman. From an Australian perspective its a bit odd to see bands that were successful here with a succession of hits like the Divinyls and the Easybeats discussed in lists of one hit wonders. And kinda sad that the Divinyls are chiefly remembered overseas for _I Touch Myself_, which was their selling out and jumping the shark moment. Earlier they did great stuff like \*Science Fiction \* and _Boys in Town_ which holds up so much better. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/197 "2007-12-07T05:01:56Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] [“Keep on Smiling”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NWa4PZm7gA) (YouTube clip) - Wet Willie [/QUOTE] “Street Corner Serenade” by Wet Willie was was pretty well known. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/198 "2007-12-07T05:05:24Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] “Street Corner Serenade” by Wet Willie was was pretty well known. [/QUOTE] Hmm. You’re right. Looks like that one made it to #30, so I guess Wet Willie was a _two_-hit wonder. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/199 "2007-12-07T05:29:59Z")
Duke of Earl Kung Fo Fighting Louie Louie Who let the Dogs out Smile be Happy Macaraina Intergenerational one hit wonders. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-hit-wonder-songs-were-actually-really-good-even-great-songs/428148/200 "2007-12-07T05:47:06Z")
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