What bands that meet the technical or colloquial definitions of a “one-hit wonder” have full catalogs worth exploring?
To start off, I recently found some more songs by Marcy Playground of “Sex and Candy” fame that are quite good.
I’m not sure I would call it worth exploring but Cardigans are considered one-hit wonders (atleast by VH1) but they do have 2-3 other songs worth a listen. Also David Gray.
The Violent Femmes could be considered one-hit wonders with Blister in the Sun, but most of they’re songs are great.
Their songs, even.
Technically, the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix could be classified as one hit wonders.
Madness. They are pretty much only known in America for “Our House” (although “One Step Beyond” and “House of Fun” got some airplay on MTV), but they were successful in the UK for several years.
VH1 recently included them in a “one hit wonder” show, but they have popped up here and there, for instance their song “Baggy Trousers” appearing in a Colgate toothpaste commercial imported from the UK in the 1980s, as well as “Wings of a Dove” appearing in the film 10 Things I Hate About You.
-Banger, a ska fan 
Hear hear! Everything from “American Music” to their recent cover of “Every Breath You Take” astounds me.
Dutch seventies band Focus is udually considered a one hit novelty wonder (Hocus Pocus). Their albums are great.
I saw the Flaming Lips in concert once. “She Don’t Use Butter” is probably the least of their songs.
Dude! What are you smoking?
Also, Krokodil, it’s “She Don’t Use Jelly”, not butter.
I will accept that the cardigans are one hit wonders in the united states, but they have 3 albums out there and they are really good.
Indeed, the Dead only had one chart hit, with “Touch of Grey”. Not what most people think of as a one-hit wonder, but technically so nonetheless.
I saw the Spin Doctors not long after their pair of hits (“Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” and “Two Princes”, songs similar enough to qualify for 1HW status), and they were one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, their singer has since developed some bizarre vocal cord pathology and can’t sing anymore (or couldn’t the last time I heard).
The funny thing is that I’ve been playing the last two Flaming Lips albums to death, and I can’t even recall “She Don’t Use Jelly”.
Dr. J
Actually, even though Chumbawamba has become the posterband for One Hit Wonderism (they had a hit by accident), I find most of their work very enjoyable
Wayne Jancik’s “The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders” uses, as its definition of a one-hit act, that the group had exactly one song charting in the top 40 positions on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Using that definition, Jimi Hendrix qualifies, because his only Top 40 record was “All Along the Watchtower” in 1968. (See pages 249-250). And The Grateful Dead’s only Top 40 hit was “Touch of Grey”, in 1987. (See page 454).
Golden Earring comes close. They had one top 40 hit, Radar Love, and one that’s popular but I don’t know where it went with Twilight Zone. However, they have been around for 40 years and I have 18 or so albums and there are more that I don’t have. I believe they are supposed to come out with a new album this year as well.
Iron Maiden may also qualify, but I’m not sure if they ever had a hit in the States.
Well, Europeans are often surprised to hear this, but Status Quo only had one top 40 hit in the U.S.: “Pictures of Matchstick Men.” But they’ve been making fun, solid hard rock records for decades.
IIRC, Frank Zappa’s only hit was “Valley Girl.”
Traffic had a few hits in the UK early on, but none in the U.S., all while being one of the best groups of its era.
RealityChuck,
Zappa’s “Dancing Fool” got a lot of airplay; not sure how it did on the charts.
Buffalo Springfield never had another top 40 hit after “For What It’s Worth,” but they are a seminal band.
Could you elaborate on how it was an accident? I don’t know the story, but I love Tubthumping.
Lothos