# Your favorite one hit wonder **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117 "2011-08-18T04:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tracy1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@tracy1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracy1963)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/101 "2011-08-20T17:46:26Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Norman Greenbaum [Spirit in the Sky](http://www.spiritinthesky.com/) I like that one…and Brandy by Looking Glass:cool: ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/102 "2011-08-20T18:57:21Z")
Ice, Ice Baby I don’t know nor care how any of his other songs like Play That Funky Music did, that one so vastly eclipsed anything else Rob Van Winkle would ever accomplish that it’s a one hit wonder, damnit. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/103 "2011-08-20T21:43:30Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/594656/2): > > Tracey Ullman, [They Don’t Know](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZSdCTcS-A) Oh, good one! ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/104 "2011-08-21T02:00:24Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Ice, Ice Baby > > I don’t know nor care how any of his other songs like Play That Funky Music did, that one so vastly eclipsed anything else Rob Van Winkle would ever accomplish that it’s a one hit wonder, damnit. But what about “Ninja Rap”?! Surely that was a great accomplishment. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/105 "2011-08-21T03:24:54Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/594656/2): > > Tracey Ullman, [They Don’t Know](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZSdCTcS-A) Oddly enough, I watched this on youtube just the other night. Digital Underground’s “Humpty Dance.” ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/106 "2011-08-21T04:23:07Z")
The Music Machine “[Talk Talk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJR_KGZO4U0)” Very aggressive for 1966. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/107 "2011-08-21T16:01:20Z")
Suavecito– **Malo**. A beautiful song that should have been more popular. Brother Louie– **Stories**. Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)– **Swingin’ Medallions**. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/108 "2011-08-21T17:14:46Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/594656/2): > > Tracey Ullman, [They Don’t Know](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZSdCTcS-A) [Breakaway](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BDLcutLekU)was also a hit in the US. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/109 "2011-08-21T17:31:09Z")
Fastball - [The Way](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0wfu3tOrtQ) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/110 "2011-08-21T17:42:02Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > [Breakaway](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BDLcutLekU)was also a hit in the US. Not much of one–made #70, versus #8 for “They Don’t Know.” One popular yardstick for what constitutes a one-hit wonder is that they had to have had only one single in Billboard’s Top 40. This is the rubric used by Wayne Jancik, who [literally wrote the book on OHWs](http://www.amazon.com/One-Hit-Wonder-Wayne-Jancik/dp/1419687646/). If I were making the rules, I would rule out any artist who had more than one Top 40 _album_, which would disqualify obvious anomalies like Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead (who both appear in Jancik’s book on a technicality). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/111 "2011-08-21T18:17:24Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Not much of one–made #70, versus #8 for “They Don’t Know.” > > One popular yardstick for what constitutes a one-hit wonder is that they had to have had only one single in Billboard’s Top 40. This is the rubric used by Wayne Jancik, who [literally wrote the book on OHWs](http://www.amazon.com/One-Hit-Wonder-Wayne-Jancik/dp/1419687646/). If I were making the rules, I would rule out any artist who had more than one Top 40 _album_, which would disqualify obvious anomalies like Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead (who both appear in Jancik’s book on a technicality). Ah yeah I misread the stats, thought it was a US Top 10. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/112 "2011-08-21T18:29:46Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > The Music Machine “[Talk Talk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJR_KGZO4U0)” > > Very aggressive for 1966. Good one. . ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/113 "2011-08-21T23:12:38Z")
Lotta good ones already posted, many in my everyday random playlist. Here are my contributions: Sanford Townsend Band - Smoke From A Distant Fire [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy8ba2eL7cI) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc9wIzi96_E) Omar & The Howlers - Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZBciqJMscGQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Omar & The Howlers - Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBciqJMscGQ) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/114 "2011-08-22T00:58:57Z")
> [@tracy1963](#): > > I like that one…and Brandy by Looking Glass:cool: Trivia: The rhythm section of Looking Glass (and the keyboard player who was later sacked) went on to form the rhythm section of power-pop-rock-whatever band Starz, of \*Violation \*and \*Subway Terror \*‘fame’ (don’t worry, most people haven’t heard of them, but they were the balls in th 70’s) with Michael Lee Smith – brother of _The Pirates of Penzance_ actor Rex Smith. I don’t think Starz had any hits, really, but I go out of my way to mention them … I was a big fan back then. I hyped them to all of my friends, but it didn’t seem to take. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/115 "2011-08-22T02:01:37Z")
Duke of Earl ---
**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:** [August 22, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/116 "2011-08-22T03:44:53Z")
> [@KennerTheGreat](#): > > Fastball - [The Way](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0wfu3tOrtQ) “Out of My Head” was almost as big a hit. And “Fire Escape” got a lot of rock radio airplay. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/117 "2011-08-22T15:01:44Z")
Twofer–“Pictures of Matchstick Men,” OHW for both Status Quo and Camper Van Beethoven. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/118 "2011-08-22T15:16:00Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > The Music Machine “[Talk Talk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJR_KGZO4U0)” > > Very aggressive for 1966. That was cool.. thanks for that.. I’d never heard them before.. “Come on down to my boat” every mothers son.. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50b-Q-Z1bF0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50b-Q-Z1bF0) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/119 "2011-08-22T15:53:43Z")
Forgot to mention [Timothy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGNdvKvbxYQ), by The Buoys. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117/120 "2011-08-22T16:13:59Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Twofer–“Pictures of Matchstick Men,” OHW for both Status Quo and Camper Van Beethoven. I don’t know what it placed in the charts for CvB, but I’ve never heard that on the radio (although I do have _Key Lime Pie_.) Whereas I’ve heard “Take the Skinheads Bowling” many times on the radio. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-one-hit-wonder/593117.md?page=7)