The One Hit Wonder thread yielded so many great songs by so many (sort of) forgotten artists and it was great that so many people chimed in with their raves and faves….but missed the ultimate one hit wonder.*
A special shout out to Reader Mike K., who may well be the music historian of the group.
Mike’s list included Wildflower by Skylark, Midnight At The Oasis by Maria Muldaur, Moonlight Feels Right by Starbuck, Ride Captain Ride by Blues Image, Those Were The Days by Mary Hopkin, I’ve Never Been To Me by Charlene, Pilot Of The Airwaves by Charlie Dore, Red Rubber Ball by Cyrcle, Beach Baby by First Class. His pick of For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield stirred up a little controversy in the comments.
One hit wonder or not?
In fact there was a lot of healthy debate in the comments over what actually constitutes a one hit wonder… Gail and Joe debated Eric Burdon’s Spill the Wine, but Gail could agree with Kate W. – and Eliot – about In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry…and was The Marshall Tucker Band a one hit wonder?
Disco
Disco was the ‘cotton candy” of music: light, fluffy, evanescent, fun to consume and with almost no nutritional value. It yielded many one hit wonders: Ring My Bell by Anita Ward, Turn the Beat Around by Vickie Sue Robinson, Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, Instant Replay by Dan Hartman, and How Do You Like It by Andrea True. I was glad to see Dan Hartman mentioned – he was a really talented musician, songwriter and producer, who left us too soon.
And speaking of leaving us too soon…a goodbye KISS to the Spaceman, AKA Space Ace, Ace Frehley.
The ones that kept popping up
There were many one-offs in the comments, but a few songs got more than one ‘vote” – Brandy by Looking Glass, Break my Stride by Matthew Wilder, Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky, and, of course, Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band.
Who knew it was about having sex in the afternoon? Still, if I hear it at the supermarket or a discount store, I smile and sing. Loved their harmony.
-Michele S.
And perhaps the ultimate one hit wonder, thanks to Larry G.
Lots of good ones already listed. Wanna add “Lies” by The Knickerbockers. Loved that tune in the mid-60s… it had so much energy, and their harmonies reminded me of The Beatles. I was in a Beatles tribute band at the time (The Malibu’s) from Hudson County , NJ. Keep on rockin’!
John Lennon said of this song “I don’t remember recording that.”
*YOUR TURN
What? No Come on Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Raiders? And where is the ultimate one hit wonder…Los Del Rio’s Macarena, which spent 68 weeks on Billboard’s lists and is a staple of weddings everywhere.
Oh well, thanks for playing and keep them coming!
Original column:
I’m still puzzling over some of the choices for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and especially over the groups and folks passed over. And apparently I’m not the only one, so if you also have some gripes, you can register your ideas and complaints here in the comments….
Let’s hear it for…who?
On the other hand, let’s give a nod to musicians who actually grasped the brass ring…and then lost it. I’m talking about the one-hit wonders…the bands and musicians who soared into the stratosphere, but only for a while. There’s even a somewhat big list here. some of ’em hit the big time and their song became a world-famous TV ad for Coke. Remember this?
I’d argue with some on that list. Roxy Music had a hit with “Love is the Drug” – but “Mother of Pearl” and “Do the Strand” were awesome….but I’ll grant that “Turning Japanese” was an awesome song by the Vapors, but the only one. And then there’s “My Sharona.”
One of my favorite one hit wonders is a lovely pop song recorded by King Harvest and then covered by Toploader. Just a fun party anthem, not hard or harsh or demeaning to anyone, with wonderful musicality and lyrics with real artistry to them. It’s a perfect rhyming song, and I”d like to share it with you now.
YOUR TURN
But that’s me. What are your favorite one hit wonders, or the awesome song that didn’t get its due? Let us know in the comments!
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Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; she writes frequently on Old School New York City and performs at open mic readings throughout New York City. Send Open Thread suggestions to editor@seniorplanet.org.
