Music: Best Two Top 40 Hits Wonders

[Elvis P]

Best Two Top 40 Hits Wonders

Tone Loc - "Wild Thing" (1988, Number Two) and "Funky Cold Medina" (1989, Number Three)
Young MC - "Bust a Move" (1989, Number Seven) and "Principal's Office" (1989, Number 33)
Golden Earring - "Radar Love" (1973, Number 13) and "Twilight Zone" (1982, Number 10)

Click to read more...

 

[Lshap]

Intriguing thread title. I don't remember anyone discussing 2-Hit Wonders... maybe because it's so hard to come up with any.

But I thought of one:

Falco - Rock Me Amadeus / Der Kommissar. (their Wikipedia page claims they had "several international hits", but on this side of the Atlantic my guess is most of us only heard those two songs).

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Spin Doctors - Two Princes and Little Miss Cant Be Wrong

Rick Astley - Together Forever and Never Gonna Give You Up

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street and Right Down The Line

Presidents of the United States of America - Lump and Peaches

 

[NyQuil]

I assume a lot of them will be two releases from a debut album or one-album wonder band.

Are there bands with only two hits from two different albums?

 

[DynamiteKid]

Alannah Myles - Love Is, Black Velvet

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Fastball - The Way and Out of My Head

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take it and I Wanna Rock (their other best charting song is a Leader of the Pack cover which is kind of meh for counting imo)

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can't Be Wrong and Two Princes. I like this one because both songs sound like 90s one hit wonders where you recognize the song but didn't know who sung it. But they have two.

 

[NyQuil]

Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can't Be Wrong and Two Princes. I like this one because both songs sound like 90s one hit wonders where you recognize the song but didn't know who sung it. But they have two.

I do remember their song "Cleopatra's Cat" but I'm not sure how high it charted.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Fastball - The Way and Out of My Head

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take it and I Wanna Rock (their other best charting song is a Leader of the Pack cover which is kind of meh for counting imo)

I remember Fire Escape being a hit for Fastball.

 

[Jussi]

T'Pau: Heart And Soul, China In your Hand.

Mr Mister: Kyrie, Broken Wings.

 

[NyQuil]

Simply Red - Holding Back the Years, If You Don't Know me By Now

Christopher Cross - Sailing, Arthur’s Theme

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

Simply Red - Holding Back the Years, If You Don't Know me By Now

Christopher Cross - Sailing, Arthur’s Theme

3 for cross - ride like the wind

 

[NyQuil]

3 for cross - ride like the wind

Doh.

 

[Jumptheshark]

we need to clarify what a hit is. Top 10, 20, 30, 40 etc?

I will use ACDC as an example--they have had no top ten hits in the states and only one top 30

A few bands mentioned have had other songs in the top 30 to 50.

So I ask what chart rankings are we using--top 10 or top 100?

 

[Elvis P]

we need to clarify what a hit is. Top 10, 20, 30, 40 etc? I will use ACDC as an example--they have had no top ten hits in the states and only one top 30. A few bands mentioned have had other songs in the top 30 to 50. So I ask what chart rankings are we using--top 10 or top 100?

Top 40

 

[Smelling Salt]

Rick Astley has 4 or 5 hits...not sure he counts.

Golden Earring is a great choice.

 

[Jussi]

Simply Red - Holding Back the Years, If You Don't Know me By Now

Christopher Cross - Sailing, Arthur’s Theme

They've had more than two.

Money's Too Tight (to Mention) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Right Thing (song) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Something Got Me Started - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Stars (Simply Red song) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Fairground (song) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[NyQuil]

I’ve never heard of any of them.

 

[Jussi]

I’ve never heard of any of them.

That's not a qualification for a hit, chart success is. All had chart success in several European countries. As the OP says, Top 40 hits. "Fairground" was actually their only UK #1.

 

[zombie kopitar]

Dido- Thank You & White Flag /thread

*Hunter is fire too though

 

[Jussi]

Dido- Thank You & White Flag /thread

*Hunter is fire too though

Good call. Never heard that "Hunter" though...

 

[NyQuil]

That's not a qualification for a hit, chart success is. All had chart success in several European countries. As the OP says, Top 40 hits. "Fairground" was actually their only UK #1.

Sure, but I’ll wager that every band has more than two hits in their home country.

Good call. Never heard that "Hunter" though..

Life for Rent was in the top 10 in the UK so Dido doesn’t count according to the criteria.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Sweet...
Ballroom blitz
Fox on the run.

 

[Jussi]

Sure, but I’ll wager that every band has more than two hits in their home country.



Life for Rent was in the top 10 in the UK so Dido doesn’t count according to the criteria.

Yes but Simply Red had success throughout Europe. The chart success of the songs is listed in the Wikipedia articles.

And FYI, I couldn't stand them. When Metallica recorded some back stage material for MTV Europe for the MTV Europe Music Awards, and they edited Simply Red's dressing room's sign to say "Simply dReadfull", I laughed my ass off. I recall Mick Hucknall getting a laugh out of it too when hearing who had done it.

 

[NyQuil]

Yes but Simply Red had success throughout Europe. The chart success of the songs is listed in the Wikipedia articles.

And FYI, I couldn't stand them. When Metallica recorded some back stage material for MTV Europe for the MTV Europe Music Awards, and they edited Simply Red's dressing room's sign to say "Simply dReadfull", I laughed my ass off. I recall Mick Hucknall getting a laugh out of it too when hearing who had done it.

I always thought it was funny that they were called Simply Red because of their communist leanings and they’d be on US easy listening radio stations.

Well, that and his hair.