Biggest One-Hit Wonders of All-Time

[Jumptheshark]

Did anyone mention 99 Luftballons yet?

Yep and it was pointed out she was a big star in her native Germany and othervhitsvin europe

 

[Xelebes]

Some more Canadian one hit wonders:

From 1970, no other song is available on the internet.



This one from 1970 has this song as their only lone song to listen. The album from which this was from is something you can listen to but the ration is still 40:1.



This jazz hit from. . . 1986? has a ratio of roughly 11:1 with their next biggest hit.

 

[slates77]

Nena was only a one hit wonder abroad. She was THE star in Germany in the mid 80s.

Interesting, maybe she didn't tour enough internationally then

 

[frisco]

Jack Wagner-All I Need.

My Best-Carey

 

[Boris Zubov]

The new radicals. -music in you.
Alphaville-forever young
Alias-more than words can say
Sheriff- when I’m with you
Bad English- when I see you smile
Barney bental-something to love for
Cameo-word up
Nu shooz- I cant wait
Timex social club- rumors
Falco-Amadeus
MAARs-pump up the volume
Technotronic-pump ip the jam
Carl Douglas-Kung fu fighting
Chris Isaak- wicked game
Chris deburgh-lady in red
Concrete blonde-Joey
Eddie Brickell-what I am
James-laid(except in the UK)
John Waite- Missing You

Artists in bold are definitely not one hit wonders. And John Waite is on your list twice...he was the lead singer for Bad English.

Alphaville had a pretty decent hit "Big in Japan" before Forever Young.



Concrete Blonde had a very solid run of albums. The entire Bloodletting record is fantastic & her voice is simply iconic. Their cover of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" is the definitive version of the song & was a minor hit from the "Pump up the Volume" soundtrack. It's a remarkable piece of music. Severely underrated band.



Edie Brickell, who I am not a fan of, also had a decent career.



James had a second single that hit the charts. "Say Something"

James - Say Something

Falco was absolutely huge in Europe & had other hits in the States besides "Rock me Amadeus"

Falco - Der Kommissar (Official Video)

Falco - Vienna Calling (Official Video)

 

[Jussi]

Perhaps we should start listing album one hit wonders? Meaning artists that had several hits from one album but disappeared after that.

 

[Roo Returns]

The new radicals. -music in you.
Alphaville-forever young
Alias-more than words can say
Sheriff- when I’m with you
Bad English- when I see you smile
Barney bental-something to love for
Cameo-word up
Nu shooz- I cant wait
Timex social club- rumors
Falco-Amadeus
MAARs-pump up the volume
Technotronic-pump ip the jam
Carl Douglas-Kung fu fighting
Chris Isaak- wicked game
Chris deburgh-lady in red
Concrete blonde-Joey
Eddie Brickell-what I am
James-laid(except in the UK)
John Waite- Missing You

Cameo shouldn't be anywhere near this list. They had many hits. From that album Candy was also huge. Years before they had Shake That Pants and Get The Funk Out of My Face. Word Up was a career shift where they became a trio. They were more of a traditional funk bands in the late 70s/early 80s with horns and a full band.

Nu Shooz also had Point Of No Return. They were a husband and wife duo from Oregon who had one huge album but still records.

Concrete Blonde were all over the place in the mid-80s to early 90s.

Eddie Brickell was more grassroots and had a lot longer of a career than being trashed on Beavis and Butt-Head.

James was much bigger overseas. They also had Say Something as another poster mentioned which was a huge Alternative Nation/120 Minutes Era MTV single.

 

[Roo Returns]

Perhaps we should start listing album one hit wonders? Meaning artists that had several hits from one album but disappeared after that.

Since we just mentioned Nu Shooz.....Poolside.

Men At Work Business As Usual.

 

[Roo Returns]

Back to one hit wonders, I got really into Led Zeppelin in the mid-90s and wanted to find a contemporary band that sounded a lot like them. I'd say groups like Soundgarden, Chili Peppers, Jane's all took certain elements, but no one played in that style.

So around 1997 this band called Big Wreck came out with this song The Oaf that to me was modern Zep. I loved that track. It was such a mid-late 90s NHL Arena song. I bought the album and it wasn't my thing. Commercially, that was the last I heard of them. Doing some research I know they put out quite a few albums and toured like crazy and unfortunately their guitarist passed away. But that brief period in 1997, they were super hot.

Another band that may have been bigger than I remember (and correct me if I'm wrong) is Vast. They had that track Touched that seemed like it was in every late 90s montage video. That to me was the end of the MTV alternative movement.

 

[Chili]

Believe Ram Jam's Black Betty is one, if not it's still a great tune...

 

[Puckclektr]

Perhaps we should start listing album one hit wonders? Meaning artists that had several hits from one album but disappeared after that.

Begins and ends with Hootie.

 

[frisco]

Some of these one-hit wonders are more asterisky because being in bands wasn't their main gig. So it's almost like saying Eddie Murphy or Rick Springfield are a one hit wonder (or had "short music careers" lol).

Rick Springfield has had pretty good longevity as a songwriter/performer. Here's a list of his Top 40's (all written by Springfield save IDEFY):

"Speak to the Sky" 14 (1972)
"Jessie's Girl" 1 (1981)
"I've Done Everything for You" 8 (1981)
"Love Is Alright Tonight" 20 (1981)
"Don't Talk to Strangers" 2 (1982)
"What Kind of Fool Am I?" 21 (1982)
"I Get Excited" 32 (1982)
"Affair of the Heart" 9 (1983)
"Human Touch" 18 (1983)
“Souls" 23 (1983)
"Love Somebody" 5 (1984)
"Bop 'Til You Drop" 20 (1984)
"Don't Walk Away" 26 (1984)
"Bruce" 27 (1984)
"Celebrate Youth" 26 (1985)

"State of the Heart" 22 (1985)
"Rock of Life" 22 (1988)

He's still putting out great music (Karma-1999, Shock/Denial/Anger Acceptance-2004, Venus In Overdrive-2008, Songs For The End Of The World-2012, Rocket Science-2016, The Snake King-2018).

My Best-Carey

 

[NyQuil]

Back to one hit wonders, I got really into Led Zeppelin in the mid-90s and wanted to find a contemporary band that sounded a lot like them. I'd say groups like Soundgarden, Chili Peppers, Jane's all took certain elements, but no one played in that style.

So around 1997 this band called Big Wreck came out with this song The Oaf that to me was modern Zep. I loved that track. It was such a mid-late 90s NHL Arena song. I bought the album and it wasn't my thing. Commercially, that was the last I heard of them. Doing some research I know they put out quite a few albums and toured like crazy and unfortunately their guitarist passed away. But that brief period in 1997, they were super hot.

Another band that may have been bigger than I remember (and correct me if I'm wrong) is Vast. They had that track Touched that seemed like it was in every late 90s montage video. That to me was the end of the MTV alternative movement.

When I first heard Greta Van Fleet, it was like Led Zeppelin was reincarnated.

 

[peate]

White bird, by It's a Beautiful Day.

 

[NyQuil]

More Canadian fare:

 

[Desdichado93]

Era had a big hit with "Ameno" about 20 years ago but to my knowledge never had another.

 

[JianYang]

Whoever did Macarena, were they famous for anything else?

How about who let the dogs out by baha men or whatever.

 

[frisco]

How about some 70's/80's:
Chevy Van-Sammy Johns
Emotion-Samantha Sang
Cars-Gary Numan
Pilot Of The Airwaves-Charlie Dore

Heart And Soul-T'Paiu
Obsession-Animotion
Pop Muzik-M

And someone mentioned one album wonders: Mr. Mister-Welcome To The Real World.

My Best-Carey

 

[slates77]

Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
Eiffle 65 - Blue
Sugar Ray - Fly

Sugar Ray should have been bigger with a name like that

 

[Roo Returns]

When I first heard Greta Van Fleet, it was like Led Zeppelin was reincarnated.

I've never seen a band go from being so loved in 2017 to so disliked only a year later in 2018. They really were rushed for their debut LP. I'll be curious if they can recover.

 

[Roo Returns]

White Town - Your Woman. That was a fly song in the late 90s. I know that dude put out lots of other music but that song was everywhere.

 

[DoyleG]

Extreme - More Than Words
Jesus Jones - Right Now
Kris Kross - Jump
Midnight Oil - Beds are Burning
Modern English - I Melt With You
Madness - Our House
EMF - Unbeliveable
Del Amitri - Roll to Me.

Honourable mentions to Tom Cochrane and Limahl for being One Hit Wonders in both band and solo.

 

[peate]

How about this oldie?

 

[Jumptheshark]

How about this oldie?

I would not call Alex Chilton a one hit wonder.



he played with a lot of different bands and wrote songs you may not have know he wrote

I saw him play here in London a short time before his death.

 

[Habsfunk]

Alex Chilton is like Devo in that most people will forever know them for one song (In the Street vs Whip It) but they both have a massive and influential discography.

Side note: Devo is probably the ultimate example of a band that many consider a one-hit-wonder, but that actually released lots of great music, has a big cult following, and is hugely influential.