Best one hit wonders

[hanselthecaretaker]

To qualify as a one hit wonder, the song must have been played a ridiculous amount more than anything else a group has ever put out, even if they had other decent or even ?good? songs.

Spoiler

Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eTeg1txDv8w] by the Crash Test Dummies definitely comes to mind that I keep being reminded of through movies like Dumb and Dumber and more recently from the brilliant credit scene of Tag [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TBl5xdK6oB0] than from ever hearing it played on the radio since the early 90?s. It?s incredibly simple and strange but it has an atmospheric, somber and peculiar tone to it that really hasn?t been duplicated since.

Plus, even Weird Al [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=49Nm097EhLc] had a take on it.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Popular music and I rarely see eye to eye, but for whatever reason, I?ve loved this stupid song for 30 years. Couldn?t name another song by the band if you held a gun to my head.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Popular music and I rarely see eye to eye, but for whatever reason, I?ve loved this stupid song for 30 years. Couldn?t name another song by the band if you held a gun to my head.

Yeah, now that I think of it I don?t know of any other songs they do. It pretty much is unmistakably synonymous with 80?s pop - especially that intro and hook -and it put a big grin on my face when I heard it playing on a radio in MGSV while I snuck through a base in the dead of night. Plus it?s another one that is used to great effect in more contemporary works like The Leftovers and Deadpool 2 of all movies.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I always liked this one. Helps that it's a simple but fun song to play.

 

[CaitSeith]

I know about a Youtuber (Todd In The Shadows) who has a series specifically dedicated to that ("Take On Me" was the pilot), so I'm gonna cheat with... Scatman! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy8kmNEo1i8]

Todd In The Shadows video... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9rUy0lvWxE]

OK, one legit I remember [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVikZ8Oe_XA&t=24]

 

[Baffle]

[youtube="JqnO40AGRSc"}

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Since my first choice was already taken (love "Take on Me", I also recommend the acoustic version), so here's another good choice:

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

I know about a Youtuber (Todd In The Shadows) who has a series specifically dedicated to that ("Take On Me" was the pilot), so I'm gonna cheat with... Scatman!

Spoiler: Todd In The Shadows video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9rUy0lvWxE

OK, one legit I remember

You know, I'm pretty sure calling Falco a One Hit Wonder is a jailable offense in most German speaking countries.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Popular music and I rarely see eye to eye, but for whatever reason, I?ve loved this stupid song for 30 years. Couldn?t name another song by the band if you held a gun to my head.

They also did this one;

Whilst am harassing you, there was another track you mentioned a whiles ago that had too much memory attached, I think, it was the original of this; was wondering if a distinct enough cover version makes it any easier to appreciate the song without as much emotional trickery.

-

For own examples;
^one of the primer examples of getting their album only to find out all their other tracks are basically sound like one track. And is shit.^

I've no idea if these were ever one hit wonders, or even hits. But theys the only ones I remember standing alone.

 

[Xprimentyl]

SNIP

Whilst am harassing you, there was another track you mentioned a whiles ago that had too much memory attached, I think, it was the original of this; was wondering if a distinct enough cover version makes it any easier to appreciate the song without as much emotional trickery.

Oh, you bastard, Lol. Actually that cover itself does NOT stir up the old emotions, but it does bring the original to mind and sad face. But I like it. On topic, though, the original ?Teardrop? is by Massive Attack and they are far from one-hit-wonders. They?re actually quite popular, but the genres they dabble in tend to not be very main-streamy.

 

[Agema]

Popular music and I rarely see eye to eye, but for whatever reason, I?ve loved this stupid song for 30 years. Couldn?t name another song by the band if you held a gun to my head.

Oh lordy. It might be country dependent as a band may have lots of hits in one country and barely any in another, but A-ha had a very successful career generally. "The Sun Always Shines on TV" would be the most obvious other hit; "The Living Daylights" (theme tune to the James Bond movie) is another well known one.

In a similar way many people might mention something like "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell and it's by far their most famous song, but Soft Cell had at least 3 top ten hits (UK). People might really struggle to name them in comparison (I can think of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye") but I don't think any band that has more than one big hit can truly be called a one hit wonder, even if one is much better known than the others.

 

[TimeLord]

Since my first choice was already taken (love "Take on Me", I also recommend the acoustic version), so here's another good choice:

Ahh 90s music videos. I wish we could go back to those days of weirdness.

 

[CaitSeith]

You know, I'm pretty sure calling Falco a One Hit Wonder is a jailable offense in most German speaking countries.

Just don't tell on me. I'm just an average man, and I already feel like somebody's watching me [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY]

 

[Catfood220]

I submit this, Bran Van 3000 may have released other songs, but this is the one that always gets played. The album, Glee, that this came from and the follow up, Discosis, are both really good.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Now of course they are not a one hit wonder, These guys were actually pretty cool and I was able to meet them, but at one time here locally this song would be playing every time I turned on the car radio:

IS anyone else having trouble with Youtube videos displaying atm? They were working when I opened the thread and then nodda after I posted. :O

Edit: added Link to video since video embedding isn't working:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04F4xlWSFh0
Drowning Pool - Bodies

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Need to be clear on the perimeters. One of my favorite bands of all time is Jamiroquai. I learned from them by the 'One Hit Wonder' Virtual Insanity [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkIs37a2JE].


As an American, this blew my mind away. Canned Heat [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE4VlA_9OrI] was in "Napoleon Dynamite", but the group was really known for Virtual Insanity more than anything else, and forgotten about by the average citizen. However, I've always been following them, and they were always doing things in the UK. The Return of the Space Cowboy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI7I1L9i6Dw] is a club stable. Even more so the Remix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9v-DXcmE-o].

Also, Jay Kay looks like Electronic Music Jesus. And I've always dug that.

So, are they an One Hit Wonder?

Now of course they are not a one hit wonder, These guys were actually pretty cool and I was able to meet them, but at one time here locally this song would be playing every time I turned on the car radio:

IS anyone else having trouble with Youtube videos displaying atm? They were working when I opened the thread and then nodda after I posted. :O

Was about to respond. I see nothing that any of you people posted in this.

 

[EvilRoy]

Need to be clear on the perimeters. One of my favorite bands of all time is Jamiroquai. I learned from them by the 'One Hit Wonder' Virtual Insanity [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkIs37a2JE].


As an American, this blew my mind away. Canned Heat [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE4VlA_9OrI] was in "Napoleon Dynamite", but the group was really known for Virtual Insanity more than anything else, and forgotten about by the average citizen. However, I've always been following them, and they were always doing things in the UK. The Return of the Space Cowboy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI7I1L9i6Dw] is a club stable. Even more so the Remix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9v-DXcmE-o].

Also, Jay Kay looks like Electronic Music Jesus. And I've always dug that.

So, are they an One Hit Wonder?

I think the connectivity of the world and the nature of the radio has made this a pretty hard question. I really want to call Florence + the Machine [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU] a one hit wonder group, but the fact is I know for sure they've made other stuff and are generally liked, its just that the radio only ever played the one song of theirs so I know nothing else of them.

Its easier to talk about the classics in terms of one hit wonderism just because if it wasn't on the radio in as late as the early 90's chances are you had no opportunity to hear them or their other stuff without seeking it out, and at times it was damn hard to even do the seeking because that devil music might not get stocked at the one record shop you had access to. Right now I'm listening to all of what Florence has done - I've never heard most of it and I never would if I didn't have the internet to find it. The fact that she is alive and producing is evidence enough that people like her and give her money, but I dunno if enough do for Dog Days to be more than a one hit wonder.

Just now I was digging up old bands for other examples and I found out Fastball [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m9Woo6UwoI] still exists and is slated to release an album this year in spite of the fact that I've never heard a single other thing they made and assumed they got desk jobs in like 2005. And Wolfmother [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySjXFjLTagQ] is working on an album too! This is madness. And information that would never have been found by me even a decade or two ago.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Oh, you bastard, Lol. Actually that cover itself does NOT stir up the old emotions, but it does bring the original to mind and sad face. But I like it. On topic, though, the original "Teardrop" is by Massive Attack and they are far from one-hit-wonders. They're actually quite popular, but the genres they dabble in tend to not be very main-streamy.

Oh for sure, Massive Attack wasn't meant to be intended as part of the one hit wonders here (there's like 2 thirds of their discography on this phone at mo as dark trip hop is one of the more effective audio-induced painkillers these days). Kinda just remembered a past thread out of the blue while typing, probably should've brought it up back then but am annoyingly weird with communication at the best of times.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

We are going to have to start naming these things, because a few of us can not see videos at all.

Oh, you bastard, Lol. Actually that cover itself does NOT stir up the old emotions, but it does bring the original to mind and sad face. But I like it. On topic, though, the original "Teardrop" is by Massive Attack and they are far from one-hit-wonders. They're actually quite popular, but the genres they dabble in tend to not be very main-streamy.

Oh for sure, Massive Attack wasn't meant to be intended as part of the one hit wonders here (there's like 2 thirds of their discography on this phone at mo as dark trip hop is one of the more effective audio-induced painkillers these days). Kinda just remembered a past thread out of the blue while typing, probably should've brought it up back then but am annoyingly weird with communication at the best of times.

People mentioned Massive Attack. I've been into them since I was a moody teenager trying to figure out how I could best make a outfit that would blend in Hackers [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/], Snatch [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208092/], and Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines [https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/2600/], all the while I was working out to get Jacked and practicing Martial Arts.

... I was complicated.

Anyway, listen to Paradise Circus [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEgX64n3T7g]. I know people know it from Luther, but it's just wonderful on its own.

Now, what do you people know about Thievery Corporation [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TgGb9o2dV0]?

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Best one I can think of is also one of the most heartrending covers I've heard of this song. By Jeff Buckley, I give you "Hallelujah".