timschochet
Footballguy
100. The Hustle (Van McCoy)
99. Tubthumping (Chumbawamba)
98. The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia (Vicky Lawrence)
97. Lovin’ You (Minnie Riperton)
96. Black Velvet (Alannah Myles)
95. She's So High (Tal Bachman)
94. Harden My Heart (Quarterflash)
93. Good (Better Than Ezra)
92. 99 Luftballoons (Nena)
91. Turn the Beat Around (Vicki Sue Robinson)
90. Cars (Gary Numan)
89. Maniac (Michael Sembello)
88. The Freshmen (The Verve Pipe)
87. Mickey (Toni Basil)
86. Funkytown (Lipps, Inc.)
85. Bad Day (Daniel Powter)
84. Seasons In the Sun (Terry Jacks)
83. Smokin’ In the Boys Room (Brownsville Station)
82. Magic (Pilot)
81. I Love the Nightlife (Alicia Bridges)
80. You Light Up My Life (Debby Boone)
79. Der Kommissar (After the Fire)
78. In the Summertime (Mungo Jerry)
77. I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (The New Seekers)
76. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) (Rupert Holmes)
75. Mambo No. 5 (Lou Bega)
74. The Safety Dance (Men Without Hats)
73. Stacy’s Mom (Fountains of Wayne)
72. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm (Crash Test Dummies)
71. Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes)
70. In a Big Country (Big Country)
69. Kiss You All Over (Exile)
68. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (Edison Lighthouse)
67. Walking on Sunshine (Katrina & the Waves)
66. My Maria (B. W. Stevenson)
65. Kung Fu Fighting (Carl Douglas)
64. I Know What Boys Like (The Waitresses)
63. Life In a Northern Town (The Dream Academy)
62. Pass the Dutchie (Musical Youth)
61. One Tin Soldier (Coven)
60. Magnet and Steel (Walter Egan)
59.Thunder Island (Jay Ferguson)
58. Sad Eyes (Robert John)
57. Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
56. Take On Me (A-ha)
55. Sugar Sugar (The Archies)
54. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens)
53. Mr. Big Stuff (Jean Knight)
52. Lovefool (The Cardigans)
51. Torn (Natalie Imbrugria)
50. Major Tom (Peter Schilling)
49. Emotion (Samantha Sang)
48. Mexican Radio (Wall of Voodoo)
47. Voices Carry (Til Tuesday)
46. Take a Letter, Maria (RB Greaves)
45. These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ (Nancy Sinatra)
44. The Boy From New York City (The Ad Libs)
43. Under the Milky Way (The Church)
42. Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation)
41. Venus (Shocking Blue)
40. Spirit In the Sky (Norman Greenbaum)
39. You Were On My Mind (We Five)
38. Undercover Angel (Alan O’Day)
37. How Bizarre (OMC)
36. Something In the Air (Thunderclap Newman)
35. One Toke Over the Line (Brewer and Shipley)
34. But It’s Alright (JJ Jackson)
33. Eve of Destruction (Barry Maguire)
32. Joey (Concrete Blonde)
31. I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)
30. Disco Inferno (The Trammps)
29. I Touch Myself (The Divinyls)
28. Walk Away Renee (The Left Banke)
27. When a Man Loves a Woman (Percy Sledge)
26. What’s Up? (4 Non Blondes)
25. Get Together (The Youngbloods)
24. Sweet Soul Music (Arthur Conley)
23. Dancing in the Moonlight (King Harvest)
22. 867-5309/Jenny (Tommy Tutone)
21. My Sharona (The Knack)
20. Amie (Pure Prairie League)
19. You Gotta Be (Des’ree)
18. I’d Love to Change the World (Ten Years After)
17. Come On Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners)
16. Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band)
15. I’ve Never Been to Me (Charlene)
14. Do You Love Me (The Contours)
13. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (The Proclaimers)
12. Rescue Me (Fontella Bass)
11. O-o-h Child (The Five Stairsteps)
10. Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles)
9. Turning Japanese (The Vapors)
8. All Right Now (Free)
7. I Melt With You (Modern English)
6. Hot Child In the City (Nick Gilder)
5. Walking In Memphis (Marc Cohn)
4. Drift Away (Dobie Gray)
3. Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) (Looking Glass)
2. A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum)
1. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry)
OK this idea for a countdown of songs was shamelessly stolen from @krista4 and her brilliant Beatles countdown thread. I can’t hope to match her writing skills, humor, or good taste in selections, but I will do my best and hopefully we can get a discussion going. Anyhow I need a break from the dreadful political discussions going on these days. (Anybody who is concerned that this thread might detract from the existing classic album thread: have no fear! that thread will continue with a new album every Tuesday and Thursday.)
Everytime there is a discussion about one hit wonders, people get bogged down in definitions. The general rule is it’s a song that appears in the Billboard top 40 by an artist who never has another song in the top 40. But there are lots of problems with this: for instance, such a definition would include “Touch of Grey” by the Grateful Dead, their only top 40 hit. It will also NOT include several of the songs I have chosen for this list, because some of the artists did manage to get another song on the top 40, except that nobody remembers it, and other songs here never made the top 40 at all but everybody remembers them due to radio exposure or some other means.
My only simple, inconsistent rule is: if a song is the only one the artist is remembered for, and/or if the song is far more famous than the artist who performed it, it’s eligible. As I mentioned, this rule is inconsistent, and there is no doubt I will get some arguments as this list counts down. I will win those arguments.
As with Krista’s Beatles list, my own list is highly subjective, based largely on personal taste. No, screw that. I’m sick of disclaimers. This list is an objective list of the greatest one hit wonder songs of all time. If you disagree your taste is beneath mine. There I said it.
99. Tubthumping (Chumbawamba)
98. The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia (Vicky Lawrence)
97. Lovin’ You (Minnie Riperton)
96. Black Velvet (Alannah Myles)
95. She's So High (Tal Bachman)
94. Harden My Heart (Quarterflash)
93. Good (Better Than Ezra)
92. 99 Luftballoons (Nena)
91. Turn the Beat Around (Vicki Sue Robinson)
90. Cars (Gary Numan)
89. Maniac (Michael Sembello)
88. The Freshmen (The Verve Pipe)
87. Mickey (Toni Basil)
86. Funkytown (Lipps, Inc.)
85. Bad Day (Daniel Powter)
84. Seasons In the Sun (Terry Jacks)
83. Smokin’ In the Boys Room (Brownsville Station)
82. Magic (Pilot)
81. I Love the Nightlife (Alicia Bridges)
80. You Light Up My Life (Debby Boone)
79. Der Kommissar (After the Fire)
78. In the Summertime (Mungo Jerry)
77. I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (The New Seekers)
76. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) (Rupert Holmes)
75. Mambo No. 5 (Lou Bega)
74. The Safety Dance (Men Without Hats)
73. Stacy’s Mom (Fountains of Wayne)
72. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm (Crash Test Dummies)
71. Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes)
70. In a Big Country (Big Country)
69. Kiss You All Over (Exile)
68. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (Edison Lighthouse)
67. Walking on Sunshine (Katrina & the Waves)
66. My Maria (B. W. Stevenson)
65. Kung Fu Fighting (Carl Douglas)
64. I Know What Boys Like (The Waitresses)
63. Life In a Northern Town (The Dream Academy)
62. Pass the Dutchie (Musical Youth)
61. One Tin Soldier (Coven)
60. Magnet and Steel (Walter Egan)
59.Thunder Island (Jay Ferguson)
58. Sad Eyes (Robert John)
57. Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
56. Take On Me (A-ha)
55. Sugar Sugar (The Archies)
54. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens)
53. Mr. Big Stuff (Jean Knight)
52. Lovefool (The Cardigans)
51. Torn (Natalie Imbrugria)
50. Major Tom (Peter Schilling)
49. Emotion (Samantha Sang)
48. Mexican Radio (Wall of Voodoo)
47. Voices Carry (Til Tuesday)
46. Take a Letter, Maria (RB Greaves)
45. These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ (Nancy Sinatra)
44. The Boy From New York City (The Ad Libs)
43. Under the Milky Way (The Church)
42. Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation)
41. Venus (Shocking Blue)
40. Spirit In the Sky (Norman Greenbaum)
39. You Were On My Mind (We Five)
38. Undercover Angel (Alan O’Day)
37. How Bizarre (OMC)
36. Something In the Air (Thunderclap Newman)
35. One Toke Over the Line (Brewer and Shipley)
34. But It’s Alright (JJ Jackson)
33. Eve of Destruction (Barry Maguire)
32. Joey (Concrete Blonde)
31. I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)
30. Disco Inferno (The Trammps)
29. I Touch Myself (The Divinyls)
28. Walk Away Renee (The Left Banke)
27. When a Man Loves a Woman (Percy Sledge)
26. What’s Up? (4 Non Blondes)
25. Get Together (The Youngbloods)
24. Sweet Soul Music (Arthur Conley)
23. Dancing in the Moonlight (King Harvest)
22. 867-5309/Jenny (Tommy Tutone)
21. My Sharona (The Knack)
20. Amie (Pure Prairie League)
19. You Gotta Be (Des’ree)
18. I’d Love to Change the World (Ten Years After)
17. Come On Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners)
16. Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band)
15. I’ve Never Been to Me (Charlene)
14. Do You Love Me (The Contours)
13. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (The Proclaimers)
12. Rescue Me (Fontella Bass)
11. O-o-h Child (The Five Stairsteps)
10. Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles)
9. Turning Japanese (The Vapors)
8. All Right Now (Free)
7. I Melt With You (Modern English)
6. Hot Child In the City (Nick Gilder)
5. Walking In Memphis (Marc Cohn)
4. Drift Away (Dobie Gray)
3. Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) (Looking Glass)
2. A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum)
1. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry)
OK this idea for a countdown of songs was shamelessly stolen from @krista4 and her brilliant Beatles countdown thread. I can’t hope to match her writing skills, humor, or good taste in selections, but I will do my best and hopefully we can get a discussion going. Anyhow I need a break from the dreadful political discussions going on these days. (Anybody who is concerned that this thread might detract from the existing classic album thread: have no fear! that thread will continue with a new album every Tuesday and Thursday.)
Everytime there is a discussion about one hit wonders, people get bogged down in definitions. The general rule is it’s a song that appears in the Billboard top 40 by an artist who never has another song in the top 40. But there are lots of problems with this: for instance, such a definition would include “Touch of Grey” by the Grateful Dead, their only top 40 hit. It will also NOT include several of the songs I have chosen for this list, because some of the artists did manage to get another song on the top 40, except that nobody remembers it, and other songs here never made the top 40 at all but everybody remembers them due to radio exposure or some other means.
My only simple, inconsistent rule is: if a song is the only one the artist is remembered for, and/or if the song is far more famous than the artist who performed it, it’s eligible. As I mentioned, this rule is inconsistent, and there is no doubt I will get some arguments as this list counts down. I will win those arguments.
As with Krista’s Beatles list, my own list is highly subjective, based largely on personal taste. No, screw that. I’m sick of disclaimers. This list is an objective list of the greatest one hit wonder songs of all time. If you disagree your taste is beneath mine. There I said it.
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