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My countdown list of one hit wonders- 1. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry) (3 Viewers)

Doug B said:
I know of a person who came very close to pulling this off. Wasn’t the frontman, but was in a OHW band before striking out with his own OHW.

Hint: Both OHWs hit #1 in the US (Billboard Hot 100 Singles).

Hint 2: The two OHWs were released in different decades, five years apart.

EDIT: Bah, never mind. This guy had three Top 20 hit singles in the US - but only one hit #1. The other two never get airplay and are totally forgotten.
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Not who you mean, but Tony Burrows had 1hw's as lead singer for Edison Lighthouse, White Plains, The Pipkins, Brotherhood of Man and The First Class...and at least 3 of those were on the charts at the same time.

 
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timschochet said:
May as well get started: 

100. “The Hustle” - Van McCoy & the Disco City Symphony (1975) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeUfDTn5huM

The Hustle was a popular dance set of moves in Manhattan night spots  before the song was written; Van McCoy saw it and decided to write a tune for it on piano, adding a disco beat with the help of the legendary drummer Steve Gadd.
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Gadd is the man. His work on Steely Dan's "Aja" is about as good as it gets.

 
97. Lovin’ You- Minnie Riperton (1974) 

Minnie, the mother of SNL’s Maya Rudolph, was a backup singer to a bunch of R&B superstars before Stevie Wonder produced a solo album that allowed the public to hear her extraordinary vocal talents. Unfortunately she developed breast cancer soon afterwards, and died before what might have been a very promising career. 

This song might have been much higher on my list if it wasn’t for the chirping birds in the background, which I find tremendously annoying. 

 
timschochet said:
97. Lovin’ You- Minnie Riperton (1974) 

Minnie, the mother of SNL’s Maya Rudolph, was a backup singer to a bunch of R&B superstars before Stevie Wonder produced a solo album that allowed the public to hear her extraordinary vocal talents. Unfortunately she developed breast cancer soon afterwards, and died before what might have been a very promising career. 

This song might have been much higher on my list if it wasn’t for the chirping birds in the background, which I find tremendously annoying. 
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Really like this song. Minnie's vocal range was incredible.

 
:blackdot:    

Question.  Is the "top" song your favorite song that you actually like or the most clearly defined as a one hit wonder.

For instance, Informer by Snow is a stupid song my book but it's the might be in my top 10 of one hit wonder of all time.

 
Doug B said:
I know of a person who came very close to pulling this off. Wasn’t the frontman, but was in a OHW band before striking out with his own OHW.

Hint: Both OHWs hit #1 in the US (Billboard Hot 100 Singles).

Hint 2: The two OHWs were released in different decades, five years apart.

EDIT: Bah, never mind. This guy had three Top 20 hit singles in the US - but only one hit #1. The other two never get airplay and are totally forgotten.
Click to expand...
Racking my brain on this, Doug, even if not a true OHW situation. Can you give another clue without giving it away?

 
Arizona Ron said:
:blackdot:    

Question.  Is the "top" song your favorite song that you actually like or the most clearly defined as a one hit wonder.

For instance, Informer by Snow is a stupid song my book but it's the might be in my top 10 of one hit wonder of all time.
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I very much like every song on my list. As we move forward, you can replace “like” with “love”. All of the top ten songs are among my favorite songs of all time. 

There are some one hit wonders considered “classic” which I have excluded simply because I don’t like them. I already mentioned one: “Achy Breaky Heart”. There will be more. 

 
Mister CIA said:
Hypothetical:  Could one guy make this list twice?  Say he fronted a band well-known as a one -hit wonder, and then outdid himself as a solo one-hit wonder artist?
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Gerry Rafferty sprang to mind, but he had two pretty big songs as a solo artist.

 
zamboni said:
timschochet said:
May as well get started: 

100. “The Hustle” - Van McCoy & the Disco City Symphony (1975) 

... Van McCoy saw it and decided to write a tune for it on piano, adding a disco beat with the help of the legendary drummer Steve Gadd.
Click to expand...
Gadd is the man. His work on Steely Dan's "Aja" is about as good as it gets.
Click to expand...
Gadd's classic snare work also kicks off and punctuates Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover".

 
Mister CIA said:
Hypothetical:  Could one guy make this list twice?  Say he fronted a band well-known as a one -hit wonder, and then outdid himself as a solo one-hit wonder artist?

Code: 
 
Click to expand...
My guess:

Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe

Tom Cochran - Life is a Highway

 
Doug B said:
I know of a person who came very close to pulling this off. Wasn’t the frontman, but was in a OHW band before striking out with his own OHW.

Hint: Both OHWs hit #1 in the US (Billboard Hot 100 Singles).

Hint 2: The two OHWs were released in different decades, five years apart.

EDIT: Bah, never mind. This guy had three Top 20 hit singles in the US - but only one hit #1. The other two never get airplay and are totally forgotten.
Click to expand...
who were you thinking about?

 
zamboni said:
Racking my brain on this, Doug, even if not a true OHW situation. Can you give another clue without giving it away?
Click to expand...
Let's see ...

Hint 3: The guy co-wrote the first OWH with the band, and wrote his solo OWH by himself.

Hint 4: The band who sang the first OWH ... they were really a vocal group with session players behind them. The guy in question sang backup to another singer on the first OWH.

Hint 5: For a time, while the first OWH was a hit, the identities of the vocal group and backing players were not made public. There are analogies (and big differences) to what happened with Milli Vanilli 20 years later, except that there was no scandal about it.

 
Shankopotamus said:
Tom Cochrane?  Lunatic Fringe (Red Rider) and Life is a Highway.  
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Great call. Cochrane had a minor hit after Life is a Highway ... so minor that I can't remember the title without looking it up. It was a cover song, I believe.

But by tim's ground rule (which I agree with) ... Tom Cochrane solo is still a OHW because the second 'hit' has pretty much been buried.

EDIT: No, Cochrane's second single was not a cover. Not only that, it didn't crack the Hot 100 (made another BB chart, though). Doing this purely from memory is clearly going to get me in trouble :(  

EDIT 2: Man, did y'all know "Lunatic Fringe" never made the US Hot 100 either? It placed high on the BB Rock Tracks chart (think that's what it was called?), though ... and of course, MTV kept it alive.

 
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Doug B said:
Let's see ...

Hint 3: The guy co-wrote the first OWH with the band, and wrote his solo OWH by himself.

Hint 4: The band who sang the first OWH ... they were really a vocal group with session players behind them. The guy in question sang backup to another singer on the first OWH.

Hint 5: For a time, while the first OWH was a hit, the identities of the vocal group and backing players were not made public. There are analogies (and big differences) to what happened with Milli Vanilli 20 years later, except that there was no scandal about it.
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Hmm - have to give this one some thought. Will probably kick myself for not knowing it off the bat.

 
Doug B said:
Hint 6: On the later, solo OWH (remember, that hit #1 in the US) ... the singer sounds A LOT like Neil Diamond.
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My first thought awhile back was Ides of March ("Vehicle") with Jim Peterik, who was later with Survivor, but I know that's not it.

 
Doug B said:
But by tim's ground rule (which I agree with) ... Tom Cochrane solo is still a OHW because the second 'hit' has pretty much been buried.

EDIT 2: Man, did y'all know "Lunatic Fringe" never made the US Hot 100 either? It placed high on the BB Rock Tracks chart (think that's what it was called?), though ... and of course, MTV kept it alive.
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"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" 

I think by the OPs definition, Lunatic Fringe also qualifies, even if it wasn't in the BB Hot 100 (which in itself is a terrible standard as many songs don't qualify for that chart).

But it definitely isn't the answer to your trivia.  Which I have thought about and have drawn a complete blank.

 
timschochet said:
97. Lovin’ You- Minnie Riperton (1974) 

Minnie, the mother of SNL’s Maya Rudolph, was a backup singer to a bunch of R&B superstars before Stevie Wonder produced a solo album that allowed the public to hear her extraordinary vocal talents. Unfortunately she developed breast cancer soon afterwards, and died before what might have been a very promising career. 

This song might have been much higher on my list if it wasn’t for the chirping birds in the background, which I find tremendously annoying. 
Click to expand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fo-qmliVAI

 
96. “Black Velvet”- Alannah Myles 1989

This song is about the King, Elvis Presley. “Black Velvet” refers to the stuff Elvis used in his hair, but also to the fact that you can find images of Elvis on black velvet canvasses all over this country, if you’re so inclined. 

Alannah was a Canadian singer who never reached anywhere close to this level of success before or since. But in her moment of glory she delivers a nice soft rock performance as she describes a new religion. If you please. 

 
timschochet said:
96. “Black Velvet”- Alannah Myles 1989

This song is about the King, Elvis Presley. “Black Velvet” refers to the stuff Elvis used in his hair, but also to the fact that you can find images of Elvis on black velvet canvasses all over this country, if you’re so inclined. 

Alannah was a Canadian singer who never reached anywhere close to this level of success before or since. But in her moment of glory she delivers a nice soft rock performance as she describes a new religion. If you please. 
Click to expand...
Totally had the hots for her when she hit the scene. She had another top 40 hit "Love Is" from the same debut album, but definitely was not as memorable.

 
timschochet said:
96. “Black Velvet”- Alannah Myles 1989

This song is about the King, Elvis Presley. “Black Velvet” refers to the stuff Elvis used in his hair, but also to the fact that you can find images of Elvis on black velvet canvasses all over this country, if you’re so inclined. 

Alannah was a Canadian singer who never reached anywhere close to this level of success before or since. But in her moment of glory she delivers a nice soft rock performance as she describes a new religion. If you please. 
Click to expand...
wow, I'm a little surprised this was a 1989/1990 song. That's about a decade earlier than I would have guessed.

 
zamboni said:
Totally had the hots for her when she hit the scene. She had another top 40 hit "Love Is" from the same debut album, but definitely was not as memorable.
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Actually per wiki she had 4 top 40 hits from that album, but nobody remembers any of them, so this is what I meant in my OP. I feel very comfortable including her in this category. 

 
timschochet said:
Actually per wiki she had 4 top 40 hits from that album, but nobody remembers any of them, so this is what I meant in my OP. I feel very comfortable including her in this category. 
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Right - in Canada though. I agree she qualifies for the purpose of a one hit wonder.

 
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apalmer said:
How in the world could the Monkees be a one hit wonder?
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They wouldn't obviously. Just was wondering if one of the Monkees was also affiliated with the Archies.  I'm just grasping for straws. 

 
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