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

[Uruk-Hai]

Et tu?

Is that Latin for "I had Penny Lane at #11"?

 

[simey]

Up next: This legendary soul artist, who died in 2014, was quite famous and well respected; so much so that in recent years he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yet, he is really only remembered for one song. 

I knew 12 songs by Percy Sledge when I was in elementary school.

 

[Joe Summer]

Chris Gaines FTW!!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I knew 12 songs by Percy Sledge when I was in elementary school.

"Take Time To Know Her" gets played more now than when it was a hit.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I actively hate this song by 4 Non Blondes. The way she sings is so freaking awful. Those yelpy falsettos are like torture devices. 

 

[The General]

26. “What’s Up?”- 4 Non Blondes 1992

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc

I love this song and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love the melody, I love the anthemic chorus, I love when she sings about revolution, I love the whole damn thing. So there, no apologies. I know that some of you gag on this and Joey. Oh well. Personally I can’t get enough. 

This song needs to be burned, then buried, then dug up to be reburned, placed into a VW that is then compacted, and dropped into the sea.

 

[Osaurus]

Up next: several people attempted to score a hit with this song, including the Kingston Trio, David Crosby, We Five, and Jefferson Airplane, before this unknown band from Greenwich Village turned it into arguably the greatest hippie anthem of all time. 

So young.  Is that Freedom Rock?  Bloody hell.

 

[krista4]

This song needs to be burned, then buried, then dug up to be reburned, placed into a VW that is then compacted, and dropped into the sea.

You seem to like it better than I do.  

 

[ZenoRazon]

delete

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Et tu?

Et al! 

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

31. “I Can See Clearly Now”- Johnny Nash (1971) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FscIgtDJFXg

I can’t seem to confirm it anywhere but I suspect this is the first time reggae (even this very pop form of it) hit the American charts. 

There's always "Red Red Wine".

 

[Joe Summer]

Ghost Rider said:

I actively hate this song by 4 Non Blondes. The way she sings is so freaking awful. Those yelpy falsettos are like torture devices.

I think it's funny that they ripped off the melody from "Don't Worry Be Happy", which itself is another awful one-hit wonder.

 

[timschochet]

Glad you guys love that song as much as I do. Lol

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I actively hate this song by 4 Non Blondes. The way she sings is so freaking awful. Those yelpy falsettos are like torture devices. 

I think those shoes serve an orthopedic function.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Glad you guys love that song as much as I do. Lol

I'll man up... 

... I do like What's Up. 

But, you are on your own when fisticuffs fly. 

 

[timschochet]

25. “Get Together”- The Youngbloods (1967) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBJYxPN8qIA

I think that perhaps only The Guess Who’s “Share the Land” matches this song In encapsulating the late 60s “let’s all love each other” hippie spirit. As easy as it is to make fun of this, we could use a little more of it now. A timeless classic. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I actively hate this song by 4 Non Blondes. The way she sings is so freaking awful. Those yelpy falsettos are like torture devices. 

Of all the songs so far it is the worst.  And that is saying something.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

26. “What’s Up?”- 4 Non Blondes 1992

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc

I love this song and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love the melody, I love the anthemic chorus, I love when she sings about revolution, I love the whole damn thing. So there, no apologies. I know that some of you gag on this and Joey. Oh well. Personally I can’t get enough. 

Was one of the first CDs I owned.  I liked it a lot.  Still like the tune Drifting

 

[timschochet]

Up next: Shining a spotlight on the great soul singers of the 1960s. 

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

25. “Get Together”- The Youngbloods (1967) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBJYxPN8qIA

I think that perhaps only The Guess Who’s “Share the Land” matches this song In encapsulating the late 60s “let’s all love each other” hippie spirit. As easy as it is to make fun of this, we could use a little more of it now. A timeless classic. 

So not "Age of Aquarius"?

And I'd better not end up with this bland song stuck in my head.  It so oatmeal.

 

[badmojo1006]

26. “What’s Up?”- 4 Non Blondes 1992

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc

I love this song and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love the melody, I love the anthemic chorus, I love when she sings about revolution, I love the whole damn thing. So there, no apologies. I know that some of you gag on this and Joey. Oh well. Personally I can’t get enough. 

Love it

Sense8!

 

[timschochet]

So not "Age of Aquarius"?

5D  had a lot of hits, including “Up Up and Away”. Besides they took it from the Broadway show and for me that doesn’t count somehow. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Up next: Shining a spotlight on the great soul singers of the 1960s. 

Tread lightly here

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

So not "Age of Aquarius"?

And I'd better not end up with this bland song stuck in my head.  It so oatmeal.

It was the 60s, Mrs. R... 

...granola! 

Oatmeal...pfah!

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

52. “Lovefool”- The Cardigans (1996) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NI6aOFI7hms

Really a catchy tune. It sticks with you (not in a bad way.) That singer is amazingly beautiful too. (I’m allowed to say that right?) 

How are Erase and Rewind and My Favourite Game not relevant here?  

 

[timschochet]

How are Erase and Rewind and My Favourite Game not relevant here?  

Neither charted in the USA. 

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Neither charted in the USA. 

Whoa.  E&R was in super heavy rotation on my station of choice back then.  Had no idea.  Love that song.

 

[Anarchy99]

Three quarters of the way done and heading down the stretch, here's the updated list of folks that did not have only one Billboard Top 40 song (they had more than or less than 1).

Kim Carnes - 11
The Tokens - 5
Nancy Sinatra - 5
Johnny Nash - 5
Percy Sledge - 5
The Archies - 4
Pure Prairie League - 4
Quarterflash - 3
The New Seekers - 3
Rupert Holmes - 3
Katrina & The Waves - 3
The Dream Academy 3
Robert John - 3
The Trammps - 3
Arthur Conley - 3
The Knack - 3
Fontella Bass - 3
Dobie Gray - 3
Procol Harum - 3
Alannah Myles - 2
Tal Bachman - 2
Michael Sembello - 2
Brownsville Station - 2
Men Without Hats - 2
Jay Ferguson - 2
The Cardigans - 2
Exile - 2
A-Ha - 2
'Til Tuesday - 2
R.B. Greaves - 2
Hues Corporation - 2
We Five - 2
The Left Banke - 2
The Lefte Banke - 2
Tommy Tutone - 2
Looking Glass - 2
The Waitresses - 0
Natalie Imbruglia - 0
Wall Of Voodoo - 0
Modern English - 0

 

[[scooter]]

25. “Get Together”- The Youngbloods (1967) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBJYxPN8qIA

I think that perhaps only The Guess Who’s “Share the Land” matches this song In encapsulating the late 60s “let’s all love each other” hippie spirit. As easy as it is to make fun of this, we could use a little more of it now. A timeless classic. 

Okay, here's a weird "twilight zone" moment: The Youngbloods' only hit just happens to be a version of a second hit by one of the other artists in your countdown (it hit #31 for We Five in 1965).

Anyway, I thought that was odd. Carry on.

 

[timschochet]

Three quarters of the way done and heading down the stretch, here's the updated list of folks that did not have only one Billboard Top 40 song (they had more than or less than 1).

Kim Carnes - 11
The Tokens - 5
Nancy Sinatra - 5
Johnny Nash - 5
Percy Sledge - 5
The Archies - 4
Quarterflash - 3
The New Seekers - 3
Rupert Holmes - 3
Katrina & The Waves - 3
The Dream Academy 3
Robert John - 3
The Trammps - 3
Alannah Myles - 2
Tal Bachman - 2
Michael Sembello - 2
Brownsville Station - 2
Men Without Hats - 2
Jay Ferguson - 2
The Cardigans - 2
Exile - 2
A-Ha - 2
'Til Tuesday - 2
R.B. Greaves - 2
Hues Corporation - 2
We Five - 2
The Left Banke - 2
The Lefte Banke - 2
The Waitresses - 0
Natalie Imbruglia - 0
Wall Of Voodoo - 0

I should have stuck with Night Ranger. Gave up too easily. 

 

[identikit]

Tom Cochrane

 

[Tin Cup]

Tom Cochrane

Quite a few possibilities still out there.  Hoping for a surprise appearance by Suzi Quatro before all is said and done although not entirely sure if she meets the byzantine eligibility rules.

 

[timschochet]

24. “Sweet Soul Music”- Arthur Conley (1967) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3JOzcpBds

Do you like good music? 

Such a great song, and a soul classic. Co-written by Arthur Conley and Otis Redding, with part of the melody adapted from a previous song by Sam Cooke. 

Conley lived a sad life. He was gay, discovered, and ostracized for it among the artists he most admired. He fled to Europe and changed his name. 

 

[timschochet]

Up next: 4 Americans living in Paris get together with some French musicians, form a band, and put out a hit single. 

 

[rockaction]

24. “Sweet Soul Music”- Arthur Conley (1967) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3JOzcpBds

Do you like good music? 

Such a great song, and a soul classic. Co-written by Arthur Conley and Otis Redding, with part of the melody adapted from a previous song by Sam Cooke. 

Conley lived a sad life. He was gay, discovered, and ostracized for it among the artists he most admired. He fled to Europe and changed his name. 

One of my favorite songs ever. That's sad about his life. I didn't know that.  

 

[identikit]

Joan Osborne

 

[TakiToki]

Three quarters of the way done and heading down the stretch, here's the updated list of folks that did not have only one Billboard Top 40 song (they had more than or less than 1).

...
Natalie Imbruglia - 0
...

This shocks the hell out of me, and I didn't believe it before googling it up. I would have thought 'Torn" spending multiple weeks at #1 to be a massive favorite over never making the top 40.

 

[TakiToki]

This shocks the hell out of me, and I didn't believe it before googling it up. I would have thought 'Torn" spending multiple weeks at #1 to be a massive favorite over never making the top 40.

Okay, I feel a bit better about my memory of the 90s now.

In the United States, the song peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for 11 consecutive weeks. However, as a result of rules preventing tracks which had not been released as physical singles from charting on the Billboard Hot 100, the song did not chart there during its peak of popularity in the United States. When the song was declining in popularity, the rules changed to allow airplay-only songs onto the chart, and the song charted for 2 weeks, peaking at number 42.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torn_(Ednaswap_song)

 

[Mister CIA]

26. “What’s Up?”- 4 Non Blondes 1992

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc

I love this song and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love the melody, I love the anthemic chorus, I love when she sings about revolution, I love the whole damn thing. So there, no apologies. I know that some of you gag on this and Joey. Oh well. Personally I can’t get enough. 

Oh #### no!!

I'll freely admit I owned the CD back in the day, and even liked it (I was young and dumb), but it has aged like a pair of dirty, sweaty underwear.  And was it even a hit? 

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

it has aged like a pair of dirty, sweaty underwear. 

Who's underwear? 

That would matter to me, Mr. 

 

[Mister CIA]

Who's underwear? 

That would matter to me, Mr. 

Bon Appetit

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

Bon Appetit

Thanks. 

Much better than your underoos - so... 

... I got that goin' for me. 

 

[peaces]

The singer/writer of 4 non blondes wrote a couple of other big hits for other artists, get the party started and beautiful

 

[Ilov80s]

Interesting list. You have had some great runs of songs and some real head scratchers. You are on a run now, keep it up!

 

[SoBeDad]

26. “What’s Up?”- 4 Non Blondes 1992

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc

I love this song and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love the melody, I love the anthemic chorus, I love when she sings about revolution, I love the whole damn thing. So there, no apologies. I know that some of you gag on this and Joey. Oh well. Personally I can’t get enough. 

713 million views for a song released in 1993. This song deserves to be even higher on the list of OHWs. I don't get the hate.

 

[Ilov80s]

713 million views for a song released in 1993. This song deserves to be even higher on the list of OHWs. I don't get the hate.

Great song!

 

[Tom Skerritt]

Stereo MCs?

Dee Lite?

Spinners?

 

[Rove!]

Stereo MCs?

Dee Lite?

Spinners?

23 more songs to go....best to just lay low for now...

 

[timschochet]

23. “Dancing In the Moonlight”- King Harvest (1972) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g5JqPxmYhlo

Just a beautiful, feel good song from the early 70s. It’s been redone a few times but this is the best version IMO. Among my favorite songs of all time. 

 

[timschochet]

Up next: The lead singer for this band is now a computer analyst in Portland, Oregon.