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

[Osaurus]

I guess I forgot Ace of Base had a bunch of songs.

If you can call them that.

 

[Anarchy99]

At the halfway point, 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 Lefte Banke - 2
The Waitresses - 0
Natalie Imbruglia - 0
Wall Of Voodoo - 0

 

[zamboni]

Halfway done! Now it’s about to get serious. 

Desperate but not serious

(not a one hit wonder)

 

[Courtjester]

What no Dexys Midnight Runners yet?

 

[Don Quixote]

Halfway done! Now it’s about to get serious. 

Up next is a song about a guy who’s been the subject matter of a few songs by a different, much more famous artist. 

"Serious"? Hint solved.

 

[timschochet]

At the halfway point, 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
The Archies - 4
Quarterflash - 3
The New Seekers - 3
Rupert Holmes - 3
Katrina & The Waves - 3
The Dream Academy 3
Robert John - 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
The Waitresses - 0
Natalie Imbriglia - 0

Lol

 

[Osaurus]

What no Dexys Midnight Runners yet?

That’s gotta be #1, right?

 

[[scooter]]

Sorry I considered Blue Swede, just don’t think enough of that tune. 

It is arguably the best use of “ooga chaka ooga ooga”of any song written, recorded, performed, sold, bought, or processed in the 20th century.

The "ooga chucka" part was copied from Jonathan King's 1971 version of the song, which King had copied from a reggae song.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

What no Dexys Midnight Runners yet?

Come on now.

 

[Politician Spock]

I guess this thread has passed me by.

Welcome to the club. Seats in the grandstand are full, but the benches in the bleachers still have some open seats. Grab one quick... more will be joining us quickly as we move into the top50. 

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Catchy tunes. Them and Roxette.

You just put Ace of Base and Roxette in the same sentence? You’re dead to me.

 

[zamboni]

You just put Ace of Base and Roxette in the same sentence? You’re dead to me.

Even worse - he put Van Morrison and Roxette in the same sentence.

 

[Mister CIA]

Tim, I know somebody who runs a consulting firm that can help you salvage this list.

 

[skol asylum]

That’s gotta be #1, right?

Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band

 

[skol asylum]

You just put Ace of Base and Roxette in the same sentence? You’re dead to me.

Roxette is better.

 

[skol asylum]

Even worse - he put Van Morrison and Roxette in the same sentence.

I did?

 

[Mister CIA]

Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band

Reminds me a of a band from the period, name starts with an 'R'.  Actually, it starts with The.

 

[Nipsey]

Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band 

Breakup Song down?

 

[Mister CIA]

Saving this gem for near-hit wonders that appeared on **** Clark's American Bandstand.  Their best song. The latter rivals the Daltrey scream.

I've probably posted these links a dozen times, sorry.  Maybe they're new to someone.

 

[Mister CIA]

Breakup Song down?

Damn, I saw the name Greg Kihn and filled in the rest with Breakup Song.

Damn, I wish I could think of another one hit wonder, right now.

Damn!

 

[Mister CIA]

Sidebar:  List your favorite two-hit wonders.

Sweet, what does mine say?

Ballroom Blitz

Love is Like Oxygen

 

[timschochet]

Sidebar:  List your favorite two-hit wonders.

Sweet, what does mine say?

Ballroom Blitz

Love is Like Oxygen

They have more songs than that.

Fox on the Run

Little Willy 

 

[Anarchy99]

Sidebar:  List your favorite two-hit wonders.

Sweet, what does mine say?

Ballroom Blitz

Love is Like Oxygen

The problem for any of these discussions is that people mostly only consider the songs that still get played today. Sweet had five Billboard Top 20 songs. A lot of performers had more to their catalogs than the one or two songs that survived 40 years later. 

 

[Tin Cup]

The problem for any of these discussions is that people mostly only consider the songs that still get played today. Sweet had five Billboard Top 20 songs. A lot of performers had more to their catalogs than the one or two songs that survived 40 years later. 

Night Ranger Syndrome

 

[Mister CIA]

I'm bad at this. 

 

[Mister CIA]

They have more songs than that.

Fox on the Run

Little Willy 

More a forgotten spot that a blind spot.  Great song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBdFA6sI6-8

 

[timschochet]

50. “Major Tom (Coming Home)” Peter Schilling (1983) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OMDbX1zksgI

Always loved this song, but Breaking Bad messed it up for me. Very disturbing scene. Still love it though. 

 

[timschochet]

The scene from Breaking Bad: 

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

 

[zamboni]

The scene from Breaking Bad: 

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

I loved this scene. Gale was a great character.

 

[timschochet]

Up next: part of the greatest run, in terms of popular success, of any songwriter in history. 

 

[DocHolliday]

50. “Major Tom (Coming Home)” Peter Schilling (1983) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OMDbX1zksgI

Always loved this song, but Breaking Bad messed it up for me. Very disturbing scene. Still love it though. 

Taste is subjective but this song isn't good.  It is so so boring.  Not sure how it ended at 50 compared to a lot of the songs that were already mentioned.  

 

[rockaction]

Taste is subjective but this song isn't good.  It is so so boring.  Not sure how it ended at 50 compared to a lot of the songs that were already mentioned.  

How about I subjectively punch it in the face?  

Gah. Talk about ruining a classic.  

 

[rockaction]

Okay, that sounded too violent and angry. But goodness, that's annoying.  

 

[Nipsey]

Major Tom (Coming Home)

https://clyp.it/cjfro4ah

 

[timschochet]

Major Tom (Coming Home)

https://clyp.it/cjfro4ah

Gale’s got nothing on you. 

 

[Mister CIA]

Up next: part of the greatest run, in terms of popular success, of any songwriter in history. 

Ace Frehley!

 

[Osaurus]

Up next: part of the greatest run, in terms of popular success, of any songwriter in history. 

Jim Steinman?

 

[timschochet]

Jim Steinman?

I can’t think of anyone Jim Steinman wrote for that didn’t have at least 2 or more hits. 

 

[McJose]

50. “Major Tom (Coming Home)” Peter Schilling (1983) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OMDbX1zksgI

Always loved this song, but Breaking Bad messed it up for me. Very disturbing scene. Still love it though. 

http://www.funnysigns.net/major-toms-ground-control/

 

[Mister CIA]

http://www.funnysigns.net/major-toms-ground-control/

:subscribe:

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Roxette is better.

I’m appalled that you felt the need to clarify that.  In this scenario, the Ace of Base advocates would be the Flat Earth Society.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

http://www.funnysigns.net/major-toms-ground-control/

This sign got a 3.6/5 rating? 1.4/5 of those voting need to be banned from the Internet. 

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Based on your selections so far I'm confident this isn't it - but, if this were my list, the song in question would definitely feature a fiddle.

For those who might have missed the hint, and because I’m now 100% confident I’m not spotlighting: 

Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe

I can’t tell you how much I love the fact that this group was Swedish.

 

[shuke]

We've brought this film up in other threads - that church on fire scene always gave me the willies.

What in the absolute ####?

 

[Mister CIA]

What in the absolute ####?

Low on my list of videos to watch twice.

 

[shuke]

56. “Take On Me”- A-ha (1984) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914

I never loved this song while it was a hit. The video was always more interesting to me than the song. Later on it began to grow on me. 

It’s certainly one of THE defining songs of the 1980s and the MTV video era, no question. 

I'm assuming everyone here has seen this.

 

[timschochet]

49. “Emotion” Samantha Sang (1977) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zPwpVJ-eIgg

Maurice Gibbs, talking about the years 1977-1978 once said, “we weren’t on the charts; we were the charts.” This was certainly true of his brother Barry; no artist, not even the Beatles, has ever been this dominant: 4 #1 hits for The Bee Gees, along with 3 more Bee Gees songs in the top ten, 3 #1 hits for youngest brother Andy Gibb, a #1 hit for Yvonne Elliman, and a #3 hit for fellow Australian Samantha Sang. All written by Barry Gibb. All within a single year. Never done before, and will never be repeated either. 

“Emotion” fits right in, its a quintessential Bee Gees disco era song, though sung by somebody else with the Gibbs backing her. It’s exquisite pop writing and professional orchestration, and the harmonies are terrific. Gibb offered Sang more songs but she turned him down; she wanted to be thought of as her own performer and not part of the “Bee Gees” collective. But without Barry at the helm, she quickly faded into obscurity. 

 

[timschochet]

Up next: this was an “MTV hit”; never got above #58 on the Billboard charts, but in 1983 it was one of the most played videos on MTV. 

 

[Doug B]

Saving this gem for near-hit wonders that appeared on **** Clark's American Bandstand.  Their best song. The latter rivals the Daltrey scream.

I've probably posted these links a dozen times, sorry.  Maybe they're new to someone.

New to me. Not a bad sound at all.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

49. “Emotion” Samantha Sang (1977) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zPwpVJ-eIgg

Maurice Gibbs, talking about the years 1977-1978 once said, “we weren’t on the charts; we were the charts.” This was certainly true of his brother Barry; no artist, not even the Beatles, has ever been this dominant: 4 #1 hits for The Bee Gees, along with 3 more Bee Gees songs in the top ten, 3 #1 hits for youngest brother Andy Gibb, a #1 hit for Yvonne Elliman, and a #3 hit for fellow Australian Samantha Sang. All written by Barry Gibb. All within a single year. Never done before, and will never be repeated either. 

“Emotion” fits right in, its a quintessential Bee Gees disco era song, though sung by somebody else with the Gibbs backing her. It’s exquisite pop writing and professional orchestration, and the harmonies are terrific. Gibb offered Sang more songs but she turned him down; she wanted to be thought of as her own performer and not part of the “Bee Gees” collective. But without Barry at the helm, she quickly faded into obscurity. 

The Bee Gees were to Billboard what Barry Bonds was to MLB. Set a bunch of records that will never be broken; kept it in the popular zeitgeist; in retrospect hugely embarrassing.