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Which is the best "One Hit Wonder" of all time?


Steel2Velvet

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My nominee would have to be "Reflections of my Life" by the group Marmalade back in 1968. The band broke up because 3 of the 5 guys were drafted. They wrote this song and hit nationally with it, signed a record deal, produced one album (of mostly their material), by the same name as their hit song. Then Vietnam called and they never existed again. Just a great song lyrically and musically. Best line: "The world is a bad place, a bad place, a very bad place to live; but I don't want to die."

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VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders

100. Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas

99. No Rain - Blind Melon

98. Two Of Hearts - Stacey Q

97. Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team

96. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

95. Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley

94. What's Up - 4 Non Blondes

93. Don't Give Up On Us - David Soul

92. Heart and Soul - T'Pau

91. Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant

90. Don't Wanna Fall In Love - Jane Child

89. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus

88. Barbie Girl - Aqua

87. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston

86. Bust a Move - Young M.C.

85. Spirit In the Sky - Norman Greenbaum

84. You Gotta Be - Des'ree

83. The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

82. I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses

81. Just a Friend - Biz Markie

80. Cum On Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot

79. Puttin' On the Ritz - Taco

78. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies

77. What I Am - Edie Brickell

76. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off - Jermaine Stewart

75. I've Never Been To Me - Charlene

74. Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) - Digable Planets

73. Convoy - C.W. McCall

72. Maniac - Michael Sembello

71. How Bizarre - OMC

70. The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence

69. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.

68. A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins

67. Epic - Faith No More

66. Mambo #5 - Lou Bega

65. In My House - The Mary Jane Girls

64. You Get What You Give - New Radicals

63. Jump Around - House Of Pain

62. The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3

61. Round and Round - Ratt

60. More, More, More - Andrea True Connection

59. 867-5309 (Jenny) - Tommy Tutone

58. What Is Love - Haddaway

57. Smokin' In the Boy's Room - Brownsville Station

56. Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton

55. It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls

54. Makin' It - David Naughton

53. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell

52. Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club

51. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

50. I Touch Myself - The Divinyls

49. Turn the Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

48. True - Spandau Ballet

47. Rock and Roll (Part 2) - Gary Glitter

46. Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin

45. Lovefool - The Cardigans

44. Rock Me Amadeus - Falco

43. How Do You Talk To an Angel - The Heights

42. Hot Child In the City - Nick Gilder

41. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

40. In a Big Country - Big Country

39. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

38. Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul

37. I Melt With You - Modern English

36. Turning Japanese - The Vapors

35. Bitch - Meredith Brooks

34. Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band

33. Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

32. Hot Hot Hot - Buster Poindexter

31. Unbelieveable - EMF

30. Seasons In the Sun - Terry Jacks

29. Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth

28. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

27. Pop Musik - M

26. Stumblin' In - Suzi Quatro

25. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo

24. Whip It - Devo

23. All My Life (K-Ci & Jojo) - Sybersound

22. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

21. Cars - Gary Numan

20. She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby

19. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly

18. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinéad O'Connor

17. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister

16. Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang

15. 96 Tears - ? & the Mysterians

14. Groove Is In the Heart - Deee-Lite

13. The Hustle - Van McCoy

12. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-a-Lot

11. You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone

10. 99 Luftballons - Nena

9. Rico Suave - Gerardo

8. Take On Me - a-ha

7. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice

6. Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men

5. Mickey - Toni Basil

4. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

3. Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners

2. Tainted Love - Soft Cell

1. Macarena - Los Del Rio :doh:

Most of this list has either been forgotten about or just plain crap, especially most of the top 10.

But if I had to choose just one, the best that comes to mind is..."Never Been Any Reason" by Head East.

I agree, that was my pick also when I entered this thread.

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my sharona - the knack!

This song is number 100 on GuitarWorld's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time, I think that really says something for this song. It gets my vote as the greatest one hit wonder.

PS: The Macerena spent a staggering *56* weeks on the US Billboard. So, if you go by just that, as VH1 did, it counts as the "greatest" with the definition of greatest being furthest reaching.

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VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders

100. Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas

99. No Rain - Blind Melon

98. Two Of Hearts - Stacey Q

97. Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team

96. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

95. Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley

94. What's Up - 4 Non Blondes

93. Don't Give Up On Us - David Soul

92. Heart and Soul - T'Pau

91. Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant

90. Don't Wanna Fall In Love - Jane Child

89. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus

88. Barbie Girl - Aqua

87. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston

86. Bust a Move - Young M.C.

85. Spirit In the Sky - Norman Greenbaum

84. You Gotta Be - Des'ree

83. The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

82. I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses

81. Just a Friend - Biz Markie

80. Cum On Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot

79. Puttin' On the Ritz - Taco

78. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies

77. What I Am - Edie Brickell

76. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off - Jermaine Stewart

75. I've Never Been To Me - Charlene

74. Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) - Digable Planets

73. Convoy - C.W. McCall

72. Maniac - Michael Sembello

71. How Bizarre - OMC

70. The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence

69. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.

68. A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins

67. Epic - Faith No More

66. Mambo #5 - Lou Bega

65. In My House - The Mary Jane Girls

64. You Get What You Give - New Radicals

63. Jump Around - House Of Pain

62. The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3

61. Round and Round - Ratt

60. More, More, More - Andrea True Connection

59. 867-5309 (Jenny) - Tommy Tutone

58. What Is Love - Haddaway

57. Smokin' In the Boy's Room - Brownsville Station

56. Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton

55. It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls

54. Makin' It - David Naughton

53. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell

52. Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club

51. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

50. I Touch Myself - The Divinyls

49. Turn the Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

48. True - Spandau Ballet

47. Rock and Roll (Part 2) - Gary Glitter

46. Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin

45. Lovefool - The Cardigans

44. Rock Me Amadeus - Falco

43. How Do You Talk To an Angel - The Heights

42. Hot Child In the City - Nick Gilder

41. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

40. In a Big Country - Big Country

39. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

38. Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul

37. I Melt With You - Modern English

36. Turning Japanese - The Vapors

35. Bitch - Meredith Brooks

34. Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band

33. Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

32. Hot Hot Hot - Buster Poindexter

31. Unbelieveable - EMF

30. Seasons In the Sun - Terry Jacks

29. Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth

28. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

27. Pop Musik - M

26. Stumblin' In - Suzi Quatro

25. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo

24. Whip It - Devo

23. All My Life (K-Ci & Jojo) - Sybersound

22. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

21. Cars - Gary Numan

20. She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby

19. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly

18. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinéad O'Connor

17. We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister

16. Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang

15. 96 Tears - ? & the Mysterians

14. Groove Is In the Heart - Deee-Lite

13. The Hustle - Van McCoy

12. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-a-Lot

11. You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone

10. 99 Luftballons - Nena

9. Rico Suave - Gerardo

8. Take On Me - a-ha

7. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice

6. Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men

5. Mickey - Toni Basil

4. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

3. Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners

2. Tainted Love - Soft Cell

1. Macarena - Los Del Rio :doh:

Most of this list has either been forgotten about or just plain crap, especially most of the top 10.

I agree, that was my pick also when I entered this thread.

Both T'Pau and Verve had at least one other hit! (China in your Hand, and The Drugs Don't Work, respectivly) Deffinitly an american (notice the contemptual missing capital letter) chart.

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I have to agree with Nick on this one, however I can think of more than just "the drugs don't work" by The Verve that were excellent singles (lucky man, history, sonnet). I would definitely not call them a one-hit-wonder kinda band. And AHA had way more popular hits than just "Take on me".... ::

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My nominee would have to be "Reflections of my Life" by the group Marmalade back in 1968. The band broke up because 3 of the 5 guys were drafted. They wrote this song and hit nationally with it, signed a record deal, produced one album (of mostly their material), by the same name as their hit song. Then Vietnam called and they never existed again. Just a great song lyrically and musically. Best line: "The world is a bad place, a bad place, a very bad place to live; but I don't want to die."
:: You must be thinking of another band; Marmalade were never one hit wonders. They hit the UK #1 spot in 1968 with a cover of The Beatles "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" and continued through to the early seventies with more hits like "Rainbow" and the one you quoted, "Reflections of My Life". They would never have been drafted for Vietnam as they were a UK band. They faded into obscurity after the UK newspaper, The News of the World, exposed their scandalous activities with under age groupies. :thumbsup:
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Tommy James and the Shondells could not be included in any one hit discussion. Their discography is extensive.

Oh... I apologize...! I never heard anything of them except "I´ve been hurt"... sorry and thanks for the info. Maybe should I say "Ina- gadda-da-vida" by Iron Butterfly?

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