Singers incorrectly called "one hit wonders"

alonzomourning23

alonzomourning23

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I was reading an article on one hit wonders and I noticed that some of those included aren't really one hit wonders. They simply had a mega hit but had a strong following previously and/or they continued to produce albums (or even excel in their field), but because the rest of their music doesn't grab mainstream attention people assume that was all they really did. People that are often incorrectly called one hit wonders, that I can think of, are "baha men" (who let the dogs out) who have an extensive reggae discography. Meredith Brooks (bitch) and Lisa Loeb (stay) are two others that come to mind. Anyone know any more?
 
Primus had a commercial hit with Wynonnas Big Brown Beaver but they have a huge cult following.

They Might Be Giants had one big hit with Particle Man.

Violent Femmes and Blister in the Sun.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Primus had a commercial hit with Wynonnas Big Brown Beaver but they have a huge cult following.

They Might Be Giants had one big hit with Particle Man.

Violent Femmes and Blister in the Sun.[/QUOTE]

"They might be giants" is a good one, as they got popular with the malcom in the middle song, but they have been around since the 80's
 
The Cardigans only had one hit in the U.S., but have had numerous hits internationally.
 
[quote name='Brak']The Cardigans only had one hit in the U.S., but have had numerous hits internationally.[/quote]
One hit in the US?

Linger, Zombie, Dreams, and Ode to my Family were all top 40 hits..
 
[quote name='Scorch']One hit in the US?

Linger, Zombie, Dreams, and Ode to my Family were all top 40 hits..[/quote]

I believe you are thinking of The Cranberries.
 
The Cardigans did "Lovefool".

Chumbawamba and Big Country were two other bands that had a lot of international sucess but only 1 US hit.
 
[quote name='mr ryles']"They might be giants" is a good one, as they got popular with the malcom in the middle song, but they have been around since the 80's[/quote]

They Might Be Giants got really popular in 1990 long before Malcolm in the middle - Birdhouse in Your Soul, Istanbul, Particle Man, Whistling in the Dark, My Racist Friend... Flood is a great CD... :D
 
[quote name='Scorch']One hit in the US?

Linger, Zombie, Dreams, and Ode to my Family were all top 40 hits..[/QUOTE]Uh, Cranberries?
 
One Hit Wonder means just that. The group/singer/etc. has only one song that has achieved mainstream success, radio play, done well on the charts.

Just because a group has put out a ton of albums doesn't mean they aren't a one hit wonder.
 
[quote name='Scorch']One hit in the US?

Linger, Zombie, Dreams, and Ode to my Family were all top 40 hits..[/QUOTE]
That would be The Cranberries -- not The Cardigans.
 
[quote name='help1']What other good song did he make besides "Just a friend"?[/quote]

Nobody Beats the Biz
Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']Nobody Beats the Biz
Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz[/QUOTE]And if he had released the cover of Night Fever that Prince Paul was trying to get going that surely would have been one, too.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']I was reading an article on one hit wonders and I noticed that some of those included aren't really one hit wonders. They simply had a mega hit but had a strong following previously and/or they continued to produce albums (or even excel in their field), but because the rest of their music doesn't grab mainstream attention people assume that was all they really did. People that are often incorrectly called one hit wonders, that I can think of, are "baha men" (who let the dogs out) who have an extensive reggae discography. Meredith Brooks (bitch) and Lisa Loeb (stay) are two others that come to mind. Anyone know any more?[/QUOTE]

You're forgetting one thing, how you define the word "hit". Lots of musicians have a small but stong fan base and produce plenty of albums, some do it without ever having any top hits, but simply producing albums doesn't mean you've become a "hit list" artist. You have to ask how many Baha Men songs reached the top 25 besides that one hit? IMO if you reached that point once without ever reaching it again, you've in fact become a one hit wonder, nobody's saying you go the musican graveyard to die or anything (well some might but most don't).
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']You're forgetting one thing, how you define the word "hit". Lots of musicians have a small but stong fan base and produce plenty of albums, some do it without ever having any top hits, but simply producing albums doesn't mean you've become a "hit list" artist. You have to ask how many Baha Men songs reached the top 25 besides that one hit? IMO if you reached that point once without ever reaching it again, you've in fact become a one hit wonder, nobody's saying you go the musican graveyard to die or anything (well some might but most don't).[/quote]

Well, the term tends to be used that way when I hear it. When I hear people say one hit wonder they are often clealy referring to people who just had a hit song and that's it. Skee-Lo's "I wish" or that girl who sang that mickey song in the 80's are example. People who did not go on to have a sustainable career.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']Well, the term tends to be used that way when I hear it. When I hear people say one hit wonder they are often clealy referring to people who just had a hit song and that's it. Skee-Lo's "I wish" or that girl who sang that mickey song in the 80's are example. People who did not go on to have a sustainable career.[/quote]

who the fuck is skee-lo?
that girl is tony basil IIRC.
 
Skee-Lo is a rapper. I remember the song "I wish" held the #1 spot on mtv countdown for over a month. It was in 95 according to wikipedia.

It had a good beat and it was essentially about him sucking:

I wish I was little bit taller,
I wish I was a baller,
I wish I had a girl who looked good
I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat and a six four Impala......

I wish I had a brand-new car
So far, I got this hatchback
And everywhere I go, yo I gets laughed at
And when I'm in my car I'm laid back
I got an 8-track and a spare tire in the backseat
But that's flat
And do you really wanna know what's really whack
See I can't even get a date
So, what do you think of that?
I heard that prom night is a bomb night
With the hood rats you can hold tight
But really tho' I 'm a figaro
When I'm in my car I can't even get a hello
Click to expand...
 
I guess since their second-album didn't do too well (and neither did other singles), some people would probably consider Franz Ferdinand one-hit wonders.

On a somewhat similar note, did anyone know Survivor had a greatest hits CD? I'd assume it's just "Eye of the Tiger" played like 20 times.
 
[quote name='wubb']One Hit Wonder means just that. The group/singer/etc. has only one song that has achieved mainstream success, radio play, done well on the charts.

Just because a group has put out a ton of albums doesn't mean they aren't a one hit wonder.[/QUOTE]

No I don't have to post. Thats what I was going to say.
 
[quote name='javeryh']They Might Be Giants got really popular in 1990 long before Malcolm in the middle - Birdhouse in Your Soul, Istanbul, Particle Man, Whistling in the Dark, My Racist Friend... Flood is a great CD... :D[/QUOTE]

Yes it is.

"Minimum Waaaaaage - Yahhhhh!!! (whip-crack!)"
 
[quote name='javeryh']They Might Be Giants got really popular in 1990 long before Malcolm in the middle - Birdhouse in Your Soul, Istanbul, Particle Man, Whistling in the Dark, My Racist Friend... Flood is a great CD... :D[/quote]
Lucky Ball and Chain, They might be giants, Dead. Great great cd, I should give it a listen right now.
 
[quote name='niceguyshawne']The Cardigans did "Lovefool".

Chumbawamba and Big Country were two other bands that had a lot of international sucess but only 1 US hit.[/QUOTE]

And I highly recommend seeking down a collection of Chumbawamba's best pre-Tubthumpting songs, called "Uneasy Listening." I'd still call them one-hit wonders, if only due to the fact that, while more popular in the UK, they weren't chart toppers there, either.
 
I dunno about one hit wonders, as I dont really follow the popular circles... but I do know that Meredith Brooks could be 70 and I would still hit that. I'd have Lisa Loeb for desert, provided she keep those cateye glasses on the whole time.
 
[quote name='Mike23']John Stamos - Forever.

Pure one-hit wonder.[/QUOTE]

Joey Lawrence.

Whoa!

[quote name='Mookyjooky']I'd have Lisa Loeb for desert, provided she keep those cateye glasses on the whole time.[/QUOTE]

QFT. My gf watches her little documentary show and even she admits to Loeb being cute.

Which is strange. I can't tell if that's a setup for a trap or not....
 
[quote name='Strell']Which is strange. I can't tell if that's a setup for a trap or not....[/quote]

Ackbar? Paging Ackbar.

Actually, my GF agrees with your GF. I think having Hello Kitty stuff everywhere helps Loeb too.
 
[quote name='SpottedNigel']Ackbar? Paging Ackbar.

Actually, my GF agrees with your GF. I think having Hello Kitty stuff everywhere helps Loeb too.[/QUOTE]

EXACTLY.

Gf> Omg a Hello Kitty Toaster! I luvs her Hello Kitty stuff!

The girl has a goddamn HK guitar. AND A FOOD PROCESSOR.

Maybe on an episode she could show us some HK underwares. :/
 
[quote name='Strell']QFT. My gf watches her little documentary show and even she admits to Loeb being cute.

Which is strange. I can't tell if that's a setup for a trap or not....[/quote]

It's not a trap man, roll with it. One thing I did in my past relationship that I wish I didnt was never talk about the opposite sex... Meaning, I never checked a girl out, or even said a actress is hot...

Now I dont recommend checking girls out while with her, but if some little cute librarian chick strolls by... jokingly say "Is she cute? Just wondering since you like that whole Lisa Loeb look..." If she rolls with it, maybe you can get her to expand on it... if she acts wierd, blow it off and dont say anything about it again.

Maybe you'll never have a threesome, but being with a girl who you can speak freely about the opposite sex with... in my eyes, is a good relationship. I've found that you screwed if you do, and screwed if you dont... but they're no such thing as bad publicity...

If she thinks you're interested still with the ladies, without being a pig... she'll up her game... and thats nothing but good for you. But you'll have to up yours as well.

:D
 
[quote name='I AM WILLIAM H. MACY']I guess since their second-album didn't do too well (and neither did other singles), some people would probably consider Franz Ferdinand one-hit wonders. [/quote]

According to Wikipedia, they had three in the US. "Take Me Out" (#3), "This Fire" (#17), and "Do You Want To" (#9). Even if you define a "hit" as a top-ten single, they've still got two.

Lisa Loeb had two hits -- the incredible "Stay" and the annoying "I Do", which I always thought sounded like Hanson.
 
Mmm, Juka, here's the deal.

My gf knows I have a thing for..."alternative" women, running the gamut from sexy librarian nerd to semi-gothic to punk/emo. (Note: I do not necessarily endorse these kinds of lifestyles, it is the look I'm interested in, which is a byproduct of lots of things but there's no need to expand more on it.)

Problem is that my current gf looks nothing at all close to any of those styles (though she used to wear black a lot and still does in the name of original intent - i.e., historically speaking artists were the only people who wore black consistently, and she's a writer like me, so she gets a kick out of doing that).

So she gets a little paranoid (understandbly so) if I were walk around and check out every last girl that appealed to that side of myself.

I'd rather not stress her out.

Loeb is one of those instances, though, where it seems to be "okay" in a sense for me to mention it, primarily because my gf knows part of me is thinking that. And it's fine also because, as stated before, she agrees with that assessment.

Finally, no one needs to say anything like, "Well, why aren't you with someone who matches something you mentioned as appealing?" Because I have a wondeful gf already as is and I feel absolutely no need to chance, modify, or alter it. Should someone happen unforeseen down the road, that is one thing, but meh, at that point we're playing "what-if" games and I just don't have the energy for that.
 
[quote name='Strell']Mmm, Juka, here's the deal.

My gf knows I have a thing for..."alternative" women, running the gamut from sexy librarian nerd to semi-gothic to punk/emo. (Note: I do not necessarily endorse these kinds of lifestyles, it is the look I'm interested in, which is a byproduct of lots of things but there's no need to expand more on it.)[/QUOTE]

You need to check out Venus Hum's video for 'Soul Sloshing'
Annette Strean is pretty attractive in that video, similar librarian thing to Lisa Loeb.
 
[quote name='camoor']This thread went lame fast.

I would add 'Lords of Acid'[/QUOTE]

Did Lords of Acid even have a top 40 hit? Cool group but I don't remember them getting a lot of airplay.

And if we are talking about Top 40 crap, KMFDM and Jurassic 5 would also be on that list. Two awesome groups that only had one mainstream hit.
 
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