What's Your Favorite One-hit Wonder Song?

various | 4/1/2017 | me

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

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

[BwanaNdege]

Tokens: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LBmUwi6mEo

A truly unique sound!

[John Milner]

Troggs had more than one hit;
With a Girl Like You
Love is All Around was a big Hit

Also My Sharona was not the only hit from the Knack
Good Girls Don’t (but I do) was a pretty big hit and much preferred by me.

Put me down for “Life In a Northern Town” by Dream Academy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5uxQElYu68

[Dust in the Wind]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Hook_%26_the_Medicine_Show

Not a one hit wonder.

[sparklite2]

Terry Stafford - Suspicion

---

A real one hit wonder. I was going to post it, too. I went to high school with Terry in Amarillo. After Suspicion, he opened a recording studio in LA but never again did anything of note. He died, IIRC, not too long ago of liver failure.

[Zeneta]

“Once you’ve heard Hi-Fidelity reproduction, you’ll be hard to satisfy with anything less.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16kh-AP4OCU

Reunion - Life Is a Rock

B.B. Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers
Lonnie Mack and twangin’ Eddy, here’s my ring we’re goin’ steady
Take it easy, take me higher, liar liar, house on fire
Locomotion, Poco, Passion, Deeper Purple, Satisfaction
Baby baby gotta gotta gimme gimme gettin’ hotter
Sammy’s cookin’, Lesley Gore and Ritchie Valens, end of story
Mahavishnu, fujiyama, kama-sutra, rama-lama
Richard Perry, Spector, Barry, Archies, Righteous, Nilsson, Harry
Shimmy shimmy ko-ko bop and Fats is back and Finger Poppin’

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

FM, AM, hits are clickin’ while the clock is tock-a-tickin’
Friends and Romans, salutations, Brenda and the Tabulations
Carly Simon, I behold her, Rolling Stones and centerfoldin’
Johnny Cash and Johnny Rivers, can’t stop now, I got the shivers
Mungo Jerry, Peter Peter Paul and Paul and Mary Mary
Dr. John the nightly tripper, Doris Day and Jack the Ripper
Gotta go Sir, gotta swelter, Leon Russell, Gimme Shelter
Miracles in smokey places, slide guitars and Fender basses
Mushroom omelet, Bonnie Bramlett, Wilson Pickett, stop and kick it

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me

Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

Arthur Janov’s primal screamin’, Hawkins, Jay and
Dale and Ronnie, Kukla, Fran and Norma Okla
Denver, John and Osmond, Donny
JJ Cale and ZZ Top and LL Bean and De De Dinah
David Bowie, Steely Dan and sing me prouder, CC Rider
Edgar Winter, Joanie Sommers, Osmond Brothers, Johnny Thunders
Eric Clapton, pedal wah-wah, Stephen Foster, do-dah do-dah
Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Surfer Girl and Little Honda
Tighter, tighter, honey, honey, sugar, sugar, yummy, yummy
CBS and Warner Brothers, RCA and all the others

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

spoken:
Listen—remember, they’re playing our song!
Rock it, sock it, Alan Freed me, Murray Kaufman, try to leave me
Fish, and Swim, and Boston Monkey,
Make it bad and play it funky.
(Wanna take you higher!)

[LouieFisk]

“Do you know what I mean” - Lee Michaels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fymw5ie9Zd4

“Keep on Smilin’” - Wet Willie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg0BNTebcbY

[Fiji Hill]

Dobie Gray had a big hit in this market, but it may not have been a nationwide hit. He also did a version that included references to radio station KRLA, which got a lot of airplay on that station, but that hasn't made it to Youtube yet.

The "In" Crowd (1965)

[seetheman]

Taxi by Harry Chapin

[LouieFisk]

“The “In” Crowd (1965)”
==
I remember that - didn’t know it was Dobie, tho. Cool.

[Fantasywriter]

I love Life in a Northern Town! It’s an unusual song, and very evocative.

[LouieFisk]

“My Maria” - B.W. STEVENSON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60UVxfXEAhU

[BwanaNdege]

“By the way, does anyone know who came up with the term “One-hit wonder”?”

I’d guess Dick Clark was the originator. I seem to remember him using it.

[sargon]

Every time I [hear Centerfold] it reminds me of a class in High School;)

J. Geils was kind of a three hit wonder. They had two earlier numbers Come Back and Love Stinks that charted pretty decently...

[Fiji Hill]

The Tokens charted out here, but I don't think this got into the Top 10.

He's In Town (1964)

[John Milner]

Dr Hook also had big hits with:

Sylvia’s Mother (said 40 cents more for the next 3 minutes, Please Mrs. Avery I’ve just got to..)

And the very nice straight forward pop hit Sharing the Night Together.

[John Milner]

Spandau Ballet also had a hit with “Gold”

[LouieFisk]

They had two earlier numbers Come Back and Love Stinks that charted pretty decently...
==
And I believe “Freezframe” also?

[HandyDandy]

Something in the Air -—— Thunderclap Newman

[John Milner]

The Turtles had something like 7 top 10 hits.
Eleanor
You Baby
She’d Rather Be with Me
You Showed Me

Just off the top of my head, come to mind