National One-Hit Wonder Day: Favorite long-lost hits(Friday Fun!)

ABC4 News(Utah) ^ | 09/25/2020 | Lindsey Peterson

[Kid Shelleen]

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) – Sept. 25 is National One-Hit Wonder Day! A day where we can celebrate those songs that topped the charts but then their performers faded away from the music scene. What are some of your favorite one-hit wonders? Let us know on our social media pages! Below are some of the ABC4 staff’s favorite ‘one-hit wonders’:

[Fiji Hill]

Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody

The Lincoln in question first appeared in this tune.

Hot Rod Race (California version)--Ramblin' Jimmy Dolan (1951)

Hot Rod Race (Hawaii version)--Tiny Hill & His Orchestra (1951)

[Poser]

Question Mark and the Mysterians. 96 Tears

[The Antiyuppie]

Peppermint Rainbow - Will You Be Staying After Sunday

Tremendous song. FIVE part harmony.

[Fiji Hill]

Louie Louie The Kingsmen. Must be hundreds of covers of this song, but the Kingsmen's version was a YYYYUUUUGGE hit and actually a subject of an FCC investigation, some people misheard the jumbled up lyrics as being obscene. The song is about a homesick Jamaican sailor.

The FCC could have saved themselves a lot of trouble by listening to the original version, recorded by its composer, who sings all the words clearly.

Louie, Louie--Richard Berry & the Pharaohs (1957)

[VTenigma]

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the sky. My all time favorite one hit wonder.

[dsc]

I saw the Kingsmen live at an amusement park. Also “picked up a chick” as we used to say back then.

[chalkfarmer]

Save my life....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jW8_2Us5c

Head East.....

[Impala64ssa]

The Beach Boys’ version of Louie Louie was close to the original. Brian Wilson and Richard Berry were good friends.

[Joined2Justify]

I wanna Be Your Man.
Roger

[VTenigma]

Tainted love was a great one, also “Why me” by Planet P came out about the same time.

[VTenigma]

Dirty Water by ? and the Mysterions. I guess I’m late to the game though.

[MasonGal]

“Sukiyaki. ("Ue o Muite Arukō"). 1963 Kyu Sakamato

[Fiji Hill]

After scoring a monster hit that went to #1 at the beginnng of 1955, Joan Weber disappeared into obscurity.

Let Me Go, Lover (1954)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That’s a blast from the past!

[Fiji Hill]

The Kingsmen had some local hits including “The Jolly Green Giant,” sung to the tune of the Olympics’ “Big Boy Pete,” but I don’t know if these scored nationally.

[I-ambush]

He did a chump get of Sammy Hagar’s “I’ve Done Everything For You “

[Fiji Hill]

Dirty Water by ? and the Mysterions. I guess I’m late to the game though.

Never heard their version, but I'm familiar with the Standells' version. The Standells were popular in LA.

[cyclotic]

Don’t know if that counts. Don’t leave me this way is a cover of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

[I-ambush]

Completely agree!

[Shoefus]

No, it wasn’t the only single.

Whole Lotta Love, Immigrant Song (b/w Hey Hey What Can I Do)
and Black Dog were all singles prior to D’yer Maker.