One-hit wonders in the United States

One-hit wonders in the United States

A one-hit wonder is a Top-40 phenomenon: the combination of artist and song that scores big in the music industry with one smash hit, but is unable to repeat the achievement with another hit. The term can refer to the artist, the song, or both together. The following were one-hit wonders in the United States.

Criteria

Wayne Jancik's book "The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders" (Billboard Books, 1998) defines a one-hit wonder rather conservatively, as "an act that has won a position on Billboard's national, pop, Top 40 just once." He therefore includes such performers as Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix solely on the basis of their Top 40 performance. In his definition of an "act", Jancik distinguishes between a solo performer and any group he or she may have performed in; thus Roger Daltrey is distinguished from The Who. He restricts his reporting time to the period from the start of the "rock-and-roll era" (defined by the author as 1 January 1955) to 31 December 1992. The latter date was picked to allow a five-year "lag time" before publication for a listed one-hit wonder to produce a second hit; this unfortunately does not allow for a longer hiatus between hits for a particular performer. For example, Lenny Kravitz is listed for "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (No. 2, August 1991); [Jancik, p487] the book therefore misses subsequent hits, such as "Fly Away", which reached #12 on the Billboard chart in 1999. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5020&model.vnuAlbumId=626755]

Songs by decade

Each decade of one-hit wonders has a corresponding entry:
* List of 1950s one-hit wonders in the United States
* List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States
* List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
* List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
* List of 1990s one-hit wonders in the United States
* List of 2000s one-hit wonders in the United States

One-hit wonders from other media

The list of Billboard's one-hit wonders is also peppered with artists better known for talents other than pop vocals:

* Alan Arkin, with The Tarriers, "The Banana Boat Song", No. 4, February 1957 [Jancik, p28]
* Jim Backus, as "Jim Backus & Friend", "Delicious", No. 40, July 1958 [Jancik, p498]
* Edd Byrnes, "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)", No. 4, May 1959 [Jancik, p76]
* Keith Carradine, "I'm Easy", No. 17, August 1976. [Jancik, p363] Not only did Carradine perform this song in character in the 1975 film "Nashville", but he also wrote it, and won an Oscar for it.
* Rick Dees as Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots, "Disco Duck", No. 1, October 1976 [Jancik, p426]
* Everett Dirksen, "Gallant Men", No. 29, December 1966 [Jancik, p500]
* Mike Douglas, "The Men In My Little Girl's Life", No. 6, February 1966 [Jancik, p197]
* Lorne Greene, "Ringo", No 1, November 1964 [Jancik, p177]
* Jasmine Guy, "Just Want To Hold You", No. 34, August 1991 [Jancik, p502]
* Richard Harris, "MacArthur Park", No. 2, June 1968 [Jancik, p237]
* Paris Hilton, "Stars Are Blind No. 18, 2006
* Don Johnson, "Heartbeat", No. 5, September 1986 [Jancik, p443]
* Cheryl Ladd, "Think It Over", No. 34, September 1978 [Jancik, p503]
* Vicki Lawrence, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", No. 1, April 1973 [Jancik, p323]
* Jerry Lewis, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody", No. 10, December 1956 [Jancik, p27]
* George Maharis, "Teach Me Tonight", No. 25, June 1962 [Jancik, p504]
* Wink Martindale, "Deck Of Cards", No. 7, November 1959 [Jancik, p85]
* Steve Martin, "King Tut", No. 17, August 1978 [Jancik, p378]
* Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as Bob and Doug MacKenzie, "Take Off", No. 16, March 1982 [Jancik, p411]
* Shaquille O'Neal, "(I Know I Got) Skillz", No. 35, October 1990 [Jancik, p505 ]
* Anthony Perkins, as Tony Perkins, "Moonlight Swim", No. 24, October 1957 [Jancik, p505]
* John Schneider, "It's Now Or Never", No. 14, August 1981 [Jancik, p409]
* Gordon Sinclair, "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)", No. 23, 1973 [Jancik, p507]
* David Soul, "Don't Give Up on Us", No. 1, April 1977 [Jancik, p367]
* Patrick Swayze: "She's Like the Wind", No. 3, February 1988 [Jancik, p457]
* Bruce Willis: "Respect Yourself", No. 5, February 1987 [Jancik, p448]

Muppetteer Jim Henson hit the Billboard Top 40 twice: as Ernie with "Rubber Duckie" (No. 16, September 1970), [Jancik, p288] and Kermit the Frog with "The Rainbow Connection" (No. 25, November 1979) [Jancik, p503]

Double one-hit wonders

A number of artists have also been double one-hit wonders, having a hit both with a group and solo.
* Dan Baird: "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" (Billboard No 2, December 1986) with The Georgia Satellites and "I Love You Period" (Billboard No 26, December 1992), solo
* Brent Bourgeois: "I Don't Mind At All" (Billboard No. 38, 1987) with Bourgeois Tagg and "Dare to Fall in Love" (Billboard No. 32, 1990), solo
* Everlast: "Jump Around" (Billboard No. 3, 1992) with House of Pain and "What It's Like" (Billboard No. 13, 1999), solo
* Limahl: "Too Shy" (Billboard No 5, July 1983) with Kajagoogoo and "NeverEnding Story" (Billboard No 17, May 1985), solo
* Iain Matthews: "Woodstock" (Billboard No 23, March 1971) with Matthews Southern Comfort and "Shake It" (Billboard No 13, February 1979), solo as "Ian Matthews"
* Ted Nugent: "Journey to the Center of the Mind" (Billboard No. 16, August 1968) with The Amboy Dukes [Jancik, p243] and "Cat Scratch Fever" (Billboard No. 30, August 1977) [Jancik, p505] These songs were not the end of his chart career, however, as he would score two additional chart hits with Damn Yankees ("High Enough", No. 3, 1991 and "Where You Goin' Now", No. 20, 1992).
* Sylvia Robinson: "Love Is Strange" (Billboard No 11, March 1957) with Mickey & Sylvia and "Pillow Talk" (Billboard No 3, June 1973), solo as "Sylvia"Vocalist Tony Burrows may be the most prolific "one-hit wonder" — he sang lead vocals on no less than "five" singular hits for five groups in the United States:
* "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) ", Edison Lighthouse, No. 5 (April 1970)
* "United We Stand", Brotherhood of Man, No.13 (June 1970)
* "My Baby Loves Lovin'", White Plains, No. 13 (July 1970)
* "Gimme Dat Ding", The Pipkins, No. 9 (July 1970)
* "Beach Baby", The First Class, No. 4 (October 1974)

olo one-hit wonders

A number of members of successful bands became one-hit wonders when they went solo:

* Rick Derringer of The McCoys, "Rock & Roll, Hootchie Koo", No. 23, January 1974 [Jancik, p500 ]
* Chico DeBarge of DeBarge, "Talk To Me", No. 21, November 1986 [Jancik, p500 ]
* Roger Daltrey of The Who, "Without Your Love", No. 20, November 1980 [Jancik, p403 ]
* Dennis DeYoung of Styx, "Desert Moon", No. 3, November 1984 [Jancik, p429 ]
* Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, "I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year)", No. 26, October 1982 [Jancik, p501]
* Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA, "Can't Shake Loose", No. 29, November 1983 [Jancik, p501]
* Ace Frehley of Kiss, "New York Groove", No. 13, February 1979 [Jancik, p382 ]
* Susanna Hoffs of Bangles, "My Side Of The Bed", No. 30, February 1991 [Jancik, p502 ]
* Terry Jacks of The Poppy Family, "Seasons In The Sun", No. 1, March 1974 [Jancik, p332 ]
* KC of KC and the Sunshine Band, "Give It Up", No. 18, March 1984 [Jancik, p426 ]
* Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block, "Give It to You", No. 10, May 1999 [Whitburn, p357]
* Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA, as Frida, "I Know There's Something Going On", No. 13, March 1983 [Jancik, p419]
* Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block, "Stay the Same", No. 10, April 1999 [Whitburn, p417]
* Graham Nash of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young), "Chicago", No. 35, July 1971 [Jancik, p505 ]
* Michael Nesmith of The Monkees, with The First National Band, "Joanne", No. 21, August 1970 [Jancik, p505]
* Benjamin Orr of The Cars, "Stay The Night", No. 24, November 1986 [Jancik, p505 ]
* Ric Ocasek of The Cars, "Emotion In Motion", No. 11, October 1986 [Jancik, p445 ]
* "Little Jimmy Osmond" of The Osmonds, "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool", No. 38, June 1972 [Jancik, p505 ]
* John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, "Mississippi",No. 32 May 1970 [Jancik, p32 ]
* John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful, "Welcome Back", No. 1, May 1976 [Jancik, p358 ]
* Tommy Shaw of Styx (and later of Damn Yankees), "Girls With Guns", No. 33, September 1984 [Jancik, p507 ]
* David A. Stewart of Eurythmics, "Lily Was Here", No. 11, July 1991 [Jancik, p486 ]
* Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary, "Wedding Song (There Is Love)",No. 24 July 1971 [Jancik, p508 ]
* Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, "Take It Easy", No. 24, May 1986 [Jancik, p508 ]
* John Taylor of Duran Duran, "I Do What I Do... (from '9 1/2 Weeks')", No. 22, July 1986
* Jane Wiedlin of Go-Go's, "Rush Hour", No. 9, July 1988 [Jancik, p460 ]
* Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, "Caroline, No", No. 32, March 1966 [Jancik, p509 ]

ame song, different singer

Some songs have been solitary hits for different acts, in some cases almost simultaneously on the charts, due to an artist or label trying to "cash in" on the popularity of a particular song. [Jancik, p12] In other cases, a song may be rerecorded as a cover much later, providing a second artist with the same solo hit.

*"Nuttin' for Christmas" — Ricky Zahnd and the Blue Jeaners, No. 21, December 1955; Barry Gordon, No. 6, December 1955; Joe Ward, No. 20, December 1955
*"Moonglow and Theme from "Picnic" — George Cates, No. 4, June 1956; Morris Stoloff, No. 2, June 1956
*"Stranded in the Jungle" — The Jayhawks, No. 18, July 1956; The Cadets, No. 15, August 1956
*"Raunchy" — Bill Justis, No. 2, December 1957; Ernie Freeman, No. 4, December 1957
*"Alley-Oop" — Dante and the Evergreens, No. 15, July 1960; Hollywood Argyles, No. 1, July 1960
*"Stand by Me" — Spyder Turner, No. 12, February 1967; Mickey Gilley, No. 22, May 1980
*"Here Comes the Judge" — Shorty Long, No. 8, July 1968; Pigmeat Markham, No. 19, July 1968
*"Na Na Hey Hey " — Steam, No. 1, December 1969; [Jancik, p268] The Nylons (released as "Kiss Him Goodbye"), No. 12, June 1987 [Jancik, p452]
*"Funkytown" — Lipps, Inc., No. 1, May 1980; Pseudo Echo, (released as "Funky Town"), No. 6, June 1987

See also

*One-hit wonder
*One-hit wonders in Canada
*One-hit wonders in the UK

References

* Jancik, Wayne (1998). "The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders." New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7622-9
* Whitburn, Joel (2000). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits." New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7690-3

Notes

External links

* [http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/the_greatest/one_hit_wonders/ VH1's One-hit Wonder TV special]
* [http://www.thestandardreport.com/archives/entertainmnet/spring04/thomas.html Timmy Thomas-Why Can't We Live Together]


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