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List of one-hit wonders in the United States

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A one-hit wonder is a musical artist who is successful with one hit song, but without a comparable subsequent hit.[1] The term may also be applied to an artist who is remembered for only one hit despite other successes. This article contains artists known primarily for one hit song in the United States, who are regarded as one-hit wonders by at least two sources in media even though the artist may have had multiple hits abroad.

Criteria

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Music reviewers and journalists sometimes describe a musical artist as a one-hit wonder, based on their professional assessment of chart success, sales figures, and fame.

For the purpose of his 2008 book One-Hit Wonders, music journalist Wayne Jancik defines a one-hit wonder as "an act that has won a position on Billboard's national, pop, Top 40 just once."[2] In his definition of an "act", Jancik distinguishes between a solo performer and a group performance (thus, for example, Roger Daltrey's "Without Your Love" is counted despite Daltrey's numerous hits as frontman for the Who), and a number of musicians appear multiple times, either with multiple bands or as a member of a band and as a solo artist. (Eponymous bands are generally not separated; thus Charlie Daniels is not counted as a one-hit wonder for "Uneasy Rider" and the hits of the Charlie Daniels Band are credited to him.)

Fred Bronson, a journalist and former writer for Billboard magazine, in his book Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits, uses the criterion that an artist is ineligible to be categorized as a "one-hit wonder" if they have a second song listed on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]

Disc jockey and music writer Brent Mann points out how some artists have been called a "one-hit wonder" despite having other charting singles; in these cases, one signature song so overshadows the rest of the artist's discography that only that song remains familiar to later audiences. As an example, English-born singer Albert Hammond enjoyed success with "It Never Rains in Southern California" (1972) rising to number 5 in the US, but his follow-up single, "I'm a Train" was dismissed by Mann as "totally forgotten" even though it charted at number 31 in 1974.[4] In another case, Scottish rockers Simple Minds followed their big hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (appearing in the opening and closing scenes of the film The Breakfast Club) with "Alive and Kicking" which peaked at number 3 in the US, "Sanctify Yourself" which peaked at number 14 in the US, and "All the Things She Said" which peaked at number 28 in the US, yet the band is remembered primarily for the first song.[5]

On the other hand, some artists with long, successful careers have been identified as one-hit wonders by virtue of having reached the Top 40 of the Hot 100 only once. Consequence of Sound editor Matt Melis lists Beck ("Loser") and the Grateful Dead ("Touch of Grey")[6] as "technically" being one-hit wonders despite their large bodies of work.[7] Entertainment Weekly mentions prolific artist Frank Zappa as a one-hit wonder because his only Top 40 hit was "Valley Girl" in 1982.[8]

Chris Molanphy, a pop chart analyst and writer for Slate and The Village Voice, wrote that an artist can only be seen as a "one-hit wonder" if they have never had a second Billboard top 10 hit, if any subsequent top 40 singles were released within six months of their first big hit, and if the artist has not had three or more top 10 or Platinum albums.[9][10]

Multiple appearances

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Stuart Hamblen, American entertainer who released the single as a solo artist "This Ole House" (1954) and a single with his family as the group Cowboy Church Sunday School's "Open Up Your Heart (And Let the Sunshine In)" (1955).[11][12]

In 1957, American duo Mickey & Sylvia had a hit with their song "Love Is Strange". By the 1970s, Sylvia Robinson was a solo act under the alias of Sylvia. Under this name, Sylvia had her first and only solo hit with "Pillow Talk" in 1973.[13][14]

Ron Dante, American singer and songwriter is credited as a one-hit wonder with three different acts. In 1964, Dante appeared in a group called The Detergents who reached the US Top 20 with their hit "Leader of the Laundromat" (a parody of "Leader of the Pack"). Five years later, in 1969, Dante appeared in the group The Cuff Links who scored a top ten hit with "Tracy". That same year, Dante was also a member of the fictional band The Archies who scored a #1 hit with "Sugar, Sugar".[15]

Joey Levine, American session singer best known for his prolific work in the bubblegum pop and commercial jingle genera, who had recorded hits for the Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus's "Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)" (1968) and Reunion's "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" (September 1974).[16]

Eddy Grant, Guyanese-British singer had a hit with the English band The Equals called "Baby, Come Back" (1968), and as a solo artist for his 1983 song "Electric Avenue".[17][18]

Norman Greenbaum, American singer and songwriter was a member of Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band who scored success in 1968 with the novelty song "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". Greenbaum would later score a hit single for himself with "Spirit in the Sky" in 1970.[19]

English musician Tony Burrows sang the lead vocal on five one-hit wonders: Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" (February 1970); White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'" (March 1970); the Pipkins' "Gimme Dat Ding" (April 1970); the First Class' "Beach Baby" (July 1974); and "United We Stand" (1970) by the first incarnation of the Brotherhood of Man.[20][21]

Before he was the lead singer of English supergroup Bad Company, English-Canadian singer Paul Rodgers was in the English band Free who scored a single US hit in 1970 with the song "All Right Now". In 1985, while Bad Company was on hiatus, Rodgers was the lead singer of the British band The Firm who achieved one-off success with "Radioactive".[22][23]

Dave Mason, English singer-songwriter was a member of the English–American supergroup Derek and the Dominos. In 1972, the group scored a US top ten hit with "Layla". Despite the success of the song, Derek & the Dominoes disbanded. Mason would find some success on his own nearly reaching the US top ten one more time with the 1977 song "We Just Disagree".[24][25]

David Foster, acclaimed Canadian record producer who was a member of the Canadian band Skylark – "Wildflower" (1973) and as a writer and producer for John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" (1985).[26]

The Dwight Twilley Band produced two double one-hit wonders. The Dwight Twilley Band consisted of Americans Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour. The duo scored a hit in 1975 with "I'm on Fire". After the two split up, they both scored hits as solo artists. Seymour experienced major success as a solo artist first with his 1981 song "Precious to Me". Then, in 1984, Twilley had his turn at solo success with the song "Girls".[27][28]

Bryan Ferry, English singer and songwriter was the lead singer of the acclaimed English band Roxy Music, who despite their fame, only managed to score one US Top 40 hit with "Love is the Drug" in 1976. Ferry scored another hit in 1988, only this time, as a solo performer with "Kiss and Tell".[29][23]

Chris Norman, English singer was the lead singer of the English rock band Smokie who achieved chart success with the 1977 hit version of "Living Next Door to Alice". While Smokie never had another hit in the United States, Norman performed "Stumblin' In" with Suzi Quatro a year later and again found chart success.[30][31]

Canadian musician Tom Cochrane was the lead singer of Canadian band Red Rider who found fame in 1981 with the song "Lunatic Fringe". Nearly a decade later, Cochrane managed to score a hit as a solo artist with his 1992 song "Life Is a Highway".[32][33]

English singer Limahl sang lead vocal on two US one-hit wonder songs; the first, "Too Shy" in 1983, came during his tenure as the frontman for the English group Kajagoogoo. The next year, he had another hit single as a solo artist with "The NeverEnding Story", the title track to the film The NeverEnding Story.[34] The latter song charted at number 17 in May 1985.

Ish Ledesma, American musician has been a part of several musical groups. Two of which would become one-hit wonders. In 1983, his American group OXO reached the charts with "Whirly Girl". After the group's dissolution, Ledesma formed American group Company B who scored their own hit in 1987 with "Fascinated".[35][36]

Jimmy Somerville, Scottish vocalist was the lead singer of two separate groups that are considered one-hit wonders. In 1984, British band Bronski Beat managed to achieve their only US hit with "Smalltown Boy". After they disbanded, Somerville became part of the British duo The Communards who managed to score a Top 40 hit with their version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" in 1987.[37][38]

Dan Baird, American singer-songwriter who was lead singer and rhythm guitarist with the American band The Georgia Satellites "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" (1987), then as a solo artist with the single "I Love You Period" (1993).[39][40]

In 1987, American musician Brent Bourgeois found success with the song "I Don't Mind At All" in the group Bourgeois Tagg. Bourgeois also managed to score a hit as a solo artist in 1990 with "Dare to Fall in Love".[41][42]

Everlast, American rapper was part of the American hip-hop trio House of Pain who scored a Top 5 hit with their song "Jump Around" (1992). After the group split up, Everlast found solo success in 1999 with the hit song "What It's Like".[43]

List

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Each artist listed here has been identified by at least two publications as being a one-hit wonder in the U.S. Numerous artists listed here have reached the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 more than once. The year indicates when the song charted or peaked. Based on the peak date, the entries are listed chronologically. If an entry did not chart, then it is listed based on the release date of the song. Some of the entries listed have non one-hit wonder artists featured on the song or are the main artist.

1950s

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1960s

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1970s

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1980s

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1990s

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2000s

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2010s

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2020s

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jancik, Wayne. "Concept Refinement". OneHitWondersTheBook.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  2. ^ Jancik (2008), p. ix.
  3. ^ Bronson (2003), p. 219–20.