You know every lyric, dance along when it plays at parties, and yet the name of the artist or band who performed the song eludes you. You're not going insane, it's just a case of the one-hit wonder. After months on heavy rotation on the US charts, radio stations allow that hit to fade into the ether, only to have it live on through oldies stations, top 100 lists, and other nostalgic means of communication.
Some of the biggest hits of the last 50 years came to us courtesy of one-hit wonders and we wanted to celebrate the artists who brought us those classic tunes. Continue reading...
Lemon Pipers: "Green Tamborine"
The Lemon Pipers are a psychedelic band from Oxford Ohio. Prominent only during the 1960's, they are mainly known for their track "Green Tamborine." In 1968, the track reached No. 1 in the United States and has even been credited as the first bubblegum pop chart-topper.
Although the band's career was not a complete flop, "Green Tamborine" is mainly how they got their name, yet it's rare for people to say much about the Lemon Pipers when not talking about that one song. By 1969, the band had dissolved and the members went on to start their own respective careers.
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Shocking Blue: "Venus"
"Venus" was a hit song written by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, and managed to take the number one song in not one but nine countries. The song was released in 1969 as a single from the group's third album Scorpio Dance and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart on February 7, 1970.
The song's music and lyrics were written by Robbie van Leeuwen, the band's lead guitarist, and was sung by Mariska Veres. After the success of the song, it was revisited in 1981 and was sampled as part of the Stars on 45 Medley and continues to be featured in films, television shows, and commercials to this day.
Carl Douglas: "Kung Fu Fighting"
"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song by artists Carl Douglas that was released in 1974, right before the big explosion in popularity in kung fu films. It quickly rose to the tops of the American, Australian, and UK charts as well as reached the tops of the Soul Singles chart.
It received a gold certificate by from the RIAA in 1974 and is regarded as helping to make disco music popular among the masses. it sold over 11 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. Although a song like this may not pass today due to the racial implications, it did just fine back in the day.
Minnie Riperton: "Lovin' You"
"Lovin' You" was a 1975 hit single by R&B singer Minnie Riperton. The massive hit reached No.1 on the Billboard Top 100 on April 15, 1975, as well as reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 3 on the R&B chart. Furthermore, in the United States, Billboard ranked it at the No. 13 song of 1975.
The hit was among one of the first songs to top the charts without the use of percussion and is recognized by Riperton's incredibly high vocals on the bridge, and the chirping of birds throughout the track. To this day, it is still used and referenced throughout popular culture.
Starland Vocal Band: "Afternoon Delight"
The song "Afternoon Delight" was written by Bill Danoff, one of the members of the Starland Vocal Band and was recorded by the entire group. It became a No. 1 United States Hot 100 single on July 10, 1976, and even earned a gold record. The song is known for the groups vocal harmonizing as well as the very suggestive and sensual lyrics.
The track also reached No. 1 in Canada, No. 5 in New Zealand, and #6 in Australia. In 1977, the song received three Grammy nominations and won the Grammy for the Best Arrangement of Voices. It was named the 20th sexiest song of all time on Billboard. It also saw a revitalization after being featured in the comedy film Anchorman.
Wild Cherry: "Play That Funky Music"
Written by Rob Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry, "Play That Funky Music" was the first release of the Sweet City record label in 1976. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 18, 1976, and was also the No.1 on the Hot Soul Singles Chart. The single was also certified platinum for shipping out over 2 million records, and even selling 2.5 million in the United States alone.
It was the band's only Top 40 song, yet was named No. 73 of Billboards "All-Time Top 100 Songs" in 2008. The song is still popular and well known today although the band that brought it to life has long been forgotten.
Lipps, Inc: "Funkytown"
Staying with the theme of funk, in 1980, American disco group Lipps, Inc. released their single "Funkytown" for their debut album Mouth to Mouth. "Funkytown" was an incredible success and reached the No.1 spot in 28 countries. It held the record until Madonna's "Hung Up" reached No.1 in 41 countries in 2005.
The track spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 as well as No.1 on the disco chart. The song was also Lipps, Inc. only Top 40 hit. However, even the cover of the song by Pseudo Echo was very successful and it's not unusual to still hear the song today.
Dexy's Midnight Runners: "Come On Eileen"
"Come On Eileen" was a song by the English band Dexy's Midnight Runners and released in the UK on June 25, 1982. It was a single to their album Too-Rye-Ay and reached No.1 in the United States, and No. 2. The song was written by members Jim Paterson, Kevin Rowland, and Billy Adams though is credited to the entire band.
The song won the Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards, and in 2015, it was voted by the British public as the nation;'s sixth favorite 1980s number one. It was also ranked number 18 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s. It's also not unusual to still hear this song belted out in bars across the United States and the UK.
Bobby McFerrin: "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Chances are, you've probably heard Bobby McFerrin's worldwide 1988 hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy." It was the first a capella track to reach No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for two weeks. The instruments that are heard in the song are all noises made by McFerrin himself, and he even sings in a bit of a faked accent to add to the style of the song.
Since the song's inception, it has been used countless time throughout popular culture and was even used in George H. W. Bush's 1988 U.S. presidential electionrun as his official campaign song.
Right Said Fred: "I'm Too Sexy"
"I'm Too Sexy" was the debut song of the British band Right Said Fred. The song climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and outside of the UK topped the charts in six different countries including Australia, Ireland, and the United States.
Although the group went on to make a No. 1 single in the UK titled "Deeply Dippy," "I'm Too Sexy" still remains their best-known and remembered song of their career. In 2007, the song was voted No. 80 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's and in 2011 was voted No. 2 on VH1's 40 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 90s.
Sir Mix-a-Lot: "Baby Got Back"
"Baby Got Back" is the timeless one-hit wonder by rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot from his album Mack Daddy. Released in 1992, the song received a lot of flack for its very provocative lyrics about women, considering that the entire song is describing his own preference for the female butt. Regardless of the controversy, it still was the second best-selling record of 1992 and sold 2,392,000 physical copies that year.
In 2002, it was ranked No.17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop which is an impressive accomplishment considering its content. The song spent a total of five weeks in the No.1 spot on the US charts.
The Cardigans: "Lovefool"
"Lovefool" was a song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for the band The Cardigans on their album First Band on the Moon in 1996. It was released as the albums single and was the groups first international hit.
It made appearances on six other Billboard charts and in 1997 peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart and was even certified Gold in Australia. After its immediate success, it remained as a one-hit wonder and was featured in films such as Romeo + Juliet and Cruel Intentions. Today, it's a popular song for people who remember it to sing karaoke to.
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Aqua: "Barbie Girl"
If you were alive in the late 90s and early 2000s, there's a strong chance that you know every word to the song "Barbie Girl" by the Danish pop group Aqua. Released in 1997, as their third single, the song was influenced by band member Soren Rasted saw an exhibit which featured Barbie Dolls.
The song managed to top the charts worldwide and stayed at No.1 in the UK for three weeks. It also peaked at No.7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1997. It remains Aquas biggest US hit single to date and is by far Aquas most popular piece of music.
Crazy Town: "Butterfly"
"Butterfly" is the one-hit wonder by the American rap rock group Crazy Town. The song gained popularity in November of 2000 and was the third single from their debut album The Gift game. The song received worldwide success and reached No.1 in 15 countries.
It was named the 34th Most Awesomely Bad Song Ever by VH1 and was ranked No. 3 on Billboards chart for one-hit wonders of the 2000s. It was by far the biggest success of Crazy Town's career and fans have stuck by the song's side until this day. The band did, however, get booed off the stage at Ozzfest because of the flowery hit.
Phantom Planet: "California"
If you were a fan of the television show The OC while it was still on the air, you should be very familiar with Phantom Planet's song "California." The song was originally released as the single to their second album The Guest in February 2002 and eventually received major attention after becoming the theme song for the hit television show.
The track went on to become a top ten hit in Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Although it didn't have major success on the charts in the United States, it was still a very well-received and known song.
Vanessa Carlton: "A Thousand Miles"
"A Thousand Miles" was the debut single that was written as well as recorded by American pop singer Vanessa Carlton. The song was released as the single for her album Be Not Nobody which dropped in 2002. It was one of the most popular songs of the year and was her most successful song by far to date.
Along with doing well in the United States reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, it also reached No.1 in Australia and received similar attention worldwide. Since 2002, it has been covered by numerous artists and featured in many films and televisions shows.
Gotye: "Somebody That I Used To Know"
In 2012, Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye released his track "Somebody That I Used To Know" featuring singer Kimbra. In Australia, the track won the Triple J Hottest 100 Poll in 2011 and AIRA Awards for song of the year and best video.
It topped the charts in 23 national charts and reached the top 10 in more than 30 countries worldwide. The track sold more than 13 million copies, making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. The song was well-received and was one of the biggest songs of 2012, however, Gotye seemed to fall out of the limelight after the hype off of the song had died.
