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Post by out of reach on Oct 17, 2011 23:45:41 GMT -5
I know it's a term people like to throw around a lot but it seems like there are many artists that have one hit and then go about their business and have success elsewhere even without tons of radio airplay. I know that's called a crossover hit but does the term one hit wonder still really apply in today's music climate?
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Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Oct 17, 2011 23:52:05 GMT -5
In some ways, it never really applied but using the classic use of it, which is when used for those acts that had that one popular, long-remembered, mainstream hit regardless of hits on other formats, areas, or countries, I feel like there are fewer and fewer one-hit-wonders now because of how singles are structured. So much hype is applied to even new acts that by the time an album drops, featuring a big hit from it, there's already a second single out that is doing well also. I honestly can't think of one one-hit-wonder from this or last year alone but I'm also not thinking very hard.
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Lozzy
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Post by Lozzy on Oct 18, 2011 0:19:06 GMT -5
^ 'Fireflies' and 'According to You' are two examples of recent one hit wonders I can think of. Their respective follow-up singles made #34 and #42 on the pop chart, and made no significant impact. While they did have another entry, I think that's enough to classify them as proper one hit wonders. Then you have the crossover hits, for example 'Need You Now.' If you look at the pop chart, statistically, it is a one hit wonder, but if you look at the country charts, then it's obviously not. You also have 'F**k You' - he did have success five years ago as part of a duo, and he's currently having some success on the Urban AC format. Also, you have 'Stereo Love,' which was a Romanian dance crossover so it wasn't really expected for him to have another hit. Then there are also songs like 'Replay' and 'Down.' While those two artists did have follow-up top 20 success, those hits were so huge that they've pretty much eclipsed those follow-ups. You could also argue that the other hits rode off the momentum of those two songs. So in a way, they're kinda on the fence line, but statistically, they aren't. I'm not really sure what the OP is trying to convey anyway, though.  |
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Rurry
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Post by Rurry on Oct 18, 2011 0:21:19 GMT -5
I think now, even the smallest musical acts have some sort of following thanks to the internet, so it's hard to label anyone as a true one hit wonder.
For example, by the textbook definition, Owl City would be a one hit wonder - Fireflies was a huge hit and pretty much everything else he released didn't make a dent anywhere. But at the same time, he had a solid following even before Fireflies and still has one, so he's not a one hit wonder in the sense that he had one one big hit and then fell off the face of the Earth, never to be heard from again. With the internet, it's hard for anyone to really completely disappear from the scene like they used to.
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Post by out of reach on Oct 18, 2011 0:38:53 GMT -5
I think now, even the smallest musical acts have some sort of following thanks to the internet, so it's hard to label anyone as a true one hit wonder. For example, by the textbook definition, Owl City would be a one hit wonder - Fireflies was a huge hit and pretty much everything else he released didn't make a dent anywhere. But at the same time, he had a solid following even before Fireflies and still has one, so he's not a one hit wonder in the sense that he had one one big hit and then fell off the face of the Earth, never to be heard from again. With the internet, it's hard for anyone to really completely disappear from the scene like they used to. I tend to agree, even though both would generally could be considered one hit wonders, even Orianthi has had a pretty impressive resume post According to You and had moderate follow-ups internationally. Another artist I can think of is Neon Trees but even they didn't really disappear per se. |
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think pink.
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Post by think pink. on Oct 18, 2011 14:58:28 GMT -5
Text book definition of a one hit wonder in recent times
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2011 15:15:10 GMT -5
I still think there are one-hit wonders. The problem is that, for more recent artists/hits, people find it easier to recall their minimally successful singles or notice whatever kind of following they may have than for one-hit wonders of the more distant past. There are plenty of one-hit wonders from decades' past that also had some minimally successful singles and devoted followings despite only one major hit. With all the time that's gone past, people recall the more minimal successes less. I always point out Vanessa Carlton and Leona Lewis as artists in the past 10 years who had two Top 10 CHR/Pop hits, yet one of them far outshadowed the other. It's very possible that in 20 years, they could be referred to as one-hit wonders despite chart statistics showing that they had another hit. I guess this also brings up the point that there is no textbook definition of a one-hit wonder. It's a term that is defined by whoever is conducting any particular list or whatnot. As someone who primarily listens to R&B (or rather Urban music in general), it's always annoyed me to see names like Evelyn "Champagne" King or Teena Marie or Freddie Jackson on a list of one-hit wonders when they had fairly extensive success among Urban audiences (which is a pretty significant audience), yet I do understand that certain one-hit wonder lists are defined as artists who had only one memorable mainstream CHR/Top 40 hit.
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