One Hit Wonders - Joel Whitburn

[Deleted]

From The Book Top Pop Singles 1955-2010

The full definition being used:

Artist must have had only one hot 100 hit.
That hit must have made the top 10
Artist must be a lead artist and not a featured artist
Duos that share equal billing do not count if one member had solo hits
Songs that made the Hot 100 Airplay - only chart (in the 90s) do not count

Revised from posts below. Although "Airplay-only" do not negate one-hit wonder status, if hitting the top 10 on "airplay only" was the only hit of the artist then that artist is a one-hit wonder.

If the followups to the artist' hit failed to make the Hot 100 but did make Bubbling under, this will remove one-hit wonder status



106 one-hit wonders in all

[Deleted]

One hit wonders 2000-2010

Blue - Eiffel 65
It Feels So Good - Sonique
Butterfly - Crazy Town
Get Over Yourself - Eden's Crush
Never Had A dream Come True - S Club 7
Addictive - Truth Hurts
Heavan - DJ Sammy & Yanou
Down 4 U - The Inc
Turn Me On - Kevin Lyttle
Listen To Your Heart - DHT
Bad Day - Daniel Powter
Pop, Lock & Drop It - Huey
Party Like A Rockstar - Shop Boyz
1234 - Feist
New Soul - Yael Naim
American Boy - Estelle
Bulletproof - La Roux

[Deleted]

One Hit Wonders 1990s

Ooh La La - Perfect Gentleman
Get Here - Oleta Adams
The One and Only - Chesney Hawkes
Please Don't Go - KWS
How Do You Talk To An Angel - Heights
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - Proclaimers
Gangsta Lean - DRS
Cantaloop - US3
Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Nicki French
Back For Good - Take That
One Of Us - Joan Osborne
Mission Impossible - Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen
Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand - Primitive Radio Gods
Lovefool - Cardigans
My Baby Daddy - B Rock & The Biz
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
How Bizarre - OMC
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
My Body - LSG
I Don't Ever Want To See You Again - Uncle Sam
Swing My Way - KP & Envyi
Romeo & Juliet - Sylk E Fyne
Sex And Candy - Marcy Playground
Crush - Jennifer Paige
Lullaby - Shawn Mullins
Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry
Give It To You - Jordan Knight
Steal My Sunshine - Len

[Deleted]

One Hit Wonders - 1980s

Hooked On Classics - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Chariots Of Fire - Vangelis
Putttin On The Ritz - Taco
Breakin'...There's No Stoppin' Us - Ollie & Jerry
We Are The World - USA For Africa
Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer
Miami Vice - Jan Hammer
Rumors - Timex Social Club
Baby Love - Regina
The Rain - Oran "Juice" Jones
Heart And Soul - T'Pau
She's Like The Wind - Patrick Swayze
Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
I Remember Holding You - Boys Club
Heavan Help Me - Deon Estus

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2011 18:58:12 GMT -5 @2m said:

Down 4 U - The Inc

This is a weird one to consider a one-hit wonder because The Inc is not actually a musical group. It was just who the album was credited to because it was made up of members of the record label. Not to mention the song was led by Ja Rule and Ashanti.

[Deleted]

One Hit Wonders 1970s

Gimme Dat Ding - Pipkins
In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Sweet Mary - Wadsworth Mansion
Chick-A-Boom - Daddy Dewdrop
What The World Needs now Is Love/Abraham, Martin & John - Tom Clay
Desiderata - Les Crane
Jungle Fever - Chakachas
Convention '72 - Delegates
Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
Eres Tu - Mocedades
The Lord's Prayer - Sister Janet Mead
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
The Entertainer - Marvin Hamlisch
Dynomite - Bazuka
Junk Food Junkie - Larry Groce
Do You Wanna Make Love - Peter McCann
Smoke From A Distant Fire - Sanford/Townsend Band
Makin' It - David Naughton
Pop Muzik - M

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2011 19:17:14 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

Jun 24, 2011 18:58:12 GMT -5 @2m said:

Down 4 U - The Inc

This is a weird one to consider a one-hit wonder because The Inc is not actually a musical group. It was just who the album was credited to because it was made up of members of the record label. Not to mention the song was led by Ja Rule and Ashanti.

The lead artist in this case is

Irv Gotti presents The Inc

Ja Rule & Ashanti were featured artists

[kingofpain]

Heavan - DJ Sammy & Yanou

It's unfortunate they didn't service "Boys Of Summer" to radio here. At that time, I think if they'd had, it would have been a smash for them. Instead we got the lousy cover version by The Ataris instead. Radio probably had to choose and they were probably "Boys Of Summer"'d out - not to mention dance music on pop radio was on the decline BIG TIME.

[renfield75]

Jun 24, 2011 19:29:11 GMT -5 @2m said:

The full definition being used:
Songs that made the Hot 100 Airplay - only chart (in the 90s) do not count

That criteria doesn't seem to apply, as evidenced by the inclusion of the following:
Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand - Primitive Radio Gods
Lovefool - Cardigans
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle

If he means airplay-only follow-up hits by artists that had top tens on the Hot 100, it seems strange to exclude those follow-ups but include airplay-only one-hit wonders.

Also a little disappointed in Joel's exclusion of the Glee Cast's most charted hits record. I love Joel's books but it seems like he's always manipulated things a bit in favor of Elvis (eg, giving him credit for two number ones for "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" etc) to keep him ahead of Madonna, Mariah, and others on various all-time lists.

[Deleted]

I think he means "airplay only" followup hits

In the example you cite, these were their only hits period

[renfield75]

Jun 24, 2011 19:47:22 GMT -5 @2m said:

I think he means "airplay only" followup hits

In the example you cite, these were their only hits period

Yes...but it seems a bit odd to recognize some airplay-only hits but not others. If a one-hit wonder on the Hot 100 had a follow-up airplay-only hit, I wouldn't really consider them a one-hit wonder in the truest sense of the term. If you were to look those acts up in the very same book, they will have more than one entry.

As I said, Joel is a little selective sometimes in his interpretation of the data. But it's his book, so he can do that.

Still, I look forward to receiving my copy in the next few days!

[Deleted]

One Hit Wonders - 60s

Forever - Little Dippers
Alley-Oop - Hollywood Argyles
Yogi - The Ivy Three
Asia Minor - Kokomo
Percolator - Billy Joe & The Checkmates
Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) - Ernie Maresca
Al Di La - Emilio Pericoli
Midnighy Mary - Joey Powers
An Open Letter To My Teenage Son - Victor Lundberg

[Deleted]

2m, Zager and Evans "In the Year 2525" isn't considered a one hit wonder?

Surprised.

[Deleted]

Interesting

Since he includes Bubbling Under in his book that is ruled out

'Mr Turnkey' was the followup to that song and it hit #106

[Deleted]

One Hit Wonders - 50s

Let Me Go Lover - Joan Weber
Open Up Your Heart - Cowboy Church Sunday School
Moonglow and Theme from Picnic - Morris Stoloff
Cindy, Oh Cindy - Vince Martin
Rainbow - Russ Hamilton
Happy, Happy Birthday Baby - Tune Weavers
I'm Available - Margie Rayburn
Get A Job - Silhouettes
Oh Julie - Crescendos
Dinner With Drac - John Zacherie
He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands) - Laurie London
Book Of Love - Monotones
Chanson D'Amour - Art & Doddy Todd
One Summer Night - Danleers
Little Star - Elegants
Susie Darlin' - Robin Luke
Manhattan Spiritual - Reg Owen
Petite Fleur - Charlie Barber's Jazz Band

[HolidayGuy]

Thanks, 2m. Anything else notable in the new edition? I didn't preorder, as I got burned the last time, when the price actually went down sometime after the release, to an even lower price than the preorder price. lol

[jebsib]

Love these books.

Hate the way they now group re-entries right below the original. Messes up the chronological order.

[areyoureadytojump]

Thanks, 2m!

[renfield75]

Jun 25, 2011 8:23:18 GMT -5 jebsib said:

Love these books.

Hate the way they now group re-entries right below the original. Messes up the chronological order.

I agree, I wish they would change this. Billy Idol's first three singles were all eventually re-released, and it throws his chronology all apart.

It's the one thing I've really disliked about the last few versions of the book, but I've enjoyed all the other new information they've started including.

[ListenToItTwice]

None of these artists look like they'll earn another hit any time soon (Feist could chart on the Hot 100 MAYBE if her next album got a lot of hype), but stranger things have happened.

Thanks for posting, 2m!

[rosemoor]

1234 - Feist
New Soul - Yael Naim
Bulletproof - La Roux

They are pretty new artists. Does any of them even have a follow-up album yet?

[ListenToItTwice]

Jun 25, 2011 12:00:40 GMT -5 rosemoor said:

1234 - Feist
New Soul - Yael Naim
Bulletproof - La Roux

They are pretty new artists. Does any of them even have a follow-up album yet?

Yael does (it didn't do a thing in the US,) the others don't yet

[rosemoor]

where is Mambo No. 5?

And how about sinead o'connor nothing compares 2 u?

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2011 12:38:57 GMT -5 rosemoor said:

where is Mambo No. 5?

He had a second single peak at #74.

[microcuts]

Jun 25, 2011 12:38:57 GMT -5 rosemoor said:

And how about sinead o'connor nothing compares 2 u?

She had a second song on the Hot 100 (#60) - The Emperor's New Clothes.

[rosemoor]

LOL ohhhh this is hard. ok, how about Billy Paul's Me & Mrs. Jones?
Des'ree You Gotta Be
and that Whoomp there it is

[Deleted]

Thanks For Saving My Life - Billy Paul was top 40
Tag Team ha Addams Family (Whoomp!) #84 and Whoomp! (There It Went) #97
Feel So High - Des'Ree went to #67

[rosemoor]

LOL obviously my perception of the "One Hit Wonders" doesn't match your criteria that well.

[Deleted]

I posted the definition being used in the first post.

This is taken from Joel Whitburn's new Pop Top Singles book

[Deleted]

Everyone has their own perception of "one hit wonder"

This is based on pure statistics rather than memory.

The 106 songs listed above all were top 10 hits by artists who had no follow-ups or whose follow-ups failed to make the Bubbling Under or Hot 100 chart