Favorite One Hit Wonders?

[iamthemilkman]

They don't have to be massive mainstream hits, just one song that hit with you but none of their other songs did.

 

[SpcDaicon]

The happiest song in the world. I keep coming back to it when I'm feeling down.

Well, if you got to be know for ONE song, its better be a banger

 

[iamthemilkman]

The happiest song in the world. I keep coming back to it when I'm feeling down.

Well, if you got to be know for ONE song, its better be a banger

That's a good one.

Another good one from the '90s:

 

[wilddogsdivorce]

it's a troubling term for me, since it's just such a sad idea to think about. but also because many bands will fall into this category depending on how you choose to define it. a favorite band of mine is modest mouse, but only one of their songs ever really played on the radio that i know of, and it played quite a bit. personally, i don't see them as a one hit wonder but i think there's a more objective view that might put them in the category.

i think there's a lot to be said for 'heart of glass' being THE one hit wonder though. a band that normally does counter culture type stuff makes a little joke, everyone goes wild for it. isn't that so sad? i don't know, something about it just really gets to me.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

Deadsy - The Key to Gramercy Park

 

[miguk miguk]

I've got plenty; took me a while to write all of this:

• Angelfish "Suffocate Me"
• BoA "Duvet"
• Chemical Brothers "Setting Sun" (1HW in US)
• Chris Isaak "Wicked Game"
• CIV "Can't Wait One Minute More"
• College "A Real Hero"
• Dada "Dizz Knee Land"
• Dishwalla "Counting Blue Cars"
• Ednaswap "Torn" (Yes, I know it was a cover that was a hit, but the cover artist wasn't a 1HW and the original is better.)
• Edwyn Collins "A Girl Like You" (1HW in US)
• Eels "Novocaine For The Soul"
• Fang "The Money Will Roll Right In" (really a 0HW, but has underground cred)
• Flock of Seagulls "I Ran (So Far Away)" (though "Space Age Love Song" was the better single.)
• Folk Implosion "The Natural One"
• Gits "Here's to Your Fuck" (0HW, but I always think of this as their "hit")
• God Lives Underwater "From Your Mouth"
• Hum "Stars"
• Human League "Don't You Want Me" (their earlier stuff was better; should have been "Being Boiled" for the hit)
• Hüsker Dü "Makes No Sense At All" (UK) or "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" (US) (personally think it should have been "Something I Learned Today")
• Jesus Lizard "Panic in Cicero" (0HW, but this song was in Clerks, so close enough)
• Jill Sobule "Supermodel"
• Julee Cruise "Falling"
• Kavinsky "Nightcall"
• Killing Joke "Love Like Blood" (outside UK)
• King Missile "Detachable Penis"
• LaTour "People Are Still Having Sex"
• Land of the Loops "Multi-Family Garage Sale"
• Letters to Cleo "Here and Now"
• Local H "Bound for the Floor"
• Luscious Jackson "Naked Eye"
• Magazine "Shot By Both Sides"
• Mansun "Wide Open Space"
• Mazzy Star "Fade Into You"
• Meat Puppets "Backwater"
• Mission of Burma "Academy Fight Song"
• Modern English "I Melt with You"
• Mudhoney "Touch Me I'm Sick" (Didn't chart, but caused a huge surge of interest in grunge just before it got big.)
• New Pornographers "Letter From an Occupant" (UK)
• Osymyso "Intro-Inspection" (0HW, but the song made quite a commotion.)
• Pavement "Cut Your Hair"
• Placebo "Running Up That Hill" (How is this their only US hit‽ Not "Pure Morning" or "Every You Every Me"‽)
• Plastic Bertrand "Ca plane pour moi"
• Poe "Angry Johnny"
• Possum Dixon "Radio Comets" (0HW)
• Pulp "Common People" (US & several other countries)
• Q Lazarus "Goodbye Horses"
• Rentals "Friends Of P"
• Rollins Band "Liar"
• Shudder To Think "Hit Liquor" or "X-French Tee Shirt" (0HW and I'm stretching it here, but they definitely have a cult following.)
• Sneaker Pimps "6 Underground"
• Soft Cell "Tainted Love" (US)
• Superdrag "Sucked Out"
• Temple Of The Dog "Hunger Strike"
• That Dog "He's Kissing Christian"
• Tuxedomoon "In A Manner Of Speaking"
• Wax "Southern California"
• White Town "Your Woman"

 

[PaleFolklore]

The Sundays, with their song "Here's Where The Story Ends".

 

[Adrastia]

Dada "Dizz Knee Land"

I remember seeing the video on MTV and the VJ saying that the title had to be cleverly spelled because Disney was sue happy.

Also Possum Kingdom by Toadies. This is on pretty regular rotation on a local radio station along with Sex & Candy by Marcy Playground. No idea why. I guess someone really likes them with the frequency I've heard them.

 

[miguk miguk]

The Sundays, with their song "Here's Where The Story Ends".

The Sundays were not one hit wonders. I wouldn't even have guessed to cite that song, personally; I'd sooner go with "Summertime" or "Wild Horses". They weren't as big of hits, but they seemed more like it.

 

[What's His Face]

Larry Leon - M.A.S.K.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

Again & Again by The Bird and the Bee was pretty nice, sad it never really took off when it released.

 

[instalazy]

i really tried to listen to their whole album but the rest of thesong just dont hit like this one

 

[Antilocal123]

Probably Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson.

 

[Azazelivae]

Spoken - Through It All

Famous Last Words (Kinda ironic) - The Show Must Go On

 

[Deleted member 884]

Fun - We are young

 

[Zerohour2k12]

Dunno if this qualifies but this is the only song that I knew of hers. And Terry Crews.

 

[iamthemilkman]

I've got plenty; took me a while to write all of this:

• Angelfish "Suffocate Me"
• BoA "Duvet"
• Chemical Brothers "Setting Sun" (1HW in US)
• Chris Isaak "Wicked Game"
• CIV "Can't Wait One Minute More"
• College "A Real Hero"
• Dada "Dizz Knee Land"
• Dishwalla "Counting Blue Cars"
• Ednaswap "Torn" (Yes, I know it was a cover that was a hit, but the cover artist wasn't a 1HW and the original is better.)
• Edwyn Collins "A Girl Like You" (1HW in US)
• Eels "Novocaine For The Soul"
• Fang "The Money Will Roll Right In" (really a 0HW, but has underground cred)
• Flock of Seagulls "I Ran (So Far Away)" (though "Space Age Love Song" was the better single.)
• Folk Implosion "The Natural One"
• Gits "Here's to Your Fuck" (0HW, but I always think of this as their "hit")
• God Lives Underwater "From Your Mouth"
• Hum "Stars"
• Human League "Don't You Want Me" (their earlier stuff was better; should have been "Being Boiled" for the hit)
• Hüsker Dü "Makes No Sense At All" (UK) or "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" (US) (personally think it should have been "Something I Learned Today")
• Jesus Lizard "Panic in Cicero" (0HW, but this song was in Clerks, so close enough)
• Jill Sobule "Supermodel"
• Julee Cruise "Falling"
• Kavinsky "Nightcall"
• Killing Joke "Love Like Blood" (outside UK)
• King Missile "Detachable Penis"
• LaTour "People Are Still Having Sex"
• Land of the Loops "Multi-Family Garage Sale"
• Letters to Cleo "Here and Now"
• Local H "Bound for the Floor"
• Luscious Jackson "Naked Eye"
• Magazine "Shot By Both Sides"
• Mansun "Wide Open Space"
• Mazzy Star "Fade Into You"
• Meat Puppets "Backwater"
• Mission of Burma "Academy Fight Song"
• Modern English "I Melt with You"
• Mudhoney "Touch Me I'm Sick" (Didn't chart, but caused a huge surge of interest in grunge just before it got big.)
• New Pornographers "Letter From an Occupant" (UK)
• Osymyso "Intro-Inspection" (0HW, but the song made quite a commotion.)
• Pavement "Cut Your Hair"
• Placebo "Running Up That Hill" (How is this their only US hit‽ Not "Pure Morning" or "Every You Every Me"‽)
• Plastic Bertrand "Ca plane pour moi"
• Poe "Angry Johnny"
• Possum Dixon "Radio Comets" (0HW)
• Pulp "Common People" (US & several other countries)
• Q Lazarus "Goodbye Horses"
• Rentals "Friends Of P"
• Rollins Band "Liar"
• Shudder To Think "Hit Liquor" or "X-French Tee Shirt" (0HW and I'm stretching it here, but they definitely have a cult following.)
• Sneaker Pimps "6 Underground"
• Soft Cell "Tainted Love" (US)
• Superdrag "Sucked Out"
• Temple Of The Dog "Hunger Strike"
• That Dog "He's Kissing Christian"
• Tuxedomoon "In A Manner Of Speaking"
• Wax "Southern California"
• White Town "Your Woman"

I loved Superdrag when I was young, kinda fell out of love with them for many years, then I was watching Conan one night and saw them perform "The Staggering Genius." Underrated band, tbh.