One Hit Wonder Day

[par4ken]

I feel that "One Hit Wonder" is rather a derogatory term. I would think that most groups had more than one hit, usually one monster hit that everyone remembers but often other lower charting hits remembered mainly by their biggest fans. And as has been pointed out top charting hits in countries other than the United States.
Anyway, what about Black Sabbath "Paranoid". Their albums were all monster sellers but as far as hits I only remember "Paranoid" being played on (AM) radio. As FM, progressive and underground radio started to develop albums became more important and more listened to than singles!

 

[par4ken]

The Cuff Links "Tracy"

They had other songs on the charts, but none on the top 40.

"I recall When Julie Comes Around" as being a big hit. And don't forget that singer Ron Dante was the voice of The Archies, who had many top charting hits at the same time.

 

[cbmmm3]

okay, I know, Sweet was not a one hit wonder....but , but ....its such a fun song and video - I could not resist

 

[milt]

Someone already posted Spirit in the Sky.
Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
Dave "Baby" Cortez - Magic Organ
Shocking Blue - Venus
Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride
Brownsville Station - Smokin' in the Boy's Room
The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee

 

[4-earredwonder]

My lady recently wanted this and I had no digital version. So she went on line and purchased a greatest hits disk. When it arrived and I ripped it for her I noticed the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida track was only 2:58 long. From back in my LP days, I knew that it took up an entire album side. Sure enough it was an edited for radio single version (if you're gonna have a hit you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05...). I cant tell you how enraged she was about it. The next day she ordered the album with the full length title track. Buyer Beware.

MoFi finally released In A Gadda Da Vida as a stereo SACD in 2020. Probably the best sounding version I've yet heard:

https://www.discogs.com/Iron-Butterfly-In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida/release/14602973

 

[par4ken]

Someone already posted Spirit in the Sky.
Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
Dave "Baby" Cortez - Magic Organ
Shocking Blue - Venus
Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride
Brownsville Station - Smokin' in the Boy's Room
The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee

Shocking Blue also had "Mighty Joe"

 

[Bill B]

Don't think I've seen this one yet....

Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider

 

[Sonik Wiz]

The Tokens also had all of these charted songs (highest number on chart given):
"Tonight I Fell in Love" 15 *
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" 1 *
"B'wa Nina (Pretty Girl)" 55
"La Bamba" 85
"Hear the Bells" 94
"He's in Town" 43
"I Hear Trumpets Blow" 30
"Portrait of My Love" 36
"It's a Happening World" 69
"She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning)" 61 # *
"Don't Worry Baby" 95
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (re-release) 51

"Tina" (originally "Tina Singu") was originally intended to be the A side of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". *

* I have the original records
# Also appeared in advertising

Swing Out Sister and Arthur Brown.... what a pairing!

I have Crazy World of Athur Brown on LP, SOS on LD.
What an amazing thread this is!

 

[par4ken]

Don't think I've seen this one yet....

Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider

I remember them for "White Hot" and "Don't Fight It"

 

[4-earredwonder]

 

[marc4879]

https://music.apple.com/au/album/candida/303081250?i=303081270
For my contribution, this little foot tapper from Tony Orlando and Dawn "Candida (1970)"

 

[LuvMyQuad]

https://music.apple.com/au/album/candida/303081250?i=303081270
For my contribution, this little foot tapper from Tony Orlando and Dawn "Candida (1970)"

They were not a one hit wonder in the US. They were very popular.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Don't think I've seen this one yet....

Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider

That's an awesome tune. And still relevant. But I also think Red Rider was a bigger deal in Canada and close to it, like where I live.

It reminds me of this one by Kim Mitchell, also Canadian. And then there is Max Webster as well, of which Kim Mitchell was a founding member

 

[marc4879]

They were not a one hit wonder in the US. They were very popular.

ok...well, maybe I just need an excuse to play/post it.

 

[Bill B]

That's an awesome tune. And still relevant. But I also think Red Rider was a bigger deal in Canada and close to it, like where I live.

Yeah I know they were bigger in Canada. I was going to include this one with the others that I posted a couple of days ago, but looked on Wiki and saw they had some songs chart in Canada. But after seeing some other posts that had songs from artists I know had multiple hits, I figured "what the hell" because it's an awesome song. To me this song always reminds me of the TV show "Miami Vice". I wasn't really a big fan of the show but they were one of the first to marry current music into their episodes and, if you ever saw the show that featured this song, it was an awesome combination.

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

This is a strange one from my childhood. I believe the B side of the single had the same song but played backward? The B-side title was spelled backward as well.

This was a big Dr. Demento tune. Whoops, someone already mentioned this. Sorry.

 

[scottm18]

That's an awesome tune. And still relevant. But I also think Red Rider was a bigger deal in Canada and close to it, like where I live.

It reminds me of this one by Kim Mitchell, also Canadian. And then there is Max Webster as well, of which Kim Mitchell was a founding member

For some reason a lot of Canadians really detest this song. Not sure why...

 

[Obbop]

Johnny Horton THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

Always did like his SINK THE BISMARK!!!!! ditty. Perhaps that song was the impetus leading to my joining the Navy!!!!

 

[scottm18]

Don't think I've seen this one yet....

Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider

Tom Cochrane was so much better in this group than he was with his boringly pedestrian solo hit.

 

[Obbop]

Iron Butterfly IN~A~GADDA~DA~VIDA Surprisingly the only hit song I know from this rock group

Post Inna-gadda-da-vide era:

"The remains of one-time Iron Butterfly bassist Philip Taylor Kramer were found on May 29, 1999. He'd been missing for four years, and to this day nobody knows exactly what happened to him.

Read More: The Mysterious Death of Iron Butterfly's Philip Taylor Kramer | The Mysterious Death of Iron Butterfly's Philip Taylor Kramer"