Are They A One-Hit Wonder?

I am familiar with both songs. I would not call Geddes a one-hit wonder. Kenny Starr (real name: Kenneth Trebbe) had a #2 country hit in January 1976 with the latter song, retitled The Blind Man In The Bl;eachers. It was written by Sterling Whipple, best-known for two top-30 country hits in 1978, Dirty Work and Then You'll Remember. Yes, that was his real name.

 
All Saints
#4 "Never Ever"
#36 "I Know Where It's At"

All_Saints_-_album_cover.jpg


Five UK chart toppers. Here, the only reason I know of them is I see the name come up for three seconds on 90s on 9 before I change the channel.
 
Andrew Gold
#7 "Lonely Boy"
#25 "Thank You For Being A Friend"

A cover of #25 by Cynthia Fee was the theme song for The Golden Girls. I don't recognize either song (as recorded by Andrew Gold) though.
 
Lonely Boy featured Linda Ronstadt on background vocals and reached #7 on the Hot 100. It was #6 for four consecutive weeks on the top thirty of KHJ in Los Angeles. KHJ played Thank You For Being A Friend but the song never made their top 30. In December 1978, Asylum re-released the two songs on a single (#E-45087) as part of their Spun Gold line. I wouldn't call Andrew Gold a one-hit wonder, although the Golden Girls theme song is arguably the better-known version of Thank You For Being A Friend.

Gold released 14 singles between 1975 and 1980. Only four charted. Here is his unnecessary remake of Manfred Mann's Do Wah Diddy Diddy:

 
Cobra Starship
#7 "Good Girls Go Bad"
#7 "You Make Me Feel"

Don't think I've made it to the end of either song. Don't know if the general public knows/likes/remembers either one.
 
Joe South
#12 "Games People Play"
#12 "Walk A Mile In My Shoes"
#41 "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home"
#47 "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor"


Listened a little to both and I don't know either song. Pretty sure most people under 50 would have no clue about these songs? I do see that he wrote "Hush" by Deep Purple (which I'm now learning is not the original version, it's a cover). Anyway I know "Hush", but not the songs he took into the top 40 himself.
 
Never heard of them. Like the "Games People Play" though. I listened because I thought it may be a remake of the Alan Parsons song of the same name.
 
Dream Academy
#7 "Life In A Northern Town"
#36 "The Love Parade"

Heard the second one on this week's VJ. Pretty confident it was completely forgotten by the end of 1986. Subjectively a OHW.
 
Dream Academy
#7 "Life In A Northern Town"
#36 "The Love Parade"

Heard the second one on this week's VJ. Pretty confident it was completely forgotten by the end of 1986. Subjectively a OHW.
I've only heard the first. Didn't listen to VJ this week (after 1985).
 
Albert Hammond
#5 "It Never Rains in Southern California"
#31 "I'm a Train"

I don't know either song. Since they were 1972 and 1974, that's not surprising. Though "American Pie" is '72 and "Seasons In The Sun" is '74 and I've heard those a bunch of times across all decades. I'd guess these two Hammond songs are forgotten? Does anyone ever hear them (outside of SXM or music nostalgia podcasts)?
 
Albert Hammond
#5 "It Never Rains in Southern California"
#31 "I'm a Train"

I don't know either song. Since they were 1972 and 1974, that's not surprising. Though "American Pie" is '72 and "Seasons In The Sun" is '74 and I've heard those a bunch of times across all decades. I'd guess these two Hammond songs are forgotten? Does anyone ever hear them (outside of SXM or music nostalgia podcasts)?
It Never Rains was a big hit (as evidenced by getting to #5), and it has been in rotation on the radio ever since. I'm sure it's played on 70's on 7 every couple of days. It's a well-known song.

I've never heard I'm a Train, and it's a pretty stupid song. So I'd say he's a legitimate OHW.

Fun fact: Albert Hammond Jr. is his son. He's the guitarist for The Strokes.
 
Rachel Platten reached #6 in August 2015 with Fight Song. Her follow-up, Stand By You, stalled at #37 in February 2016.
I say she's a one-hit wonder – and I will fight anybody who disagrees.
 
Back
Top Bottom