One Hit Wonders - Your Favorite

[Heroditus]

The Cascades---Rhythm of the Rain

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by joe white

Chevy Van from Sammy Johns

I always play that in a bar setting and do a trivia for a free drink if anyone can name Sammy as the artist. I'm not sure anyone has ever got it right

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Photojeep

"
"Billy Don't Be A Hero" by Paper Lace (I think)
or

Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods.

Papar Lace was "The Night Chicago Died"

[Steve DeRosa]

This one hit the NYC area in Summer 1970, just before my freshman year of college - I had been in a horn band in high school (Howard Levy was our keyboard player) so this one caught my ear from the get-go:



Never got to see it, but I understand BS&T used to cover it as an encore back in the day - probably knocked it out of the park with the original horn section and David Clayton-Thomas' vocals (Bice is nice - I've heard their current cover - but DCT is one of a kind)...

[guitar george]

Maybe this one.

[DenverSteve]

The Weather Girls - "It's Raining Men". Co-written by Paul Shaffer.

[Brucebubs]

'Eloise' by Barry Ryan.



He had a follow up single 'Kitsch' but that was kinda it internationally.

[Everton FC]

How can anyone have just one, "One Hit Wonder"?

My sister had the Billy Swan 45, "I Can Help". Great song.

I won't include "On and On" by one of my all-time favourite singer-songwriters, Stephen Bishop, nor Andrew Gold's "Lonely Boy", because both had success w/their songwriting outside their radio "hits"...

Probably my all-time one-hit faves are Randy Vanwarmer's "Just When I Needed You Most", Youngbloods "Get Together", "Falling" by LeBlanc & Carr, and Climax's "Precious and Few". Others:

"Shannon", by Henry Gross (love this song)
"Feelings", by Morris Albert
"Baby Come Back", by Player
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" by Ace (Paul Carrick of Squeeze/Mike and the Mechanics, on lead vocals)
"Sunshine" by Jonathan Edwards (Great album, by the way)

Still more;
"Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band
"Magnet and Steel" - Walter Egan
"Thunder Island" - Jay Ferguson
"Midnight At The Oasis" - Maria Muldaur

In the early 80s, New York City, college radio was what I listened to. Pigbag's "Papa's Got A New Pigbag", is still a great song. Was a big hit on the College Radio/Club charts. So many songs were "One Hit Wonders" on the college/alternative radio dials back then, as well as when MTV was born - songs like "Love Plus One" by Nick Heyward and Haircut 100, or "Tenderness" by General Public, but both bands/artists had long careers, unlike Billy Swan, or Pilot, or Henry Gross. Of the 80's "One Hit Wonders", "Melt With You" by Modern English falls into this category. "Ditto" Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good". And Red Rockers "China".

Fun topic. Thanks for the idea!

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Everton FC

How can anyone have just one, "One Hit Wonder"?...

Because that was the question - and it lets everyone contribute.

[Fogducker]

Does "Achy Breaky Heart" qualify? Only 2 chords too!

Fog

[KenL]

"Brandy" by Looking Glass was mentioned earlier. It gets played quite a bit on our local "hippie radio" and I always thing about what a nicely put-together song it is.

Good story, great vocals and guitar, an all-around excellent pop song.

[ManyMartinMan]

Originally Posted by Fogducker

Does "Achy Breaky Heart" qualify? Only 2 chords too!

Fog

No. Billy has had numerous hits.

[joe white]

Originally Posted by fitness1

I always play that in a bar setting and do a trivia for a free drink if anyone can name Sammy as the artist. I'm not sure anyone has ever got it right

Todd, I had an acoustic trio in the late 90's that also would cover Chevy Van. We obviously weren't a "dance band" but one new years gig, an older couple immediately hit the floor and slow danced to Chevy Van. They were both head to shoulder, eyes closed and somewhat oblivious to everything in the room except each other and the song. When we finished the song the rest of the pub clapped and cheered for the couple. They hugged, kissed and thanked us for playing the song. It was a memorable experience for us. The power of a single song.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by joe white

Todd, I had an acoustic trio in the late 90's that also would cover Chevy Van. We obviously weren't a "dance band" but one new years gig, an older couple immediately hit the floor and slow danced to Chevy Van. They were both head to shoulder, eyes closed and somewhat oblivious to everything in the room except each other and the song. When we finished the song the rest of the pub clapped and cheered for the couple. They hugged, kissed and thanked us for playing the song. It was a memorable experience for us. The power of a single song.

Pretty cool....moments like that you wish you had on video!

[bill austin]

https://youtu.be/KNM5g2ARGyY