― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:35 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:14 (twenty years ago) link
I'm tempted to say XTC too, but they might've had tons of other hits and I'm just being an ignorant-igor: Making Plans For Nigel, Senses Working Overtime.Surely there must've been something off Skylarking too? OHhhh, Dear God. Duh!This might be very screwed, as I try to steer clear of radios and such.
Hrmmm, what about Roxy Music? Most people tend to just think "oh, they did that schmaltzy Jealous guy cover, right?"Surely they must've had a big hit from Avalon that I can't think of right now.
― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:33 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:40 (twenty years ago) link
― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:40 (twenty years ago) link
Hm. I would tend to think most people would recognize Roxy Music from the song "More Than This", off of Avalon. There's also the title track from the same album, which I would feel people would bring up more than the "Jealous Guy" cover, and going back to their Seventies Glam-Rock era I think more people would also name "Virginia Plain" or "Street Life". Hm.
Human League aren't that much far from qualifying. At least, "Don't You Want Me" and "Human" are the only major hits. But they had several smaller ones.
"(Keep Feeling) Fascination" was smaller? Really? And what about "Sound Of The Crowd"? Wasn't that the song that got them onto "Top Of The Pops" for the first time or something? Or is my memory totally playing tricks on me? Again, hm.
― Pancakes For Breakfast! (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:46 (twenty years ago) link
― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 14 November 2003 14:52 (twenty years ago) link
Oasis are two hit wonders, at least in terms of US pop radio - "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova."
― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:02 (twenty years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:14 (twenty years ago) link
I do think it's fabulous that ILX is filling up with people with Scandinavian names who expand the stock of English phrases so fruitily. I shall go and call someone an ignorant igor on another thread right now!
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:23 (twenty years ago) link
< sigh > but Geir, we are specifically talking about "hits".
"punk classic" != "hit" (partly of course because "punk classic" + "independent label" = very low sales from chart return shops, but that's another story!)
Few things would make me happier than to be able to tell you that The Damned also had hits with Neat Neat Neat, Problem Child, Don't Cry Wolf, I Just Can't Be Happy Today, The History Of The World, There Ain't No Sanity Clause, The Friday 13th EP, Wait For The Blackout, Lively Arts, Lovely Money, Dozen Girls, Generals, Thanks For The Night, Grimly Fiendish, Shadow Of Love, Is It A Dream, Gigolo, Alone Again Or and In Dulce Decorum....
.... but the simple fact is, they didn't.
In fact the truth is that the only reason Love Song managed to claw it's way into the charts was because Chiswick released it in four different picture sleeves (with a different member of the band on each sleeve) and then released it agin a few weeks later in red vinyl!
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:36 (twenty years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 14 November 2003 15:38 (twenty years ago) link
― dlp9001, Friday, 14 November 2003 15:44 (twenty years ago) link
really, though, I think Golden Earring is the classic example.
― d.w., Friday, 14 November 2003 16:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 16:05 (twenty years ago) link
― rw, Friday, 14 November 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link
Daphne & Celeste!
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 14 November 2003 16:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 16:57 (twenty years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:16 (twenty years ago) link
― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:22 (twenty years ago) link
― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:26 (twenty years ago) link
― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:34 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 14 November 2003 18:14 (twenty years ago) link
I thought of Dexy's as a good example, at least for in the States, where "Come On Eileen" and "Geno" would be the only two songs any DJ would even think about playing. Most of those other songs that charted are only known by fans of the group, and are not played often on the radio.
Pink Floyd is not the best example either, as dozens of their songs are played on classic rock stations, although they most likely only have two songs that actually charted as singles. Radiohead might be a three-hit-wonder - I believe Creep, Karma Police and Paranoid Android, at least at this point, are the only two songs that get played often on modern rock stations (not including the current HTTT singles which will most likely be forgotten about by non-fans a year from now).
― billstevejim, Friday, 14 November 2003 19:03 (twenty years ago) link
― billstevejim, Friday, 14 November 2003 19:10 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 19:18 (twenty years ago) link
― billstevejim, Friday, 14 November 2003 19:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Felcher (Felcher), Friday, 14 November 2003 21:47 (twenty years ago) link
I agree. But so are:
Janis Ian "Society's Child" 1967, "At Seventeen" 1975
and
Dobie Gray "The 'In' Crowd" 1965, "Drift Away" 1973.
Though actually, Dobie had a #37 single called "You Can Do It," in 1979, but nobody I know of has ever heard the thing, so that shouldn't count, and neither should his remake of "Drift Away" with Uncle Kracker last year.
Anyway, the trick with Golden Earring/Janis/Dobie is that their two hits are SEVERAL YEARS APART, not to mention all six songs went TOP 15, AT LEAST. Which is necessity for REAL two-hit wonders. (i.e.: "Radar Love" #10 1974, "Twilight Zone #15 1983).
Those are the only three I can think of that fit those requirements.(Men Without Hats, in contrast, had hits that were only FOUR years apart, and they STILL qualify more than most other nominations on this thread.)
After the Fire's second most famous song would be "One Rule for You," which got a speck of new wave airply in 1979. But I wouldn't really call it a HIT.
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 21:58 (twenty years ago) link
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:00 (twenty years ago) link
"Duke of Earl," '62"Groovy Situation," '70
He had a few other hits ("Just Be True" being the biggest), but nothing that would be top of mind to many beyond the Chandler family.
― dylan (dylan), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:08 (twenty years ago) link
You and I live in very different worlds.
― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:10 (twenty years ago) link
"Green-Eyed Lady", 1970 - #3"Don't Call Us, We'll Call You", 1975 - #9
― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:14 (twenty years ago) link
1) At least eight years separating both hits.2) Both hits must have gone at least top 15 in Billboard.3) No other hits may have gone -- what, top 20? 25? 30? Let's say 20.4) No more than three top 40 hits total.5) But hitting with the same song twice does not count against you.
All of which Golden Earring, Janis Ian, and Dobie Gray do.
Anybody else??? (Sugarloaf, despite how excellent both of those songs are, only had five years of separation. Close, but no cigar.)
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:17 (twenty years ago) link
― dylan (dylan), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:19 (twenty years ago) link
To be true two-hit wonder, one must a one-hit wonder TWICE. Okay?
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:19 (twenty years ago) link
― dylan (dylan), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:20 (twenty years ago) link
17 (!!??) top 40 hits, including FIVE top 10s. Not even close.
Though there WERE nine years between his first two.
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:22 (twenty years ago) link
― dylan (dylan), Friday, 14 November 2003 22:28 (twenty years ago) link
― Joe McCombs, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:34 (twenty years ago) link
Johnny Cymbal ("Mr. Bass Man") reinvented himself as 'Derek' several years later for "Cinnamon" (as in, "Let me in").
Lenny Kravitz actually comes close: after "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," he didn't chart Top 40 again until "Fly Away" (but then spoiled it with "Again")
Jimmy Cliff qualifies, though it's unfair to his stature: his only chart hits were "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "I Can See Clearly Now," separated by about 20 years. I hate citing him as an example, though; it's such a technicality.
― Joe McCombs, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:38 (twenty years ago) link
That reminds me: Bob Marley never had ANY hits, right? And I was gonna deal with the Louis Armstrong question, but I changed my mind.
Oh wait, if Johnny Cymbal counts, why not Donnie Iris (ex of the Jaggerz)? Not big enough and too many I bet. Hmmm....Ides of March and Survivor BOTH had too many right? I gotta get back to work...
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 22:52 (twenty years ago) link
You know what should have been bigger than anything else off Gran Turismo? Hanging Around - always thought that was the highlight of that record.
― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Thursday, 25 October 2012 11:00 (eleven years ago) link
Soul group The Ovations had exactly two Hot 100 hits in the U.S., eight years apart: "It's Wonderful To Be in Love" #61 1965; "Having A Party" (a medley) # 56 1973.
― xhuxk, Monday, 21 October 2013 18:13 (ten years ago) link
Thought Blind Melon would qualify, but only as an average of two charts: "No Rain" on the Top 100, that and "Tones of Home" and "Galaxie" on the Mainstream Rock chart. They felt like a two-hit wonder. (No, that's not true. They felt like a one-hit wonder.)
― clemenza, Monday, 21 October 2013 18:44 (ten years ago) link
tone loc: "wild thing" (#2 US) and "funky cold medina" (#3 US)
― open letter to an open letter to a fanzine (fact checking cuz), Monday, 21 October 2013 18:49 (ten years ago) link
(which someone already said upthread, oops. carry on.)
― open letter to an open letter to a fanzine (fact checking cuz), Monday, 21 October 2013 18:53 (ten years ago) link
thread reading cuz is gonna bust yr chops this Thanksgiving
― Bitch Fantastic (DJP), Monday, 21 October 2013 18:55 (ten years ago) link
haha
― open letter to an open letter to a fanzine (fact checking cuz), Monday, 21 October 2013 18:56 (ten years ago) link
The Left Banke -- "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina"
― Victor Immature (WilliamC), Monday, 21 October 2013 18:59 (ten years ago) link
The Bloodhound Gang - "Fire Water Burn" and "The Bad Touch"
― MarkoP, Monday, 21 October 2013 20:37 (ten years ago) link
xp - odd how "Walk Away Renee" was an oldies radio staple yet I've never heard "Pretty Ballerina" on the radio, even though it was almost as big a hit.
― Lee626, Monday, 21 October 2013 22:52 (ten years ago) link
psy
― monotony, Monday, 21 October 2013 22:57 (ten years ago) link
I heard "Pretty Ballerina" last night on Psychedelicized, which is why it jumped to mind when I saw this revived thread this morning.
― Victor Immature (WilliamC), Monday, 21 October 2013 23:47 (ten years ago) link
eiffel 65, with "blue (da ba dee)" and "move your body"
― dyl, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 02:42 (ten years ago) link
"Boogie Fever" or "Hot Line"
― timellison, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 03:02 (ten years ago) link
Sister Sledge!
― timellison, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 03:23 (ten years ago) link
Village People
― timellison, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 03:30 (ten years ago) link
(though "Macho Man" seems to have had a bigger legacy than a lot of songs that peaked at # 25)
― timellison, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 03:32 (ten years ago) link
Rupert Holmes (follow-up single "Him" reached #6)
― timellison, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 03:37 (ten years ago) link
I still remember "Ready for the '80s." Even though they weren't.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 03:49 (ten years ago) link
I used to think Weezer were a one-hit wonder with that Happy Days song, but now I've learned from Wikipedia they had an even bigger hit in 2005 with a tune called "Beverly Hills". Those two were eleven years apart too.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 09:53 (ten years ago) link
even Weezer had disappeared after their first album they'd still have 3 songs in rock radio rotation forever and ever
― deez so unusual (some dude), Tuesday, 22 October 2013 11:55 (ten years ago) link
They've only has two singles in the top 50, though. And "Buddy Holly" is probably the only tune by them someone who doesn't know anything about them (like me) recognizes.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 12:06 (ten years ago) link
Actually, for a while in 2000 I thought they were a two-hit wonder band, when "Teenage Dirtbag" was playing on MTV all the time. Then someone pointed out to me it wasn't by the "Buddy Holly" band, I'd just mixed up Wheatus and Weezer in my head.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 12:08 (ten years ago) link
Hmmm... Three Is A Magic Number would probably be their other "hit."
― MikoMcha, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 12:17 (ten years ago) link
Tuomas - I hope you'll be delighted to know that several years back, Weezer started playing Teenage Dirtbag at festivals because it amused them that non-fan people made that mistake / they thought "what the hell, they want to hear it"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St0svOdrSR8
― ͼѾͽ (sic), Tuesday, 22 October 2013 15:04 (ten years ago) link
Haha, that's awesome!
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 October 2013 17:04 (ten years ago) link
Brenda Russell, exactly two hits, 9 years apart: "So Good So Right" #30 1979; "Piano In the Dark" #6 1988. Nothing else ever hit the Hot 100.
― xhuxk, Friday, 25 July 2014 16:51 (nine years ago) link
Non-humans win!!
Singing Dogs, exactly two hits, 16 years apart: "Oh! Susanna" #22 1955; "Jingle Bells" #1 1971. No other Hot 100 singles (and the same producer -- a guy in Copenhagen named Don Charles -- and even apparently the same dogs since "Jingle Bells" was a reissue.)
― xhuxk, Monday, 22 September 2014 17:43 (nine years ago) link