two-hit wonders

Never realized til now that Janis Ian actually had a third Hot 100 hit, six years after "At Seventeen" -- "Under The Covers," which apparently got to #71 in 1981. Not quite a real hit (also not very good), but it's still cool how she hit the Hot 100 exactly once each in three different decades.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIEfjAHfV5c

I guess her Moroder collab wasn't a hit, but it should have been, as it's awesome!

Apparently Tiffany had two other Top 10 hits after "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Could've Been", which both went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Pretty sure most people only remember "I Think We're Alone Now" though.

I sure remember "I Saw Him Standing There"! That was her best.

Very close, at least, depending on the definition: The r&b band Skyy. Exactly two Hot 100 hits: "Call Me" #26 1982; "Real Love" #47 1990. Eight years apart.

If we're talking about world-wide hits, I think Evelyn "Champagne" King would qualify with "Shame" and "Love Come Down". Besides them, she had a couple of minor charting songs in the US ("I Don't Know If It's Right" reached #23 and "I'm in Love" #40), but I'm pretty sure the big two hits are the only ones people remember now.

Didn't Evelyn King do "I'm In Love" as well?

oh sorry, read that wrong.

although I'm In Love is the only song I recognise by her.

For right now, that "Good Time" song has a chance to generate 2 one hit wonders! Obviously, too early to tell for both Owl City and CRJ but that's the way it is to date.

er, 2 two hit wonders, of course.

Andrew W.K. - "Party Hard" and "She is Beautiful"
Dschingis Khan - "Moskau" and "Dschingis Khan"
Fatboy Slim - "The Rockefeller Skank" and "Praise You"; I know he's had other singles but they weren't big like those two were they?
Gary Numan - "Are Friends Electric?", "Cards"
The Presidents of the United States of America - "Lump" and "Peaches"
Soul Coughing - "Circles and "Super Bon Bon"

"Are Friends Electric?" was by Tubeway Army

"Cards" was by Snap

Tubeway Army and Numan were basically one and the same though. The same band played on TPP didn't they?

In popular memory, though not chart performance, Fine Young Cannibals qualify in the US. I see from Wikipedia that "Don't Look Back" hit #11, but I don't think I've ever heard it whereas "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing" are both pretty universal.

oh def. "Don't Look Back" is so awesome though. I'd trade "Good Thing" for it any day.

I thought Crazy Frog would be this, but he's had at least three hits.

Everyhit says five.

Does anyone remember "We are the Champions" ? I don't!

I think it went ring ding ding ding ring ding ding

five hit singles, one top ten album, another lower down and that difficult third album!

Fatboy Slim - "The Rockefeller Skank" and "Praise You"; I know he's had other singles but they weren't big like those two were they?

"Right Here, Right Now" was just as big a hit as the other two, and still gets played today. I think it's pretty popular in sports events, for example, because of the anthemic sound; it was one of the two songs he played in his London Olympics performance. ("Gangster Trippin'" was also a big hit after "Rockafeller Skank", but that one seems to get less play these days.)

Also, before Fatboy Slim Norman Cook had already had two hits under other pseudonyms: "Dub Be Good to Me" (#1 on the UK singles chart), and "Magic Carpet Ride" (#24).

Fatboy Slim has a lot more well-known songs in the UK than just those two.

In popular memory, though not chart performance, Fine Young Cannibals qualify in the US. I see from Wikipedia that "Don't Look Back" hit #11, but I don't think I've ever heard it whereas "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing" are both pretty universal.

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Monday, 22 October 2012 16:24 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No Johnny Come Home?

Also, before Fatboy Slim Norman Cook had already had two hits under other pseudonyms: "Dub Be Good to Me" (#1 on the UK singles chart), and "Magic Carpet Ride" (#24).

he had another #1 in 1986 too yo

had no idea about "Right Here, Right Now", kinda thought that had become famous after the fact - as for "Gangster Trippin" I know the video played quite a bit here but I don't think anyone recognizes it now

No Johnny Come Home?

Not a hit in the US (#76).

in the UK, "Rockafeller Skank" was the lowest-charting single off of You've Come A Long Way, Baby (of those that made the charts; one didn't)

also because I am old, I always default to "Everybody Needs a 303" and "Going Out Of My Head" as the go-to FS singles even though they weren't as massive

Also, FBS remixes like Brimful Of Asha and Body Movin' charted on their own.

Yeah no way FBS is a 2 hit wonder.

his "Renegade Master" remix charted too, right?

I can't remember gangster tripping at all

maybe not in UK. in US I don't think anyone remembers much outside those two unless you count stuff like "Brimful of Asha".

I like "Gangster Trippin'" a LOT more than "Rockafeller Skank"

Which one did Walken dance in the video for? That was awesome.

"Weapon of Choice", a song very clearly outshined by its video

The Cardigans are another really clear example of this, at least in the US ("Lovefool" and "My Favorite Game").

the Walken vid was really FBS's only visible moment after 1998 around here. other than "oh my God Palookaville is awful"

Carnival, Ma Favourite Game, Burning Down The House?

Another Bad Creation

The Cardigans are another really clear example of this, at least in the US ("Lovefool" and "My Favorite Game").

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Tuesday, 23 October 2012 15:38 (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

UK had Erase/Rewind and Rise & Shine.

Yeah, "Erase/Rewind" was pretty big in here too, I remember it much better than "My Favourite Game".

In fact, looking at the chart placements, looks like "Erase/Rewind" was as big a hit as "My Favourite Game" almost every else except in the US.

Wonder why?

I don't know why "Erase/Rewind" didn't hit in the US because it's a pretty awesome song. I think I voted for it in the Cardigans singles poll.

You know what should have been bigger than anything else off Gran Turismo? Hanging Around - always thought that was the highlight of that record.

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.

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.)

tone loc: "wild thing" (#2 US) and "funky cold medina" (#3 US)

(which someone already said upthread, oops. carry on.)

thread reading cuz is gonna bust yr chops this Thanksgiving