― 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
"Mr. Big Stuff", 1971 - #2"My Toot Toot", 1985 - #50
― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:04 (twenty years ago) link
Take a look at the original post, will you?
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:06 (twenty years ago) link
"Babooshka" was a major hit in 1980.
The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday
They had several hits, out of which "All Of Nothing" was their only UK #1. Also "Tin Soldier" is considered a classic these days.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:08 (twenty years ago) link
Bob Marley never charted Top 40, and I believe his only Hot 100 hit (astonishingly enough) was "Roots, Rap, Reggae" (or whatever that song was called - sorry, I'm not a big fan).
And I'm proud of myself for just thinking of this one: Tammy Wynette's only pop hit, 1968's "Stand By Your Man," was followed nigh 20 years later when she guested on the KLF's "Justified & Ancient." God I loved that song.
― Joe McCombs, Friday, 14 November 2003 23:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Leee Majors (Leee), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:11 (twenty years ago) link
"Love is Strange", 1957 - #11"Pillow Talk", 1973 - #3
― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:14 (twenty years ago) link
― Barima (Barima), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:15 (twenty years ago) link
― Barima (Barima), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:16 (twenty years ago) link
Until Fatman Scoop, that is...
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:19 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:20 (twenty years ago) link
I am now kicking myself for not thinking of Sylvia (who ABSOLUTELY counts--unless you attribute "Rapper's Delight" to her as well, maybe.)
The OTHER Sylvia (of "Nobody" fame) needs another hit now, to catch up.
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 23:24 (twenty years ago) link
― Barima (Barima), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:32 (twenty years ago) link
Gary "US" Bonds (who I just looked up) *definitely* doesn't qualify.
― chuck, Friday, 14 November 2003 23:39 (twenty years ago) link
― dylan (dylan), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Will (will), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:49 (twenty years ago) link
― dylan (dylan), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:51 (twenty years ago) link
― Will (will), Friday, 14 November 2003 23:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 15 November 2003 00:03 (twenty years ago) link
Mike Post, "Rockford Files" (#10 in '75), and Mike Post, "Hill St. Blues" (#10 in '81)
He hit #25 with Magnum P.I. in '82.
― dylan (dylan), Saturday, 15 November 2003 00:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 15 November 2003 00:18 (twenty years ago) link
Roger, "I Want To Be Your Man" #3, '872Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, "California Love" #6, '96
Nine year break, no other Top 40 pop hits, Troutman was included in the Billboard listing for "California Love"
― dylan (dylan), Saturday, 15 November 2003 00:24 (twenty 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
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.)
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