Shakespear's Sister had a hit in the 1990s with "Stay". I actually like some of their other music on their album too. Reminds me a bit of Wendy & Lisa in fact, in a gothic or spooky kind of way.

Sam Brown - Stop! I picked up the album and it's alright, however I totally get why this was her only hit single at the time. Ball & Chain is nice.

Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You. A simple rocking kind of a song with some nice guitar work by the man. Totally danceable too. The rest of the album did not match this hit single. I think it was around 1994 when it came out.

Jordy - Remember this 4-year-old boy who babbled in French over a Eurodance beat? Did anyone actually buy the album? According to Wikipedia he's 22 these days. Probably still getting regular royalties from years ago.

Spin Doctors - Two Princes. This was a mad hit all over Europe in mid-90s, haven't heard of them much since.

Offspring - They said in an interview with Guitar World, that "having a video on MTV and getting regular tour dates doesen't mean that money keeps rolling in." This was a few years after they came out with "Come Out and Play" and the album Smash which was a hit. They may be one of the most commercially successful punk rock bands of all time but I can't name any other hits than this. Oh, there is "Self Esteem" of course.

Any more of the same?

I think Minnie Riperton is labeled as a "one hit wonder" but her whole discography is waaaay more superior than Loving You.

speaking of one-hit wonders,who remembers this guy?

OMG, I totally forgot about Jimmy Ray! I haven't heard that song in about 12 years...lol

MrGravyLumps said:

Not a one hit wonder. "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" was just as big of a hit.

MidniteMagnet said:

same here but his song popped into my head when I came across this thread,lol.

The Offspring had a huge hit with "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy" later on - although it might have been more successful globally than in the States. Many of the successive singles after that charted as well. At one point, the later / more annoying version of The Offspring was everywhere.

ernestsewell said:

MrGravyLumps said:

Thanks for that recommendation. I saw their CD in a shop for $1.00. Imma hafta go back and get that now.

Harlepolis said:

her catalog is indeed flawless.

Harlepolis said:

They never heard Inside My Love etc?

daPrettyman said:

I remember that band...

they were pretty big for that one year... think it was 91/92

nyse said:

Actually they're still quite active, having released their last CD 5 years ago, and their first two albums were multi-platinum.

The Emotions - 'The Best Of My Love'

Ironic since (at least to me) that song wasn't their best, at all
I've grown to have more respect for them, their music is so good.I like their Stacks stuff too;
some say the Stacks Sound wasn't complementary to theirs but I respectfully disagree.

Etta Jones (not James) 'Don't Go to Strangers'

Solid disography, I'm not sure why Jones go caught in the shuffle maybe the
first name caused some confusions but she didn't make bad album.



Bobby Cadewell - "What You Won't Do for Love"

Another guy who's career has been below the radar every since with the exception
in Japan. His first ablum wasn't his best it was his third album was Carry On is, perfect.
But it didn't make a ripple in the States. Go figure.

TD3 said:

I like her

I'm not THAT fimiliar with her discography though(I wish I am). Looooove her rendition of I Sold My Heart To The Junk Man.

xlr8r said:

Typically,what happens is...when an R&B artist has a huge 'pop' hit (in this case,"Lovin You") followed by a bunch of singles that do well on the R&B charts but not the pop charts,they're sometimes labeled a one-hit wonder.It's as if the mainstream only remembers that one pop hit.It's so unfair.

A case in point...

I just googled "VH1's Top 100 One-Hit Wonders of the 80s" and they have the nerve to list Patrice Rushen on there!! They're implying that "Forget Me Nots" was her only hit!

The Geto Boys are considered a one hit wonder,because "Minds Playin' Trick.." is the only song known by them outside of the hip/hop committee.
The songs here on this list were able to crossover.
At least, unlike that dumbass "worst 100 black movie" list, VH1 OHW list has legitimate reasoning behind why these songs are one hit wonders. It's based on commercial success.

DEEE~LITE
still one of my absolute favouite groups. i thought "Power Of Love" was a hit, but they're always labeled as one hit wonders.

but i fucking love this group. i don't think there's been anyone quite like them since.



deee-groovy edit!
[Edited 3/9/10 7:29am]

CHIC0 said:

I never listened to anything else by them after "Groove Is In The Heart", until a year or two ago. I kind of dug their album. It was fun and funky.

ernestsewell said:

well there is a "Best of"




but i would recommend getting all of their albums. "Groove Is In The Heart" is an infectious number no doubt. but there's sooooo much more on all their albums you'd be missing out on. i couldn't suggest one album over the other. so the best of might be a start. each album is brilliant. great basslines, lush vocals, beats, chimes, 60's/70's throw backs, funky funky funky, groovy loops. just fun all around.

i truly feel they are one of the most under rated groups ever.



[Edited 3/9/10 8:20am]

TD3 said:

Those first three albums were excellent!

Coming Down From Love was also a minor hit, and Open Your Eyes has become an underground classic, thanks to DJs and crate diggers....






...

MrGravyLumps said:

Offsrpring...And "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" and "Get A Job". They weren't one hit wonders but had two or so albums that had quite a few modern rock hits.

maria1999 said:

Worst 100 black movies? On VH1?

Los Del Rio - Mockarena (Typo?)

Marcy's Playground - Sex And Candy

Aqua - Barbie Girl

I own/owned all these albums and the other stuff didn't do much for me, or I likely would have remembered it. But the "hits" were good.

Their only mainstream hit, but a great, great band.


Also, there's the La's who made a wicked album in 1990 which had the big hit(in the UK at least) called There She Goes.

VinnyM27 said:

Yes, I have to agree about Offspring when I think about it more. Their back catalogue is quite impressive.

CHIC0 said:

This is a funky group. I have no knowledge of their songs but I occasionally borrow their albums from the library. Even Bootsy played with them, you can't go wrong!

MrGravyLumps said:

I've never liked the term "one hit wonder", the way it's thrown around in the U.S. The American music scene has continually churned out and thrown away many an artist that critics deem one hit wonders, because America has musical ADHD -- they move on to the next big thing/genre faster than I can say look at that shiny object over there. Many of these artists may have only had one Top 40 hit in the states, but they had multiple hits (and albums) elsewhere around the world (and rightly so). I kinda laugh when watching shows about one hit wonders on VH1, because more than half of the artists listed had longer careers than you're lead to believe. They never count multiple hits on other charts besides Top 40 POP (apparently they couldn't possibly count those as hits). Sorry, rant over.