Recently a thread went off topic with people going down memory lane of one hit wonders. Those have been abundant in numbers, hits so good, but never the start of a line of good songs. Slinger Francisco, better known as Mighty Sparrow, turned 90 years old on July 9 2025. He's the singer of this one hit wonder in the Netherlands in 1969, repeated in 1977. Put in your guilty pleasure one hit wonders
Great song, but Jimi doesnot match the one hit wonders curse of producing only one song as a legacy. He has many classics on his sleeve(s).
This was actually a topic on the radio this morning. The host stated, "I cannot really criticize any 'one hit wonder,' as that is one more hit than I will even have." I think there is something to that. Many, many artists that are "one hit wonders" did not produce "only one song as a legacy." They produced only one song that was a hit. Those are very, very different things. At most, Joy Division was a "one hit wonder," with Love Will Tear Us Apart (and it is debatable if we can call this a "hit" from a charting perspective, since it topped at 13 in the UK, 1 in New Zealand(!), 42 in the US (on the "disco top 100") and did not chart most other places). However, they produced dozens of incredible songs to make their legacy. Oh, and Ian Curtis topping himself really cemented their legacy. While Sinead O'Conner is often considered a "one hit wonder" with Nothing Compares to U, her legacy far, far exceeds that one song. Devo are a "one hit wonder" with Whip it, but, ask most Devo fans, and that song does not make their list of their top 10 or 20 or 30 (or, for me, 40) songs that define their legacy. Chumbawamba are the very definition of a "one hit wonder," with Tubthumping, but they had a nearly 30 year career of incredible music in just about every genre of music imaginable. Kate Bush is a "one hit wonder," at least in the US, with Running Up that Hill ("A Deal with God"), which topped the chart in the US and the UK in 2022, 35 years after its release (thanks to Stranger Things), but pretty much every song on every one of (at least) her first six albums is excellent and her legacy was secured after her amazing debut. She did have 20-25 Top 40 singles in the UK, but only 2 No. 1 hits in the UK (Wuthering Heights, upon its release in 1979, and the aforementioned Running Up that Hill ("A Deal with God")...in 2022) and only 1 No. 1 in the US. All nine of her albums topped the charts, in the UK, but only one single did during her career. I guess, since she now has, technically, TWO No. 1 hits in the UK, she is no longer a "one hit wonder." Finally, as to those one-hit wonders who do fit your definition of the "curse," they can rightfully say: "Well, it's better than being a no-hit wonder."
I fully agree with you, that's why I excluded Jimi being a "one hit wonder", as he obviously has a legacy of songs that are great ones, only not in the charts. There are artists who sell albums with great songs on it by the millions, but none of those make it into the charts as a hit. "One hit wonders" are to be compared with falling stars, they lit the sky, but only once. Legacy creators we most of the times know by the albums they created and became classics. Very true and let's be honest, we're greatful they did flash once, so we can enjoy it forever
Can’t slip anything by you guys. Here is a genuine one hit wonder that lives on (in Boston anyway) years after its release.
all the world knows Hendrix cover is better. Belgian guy said that in the second post in that thread. Check the latest in that thread for a new experience.
Some of my favorites, not 100% sure these are all one-hitters, but AFAIK they are. I can live with "got a shitload of airtime on mainstream radio at one time" as the definition of a hit. Painted Ladies- Ian Thomas Captain Of Her Heart- Double Magic- Pilot
The early 80s had a bunch of them due to MTV. I always think of Kajagoogoo and “Too Shy.” The Icicle Works’ Whisper to a Scream is great. Prefab Sprout’s When Love Breaks Down is one of my top 100 songs, which given the size of my music collection is very high praise. Wikipedia seems to indicate it’s their only hit in the US. Mott the Hoople-All the Young Dudes One time long ago I saw The Cure described as a one hit wonder because Lovesong charted in the top 5 and nothing else they released ever came close.
Dylanista here. Dylan’s version really isn’t very good. John Wesley Harding is a meh album and that’s one of the meh songs on it. Dylan said Jimi’s version was better and if you check out Dylan doing the song live after Jimi, Bob did it Jimi’s way.
They Don't Know- Tracey Ullman Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime- The Korgis Do You Know What I Mean- Lee Michaels My Maria- B.W. Stevenson Convoy- C.W. McCall