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BuzzJack Music Forum _ UK Charts _ No hit wonders anyone?
Posted by: MyKindOfLove Apr 6 2015, 12:04 PM
A spin off from the one hit wonder show, what about the acts who released one single but didn't do that well at all?
Here is an example from 2003 - "Show Me Love" by Indien:
Posted by: DanChartFan Apr 6 2015, 02:07 PM
Led Zeppelin's highest peak in the singles chart was at #21, but that's mainly because they were an album act, and only ever released a couple of there most well known tracks as singles years after they had been on successful albums.
Other well known people who had one single (or one notable single) and missed the top twenty include:
Michael Barrymore - Too Much For One Heart - #25 [promoted as a candidate for the 1995 xmas number one race, most music fans decided this single was too much for one's ears!]
Paul Shane - Hi-de-hi (Holiday Rock) - #36 [the theme to the popular BBC sitcom, but the popularity failed to translate into single sales]
The Four Bucketeers - The Bucket Of Water Song - #26 [TISWAS presenters Chris Tarrant, Sally James, Bob Carolgees and John Gorman bring their brand of anarchy to the lower reaches of the chart]
Valerie Singleton - Solomon's Centipede - #?? [in the late 60s, at the height of her fame on Blue Peter, Val released a single, but BBC rules meant it wasn't possible to perform it on Blue Peter, lest it be construed as an advert, and in the event it completely missed the charts]
Jon Pertwee - Wurzel's Song - #33 [the third doctor released this single in the character of Southern Televison's amiable but rather potty scarecrow, but he obviously forgot to put his pop star head on and it failed to bother the top 30]
Tommy Cooper - Don't Jump Off The Roof Dad - #40
Posted by: vidcapper Apr 6 2015, 02:10 PM
Here is an example from 2003 - "Show Me Love" by Indien:
That's a lot better than most of the crap clogging up the charts nowadays!
Posted by: Davidson Apr 6 2015, 02:39 PM
This came to mind straight away. She did have another song 'Hit It Hard' but not sure it was ever actually released or pushed in the slightest. I remember wanting this to do so well at the time as well...
Posted by: T Boy Apr 6 2015, 02:41 PM
The Vaccines have never had a top 20.
Posted by: Mack Apr 6 2015, 02:41 PM
Samanda from "Big Brother 8" with 'Barbie Girl' which I believe was released in October and got to #26.
Posted by: Davidson Apr 6 2015, 02:47 PM
If you want to go for BB no hit wonders don't forget about these classics:
Posted by: Cody Slayberry Apr 6 2015, 05:56 PM
Milky Chance 
Posted by: ML Hammer95 Apr 6 2015, 06:07 PM
Sneakbo has plenty of top 40s but no top 20 yet.
Posted by: N-S Apr 6 2015, 07:39 PM
Still love this to bits (#58 in 2008)
Posted by: gavindeejay Apr 6 2015, 07:41 PM
Two Door Cinema Club have had quite a few great tracks that sadly didn't chart well. 
Posted by: Luciano Apr 6 2015, 10:03 PM
The Mystery Jets were amazing but they never charted past the No.23 mark. Their best effort in my eyes is the following:
Posted by: Joe. Apr 7 2015, 12:39 AM
Jessie Ware.
Posted by: Jonjo Apr 7 2015, 01:30 AM
Their debut album was really good!
Posted by: BillyH Apr 7 2015, 02:13 AM
This, today, would be a massive number 1.
Charted at #37 in 2008 with no video or CD single release, and still feels like a future hit in the making.
Posted by: Herbs Apr 7 2015, 08:42 AM
Was going to say siobhan donaghy but her debut made the top 20! Regina spektor should have had a top 20 by now
Posted by: jafetsigfinns Apr 7 2015, 09:40 AM
J Majik & Wickaman's "In Pieces" is also an absolute masterpiece that I don't get how it didn't even chart back in 2011!
Also, SoundGirl - "Don't Know Why" they didn't smash. One of my favorite songs of 2011!
For Icelandic acts I can think of: Sigur Rós which have only made #24 with Hoppipolla but never the Top 20. Also GusGus had 5 Top 75 hits in the early 2000s/late 1990s but never even Top 40 ("David" should have been a top 10 smasssshhh!) Emiliana Torrini would also have made sense to be big but her biggest hit (To Be Free) only made #44. "Jungle Drum" was huge in Germany and such back in 2009 but didn't even chart in the UK.
Posted by: Hadji Apr 7 2015, 10:01 AM
I can remember that song being so dreadful
Posted by: Davidson Apr 7 2015, 10:14 AM
Even her massive amounts of artistic integrity and intellectual property couldn't get her anywhere (unless she changes to the artistically atrocious Verbalicious):
Posted by: Davidson Apr 7 2015, 10:20 AM
Also I remember I so wanted this to be a massive hit at the time and yet it only managed #34 (and her only top 40). Still as great as ever.
Posted by: richie Apr 7 2015, 01:15 PM
The Beta Band never managed any higher than no.30 - quite remarkable really.
Posted by: MyKindOfLove Apr 7 2015, 05:15 PM
That was a fab track! I had her album, was really good - lots and lots of hit potential. 2009 was a great year for music.
Posted by: ► ▲ N Apr 8 2015, 03:43 PM
Lonestar were very unlucky to not make the list, their only top 40 hit 'Amazed' peaked at #21 but spent 17 weeks top 40, more than enough to be considered a hit single
Posted by: gooddelta Apr 8 2015, 03:46 PM
The utterly iconic Sanna Nielsen should have really managed more than just the one low top 40 single.
Posted by: ♡ Heezus Froot ♡ Apr 10 2015, 01:21 PM
V V Brown and Hurts are the obvious ones. I can't believe Wonderful Life never went top 20 (the did get a #1 eventually with Under Control, but I don't consider that a Hurts song).
Another one is Michelle Branch, who saw 4 singles go top 40 in the UK but has only peaked as high as #16, on a Santana single that is.
Posted by: mr_aly Apr 11 2015, 01:55 PM
Michelle also had a top 20 single in her own right with 'Everywhere'. 
She has some really good songs to her name!
Posted by: The Hit Parade Apr 11 2015, 09:57 PM
Still not quite sure I get this thread - is it just everyone who didn't have a Top 20 hit?
Posted by: ___∆___ May 16 2015, 07:05 PM
I thought the same, However this is the band that for me is probably one of the most unfortunate - 10 Top 100 singles and 4 Top 100 albums without ever troubling the Top 40 despite getting close several times and having songs chart at 41, 42 and 43! (Maybe the thread should have been acts with the most chart hits that have failed to make the Top 40?)Gorky's Zygotic Mynci -
Singles:
If My Fingers Were Zylophones #91
Amber Gamber EP #91
Patio Song #41
Diamond Dew #42
Young Girls & Happy Endings/Dark Night #49
Sweet Johnny #60
Let's Get Together (In Our Minds) #43
Spanish Dance Troupe #47
Poodle Rockin #52
Stood On Gold #65
Albums:
Barafundle #46
Gorky's #67
Spanish Dance Troupe #88
How I Long To Feel That Summer #76
Posted by: AcerBen May 16 2015, 07:45 PM
I've never had a top 20 hit
Posted by: Eric_Blob May 17 2015, 01:46 AM
99% of music artists fit in this category!
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 02:52 AM
As I see it there seems to be three criteria for this thread:
One: Never making the Top 20
Two: Only releasing one single (or perhaps only being remembered for one particular single)
Three: Having some sort of fame or notoriety, or being in some way memorable.
The first two criteria were more or less set out by the OP, though how strictly the second criteria should apply seems to have varied between posters, and IMHO the third criterion is implied, otherwise we would indeed have just listed all acts and artists who have never made the Top 20.
Posted by: Aphrodite May 17 2015, 02:58 AM
Ellie Campbell springs to mind,don't want you was her main release I feel should have been a huge hit.
Posted by: fchd May 17 2015, 11:23 AM
Restricting it to Top 75 (at the moment my 76-100 data is still under construction)
Most Top 75 hits without making the Top 20
16 - Fall
14 - New Model Army
13 - Cocteau Twins
(John Peel could have put together a whole show just of those three acts!)
11 - Black Crowes, Motley Crue
10 - Catherine Wheel, Morcheeba
9 - Brass Construction, Lush
Posted by: Mack May 17 2015, 02:57 PM
Thought this would be a massive hit. Played on the background song on Britain's Got Talent last night:
Only peaking at #40.
Posted by: ḇreakaway May 17 2015, 03:03 PM
Same here man! I reckon it would do decently now though.
Posted by: Jade May 17 2015, 03:09 PM
My utter CHILDHOOD that was Bratz making the top 40 for the first and only time ten years ago.
'So Good' (#23) under 'Bratz Rock Angelz'. [2005]
Also, Aly & AJ! They are now known as 78Violet (but tbh, who on earth remembers anything they've done under this name?).
'Potential Break-Up Song' (#22) [2007]
Posted by: sasha2 May 17 2015, 04:35 PM
Anyone remember this flop?
Posted by: Liаm May 17 2015, 04:45 PM
Omg Summer Matthews <3 I genuinely still have the CD single of that 
Posted by: white_legend May 17 2015, 05:57 PM
: Fastball - The Way - reached No.21 in October 1998 - Its blooming brilliant.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 06:05 PM
Ha, so do I! Loved it too... she should have been more successful than she was.
I've done some research for this thread. I figured that the most successful acts/artists to miss the top 20 would arguably be those whose singles career peaked at 21, so I have compiled an exhaustive list of those who have done that from the first top 30 of the 50s through to the end of 2010, as I don't have the data in a practical format beyond 2010. I'd like to do a little countdown of this, but don't know whether to only do those that had one charting single (as per the OPs criteria) or else also include those that had two or more (in some cases many) singles in the sub 20 regions of the charts?
Either way this would be our first act whose singles career peaked at 21, Compagnons De La Chanson (or Mushrooms Of The Song) whose hit The Three Bells reached 21 in October 1959, and was there only single.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 06:20 PM
On to w/e 14/02/1963 and to David Thorne - The Alley Cat Song, David's only charting single.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 06:33 PM
And in w/e 7/10/1965 The Sorrows only charting single, Take A Heart, peaked at 21.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 06:52 PM
Ok I decided to include all acts that peaked at 21, regardless of how many charting singles they had below 20, so our next artist is Rita Pavone. Her first single, Heart peaked at 27 in w/e 26th January 1967. In the same week her only other charting single, You Only You, entered at 29, and peaked the following week at 21.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 07:27 PM
Grapefruit are next. Their first single, Dear Delilah, peaked at 21 in w/e 20th March 1968. A follow up single, C'mon Marianne, peaked at 31.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 17 2015, 07:35 PM
And now for probably the most famous and iconic entry so far on our list. The Nice were a prog rock outfit whose only single, America, peaked at 21 in w/e 18/09/1968.
Posted by: sasha2 May 17 2015, 08:24 PM
Haha, I think I do too you know!
Posted by: Suedehead2 May 17 2015, 11:20 PM
I thought the same, However this is the band that for me is probably one of the most unfortunate - 10 Top 100 singles and 4 Top 100 albums without ever troubling the Top 40 despite getting close several times and having songs chart at 41, 42 and 43! (Maybe the thread should have been acts with the most chart hits that have failed to make the Top 40?)Gorky's Zygotic Mynci -
Singles:
If My Fingers Were Zylophones #91
Amber Gamber EP #91
Patio Song #41
Diamond Dew #42
Young Girls & Happy Endings/Dark Night #49
Sweet Johnny #60
Let's Get Together (In Our Minds) #43
Spanish Dance Troupe #47
Poodle Rockin #52
Stood On Gold #65
Albums:
Barafundle #46
Gorky's #67
Spanish Dance Troupe #88
How I Long To Feel That Summer #76
Great example
Posted by: Cameron May 17 2015, 11:22 PM
'So Good' (#23) under 'Bratz Rock Angelz'. [2005]
What is air? I need it.
Posted by: BillyH May 17 2015, 11:36 PM
Only peaking at #40.
Brilliant example - I too thought this would be big, but it had the misfortune to be released in two extremely underwhelming, crappy summers (2007 and 2008), just peaking at #40 in the 2008 re-release.
The video's the 2007 original, the re-release used a subtle remix by Mirwais, which either improves or destroys the song depending on your view:
Posted by: rhythmb1 May 18 2015, 07:18 AM
Morcheeba
Tape Loop #42
Trigger Hippie #40
The Music That We Hear #47
Shoulder Holster #53
Blindfold #56
Let Me See #46
Part of the Process #38
Rome Wasn't Built in a Day #34
World Looking In #48
Otherwise #64
Part of the Process, Rome...and World Looking In have been used in numerous adverts I believe.
Their last two albums failed to make the top 75, but they had four consecutive top 20 albums.
Posted by: ThePensmith May 18 2015, 09:47 AM
I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned Annie in this thread...
'Chewing Gum', #24 in September 2004 and still a certified classic of that era of spiky sounding electropop from 10 years ago. 'Heartbeat' it's follow up only made it as far as #50 and then of course, when she was signed to Island in 2008 and working with Xenomania and Alex Kapranos on her second album, 'I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me' peaked at #54.
I still say had they come out with 'My Love is Better' first (her famed 'collaboration' with Girls Aloud that Fascination then made them winch the girls' vocals off lest it be mistaken for one of their own and thus destroy their run of consecutive top 10 hits at that point) it'd have been as big for Annie as 'American Boy' was for Estelle that year.
As far as I'm aware, the record for longest charting hit without ever making the top 40 is still the theme tune from 'Postman Pat' by Ken Barrie. Which when you consider it's immense popularity in the 80's - as say, with Bob the Builder in the 00's - it's still a puzzler as to why that didn't become a top 10 at least.
Posted by: ___∆___ May 18 2015, 10:06 AM
Tape Loop #42
Trigger Hippie #40
The Music That We Hear #47
Shoulder Holster #53
Blindfold #56
Let Me See #46
Part of the Process #38
Rome Wasn't Built in a Day #34
World Looking In #48
Otherwise #64
Part of the Process, Rome...and World Looking In have been used in numerous adverts I believe.
Their last two albums failed to make the top 75, but they had four consecutive top 20 albums.
Such a great band but at least they had album success I guess
Posted by: ___∆___ May 18 2015, 10:20 AM
I wonder how long that will be take to be beaten - I think with streaming etc, it will probably happen sooner rather than later.
Two other bizarre chart runs for the same song by 2 different artists that missed the Top 40 (Although Eva of course went on to have a #1 with Katie Melua)
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow:
68-97-Out-74-Out-91-Out-91-Out-46-67-98-Out-93-88-98-Out-81-Out-85-Out-97-Out-80-69-82-Out-80-44-59-81-89 (22 Weeks)
Eva Cassidy - Somewhere Over The Rainbow:
88-91-Out-85-94-78-61-84-93-45-42-48-56-63-74-80-74-88-Out-81-87-98-97-73-82 (23 Weeks)
Posted by: Vülker May 18 2015, 10:30 AM
Was going to mention Lisa Roxanne bur her (only) single was a #18. Still, she was gone two weeks later.
Lisa Roxanne No Flow 18 {18}-42->2
Posted by: GTH May 18 2015, 10:42 AM
I was so gutted that this flopped. Was my favourite single released that year, I was obsessed with it. Genuinely thought it would be huge as I had seen it loads on TV music channels at the time.
Posted by: ___∆___ May 18 2015, 11:12 AM
PJ Harvey seems to be the queen of missing the Top 20 - She's had 16 Top 75 singles of which 8 have made the Top 40 for 1 week each, Her highest charting one is #25.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 02:23 PM
Continuin where I left off yesterday the next act whose career peaked at 21 was Fairport Convention, which surprised me as I knew from my dad's LP collection that they released several albums, but their only charting single, Si Tu Dois Partir, peaked at 21 in weeks ending 23rd and 30th August 1969.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 02:41 PM
Prelude are next with their first charting single, After The Goldrush, which was a Neil Young song originally. Prelude went on to have three more singles, Platinum Blonde which reached 45 in 1980, a reissue of After The Goldrush which peaked at 28 in 1982, and Only The Lonely which only got to 55 in 1982. After the Goldrush peaked at 21 in w/e 09/03/1974.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 02:58 PM
[Deleted due to accidental double post]
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 02:59 PM
I dunno it's worse than the buses. You wait 4.5 years from Fairport Convention to another acts career peaking at 21, and then two acts come along in consecutive weeks. This time it's 8 times winners of Opportunity Knocks, Candlewick Green, with their version of the Jigsaw song Who Do You Think You Are, in w/e 16/03/1974
Posted by: MyKindOfLove May 18 2015, 03:02 PM
'Chewing Gum', #24 in September 2004 and still a certified classic of that era of spiky sounding electropop from 10 years ago. 'Heartbeat' it's follow up only made it as far as #50 and then of course, when she was signed to Island in 2008 and working with Xenomania and Alex Kapranos on her second album, 'I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me' peaked at #54.
I still say had they come out with 'My Love is Better' first (her famed 'collaboration' with Girls Aloud that Fascination then made them winch the girls' vocals off lest it be mistaken for one of their own and thus destroy their run of consecutive top 10 hits at that point) it'd have been as big for Annie as 'American Boy' was for Estelle that year.
As far as I'm aware, the record for longest charting hit without ever making the top 40 is still the theme tune from 'Postman Pat' by Ken Barrie. Which when you consider it's immense popularity in the 80's - as say, with Bob the Builder in the 00's - it's still a puzzler as to why that didn't become a top 10 at least.
I LOVE ANNIE!!! That song is strange, but oh so catchy. Didn't Woolworths (RIP) cock up with the order hence the low place? She should have been #1 with that track, in fact all of her songs!
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 03:28 PM
This one is one that most of you will know, and I suspect a lot of you will be surprised that it only got to 21, that she never had any other charting singles, and that she hasn't even been back in the charts as a result of downloads in recent years (which I could have sworn she had, but no). It's Maria Muldaur and her classic Midnight At The Oasis, which peaked at 21 w/e 27/07/1974.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 03:39 PM
Next up is Chequers, who peaked at 21 on w/e 1st November 1975, with RocK On Brother. They did have one more charting single, Hey Miss Payne, in 1976, but that only got to 32.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 03:55 PM
Crispy And Company had reached 26 in 1975 with Brazil. Their only other charting single, Get It Together, peaked at 21 in weeks ending 17th and 24th January 1976.
Posted by: fchd May 18 2015, 03:58 PM
If we're talking most weeks Top 75 without making the Top 40, Ken's record was broken last year (and has also been surpassed once again since)
20 - Demi Lovato - "Let It Go"
16 - Ariana Grande - "Love Me Harder"
15 - Ken Barrie - "Postman Pat"
...
"Let It Go" would be way ahead on Top 100 weeks too.
Six acts have more weeks Top 75 without breaching the Top 40 than our Postman Pat singing friend
30 - Rick James
24 - That Petrol Emotion
23 - Devo
23 - Love And Money
17 - Farmers Boys
16 - Baby Ford.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 04:12 PM
Weirdly our next artist manages to be a repeat offender on this list. We previously saw him as part of The Nice in 1969, and he would go on to also have one charting single as part of the supergroup Emerson Lake And Palmer, Fanfare For The Common Man, which peaked at 2 in July 1977, prevented from chartopping by the recently departed Errol Brown's Hot Chocolate and So You Win Again. However as a soloist Keith Emerson only had one charting single, Honky Tonk Train Blues, which peaked at 21 in w/e 01/05/1976.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 04:32 PM
Next up are the J.A.L.N. Band whose first charting single, Disco Music (I Like It), peaked at 21 on w/e 16/10/1976. Two more of their singles made the charts, I Got To Sing reached 40 in 1977 and Get Up reached 53 in 1978.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 04:51 PM
W/e 04/12/1976 sees Hank C Burnette's only charting single, Spinning Rock Boogie peak at 21.
Posted by: ___∆___ May 18 2015, 04:53 PM
Loved Annie too - Just checked my iTunes and I have most of her songs on there, Totally forgot I had them all. She really is one of those acts that everyone at the time seemed to love and talk about and is still remembered now but never crossed over into sales. Her songs still great now - Anyone know if she's still recording/releasing?
Posted by: 'Dan May 18 2015, 04:56 PM
omg what a classic!!!
should've done a lot better than 25
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 05:01 PM
1977 now, and Tony Etoria's only charting single, I Can Prove It, peaked at 21 on w/e 09/07/77
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 05:23 PM
A bit of cheese next, with The Floral Dance, but not the Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band instrumental, which had already peaked at 2 for six whole weeks in Dec 77 and Jan 78, held off the top only by the million-selling Mull Of Kintyre. This is the version recorded by Terry Wogan (he of the Radio 2 breakfast show, TV chat shows, Children In Need and Eurovision) which peaked at 21 on w/e 28/01/1978. Terry subsequently lent his vocal 'talents' to a charity single, Peace On Earth-Little Drummer Boy, which got to 3 in the xmas chart of 2008, but that was under the act name Bandaged, and not in his own name, and thus I discounted that in including him here. He did however chart again under his own name, in a duet with Aled Jones, the following year, with Silver Bells/Me And My Teddy Bear, which got to 27. There was also a jungle remix of his Floral Dance in 1995, but that appears to have stayed clear of the charts entirely.
Posted by: DanChartFan May 18 2015, 05:44 PM
The final artist to join our list in the seventies is Gordon Giltrap, whose single Heartsong peaked at 21 on w/e 11th February 1978. If it reminds of you of topless sunbathing in warmer climes it's because it was the theme to the BBC's holiday programme from 1978 to 1985, and the opening sequence usually featured such images at the time despite being on in the early evenings. Gordon reached the charts once more, in 1979. with Fear Of The Dark, which only got to 58.
Posted by: rhythmb1 May 18 2015, 06:32 PM
OK Go
Get Over It #21
A Million Ways #43
Here It Goes Again #36
Arguably more recognised for their awesome music videos than chart success. The latter being one of the most viewed on youtube.
Here's another more recent one, which failed to chart anywhere outside the US, where it got to #71.
Posted by: BillyH May 18 2015, 10:04 PM
'Dance Floral' by Terry in the Jungle (or 'Terry in the Jungle' by Dance Floral, I've never quite been sure) which peaked at #78. I actually remember the video getting some airplay when I was seven and wondering what the hell was going on and why that bloke from Auntie's Bloomers was singing some weird song.
Amazingly, the remix is on youtube under the unassuming title of 'Terry Wogan':
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