Controversial, but...The Human League, Soft Cell and A-ha.

 

All three had absolutely tons of hits, but ask someone out of their target age group and they'll say Don't You Want Me, Tainted Love and Take On Me respectively. Possibly TSASOT for a-ha, and for Human League some might say Together in Electric Dreams, even though it's not a Human League song (although they do include it in their live sets now).

 

From the other end of the 80s, Tiffany and Yazz had three top 10 hits each and several more lower charters. Try and get anyone to name one that isn't I Think We're Alone Now for Tiffany and The Only Way Is Up for Yazz. Good luck :P

"Amnesia" is heavily played in the VH1 Europe breaks.

 

But no-one remembers that? :lol:

 

Sorry - came to the thread late, should have known that gag had already been done...

Edited April 22, 201312 yr by vidcapper

Wheatus had a top ten follow up to Teenage Dirtbag, a cover of A Little Respect. However they are still refered to as one hit wonders here.

 

Really? "A Little Respect" still gets played on radio and I've seen the video for it on TV a lot more than "Teenage Dirtbag", so does that count or does it just mean there are quite a few ill-informed people here?

I actually remember the 3rd single from that album- "Leroy" getting a lot of airplay at the time too. They could definitely be described as one hit album wonders though!

Traditionally when this question comes up the answer is The St Winifred's School Choir - the only act in chart history to be one-hit wonders twice.

 

They got to number one in their own right at Christmas 1980 with their only hit song 'There's No-one Quite Like Grandma' to become one hit wonders, but had also already appeared as backing singers on the 1978 Brian & Michael one-hit wonder number one 'Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs'. (as currently seen on TOTP 1978 showing on BBC4).

 

As for the Human League, Soft Cell and A-ha being classed as one hit wonders by anyone, that's a bit laughable to be honest. The same way someone in their 60s might class The Wanted or One Direction as one hit wonders because they can only name one song.

I have heard people who don't follow music refer to Natalie Imbruglia as a one hit wonder, which I'm always quick to correct them on.

How about Fat Les? Everyone knows the massive #2 Vindaloo but does anyone remember Jerusalem from two years later which made #10? I certainly don't :blink: oh and in between those two hits, he scored a #21 with "Naughty Christmas (Goblin In The Office)" which I've never heard of until now.

Edited April 22, 201312 yr by mango

One True Voice were pretty much flushed down after losing the 2002 Christmas Chart battle to Girls Aloud. But this still made to #10 and I listened to this a lot when I got NOW55.

 

But does anyone even remember One True Voice's hit in the first place? :P

Edited April 22, 201312 yr by Danny

Tamperer Featuring Maya had a massive hit Number 1 hit back in 1998 with 'Feel It', but people have long forgotten the follow ups 'If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better' & 'Hammer To The Heart'.

 

Surely "If You Buy This Record..." is more rememberd than "Feel It"?

Does anyone remember anything by Chris de Burgh, other than 'The Lady In Red'?

 

He had a no.3 hit with the dire 'Missing You', plus a few minor hits, but most of his pre-Lady In Red material is mostly wonderful ~ tracks like Waiting For The Hurricane, Spanish Train, Patricia The Stripper, A Spaceman Came Travelling, Crusader, The Traveller, Satin Green Shutters, etc.

 

Steve Wright played Spanish Train on his Radio 2 show this afternoon :)

Surely "If You Buy This Record..." is more rememberd than "Feel It"?

 

Ummm... how?

Ummm... how?

 

 

Because it's on radio and TV a lot more often? And it was parodied quite a lot at the time.

Because it's on radio and TV a lot more often? And it was parodied quite a lot at the time.

 

I regularly hear 'Feel It' around, but aside from my own listening I've not heard 'If You Buy...' since a school disco around 2000ish time.

Chris Brown :basil:

Controversial, but...The Human League, Soft Cell and A-ha.

 

I think they would only be considered One Hit Wonders in the US. But even then, Human League had two No.1s there.

Edited April 23, 201312 yr by Brotho

Surely "If You Buy This Record..." is more rememberd than "Feel It"?

 

Are you sure you are not just hearing "Material Girl"?? ;)

Are you sure you are not just hearing "Material Girl"?? ;)

 

Definitely not. It seems that almost every other time I go into Subway, where they only have Heart on, I hear "If You This Record Your Spread Will Be Butter"

 

 

Haven't heard "Material Girl" for a while, must did out some early Madonna.

How about Fat Les? Everyone knows the massive #2 Vindaloo but does anyone remember Jerusalem from two years later which made #10? I certainly don't :blink: oh and in between those two hits, he scored a #21 with "Naughty Christmas (Goblin In The Office)" which I've never heard of until now.

 

Fat Les wasn't one person, it was a supergroup of people who should have known better. Yeah, Naughty Christmas was great fun - definitely the stupidest record that Joe Strummer has been involved with.

As for the Human League, Soft Cell and A-ha being classed as one hit wonders by anyone, that's a bit laughable to be honest. The same way someone in their 60s might class The Wanted or One Direction as one hit wonders because they can only name one song.

 

So true. Anyone who listened to music in the 80s wouldn't call Human League a one hit wonder.

 

It's very different to the generation after that.

 

Now someone might think that Shania Twain is a one hit wonder because he only knows That Don't Impress Me Much.

Edited April 23, 201312 yr by SKOB

Gina G, while she had 2 or 3 more top 10 hits after ooh aah just a little bit if you ask anyone all they remember is ooh ahh even though she had some good follow ups.