One Hit Wonder: Your definition

[Ceasar’s Palace]

I have to tell this story here:

in the 90s there were a couple of Dutch comedians who wanted to show that with the right amount of publicity anyone could have a hit.
In Dutch we call a one hot wonder a “one day fly”. So the comedians recorded a silly song, called it One Day Fly. Then went on all the talkshows with it. And it was a hit.
Point made.

[Chris2210]

Spitting Image did something similar in the UK in the 90s with The Chicken Song. It was a parody of the Black Lace style hits which, god help us, were not one-hit wonders. I expect many who have those songs in their record collections grew up and voted Johnson. 😏

[Bill M]

Aren't most novelty songs by one hit wonders?

I didn't mean to make this into a thread about the Buggles, but I think it is a unique situation. Typically, one hit wonders (the group as well as the members) go into obscurity after their big hit. The Buggles got absorbed into something bigger on the heels of their big hit.

edit: Maybe what I am trying to say is that there is a significant timeline tracing back to the Buggles that is not typical of one hit wonders.

[Chris2210]

I think if I'd only heard Video Killed the Radio Star, I'd be thinking of the Buggles in that light. It's a bit gimmicky and a bit cheesy [owww-a-owww]. I think in that respect it belies the immense talents that were behind it. You do sometimes see that in bands that have just a moment in the spotlight. They disappear but members of the band are lifelong professional musicians that make their mark in other ways.

One example that comes to mind is Pilot. I think they produced excellent pop, but they had a limited season. Paton and Bairnson were backbones of the Alan Parson's Project and have contributed to work by countless other acts. In Bairnson's case Kate Bush and a certain Jon Anderson.

I wonder whatever became of Downes and Horn?

[luna65]

"Barbie Girl" was a one hit wonder for AQUA and without it would Margot Robbie be starrin' in a new Barbie film to be released in 2023? This is a question that keeps me up at night.

Does it though? 😜 The ongoing cultural importance of Barbie as an IP is something which may be difficult for some people to understand.

[Sharp On Attack]

Be careful with your definitions because The Eagles or the Doobie Brothers could be considered one hit wonders in France cause they only had 1 famous song here. It a band's whole career can be reduced to that particular hit yes. So no to Oasis, Blur, Eagles, Yes, Steel Dan,. Yes to the Buggles , Kajagoogoo, etc

[Chris2210]

Kajagoogoo had several top ten hits [in the UK]. I remember quite liking Big Apple but that was post-Limahl. Too Shy was too shite.

Nick Beggs is another one of those musicians that's gone on to have a long career in music - notably featuring in Steven Wilson's band among others.

[Gilly Goodness]

Does it though? 😜 The ongoing cultural importance of Barbie as an IP is something which may be difficult for some people to understand.

As usual you are makin' too much sense. 😉

Recently Barbie Mattel made a Queen Liz doll. Looked more like a young Helen Mirren. Anyhoo Robbie's film is expected to be a post-feminism comedy. She gets kicked out of BarbieLand for not bein' "perfect" and has to survive in the real world.
Ryan Goslin' to play Ken. Greta Gerwhig to write and direct.

[1yesfan]

One song, a little buzz on the back end of it then vanished into thin air. Sorta like much music today.

[Bill M]

A member of a well-known band does a side project which may or may not include members of said band. A big hit is generated by this side project. I can't think of an example of this scenario so I am going to make one up, Perhaps, somebody can come up with an example that actually exists.

Let's say for some reason Chris Squire's Hold Out Your Hand (from Fish Out Of Water) was a big hit. How would this qualify Chris Squire? In my opinion, I wouldn't call him a one hit wonder since this project was sort of an extension of and made possible by YES. It is almost like the solo albums made by all of the members at this time was tied in with the YES vision.

[luna65]

Given that Chris already had career distinction at the time, it might qualify that song as a one-hit wonder, but not him. You could use an example like Christine McVie's "Got A Hold On Me" which was a hit when it released as a single in 1984 from her second solo album, and she never had a hit like that on her own ever after, but she was Christine McVie and therefore already a hitmaker in an adjacent context.

[Yesed]

I've always thought Led Zepplin's Thank You made a great one hit wonder song. One hit wonder songs are almost always perfect.

[luna65]

But it wasn't even a single.

[Yesed]

But it wasn't even a single.

I know, and obviously LZ are who they are. The song just has that feel. Hard to explain.

[Bill M]

Given that Chris already had career distinction at the time, it might qualify that song as a one-hit wonder, but not him. You could use an example like Christine McVie's "Got A Hold On Me" which was a hit when it released as a single in 1984 from her second solo album, and she never had a hit like that on her own ever after, but she was Christine McVie and therefore already a hitmaker in an adjacent context.

I would say it could be tested on a page like wikipedia. If the song comes up in the opening paragraph, that person or group is likely to be a one hit wonder.

For example, if somebody asked who Eddie Murphy was, I wouldn't expect the response to be "that guy who sang Party All The Time".