Trivia: Artists only known for one song

[yorksrob]

Quite often the one hit wonder artiste(s) are so one-hit that they are completely eclipsed by their one hit and forgotten while the song lives on. For example... "Na Na, Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)

And ultimately by Bananarama !

 

[dgl]

Scooter has had a few hits, though as they're all utter garbage and all sound pretty much the same I'll give you that one. 2-Unlimited likewise.
Robyn also had "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker" which was massive for a while.
For the B-52s I'd argue that Rock Lobster is just as well-known as Love Shack.
Space (assuming you're referring to the 90s Liverpool group) had a few hits from their debut album. I'd say "The Female of the Species" is their most well-known but they also had "Me & You Versus the World" which was pretty big at the time.

Firstly, Scooter songs aren't all utter garbage, and whilst a lot of people might not like them they have been releasing music continuously from 1993 to the present, (admittedly only the lead singer/MC is original to the band but that mainly because the third member has changed 3 times and after 20 years their main studio guy/founding member got disillusioned with modern dance music and after a flirt with being in a classical duo is now bassist in a German indie band). They actually had 8 top 20 hit's in the UK (one as a three single ep) and number one and number two albums. In Germany they have had 36 top 20 hits.
Listen to some of the less commercial b-sides and album tracks, that's where they shined, also interesting is the pre-scooter New Wave band "Celebrate the Nun" featuring two of the Scooter founders.

Robyn was not responsible for "I wish I was a punk rocker" that was Sandi Thom, though she co-wrote "keep this fire burning" which in the UK was a hit for Beverly Knight.

And the Space I'm referring to were a French electronic band from the 70's

 

[DaleCooper]

C.W. McCall - Convoy
Paul Hardcastle - Nineteen

 

[Ediswan]

Paul Hardcastle - Nineteen

On that theme, Stan Ridgway - Camouflage

 

[McRhu]

And ultimately by Bananarama !

I’d quite forgotten about them. Yes.

Moving right along; Jilted John by Jilted John. Who at least made sure his name wasn’t forgotten at the expense of the song.

 

[yorksrob]

I’d quite forgotten about them. Yes.

Moving right along; Jilted John by Jilted John. Who at least made sure his name wasn’t forgotten at the expense of the song.

Don't forget "Gordon is a Moron"

 

[DaleCooper]

Robert Knight - Love On A Mountain Top
Curved Air - Back Street Luv

 

[cjmillsnun]

Any number of "one hit wonder" artistes out there...

I'll start with "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, 'Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas and "Saturday Night" by Whigfield (Sannie Carlson).

Whigfield had 2 other singles in the top 10.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Charlene - I've Never Been To Me

 

[cjmillsnun]

Point of Order. OMD had several other hits including Elona Gay and Maid of Orleans.

Another one hit wonder - Africa by Toto

Rosanna by Toto disproves Africa being a one hit wonder.

How Bizzare was OMC not OMD

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Whigfield had 2 other singles in the top 10.

That's as may be, but would most folk actually know what they were?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I’d quite forgotten about them. Yes.

Moving right along; Jilted John by Jilted John. Who at least made sure his name wasn’t forgotten at the expense of the song.

Also known (in later years) as character folk-singer John Shuttleworth. Real name Graham Fellows.

According to his Wikipedia page, the song "Jilted John" was originally the B-side (the A-side was "Going Steady") but John Peel played the eponymous B-side on his show instead.

 

[70014IronDuke]

What about Neil Young - Only love can break your heart?

Whatever happened to the guy? You'd have thought he had enough talent to make it somehow?

I guess some people just fade away.

 

[JD2168]

Tony Di Bart - The Real Thing.
Afroman - Because I got high.

 

[dgl]

t.a.t.u - All The Things She Said

 

[Jimini]

t.a.t.u - All The Things She Said

Not Gonna Get Us did pretty well in the charts as well, I seem to recall.

 

[Trackman]

Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack your body
The Timelords - Doctorin' The Tardis (Ok, so it's the KLF...)
The Firm - Star Trekkin'

 

[Jimini]

This one's filled with tenuous links, but bear with me:

Madonna first, in 1986. Note the riff:

Then Vauxhall half-inched it, and used it extensively in their advertising campaigns in the '90s:

And then, finally, to get back on topic, The Boy Wunda released this trance track back in 1999 -- their only chart release, that made it to #7 in the UK Top 40:

 

[AndrewE]

Barry Cryer: The Purple People Eater, apparently a number 1 in Finland!

 

[dgl]

Not Gonna Get Us did pretty well in the charts as well, I seem to recall.

I believe it did, interestingly the successful version of "All the things she said" was produced by Trevor Horn no less!

 

[Bevan Price]

Apologies if any have missed any already listed:

Noel Harrison - The Windmills Of Your Mind
Ace - How Long
Cascades - Rhythm Of he Rain
Nirvana (1960s version) - Rainbow Chaser
Rare Bird - Sympathy

 

[McRhu]

Now here's a sub category... Artists who have had one hit wonders with different bands. Tony Burrows was in White Plains (My Baby Loves Love), The Pipkins (previously mentioned with Gimme Dat Ding), Eddiston Lighthouse (Love Grows) and The First Class (Beach Baby); each of which band was essentially 1-H-W's. Not only that he is a 1HW in his own right, having charted but once with Melanie Makes Me Smile (which I can't remember but assume was about Melanie Safka?). He is credited with appearing in 3 different bands during the same episode of ToTP with two of the aforementioned band plus Brotherhood of Man who were Several Hit Wonders.

 

[Cambus731]

Surprised no-one has mentioned Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) the Reaper

 

[Lloyds siding]

Hole in my shoe - Traffic (Yes, I know they had Paper Sun and another, but nobody but a fan remembers)

Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck (Did he have any others in a later incarnation?)

All around my Hat - Steeleye Span

Jeff Beck played on Stevie Wonder 'Talking Book' album: in return Stevie promised a song for Jeff's next album...the track was 'Superstition'! However Motown decide to release Stevie's version before Jeff Beck had got round to recording it on the Beck, Bogert and Appice album!

Jeff plays guitar on Jon Bon Jovi's first solo album 'Blaze of Glory' (i.e. not as the band Bon Jovi).
The title track 'Blaze of Glory' was a hit and the theme song of the film 'Young Guns II'.

 

[Ediswan]

Surprised no-one has mentioned Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) the Reaper

Around the same time, Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street.

 

[Lloyds siding]

Around the same time, Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street.

Gerry Rafferty had a hit as a member of Stealers Wheel with 'Stuck in the Middle with You'. 'Star' was another hit for them.

 

[yorksrob]

Around the same time, Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street.

"Nightowl" and "Get it right next time" were both hits for Gerry Rafferty.

 

[cjmillsnun]

That's as may be, but would most folk actually know what they were?

Doesn’t matter. Still not a one hit wonder according to the charts.

 

[Amos]

Billy Ray Cyrus - achy breaky heart.He seems to now be remembered as Miley’s father.

 

[brad465]

Psy - Gangnam Style

He did also have the top hit "Gentleman", but I get the distinct feeling that was a legacy effect of the popularity of the first track, and you don't really hear that one so much.