artists who squeezed the most out of just one song or one album?

Their debut album World Clique was pretty good. They also scored six number ones on the U.S. billboard Hot club dance charts over the years ( whatever the hell that is).

 

It apparently ain't much because only one of those songs charted, barely scraping the top 50.

Going by Wikipedia they apparently maintained some profile in the UK, albeit well outside the Top 40.

 

Neither fits this thread. From the OP:

 

Kula Shaker. After Hey Dude and Hush they went downhill. They had a lot of promise but Crispin Mills was a bit too out there for some with his eastern mysticism and got ridiculed by the press and by a few of his Britpop peers. Shame as he was a pretty good guitarist as well.

 

Not in the US. In the US, Dexy's defines "one-hit wonder". "Eileen" hit #1 in the US but they only had one other single that charted at all - and it stalled at #86!

 

The Romantics - What I Like About You is still everywhere..

 

Local Chicago bands of the early 80s:

OK I don't know if it was a Chicago band but it was all over WXRT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZlXJtLhMQ

 

i was just gonna say that one....

 

Kimberly Rew who wrote most of the early songs for Katrina and The Waves did retain the rights and it has, like What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding by Nick Lowe, proven to be a godsend. That and Going Down To Liverpool which was covered by The Bangles have allowed him to sustain a solo career, playing with The Soft Boys when they reunited (he was a key member). It's an incredibly infectious song and deserves its success.

As far as Morisette goes, while her success was big, I disagree with you that she wouldn't have been signed by a major label. Her music resonated with women and she would have been successful at some level.

I could be mistaken but, as I recall, even though Rew wrote it, they split up the royalties although Rew gets more of it having written it.

 

Which is ironic given that he was a key member of a well regarded UK band (although he's American) --Spooky Tooth.

 

Got inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame on the basis of ONE song.

 

i nominate The Vapors "Turning Japanese"

• This song turns up in the weirdest places, like in an episode of Bill Nye: The Science Guy where it was Weird-Al'd into a song about electricity. A Dr. Pepper commercial uses the tune, as does a commercial for KFC restaurants where it's sung on karaoke. The song also featured in the films Romy And Michele's High School Reunion (1997) and Charlie's Angels (2000).
  
  It has 38 credits in films/ tv including two of which imclude 12 episodes of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and 3 episodes of a show called 20 to 1. It wasn't a huge hit mind you in the US (peaking at #37) but it was in the UK, Oz where it reached #3 and #1. It reached #7 in Canada and was even a hit in Japan.

 

I bet the others are ecstatic to be part in such a cash cow.

 

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes has had a second life at sports events around the world.

 

only hit in the US
had several singles that charted in UK and other countries

 

"Achy Breaky Heart" - Billy Ray Cyrus; and his was a cover of the original!

 

Babylon Zoo with Spaceman. It's a hidden track on the pregap of their debut album, plus it's there again as a listed track, then again 11 minutes after the official final song ends. Also at their gigs they used to open with it, close with it then encore with it twice. Sometimes more, breaking the curfew.

 

I actually enjoyed the followup "Cargo" even more! They were riding the crest of the MTV wave and did so brilliantly!

(I'll still take Little River Band over them all day!)

 

Kim Carnes - Bettie Davis Eyes

 

Fortunately, it's still a catchy tune 40 years later, though far from his best. It does reside on a VERY good album in a string of really good albums.

I can see where that would seem like an obvious choice, but in fact Buffett does have an amazing body of work behind it.


I do think the Billy Ray Cyrus example is pretty spot on!

 

or could it have something to do with the superlative quality of Rumours?

 

Eagles > Hotel California

 

It's sometimes a good idea to read the first post to understand the topic.

 

Richard O'Brien - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

 

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah