Greatest one hit wonders

But don't you find it at least a bit interesting or curious that Randy Newman had only 1 hit? When you start separating the more famous artists from the not so famous where do you draw the line about who should be included together and who shouldn't? Then it comes down to opinion or sentiment. You could have all kinds of differing opinions. I just go by the numbers/Billboard charts.

 

Shooting at fish in a barrel- answer : "Something In The Air"

Serious answer: "Jessie's Girl"

 

The Music Explosion - #2 in 1967 (#1 on Record World)


had one other record on the Billboard Hot 100 which peaked at #63; three later releases "bubbled under"

 

"I Touch Myself" by The Divinyls.

 

Springfield had 16 Top 40 hits.

No...16 is wrong. I guess he had over 20! A bunch anyway. I had no idea it was that many.

 

A timely one - lots of charting country singles, including many number ones, but only one Top 40 entry (#22 in 1980.) RIP Mickey...

 

Jewel Akens - #3 on Billboard in 1965 (#2 in CashBox and Record World)


the soundalike follow-up 'Georgie Porgie' peaked at #68

 

Not sure how high this reached, but one source describes it as a "modest national hit" -

Crystal Mansion, The Thought of Loving You:

 

#40 seems rather modest, but this is surely one of the best songs of '69 -

Keith Barbour, Echo Park:

 

filmed at the old la zoo

 

maybe two hits their first single my little red book made it to # 52 in billboard

 

And a much bigger hit in some parts of the country, such as Boston where it went Top 10.

 

The Exciters - #4 in early 1963


should not have been one hit wonders - their great follow-up 'He's Got the Power' inexplicably peaked at #57, and their original 'Do-Wah-Diddy' only reached #78 (#1 for Manfred Mann a few months later with the addition of an extra "Diddy" to the title)

 

Produced by Lieber & Stoller, an underappreciated aspect of their collective careers.

 

Ernie K-Doe - #1 in 1961


The follow-up 'Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta' peaked at #53.
His later single 'I Cried My Last Tear' b/w 'A Certain Girl' had two great sides, but these appeared no higher on the Billboard Hot 100 than #69 and #71 respectively.

 

Another who should have had more than just the one hit -

Sanford Clark - #7 in 1956


The follow-up 'The Cheat' peaked at #74; '9 Lb Hammer' appeared on the CashBox chart at #48 for one week

 

The Impalas - #2 in 1959


The follow-up 'Oh, What a Fool' peaked at #86

 

The Murmaids - #3 in early 1964


David Gates' song produced by Kim Fowley
The follow-up 'Heartbreak Ahead' only bubbled under at #116

 

The Bobbettes - #6 in 1957 (#1 r&b)


They recorded a sequel 'I Shot Mr. Lee' in 1958, but Atlantic Records declined to release this until 1960 when a re-recorded version on the Triple-X label had been issued and began to sell (but peaked at #52). Later releases peaked at #66, #95, #120, and #72. They deserved to have had more big hits ...

 

The Corsairs - "Smoky Places" / #12 / 1962

 

The Cascades' Rhythm of the Rain - UK No 5 in 1963. Their very good follow-up, The Last Leaf, did nothing over here, and nor did the Rhythm of the Rain LP (which is several grades above the average "hit plus fillers" collection).

 

Taco - Puttin' On The Ritz

 

Jody Reynolds - #5 in 1958


The follow-up 'Fire of Love' peaked at #66 (the song lived on by way of later versions including the Gun Club and the MC5)

 

The Rivieras - #5 in 1964


The follow-ups peaked at #93; #99; and #96
Not the first or the last to record the song
Cover versions of California Sun written by Henry Glover, Morris Levy | SecondHandSongs

 

A “quality deep cut” is not a hit. It is not universally define-able, nor identifiable. A hit is. Once you define the rule (chart and minimum chart position) then all songs either meet or don’t meet the standard. Of course that takes away “our” power to decide who “we” think should be considered one-hit artists. Some don’t like that which I understand but find moderately amusing