Trivia: Artists only known for one song

[Ediswan]

All around my Hat - Steeleye Span

'Gaudete' deserves honourable mention, if only for the lyrics being in Latin.

 

[AM9]

Procol Harum are known by most people only for A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

Most people who listened to pop in the '60s would remember' Homburg', - reached No. 6

 

[dgl]

As you rightly say, OMD (or "Orchestral Maneouvres In The Dark - to give them their "Sunday name") had several well known hits. In fact they had a bit of a "second coming" in the 90's with releases including "Sailing On The Seven Seas", "Walking On The Milky Way" and "Pandora's Box".

90's OMD were killed off by the fact that R1 would no longer play their songs because they were seen as "too old" and as such Woolies would not stock their later singles despite them still being excellent, interestingly even though Andy and Paul supposedly had a problematic breakup that wasn't necessarily true, it was only the use of the name that was argued over which Andy (and Virgin Records in the end) was adamant to keep. The 90's OMD drummer is now back in the band as their original drummer (the only one that would play with them) Malcolm Holmes nearly died performing in Canada.

Some more artists where people might only know the one song is,
Opus - Live is Life,
Scooter - The Logical Song,
Desireless - Voyage, Voyage
Alphaville - Big In Japan,
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus,
The Tweets - Birdie Song,
September - Cry For You,
Robyn - With Every Heartbeat,
Alcazar - Crying At The Discotheque,
2 unlimited - No Limits,
B52's - Love Shack,
D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better,
Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygen Part IV,
Europe - The Final Countdown,
The Waterboys - Whole Of The Moon,
T'pau - China In Your Hand,
Junior Senior - Move Your Feet,
Blancmange - Living On A Ceiling,
Space - Magic Fly,
Cerrone - Supernature,
Asia - Heat Of The Moment.

Of course some of them had more than one hit, but in a lot of cases one song overshadows all their other hits and the rest get somewhat forgotten.

 

[McRhu]

And also making moving right in to this chart pop-pickers…

Whistling Jack Smith with “I was Kaiser Bill’s Batman” and Keith West with his magnificently named “Exercpt from a Teenage Opera”. Not ‘arf!

And not forgetting Tiny Tim Tiptoeing through the Tulips, Napoleon the 14th Coming to Take you Away (Hah Hah), The Pipkins Gimme Dat Ding and The 1910 Fruitgum Company’s Simple Simon.


Strangely enough I came to this forum straight from a FlipBoard article on this very subject which lists many one hit wonders Year by year.

 

[Strathclyder]

Zager & Evans - In the Year 2525

Brilliantly parodied by Futurama:

 

[McRhu]

The previously mentioned Renaissance were quite prolific and were reckoned to be second only to ‘Yes’ in prog- rockery back in those groovy days. They are indeed largely only remembered for Northern Lights and for the gorgeous Annie Haslam. (Was the song really about her and Roy Wood?).

 

[scarby]

Robin Scott, aka 'M' with the global hit Pop Muzik.

 

[trebor79]

Keith West with his magnificently named “Exercpt from a Teenage Opera”. Not ‘arf!

Oh yes, that's one of those songs that puts a lump in my throat and makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up for some reason. Whiter Shade of Pale does the same. Can't put my finger on it but there's something evocative and melancholy about both of them that just gets me every time.

 

[DaleCooper]

Matthews Southern Comfort - Woodstock

 

[70014IronDuke]

Most people who listened to pop in the '60s would remember' Homburg', - reached No. 6

I didn't - that is, I had to listen to it to check. I knew the toon, but not the name of the song. Seems to have had quite an effect on some people, judging by the comments

'Gaudete' deserves honourable mention, if only for the lyrics being in Latin.

Did they release it as a single? Didn't know that if so.

 

[Ediswan]

Did they release it as a single? Didn't know that if so.

https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14919/steeleye-span/

 

[Spamcan81]

The Archies - Sugar Sugar
The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack
Hedgehoppers Anonymous - It’s Good News Week.
Clive Dunn - Grandad
John Fred and his Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise.

 

[High Dyke]

Thread is essentially intended to be about artists that are only known for one of their singles.

There's probably many artists/groups that meet the criteria. Another singer that many will only know one song for.

Is This The Way To Amarillo by Tony Christie.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Here's another from me: Eiffel 65 - Blue

 

[McRhu]

The Archies - Sugar Sugar
The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack
Hedgehoppers Anonymous - It’s Good News Week.
Clive Dunn - Grandad
John Fred and his Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise.

If I remember rightly, not only were the Archies one hit wonders, they were a cartoon band. (Strange video still there for all to see.)

 

[brad465]

Cheeky Girls - Cheeky song
Aqua - Barbie girl (which is a childhood song with adult theme connotations)

2 unlimited - No Limits,

While this is true they are my favourite Eurodance artist, as a fan of the wider genre, and know and enjoy about a dozen of their hits.

Here's another from me: Eiffel 65 - Blue

How does their hit "Move your body" compare?

 

[McRhu]

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)" .


(It was 'Steam'; a studio band).

 

[Jimini]

Aqua - Barbie girl (which is a childhood song with adult theme connotations)

Turn Back Time was another top ten hit for them (featured in Sliding Doors which probably helped!), and I'm guessing Dr. Jones probably did alright at the time as well.

 

[brad465]

Turn Back Time was another top ten hit for them (featured in Sliding Doors which probably helped!), and I'm guessing Dr. Jones probably did alright at the time as well.

I do enjoy some of their other tracks certainly; Barbie Girl though will I'm sure be the standout, and a quick look at their YouTube channel shows the subject track being over 1bn views, with Doctor Jones 2nd at 45m, and close behind is "My Oh my" on 43m. Obviously this is not a measure of chart success, but I'd say it is a measure of a song's legacy.

 

[dgl]

Aqua also had one of the most expensive music video, Cartoon Hero's, and like a lot of what we might call "crap music" they are a proper band not just a front for a producer.

A similar band from the same country that also are remembered for one hit are Infernal - From Paris to Berlin.

Lastly, September - Cry For You

 

[adrock1976]

Dennis Waterman - I Could Be So Good For You (theme from Minder)
Joe Fagin - Breakin' Away/That's Livin' Alright (Theme from Auf Weidersehen Pet)

On a side note, having seen some historic episodes of Auf Weidersehen Pet, is it me that cannot seem to make out a word of Jimmy Nail's character Oz is saying when in a ranting and raving mode? It is not that I cannot make out the Newcastle accent, as I can work out what both Tim Healy and Kevin Whateley are saying.

 

[trebor79]

Cartoons - Witch Doctor.
Toy-Box - The Sailor Song.
The video is unintentionally hilarious - it's meant to be funny but you laugh AT it rather than with it.

 

[Big Tim]

A couple of torrid ones from the 80’s:

Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11

The Firm - Star Trekkin’

 

[Barnsley]

Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now
Spagma - Call Me

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood

Er... Genius Of Love?

 

[AM9]

There's probably many artists/groups that meet the criteria. Another singer that many will only know one song for.

Is This The Way To Amarillo by Tony Christie.

What about 'I Did What I Did For Maria' which reached No.2?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance

Men At Work - Down Under

The two groups should have merged to form an Australo-Canadian supergroup called "Men Without Work".

 

[AM9]

Men At Work - Down Under

The two groups should have merged to form an Australo-Canadian supergroup called "Men Without Work".

'Overkill' also sticks in my mind.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

90's OMD were killed off by the fact that R1 would no longer play their songs because they were seen as "too old" and as such Woolies would not stock their later singles despite them still being excellent, interestingly even though Andy and Paul supposedly had a problematic breakup that wasn't necessarily true, it was only the use of the name that was argued over which Andy (and Virgin Records in the end) was adamant to keep. The 90's OMD drummer is now back in the band as their original drummer (the only one that would play with them) Malcolm Holmes nearly died performing in Canada.

Some more artists where people might only know the one song is,
Opus - Live is Life,
Scooter - The Logical Song,
Desireless - Voyage, Voyage
Alphaville - Big In Japan,
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus,
The Tweets - Birdie Song,
September - Cry For You,
Robyn - With Every Heartbeat,
Alcazar - Crying At The Discotheque,
2 unlimited - No Limits,
B52's - Love Shack,
D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better,
Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygen Part IV,
Europe - The Final Countdown,
The Waterboys - Whole Of The Moon,
T'pau - China In Your Hand,
Junior Senior - Move Your Feet,
Blancmange - Living On A Ceiling,
Space - Magic Fly,
Cerrone - Supernature,
Asia - Heat Of The Moment.

Of course some of them had more than one hit, but in a lot of cases one song overshadows all their other hits and the rest get somewhat forgotten.

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.

 

[Gloster]

Jilted John by Jilted John.