Trivia: Artists only known for one song

[BenS123]

So in the music world, there are quite a few artists that are only known for one of their singles, for example Rick Astley is only really known for "Never Gonna Give you up"

I was wondering, are there any other artists like this?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

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).

 

[baz962]

Mr Blobby

 

[Mike99]

Minnie Ripperton, Lovin You

 

[W-on-Sea]

The New Radicals - You Get What You Give

 

[Gloster]

Not a song, but a number One in the UK: The Simon Park Orchestra and ‘Eye Level’. Also, Terry Jacks and ‘Seasons in the Sun’, although I prefer Jacques Brel’s original.

 

[CC 72100]

Chesney Hawkes - The One and Only.

Aptly named, too.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

"Your Woman" by White Town

 

[pdq]

Joe Dolce - Shaddap you face

 

[Big Tim]

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
St Winifred’s School Girls Choir - There’s No One Quite Like Grandma
Joe Dolces Music Theatre - Shaddapyaface (edit posted - at the same time as pdq above)

Shamefully I have all of the above in my music collection!

 

[DaleCooper]

David McWilliams - Days Of Pearly Spencer

Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok

 

[yorkie]

A few random 90s ones I recall:

Babylon Zoo - Spaceman (although the version that became popular was actually from an adaptation for an advert, which the artist strongly disliked!)

Kris Kross - Jump

Scatman John - Scatman

Gloworm - Carry Me Home

Los Del Rio - Macarena

Stardust* - Music sounds better with you

(Though some may say this doesn't count, as it was a collaboration of artists and they only released one song under this name)

There are many artists that are erroneously known as 'one hit wonders' but did actually have other hits, however as their main hit was so much bigger, more memorable and longer lasting than their others, that they get given that label anyway.

 

[AlterEgo]

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

 

[cjmillsnun]

M/A/R/R/S - Pump up the volume.

 

[Sprinter107]

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).

Didn't Carl Douglas have a hit with Run Back, after King Fu Fighting ?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Didn't Carl Douglas have a hit with Run Back, after King Fu Fighting ?

If by "hit" you mean a song that peaked at #25 in the UK charts, then yes he did.

 

[DaleCooper]

Zager & Evans - In the Year 2525

 

[Silver Cobra]

Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know
Magic - Rude

 

[Sprinter107]

If by "hit" you mean a song that peaked at #25 in the UK charts, then yes he did.

Thought he did. Was a long time a go though.

 

[pdeaves]

Kalin Twins with 'When' (1958)

 

[Trackman]

Mouldy old dough - Lieutenant pigeon (1972?)

 

[MotCO]

99 Red Balloons - Nina (reached no 1 in the UK charts)
Grandad - Clive Dunn (reached no 1 in the UK)
Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins (reached no 10 in the UK)
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs (reached no 13 in the UK)

 

[Big Tim]

Cotton Eye Joe - Rednex
I'll Be There For You - The Rembrandts (Theme From "Friends")
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies
Uptown Top Rankin' - Althea & Donna
Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
You're Gorgeous - Babybird
Zoom - Fat Larry's Band

(Yes I've been looking through my iTunes listing!).

 

[778]

The Maisonettes - Heartache Avenue
The Belle Stars - Sign Of The Times
America - Horse With No Name
Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
The Firm - Star Trekkin

 

[DaleCooper]

Richard Harris - MacArthur Park (also remarkably long for a hit single)

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Maisonettes - Heartache Avenue
The Belle Stars - Sign Of The Times
America - Horse With No Name
Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood

America also had a (modest in the UK) hit with Ventura Highway.

 

[pdeaves]

America also had a (modest in the UK) hit with Ventura Highway.

But not really known for that (in the spirit of this thread, which is not 'one hit wonders' but those known only for one thing they did; of course there is huge overlap!)

 

[adrock1976]

The La's - There She Goes
OMC - How Bizarre
Soul Asylum - Runaway Train
Mai Tai - History
Propaganda - Duel

EDIT: Fixed typo for second artist above.

 

[DaleCooper]

Thunderclap Newman - Something in the Air

 

[birchesgreen]

Didn't Carl Douglas have a hit with Run Back, after King Fu Fighting ?

Plus Dance the Kung Fu which went top 40 though most people only know Kung fu fighting.

Run back is a brilliant song though.

 

[MotCO]

OMD - How Bizarre

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

Another one hit wonder - Africa by Toto