Chuck's List of Favorite (and Despised) One-Hit Wonders

Acceptable

• A-Ha - Take on Me (1985)
• Alive 'n Kickin' - Tighter, Tighter (1970)
• Apollo 100 - Joy (1972)
• Argent - Hold Your Head Up (1972)
• Astrud Gilberto - Girl From Ipanema (1964)*
• Beta Band - Dry the Rain (1997)
• Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones (1972)
• Billy Swan - I Can Help (1974)
• Blind Melon - No Rain (1991)*
• Blue Swede - Hooked on a Feeling (1974)
• Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride (1970)
• Bobby Pickett - Monster Mash (1962)
• Brewer & Shipley - One Toke Over the Line (1971)
• Brownsville Station - Smokin' in the Boys Room (1973)
• Buoys - Timothy (1970)
• C.W.McCall - Convoy (1973)
• Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting (1974)
• Chakachas - Jungle Fever (1972)
• Chi Coltrane - Thunder and Lightning (1972)
• Chumbawamba - Tubthumping (1997)
• Climax - Precious and Few (1972)
• Commander Cody - Hot Rod Lincoln (1972)
• Count Five - Psychotic Reaction (1965)
• Coven - One Tin Soldier (1971)
• Crabby Appleton - Go Back (1970)
• Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm (1993)*
• Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Fire (1968)
• Daniel Boone - Beautiful Sunday (1972)
• Derek & The Dominos - Layla (1972)*
• Devo - Whip It (1980)*
• Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (1982)*
• Donald Fagan - I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World) (1982)*
• Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians - What I Am (1988)
• Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (1970)
• Eric Weissberg - Dueling Banjos (1973)
• Eumir Deodato - Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) (1973)
• Focus - Hocus Pocus (1973)*
• Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom (2003)*
• Freda Payne - Band of Gold (1970)
• Free - All Right Now (1970)
• Frijid Pink - House of the Rising Sun (1970)
• George Macrae - Rock Your Baby (1973)
• Henry Gross - Shannon (1976)
• Hugh Masekela - Grazing in the Grass (1968)
• Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper (1994)
• Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)*
• It's a Beautiful Day - White Bird (1969)*
• Jaggerz - The Rapper (1970)
• Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff (1971)
• Jewel Akins - The Birds and the Bees (1965)
• Joan Osborne - One of Us (1995)
• John Fred - Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) (1967)
• Jonathan Edwards - Sunshine (1972)
• Keith Carradine - I'm Easy (1976)
• Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon (1989)
• Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1975)*
• Lemon Pipers - Green Tambourine (1967)
• Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown (1979)
• Londonbeat - I've Been Thinking About You (1991)
• Looking Glass - Brandy, You're a Fine Girl (1972)
• Lorne Greene - Ringo (1964)*
• Los Bravos - Black is Black (1966)
• Loudon Wainwright III - Dead Skunk (1973)
• Lulu - To Sir With Love (1967)
• Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden (1971)
• Major Harris - Love Won't Let Me Wait (1975)
• Manfred Mann - Blinded By The Light (1972)*
• Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy (1997)
• Maria Muldaur - Midnight at the Oasis (1974)
• Mark Lindsay - Arizona (1969)
• Marmalade - Reflections of My Life (1970)
• Mason Williams - Classical Gas (1968)*
• Meat Puppets - Backwater (1994)*
• Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance (1983)
• MFSB - TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) (1974)
• Michael Murphey - Wildfire (1975)*
• Mountain - Mississippi Queen (1972)
• Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime (1970)
• Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie (1982)
• Napoleon XIV - They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! (1966)
• Nazareth - Love Hurts (1976)*
• Nena - 99 Luftballoons (1983)
• Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky (1969)
• Paul Mauriat - Love is Blue (1968)
• Paul Revere & The Raiders - Indian Reservation (1971)*
• Question Mark & The Mysterians - 96 Tears (1966)
• R. Dean Taylor - Indiana Wants Me (1970)
• Randy Newman - Short People (1978)
• Redbone - Come and Get Your Love (1974)
• Richard Harris - MacArthur Park (1968)
• Roxy Music - Love is the Drug (1975)*
• Sammy Johns - Chevy Van (1975)
• Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - Je t'aime...Moi Non Plus (1976)
• Sheb Wooley - Purple People Eater (1958)
• Shocking Blue - Venus (1970)*
• Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U (1990)*
• Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1985)*
• Soho - Hippychick (1990)
• Spacehog - In The Meantime (1995)
• Spiral Staircase - More Today Than Yesterday (1969)
• Status Quo - Pictures of Matchstick Men (1968)
• Steam - Na Na Hey Hey... (1969)
• Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense and Peppermints (1967)
• Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (1979)
• Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (1982)
• T.Rex - Bang a Gong (Get it On) (1972)*
• Ten Years After - I'd Love to Change the World (1971)
• The Archies - Sugar Sugar (1969)
• The Bob Crewe Generation - Music to Watch Girls By (1967)
• The Cardigans - Lovefool (1996)*
• The Cascades - Rhythm of the Rain (1964)
• The Church - Under the Milky Way (1988)*
• The Five Stairsteps - Oh-o-Child (1970)
• The Ides of March - Vehicle (1970)
• The Jamies - Summertime, Summertime (1958)
• The Knack - My Sharona (1979)*
• The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) (1988)
• The Silhouettes - Get a Job (1958)
• The Stampeders - Sweet City Woman (1971)
• The Surfaris - Wipe Out (1964)
• The Tornadoes - Telstar (1962)
• The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird (1963)
• The Vapors - Turning Japanese (1980)*
• The Waitresses - I Know What Boys Like (1980)
• The Youngbloods - Get Together (1969)
• Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science (1983)
• Thunderclap Newman - Something in the Air (1969)
• Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright... (1986)
• Tiny Tim - Tiptoe Through the Tulips (1968)*
• Tom T. Hall - I Love (1974)
• Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love (1982)
• Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny (1981)
• Vicki Lawrence - The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1973)
• Walter Egan - Magnet and Steel (1978)
• White Town - Your Woman (1997)
• Yello - Oh Yeah (1985)
• Zager & Evans - In the Year 2525 (1969)
• Ziggy Marley - Tomorrow People (1988)*

Most songs on Chuck's list are true one-hit wonders, but admittedly some lie on the fringe of qualification. A few are included because the artist is mosly known for one song, although they may have charted other lesser known hit singles. Technically, some may be two or three-hit wonders, although other 'hits' likely didn't chart as high as the song listed here. Songs indicated with an *asterisk* include artists that are unfairly (in Chuck's opinion) remembered or judged for this one song. In truth, these artists have large fan bases, substantial catalogs and have contributed greatly to their respective genres with interesting and original styles. Ergo, many artists included here should not be considered forgotten or somehow less worthy musicians. Far from it! Other artists listed here may deserve this designation as well, and this list will be revised accordingly as Chuck becomes more familiar with their music.

Many well-known one-hit wonders, such as Baha Men's Who Let The Dogs Out, did not make Chuck's "acceptable" list. Why not? It could be the musicianship, the lyrics, the artist's delivery or a combination of factors. Let's just say hearing bad one-hit wonders sometimes results in mind-altering earworms that make Chuck cringe with displeasure. Music should be entertaining, inspirational, make one laugh, cry or dance, but the last thing a song should be is irritating! See Chuck's separate earworm list for additional deplorable tunes, some by well-established artists!

Chuck dislikes a lot of Top 40 music (he could easily list hundreds), but he thinks the songs listed below by one-hit wonder bands are especially despicable.

The Bad and the Ugly

• Alan O'Day - Undercover Angel (1978)
• Alicia Bridges - I Love the Nightlife (1978)
• Anita Ward - Ring My Bell (1978)
• Baha Men - Who Let the Dogs Out (2000)
• Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart (1992)
• Bo Donaldson - Billy, Don't Be a Hero (1974)
• Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy (1988)
• Clint Holmes - Playground in My Mind (1973)
• Dan Hill - Sometimes When We Touch (1977)
• Daniel Powter - Bad Day (2005)
• David Essex - Rock On (1974)
• David Geddes - Run Joey Run (1975)
• David Soul - Don't Give Up on Us (1977)
• Debbie Boone - You Light Up My Life (1977)
• Eddie Holman - Hey There Lonely Girl (1970)
• First Class - Beach Baby (1974)
• Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll (Part 2) (1972)
• Gerardo - Rico Suave (1981)
• Hot Butter - Popcorn (1972)
• Hurricane Smith - Oh Babe, What Would You Say (1972)
• James Blunt - You're Beautiful (2004)
• John Paul Young - Love is in the Air (1978)
• King Harvest - Dancin' in the Moonlight (1973)
• Laurie London - He's Got the Whole World (In His Hands) (1958)
• LeBlanc & Carr - Falling (1978)
• Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (1999)
• M - Pop Muzik (1979)
• Minnie Ripperton - Lovin' You (1975)
• Mocedades - Eres Tu (Touch the Wind) (1974)
• Morris Albert - Feelings (1975)
• Mouth & MacNeal - How Do You Do (1972)
• Nick Gilder - Hot Child in the City (1978)
• Ocean - Put Your Hand in the Hand (1971)
• Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died (1974)
• Patrick Hernandez - Born to Be Alive (1979)
• Reunion - Life is a Rock (1974)
• Rick Dees - Disco Duck (1976)
• Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy (1992)
• Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right (1976)
• Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight (1976)
• Taco - Puttin' On the Ritz (1983)
• Terry Jacks - Seasons in the Sun (1973)
• The Divinyls - I Touch Myself (1990)
• The Tee Set - Ma Belle Amie (1970)
• Toni Basil - Mickey (1982)
• Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It (1984)
• Van McCoy - The Hustle (1975)
• Vickie Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around (1976)
• White Plains - My Baby Loves Lovin' (1970)
• Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music (1976)

FYI September 25th is National One-Hit Wonder Day...