One hit, I wonder....

OK, so the 10 best pure Drummers of all time was a pretty big hit with a few of you kids out there. I'm not really that "listy" of a guy, but it's still cool with me! I do love to discuss things and seeing the various perspectives that help put some opinions together, is always a great brain exercise in my books.

So today as I was looking for a certain bit of information back in G-Vegas and Rapid Eye, I re-read some old posts mentioning one of their favorite discussion topics.

The Biggest One Hit Wonders of all time.

As I mentioned above, where your perspective comes from can greatly alter your opinion of any list ever put together. Hell! The list maker is doing nothing but showing their perspective on the topic at hand in the first place!

So here's the important part for this list. My perspective on what I think justifies calling a band, a One Hit Wonder.

1) World wide success. There have been literally millions and millions of songs sung, by hundreds of thousands of artists. In a sense, the vast majority may be called No Hit Wonders. For me however, the key criteria is the global issue. Having one hit all across the globe, or at least knowing the vast majority of of our globe is more than just aware of that songs existence, to me constitutes the start of a One Hit Wonder.

2) Global thinking. On almost any list of One Hit Wonders you'll find out there today, you'll probably find Nena and her 99 Luftballons.



Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news to everyone, but North America and The U.K. are NOT the end all and be all of our entire universe! Even after her band split up, Nena managed to make a little more than a couple of Deutsche Marks during her 'little' career. In fact, she pocketed millions of Lira, (now Euro) and Francs (now Euros as well) from her success over in Europe. So don't feel too badly for our poor little girl.

3) Talent! Probably one of the most recognizable One Hit Wonders in the World The Macarena by Los Del Rio, is not talent! Well, not in my opinion anyhow. Listen, yes the song was a huge hit I get that. But two guys from a lounge act talking about a dancer they just saw in Venezuela, come on! They couldn't even write the music! They stuck in a clave and went with that instead. They made a gimmick and it worked on the masses. Now wipe your brow with your Sham-WOW and move on.


So now that you know what I consider to be the important criteria for a true One Hit Wonder, here's a sampling of a few that I think deserve a spot near the top of any list.

With the 31st. top selling Album in the World that was also Certified 4x Platinum, I give you an oldie but a goodie.

Iron Butterfly - Ina-Godda-Da-Vida



Yes for those old enough to know, they also had some success with the Album Ball just a few months later. Not due to anything with the music or "hits" on the record. It simply sold because of Ina-Godda-Da-Vida and the hopes that the new album was just like it. It wasn't.

Next I give you a song apparently so huge and fantastic and such a truly gigantic hit, that not just one but FOUR other artists tried to make a hit out of it as well.

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky



Since we're on the theme of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, try this on for size. This One Hit Wonder was so incredible it was covered by the likes of Pearl Jam, HammerFall, Cactus Jack and Veruca Salt. Oh and by the way, that's just four of the sixteen re-recorded covers of the hit! This also does not cover the sampling, both legal and, (Run DMC I'm looking at you!) illegal of the hit as well. It's currently estimated that this song is sampled in one form or another, in over 400 different musical recordings.

The Knack - My Sharona



One last one.

What's that?

Oh I know this list could go on forever, what with all of the One Hit Wonders there are out there. But I just thought I'd throw a few out for discussion.

So my last one goes all International on you. You see, I've only covered three acts that took their talents out to the rest of the World for approval. But what do you get when a truly International Act creates one of the most memorable One Hit Wonders of all time?

I say you get Lou Bega and Mambo #5.

Lou did a cover and took some sampling from an Instrumental Jive song from 1949. What he created was nothing short of a miracle around the globe. Worldwide #1 acclaim on every single list in Twenty Two countries at the same time. This hit remained on the vast majority of those lists, for over Twenty weeks as well. "An unbroken record to date."
Nothing from his other two albums or nine released singles, has even come close.



His talent for the Latin American Dance Genre is totally un-recognized to this very day. That is, unless you're dancing with Peb's to the rest of his creative genius like this.



Have at it!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....