one-hit wonders
I was listening to Class 95 a while ago and they had this segment called One-Hit Wonder Triple Play. The first song played was Once In A Lifetime by Gregorian. Ok, I thought, I've never heard another song from him/her/it/whatever, so that makes Gregorian a one-hit wonder.
The second song was Toad The Wet Sprocket's All I Want, which is obviously wrong. TTWS had two hits from the same album back then - the other being Walk On The Ocean. I remember very clearly because I love both these songs. So that makes them a two-hit wonder. (I have something to say about that, but I'll leave that to my next post.) The third song was a song I can't remember the title of, nor can I recall which boyband sang it. So nothing to talk about there.
Anyway, since I'm so free and all today, I decided to come up with my own list of Top One-Hit Wonders of the 90s. I had wanted to list just 10, but boy, there are many! And they're only off the top of my head. So I went all the way to 20. There might be even more I've forgotten at this moment.
The purists and die-hard fans might dispute my choices, but anyway, take a look at my list (in rough order of greatness):
20. Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Is this a really dark song or what - it should be banned! And I love it!
19. Life In Mono - Mono
From the soundtrack of Great Expectations.
18. Breathe - Midge Ure
The song that made all other songs from Swatch commercials famous?
17. Cantaloop - Us3
Funky, funky!
16. Your Woman - White Town
I heard that this song was recorded in a living room, which probably explains its low-fi sound. But a great song, and a great gay anthem, haha.
15. Bitch - Meredith Brooks
This song was known as Nothing In Between in Singapore, because apparently the title is too explicit for all the little kids here (that would be us).
14. One Of Us - Joan Osborne
A really Godly song. Yeah, what if.
13. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm - Crash Test Dummies
Another dark song. But the most memorable thing about it is perhaps its video.
12. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
They're too sexy to be indulging in more hits, ha!
11. Where Have All The Cowboys Gone - Paula Cole
Well she actually had two hits, but this was the one big one. Nominated for several Grammys for this and showed the world her armpit hair.
10. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
A song that makes you Jump! Jump!
9. That Thing You Do - The Wonders
This isn't a real band, and I still have no clue who sang it. Originally known as The Oneders, it's a dig at all one-hit wonders.
8. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
A great perky song everyone loves.
7. Informer - Snow
A white rapper à la Vanilla Ice.
6. Dying Inside To Hold You - Timmy Thomas
This song was BIG in Singapore. But like MLTR, I'm not sure if it's known anywhere else in the world.
5. Mambo No 5 - Lou Bega
4. Macarena - Los Del Rio
3. Lemon Tree - Fool's Garden
These three songs epitomize the short era of wacky dance hits somewhere around 96-98.
2. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
No explanation required. This would be a strong contender for my No 1 spot if not for the reasons below.
1. Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
If I recall corrrectly, this was the No 1 song on Rick Dees' chart for the top hits of the 90s. Now if it's the No 1 hit of the decade, surely that automatically makes it the No 1 one-hit wonder of the decade too?
What other choices do you have?
The second song was Toad The Wet Sprocket's All I Want, which is obviously wrong. TTWS had two hits from the same album back then - the other being Walk On The Ocean. I remember very clearly because I love both these songs. So that makes them a two-hit wonder. (I have something to say about that, but I'll leave that to my next post.) The third song was a song I can't remember the title of, nor can I recall which boyband sang it. So nothing to talk about there.
Anyway, since I'm so free and all today, I decided to come up with my own list of Top One-Hit Wonders of the 90s. I had wanted to list just 10, but boy, there are many! And they're only off the top of my head. So I went all the way to 20. There might be even more I've forgotten at this moment.
The purists and die-hard fans might dispute my choices, but anyway, take a look at my list (in rough order of greatness):
20. Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Is this a really dark song or what - it should be banned! And I love it!
19. Life In Mono - Mono
From the soundtrack of Great Expectations.
18. Breathe - Midge Ure
The song that made all other songs from Swatch commercials famous?
17. Cantaloop - Us3
Funky, funky!
16. Your Woman - White Town
I heard that this song was recorded in a living room, which probably explains its low-fi sound. But a great song, and a great gay anthem, haha.
15. Bitch - Meredith Brooks
This song was known as Nothing In Between in Singapore, because apparently the title is too explicit for all the little kids here (that would be us).
14. One Of Us - Joan Osborne
A really Godly song. Yeah, what if.
13. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm - Crash Test Dummies
Another dark song. But the most memorable thing about it is perhaps its video.
12. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
They're too sexy to be indulging in more hits, ha!
11. Where Have All The Cowboys Gone - Paula Cole
Well she actually had two hits, but this was the one big one. Nominated for several Grammys for this and showed the world her armpit hair.
10. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
A song that makes you Jump! Jump!
9. That Thing You Do - The Wonders
This isn't a real band, and I still have no clue who sang it. Originally known as The Oneders, it's a dig at all one-hit wonders.
8. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
A great perky song everyone loves.
7. Informer - Snow
A white rapper à la Vanilla Ice.
6. Dying Inside To Hold You - Timmy Thomas
This song was BIG in Singapore. But like MLTR, I'm not sure if it's known anywhere else in the world.
5. Mambo No 5 - Lou Bega
4. Macarena - Los Del Rio
3. Lemon Tree - Fool's Garden
These three songs epitomize the short era of wacky dance hits somewhere around 96-98.
2. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
No explanation required. This would be a strong contender for my No 1 spot if not for the reasons below.
1. Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
If I recall corrrectly, this was the No 1 song on Rick Dees' chart for the top hits of the 90s. Now if it's the No 1 hit of the decade, surely that automatically makes it the No 1 one-hit wonder of the decade too?
What other choices do you have?
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7 Comments:
oh ya, u're right! but was tat a big hit?
actually i also forgot a song i really like: Unbelieveable - EMF
well, i thot covers oso count, non? torn is a cover too!
i was actually surprised to see sinead o'connor and omc on the other lists i linked in the other post. i assumed they had more hits cos they were ard quite long.
space had another hit (with cerys) called Ballad of Tom Jones - a hilarious song!
ah.. insensitive - another great song.. but i only heard it a few yrs back so i din know.. haha
hmm.. a german song sung by a baby.. sounds vaguely familiar, but so long ago meh? :)
just to correct myself.. i mistook omc for omd (dunno anything abt omc). Paiseh.. sala bus stop there
I thot Natalia Imbruglia's new album was not too bad.. "Shiver".. etc.. Why is she a one hit wonder ? and "when you know" by shawn colvin ? ok..the song was not that great.. i only love the movie. ~ curious
oh, i've heard some other songs from natalie imbruglia, but none really hits. Or maybe i'm just ignorant!
She went down since her "torn" album... but personally felt she redeemed herself with "shiver" in "counting down the days" album... great mtv too. just my thots.. and no, i am not a natalie fan. Oh i thot of another one hit wonder.. "MmmBop" by Hansons. ~ curious
"Dying inside to hold you" was really big in Singapore and Malaysia. It also was covered by ALAN TAM, Edmund CHEN. The song was a hit in Europe early '90's. It still is very popular and in 2005 released on WARNER/ "MEGADANCE" -EQ Music "From EUROPE with love" and "Lovely memory 2" compilation CD-albums.
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