One-Hit Wonders

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‘You Better Move On’, 1962 Co-founder of the famed Muscle Shoals recording studio, Arthur Alexander’s ‘You Better Move On’ was a No. 24 US hit that showcased his country-soul roots. Despite being covered by The Rolling Stones (and having other songs covered by Elvis Presley and The Beatles – the latter covering his biggest hit, ‘Anna (Go To Him)’, Alexander remained largely unknown, and retired in the 1970s. He died while ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Resurrection Shuffle’, 1971 Keyboardist/vocalist Tony Ashton and drummer Roy Dyke were seasoned 1960s beat group musicians who had played behind George Harrison on his Wonderwall Music LP. In 1969, they met bassist Kim Gardner to form AG&D, and had a No. 3 hit with ‘Resurrection Shuffle’. Having recorded three LPs by 1972, nothing else matched ‘Shuffle’’s hit appeal, and the trio – augmented by guitarist Mick Liber – finally split that ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Spaceman’, 1996 Another case of Levi’s jeans popularizing a song into a hit single – something they had done, not only with new songs, but also with reissues of classic soul songs in the 1980s – Babylon Zoo’s ‘Spaceman’ was an electro-pop hit that appealed instantly to a mid-1990s crowd, but would seem dated and clumsy today. Jas Mann (pronounced ‘jazz man’) was the group’s driving force, and he/they were pretentious ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Achy Breaky Heart’, 1992 Known as much for this song as he was for his mullet hairstyle, Billy Ray Cyrus has never been able to escape – nor replicate – the success of this lightweight country pop tune. About as genuine as The Eagles and Garth Brooks combined, it spent 17 weeks at the top of the US country chart, marking a depressing moment when insincere country was more popular than ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Kung Fu Fighting’, 1974 Jamaican-born Carl Douglas had his finger on the pulse when he recorded ‘King Fu Fighting’, a mid-1970s novelty disco hit that reflected that era’s fascination with king fu movies and the martial arts. It reached No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic, and is said to have been recorded in just 10 minutes, and to have sold over nine million copies worldwide. Douglas’ follow-up, ‘Dance The ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘The One And Only’, 1991 Born to famous parents, Len ‘Chip’ Hawkes of 1960s group The Tremeloes, and TV host Carol Hawkes, Chesney is perhaps the greatest definition of a one-hit wonder. Although Hawkes continues to try and restart his career (he is currently writing songs with British comedian Tony Hawks), everyone will remember him for his brief stint singing the Nik Kershaw-penned ‘The One And Only’. A Top 10 hit ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Love Changes (Everything)’, 1988 A duo, vocalist Simon Climie and keyboardist Rob Fisher co-wrote their best-known song with Dennis Morgan. It hit No. 2 in the UK charts, and featured on their debut album, Everything. They split up after their follow-up LP, however, 1989’s Coming In For The Kill. Fisher died in 1999, while undergoing surgery for bowel cancer, whereas Climie has since done production work for Louise (Redknapp), and co-written ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Groove Is In The Heart’, 1990 With the legendary P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins on bass, the equally legendary Maceo Parker (of James Brown fame – as, incidentally, so was Bootsy) on saxophone, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip as a guest vocalist, all the elements were in place for a modern funk anthem. ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ was pop-funk perfection that reached No. 4 in the States, and No. 2 ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
126 Words Read More

‘What I Am’, 1989 Late 1980s folk rockers, Edie Brickell And The Bohemians were really riding on the talent of chief songwriter Edie Brickell. ‘What I Am’ was a Top 10 hit from their debut LP, Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars, though the group disbanded after its 1990 follow-up, Ghost Of A Dog, failed to perform to expectations. Edie kick-started a solo career in 2003, with longtime Dylan sideman Charlie Sexton ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘A Girl Like You’, 1995 When ‘A Girl Like You’ became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, not many remembered that Edwyn Collins used to be part of the talented Scottish pop group Orange Juice. The song was Collins’ biggest hit since Orange Juice’s ‘Rip It Up’ in 1983, and it is a standout pop tune that has allowed Collins to remain a household name. His recording career has ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Rock Me Amadeus’, 1986 Perhaps Austria’s great pop export, Falco (born Johann Hölzl) was a classically trained child prodigy who later fronted a jazz rock combo. His early career mixed a lot of techno-synths with German rap, and he even had a single, ‘Jenny’, banned. ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ played on his classical background, fusing synths with classical strings, and it reached No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. Falco’s subsequent ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Mad World’, 2003 Gary Jules had recorded as a solo artist since 1998, but in 2001 he collaborated with Michael Andrews to cover Tears For Fears’ ‘Mad World’. The sombre remake was featured in 2003’s hit film Donnie Darko, and the appeal of the film, coupled with the song’s popularity and Jules’ strange choice of cover, made ‘Mad World’ 2003’s UK Christmas No. 1 single. Never quite hitting a nerve the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘The Middle’, 2002 Where many bands imploded, or just did not have the legs for it, Jimmy Eat World survived the mid-1990s grunge scene. ‘The Middle’ was the second single from their 2001 Bleed American album, and it proved to be a worldwide smash, and their biggest single to date. Once linked with grunge, now linked – in the media at least – to emo, Jimmy Eat World still continue to ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘One Of Us’, 1995 ‘One Of Us’ was a popular radio-friendly hit that Osbourne followed with a few minor singles, though she has never replicated its popularity. Questioning what would happen if God were ‘one of us’, it earned Osbourne a mid-1990s supporting slot for Bob Dylan, while Prince would later take to covering the song in concert. It took until 2000 for Osbourne to release the follow up to Relish ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘Cry Me A River’, 1955 ‘Cry Me A River’ was a US No. 2 hit single for Julie London, thanks in part to her involvement in the movie, The Girl Can’t Help It. In the film, London appears during a fantasy scene in press agent Tom Miller’s apartment and sings the song to him. Despite an extensive movie career and recording 32 albums, London will always be remembered as the sultry ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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