two-hit wonders

Oasis are two hit wonders, at least in terms of US pop radio - "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova."

I do think it's fabulous that ILX is filling up with people with Scandinavian names who expand the stock of English phrases so fruitily. I shall go and call someone an ignorant igor on another thread right now!

< sigh > but Geir, we are specifically talking about "hits".

"punk classic" != "hit" (partly of course because "punk classic" + "independent label" = very low sales from chart return shops, but that's another story!)

Few things would make me happier than to be able to tell you that The Damned also had hits with Neat Neat Neat, Problem Child, Don't Cry Wolf, I Just Can't Be Happy Today, The History Of The World, There Ain't No Sanity Clause, The Friday 13th EP, Wait For The Blackout, Lively Arts, Lovely Money, Dozen Girls, Generals, Thanks For The Night, Grimly Fiendish, Shadow Of Love, Is It A Dream, Gigolo, Alone Again Or and In Dulce Decorum....

.... but the simple fact is, they didn't.

In fact the truth is that the only reason Love Song managed to claw it's way into the charts was because Chiswick released it in four different picture sleeves (with a different member of the band on each sleeve) and then released it agin a few weeks later in red vinyl!

really, though, I think Golden Earring is the classic example.

Daphne & Celeste!

I thought of Dexy's as a good example, at least for in the States, where "Come On Eileen" and "Geno" would be the only two songs any DJ would even think about playing. Most of those other songs that charted are only known by fans of the group, and are not played often on the radio.

Pink Floyd is not the best example either, as dozens of their songs are played on classic rock stations, although they most likely only have two songs that actually charted as singles. Radiohead might be a three-hit-wonder - I believe Creep, Karma Police and Paranoid Android, at least at this point, are the only two songs that get played often on modern rock stations (not including the current HTTT singles which will most likely be forgotten about by non-fans a year from now).

I agree. But so are:

Janis Ian "Society's Child" 1967, "At Seventeen" 1975

and

Dobie Gray "The 'In' Crowd" 1965, "Drift Away" 1973.

Though actually, Dobie had a #37 single called "You Can Do It," in 1979, but nobody I know of has ever heard the thing, so that shouldn't count, and neither should his remake of "Drift Away" with Uncle Kracker last year.

Anyway, the trick with Golden Earring/Janis/Dobie is that their two hits are SEVERAL YEARS APART, not to mention all six songs went TOP 15, AT LEAST. Which is necessity for REAL two-hit wonders. (i.e.: "Radar Love" #10 1974, "Twilight Zone #15 1983).

Those are the only three I can think of that fit those requirements.
(Men Without Hats, in contrast, had hits that were only FOUR years apart, and they STILL qualify more than most other nominations on this thread.)

After the Fire's second most famous song would be "One Rule for You," which got a speck of new wave airply in 1979. But I wouldn't really call it a HIT.

"Duke of Earl," '62
"Groovy Situation," '70

He had a few other hits ("Just Be True" being the biggest), but nothing that would be top of mind to many beyond the Chandler family.

You and I live in very different worlds.

"Green-Eyed Lady", 1970 - #3
"Don't Call Us, We'll Call You", 1975 - #9

1) At least eight years separating both hits.
2) Both hits must have gone at least top 15 in Billboard.
3) No other hits may have gone -- what, top 20? 25? 30? Let's say 20.
4) No more than three top 40 hits total.
5) But hitting with the same song twice does not count against you.

All of which Golden Earring, Janis Ian, and Dobie Gray do.

Anybody else??? (Sugarloaf, despite how excellent both of those songs are, only had five years of separation. Close, but no cigar.)

To be true two-hit wonder, one must a one-hit wonder TWICE. Okay?

17 (!!??) top 40 hits, including FIVE top 10s. Not even close.

Though there WERE nine years between his first two.

Johnny Cymbal ("Mr. Bass Man") reinvented himself as 'Derek' several years later for "Cinnamon" (as in, "Let me in").

Lenny Kravitz actually comes close: after "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," he didn't chart Top 40 again until "Fly Away" (but then spoiled it with "Again")

Jimmy Cliff qualifies, though it's unfair to his stature: his only chart hits were "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "I Can See Clearly Now," separated by about 20 years. I hate citing him as an example, though; it's such a technicality.

That reminds me: Bob Marley never had ANY hits, right? And I was gonna deal with the Louis Armstrong question, but I changed my mind.

Oh wait, if Johnny Cymbal counts, why not Donnie Iris (ex of the Jaggerz)? Not big enough and too many I bet. Hmmm....Ides of March and Survivor BOTH had too many right? I gotta get back to work...

"Mr. Big Stuff", 1971 - #2
"My Toot Toot", 1985 - #50

Take a look at the original post, will you?

"Babooshka" was a major hit in 1980.

The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday

They had several hits, out of which "All Of Nothing" was their only UK #1. Also "Tin Soldier" is considered a classic these days.

Bob Marley never charted Top 40, and I believe his only Hot 100 hit (astonishingly enough) was "Roots, Rap, Reggae" (or whatever that song was called - sorry, I'm not a big fan).

And I'm proud of myself for just thinking of this one: Tammy Wynette's only pop hit, 1968's "Stand By Your Man," was followed nigh 20 years later when she guested on the KLF's "Justified & Ancient." God I loved that song.

"Love is Strange", 1957 - #11
"Pillow Talk", 1973 - #3

Until Fatman Scoop, that is...

I am now kicking myself for not thinking of Sylvia (who ABSOLUTELY counts--unless you attribute "Rapper's Delight" to her as well, maybe.)

The OTHER Sylvia (of "Nobody" fame) needs another hit now, to catch up.

Gary "US" Bonds (who I just looked up) *definitely* doesn't qualify.

"Boogie Fever" or "Hot Line"

Sister Sledge!

Village People

(though "Macho Man" seems to have had a bigger legacy than a lot of songs that peaked at # 25)

Rupert Holmes (follow-up single "Him" reached #6)

I still remember "Ready for the '80s." Even though they weren't.

I used to think Weezer were a one-hit wonder with that Happy Days song, but now I've learned from Wikipedia they had an even bigger hit in 2005 with a tune called "Beverly Hills". Those two were eleven years apart too.

even Weezer had disappeared after their first album they'd still have 3 songs in rock radio rotation forever and ever

They've only has two singles in the top 50, though. And "Buddy Holly" is probably the only tune by them someone who doesn't know anything about them (like me) recognizes.

Actually, for a while in 2000 I thought they were a two-hit wonder band, when "Teenage Dirtbag" was playing on MTV all the time. Then someone pointed out to me it wasn't by the "Buddy Holly" band, I'd just mixed up Wheatus and Weezer in my head.

Thought Blind Melon would qualify, but only as an average of two charts: "No Rain" on the Top 100, that and "Tones of Home" and "Galaxie" on the Mainstream Rock chart. They felt like a two-hit wonder. (No, that's not true. They felt like a one-hit wonder.)

Hmmm... Three Is A Magic Number would probably be their other "hit."

Tuomas - I hope you'll be delighted to know that several years back, Weezer started playing Teenage Dirtbag at festivals because it amused them that non-fan people made that mistake / they thought "what the hell, they want to hear it"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St0svOdrSR8

Haha, that's awesome!

Brenda Russell, exactly two hits, 9 years apart: "So Good So Right" #30 1979; "Piano In the Dark" #6 1988. Nothing else ever hit the Hot 100.

Non-humans win!!

Singing Dogs, exactly two hits, 16 years apart: "Oh! Susanna" #22 1955; "Jingle Bells" #1 1971. No other Hot 100 singles (and the same producer -- a guy in Copenhagen named Don Charles -- and even apparently the same dogs since "Jingle Bells" was a reissue.)