1 of 1- Cloud9
- Member
Offline - Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 120
True ONE HIT Wonders
Just curious. What, if any artist(s) had a title reach #1 on Billboard or CashBox but who never had another entry, before or after, anywhere on either chart?
- Lorne
- Administrator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Ontario
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 1,310
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
Good question, as these are indeed the truest one-hit wonders of all. So often when I've seen lists of Billboard one-hit wonders, I've been well aware of some of the artists included having had songs that were at least minor hits on the Hot 100 (or its predecessors) -- and often they weren't even that minor. I did some searching and found the following list that I think is quite good, as I've seen most of the songs mentioned before in this context (other than the two that are from after 2000).
- Lorne
- Administrator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Ontario
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 1,310
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
- Jim Elder
- Member
Offline
- Registered: January 1, 2019
- Posts: 25
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
There was a radio station that had a countdown many, many years ago of one hit wonders. The Number One one hit wonder was Joan Weber, whose song, “Let Me Go, Lover” become Number One on January 1, 1955 on the Billboard’s “Most Played by Jockeys” chart. Joan Weber had four non-hits singles after that.
- aflem
- Member
Offline
- Registered: August 11, 2019
- Posts: 1,435
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
And even then, it almost wasn't a hit. As I understand it, "Let Me Go Lover" only became a smash it after it appeared as part of a CBS play on "Studio One." I think it was the first time a TV show helped to sell a record, and it opened the eyes of executives to the power of the then still-young boob tube. If it hadn't been featured in that show, no one may have ever heard it or at least it certainly would never have been the success it became.
- Scotty
- Member
Offline
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 71
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
Waayy back when Kasey did his Top 40 one hit wonders, # 1 was Zagar And Evans who never hit Top 100 again, let alone Top 40. In more recent times did Los Del Rios ever chart again after Macarena ?
- Scotty
- Member
Offline
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 71
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
aflem wrote:
And even then, it almost wasn't a hit. As I understand it, "Let Me Go Lover" only became a smash it after it appeared as part of a CBS play on "Studio One." I think it was the first time a TV show helped to sell a record, and it opened the eyes of executives to the power of the then still-young boob tube. If it hadn't been featured in that show, no one may have ever heard it or at least it certainly would never have been the success it became.
Tragic story, it could have been Ronnie when he was reasearcher for AT40. Sent to do piece on her for One Hit Wonders and found her long term patient at mental hospital. They didn't annnouce that but worked their way around it delicately.
- Lorne
- Administrator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Ontario
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 1,310
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
Waayy back when Kasey did his Top 40 one hit wonders, # 1 was Zagar And Evans who never hit Top 100 again, let alone Top 40. In more recent times did Los Del Rios ever chart again after Macarena ?
I thought of them as well, but I checked and they did reach #57 with Macarena Christmas. There's also the complication that it was the Bayside Boys remix of Macarena that went to #1, while Los Del Rio's original version got to #23. I know Sheriff is on the list for When I'm With You even though it charted twice for them, but in that case it was the same recording that charted twice.
- Lorne
- Administrator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Ontario
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 1,310
Re: True ONE HIT Wonders
Tragic story, it could have been Ronnie when he was reasearcher for AT40. Sent to do piece on her for One Hit Wonders and found her long term patient at mental hospital. They didn't annnouce that but worked their way around it delicately.
Although I've forgotten if Ronnie shared that story on the previous board, what you're saying fits with the following info from given that he was East Coast Researcher for AT40 at the time (and Weber died in New Jersey in 1981).
During her final years, she lived a reclusive life before moving to a mental institution. Columbia Records' efforts to send her royalty checks failed, as they were returned to sender as "address unknown". For this reason, chart program American Top 40 ranked Weber at number one on a special program featuring the "Top 40 Disappearing Acts", which was broadcast in 1975.