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1 of 1- GrimsbyFan
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More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
There are a number of performers that we have been led to believe had only one hit, when in fact they have had several others. The reason for this is that they may have been mistakenly included on a "one-hit wonders" list or their biggest song is the only one that gets played, so it seems like that was their only hit.
I got the idea for this topic when I was recently looking at a one-hit wonders list and saw The Tokens included. I guess because Lion Sleeps Tonight is (over)played so often, some think it's the only hit The Tokens had, when in fact they had three other top 40 Hits:
Tonight I Fell In Love - #15 in 1961
I Hear Trumpets Blow- #30 in 1966
Portrait Of My Love - #36 in 1967
Can you think of any other performers who some may believe had only one hit when in fact those performers had at least two other top 40 Hits?
Here are a few other examples:
Johnny Preston reached number one with Running Bear in 1959, but it was not his only hit:
Cradle of Love - #7 in 1959
Feel so Fine - #14 in 1959
Dee Clark reached number two with Raindrops in 1961, and is the only Dee Clark song played in most oldie formats. However, he had 5 other songs reach the Top 40:
Nobody But You - #21 in 1958
Just Keep It Up - #18 in 1959
Hey Little Girl - #20 in 1959
How About That - #33 in 1959
Your Friends - #34 in 1960
Peggy March reached number one with I Will Follow Him in 1963, and is included in most lists of one-hit wonders. However, she had two other top 40 hits:
I Wish I Were A Princess - #32 in 1962
Hello Heartache, Goodbye Love - #26 in 1962
Last edited by GrimsbyFan (March 26, 2026 9:54 am)
- Lorne
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Yes, too often lists that purport to be of one-hit wonders include artists that had at least one other top 40 hit. And I can especially relate to what you say about airplay. I was born in 1960, and generally with artists like the ones you mention I only recall their big hit from when I was young. Often it wasn't until many years later that I found out that they had other hits, which in most cases I would have heard on the radio when they were current, but not afterwards and so I wouldn't remember them.
The first artist I thought of that fits your criteria is Keith. His top 40 hits charted as follows:
1966 #39 Ain't Gonna Lie
1966 #7 98.6
1967 #37 Tell Me To My Face
And then I thought of Arthur Conley ... he also had three top 40 hits, as follows:
1967 #2 Sweet Soul Music
1967 #31 Shake, Rattle and Roll
1968 #14 Funky Street
- GrimsbyFan
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Glad to see Keith get a mention. In addition to the three top 40 hits listed by Lorne, he had a couple of other non-charted songs that were quite good: Our Love Started All Over Again (B-side of Ain't Gonna Lie) and I Can't Go Wrong.
Two more performers to add to the topic:
Whenever a Ray Peterson song is played, it's always Tell Laura I Love Her, but he had three other top 40s:
The Wonder Of You - #25 in 1959
Corinna Corinna - #9 in 1960
Missing You - #29 in 1961
The Crests are often considered to be one-hit wonders because of the popularity of 16 Candles. But they reached the top 40 with several other songs:
The Angels Listened In - #22 in 1959
Six Nights A Week - #28 in 1959
Step By Step - #14 in 1960
Trouble In Paradise - #20 in 1960
Model Girl - #20 in 1961 (released as a Johnny Maestro single)
What A Surprise - #33 in 1961 (released as a Johnny Maestro single)
Last edited by GrimsbyFan (March 27, 2026 5:39 pm)
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Thread Starter- Lorne
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
THE AMERICAN BREED
1967 #24 Step Out Of Your Mind
1967 #5 Bend Me, Shape Me
1968 #39 Green Light
- Roman
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Van Morrison. He's still a worldwide superstar performer, but in terms of Top 40 hits, the only song that gets played (ad nauseam) is Brown Eyed Girl. I haven't heard Domino, Come Running or Blue Money on the radio since they were on the charts.
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
And I'm guessing I could be accused of beating a "dead horse", BUT - this topic kind of alludes to the songs which should have been in the Top 40 but didn't make it, likely because of the timing of the release, e.g. American Breed's "Anyway That You Want Me" charting at #88 and Always You that didn't make the Hot 100 but, IMHO, should have been in the Top 40 - could have easily been in the Top 40 another time/date of release. Conversely, Chuck Berry's alleged #1 hit: My Ding-A-Ling - c'mon - he had several that shoulda-coulda-woulda beat My Ding-A-Ling if his release date was changed.
Kind of, sort of, somewhat...
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
GENE CHANDLER
1962 #1 Duke Of Earl
1964 #19 Just Be True
1964 #39 Bless Our Love
1964 #40 What Now
1965 #18 Nothing Can Stop Me
1970 #12 Groovy Situation
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Paul and Paula
Hey Paula - #1 in 1962
Young Lovers - #6 in 1963
First Quarrel - #27 9n 1963
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
JUDY COLLINS
1968 #8 Both Sides Now
1970 #15 Amazing Grace
1973 #32 Cook With Honey
1975 #36 Send In The Clowns
1977 #19 Send In The Clowns
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
LITTLE EVA
1962 #1 The Loco-Motion
1962 #12 Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
1963 #20 Let's Turkey Trot
1963 #38 Swinging On A Star (only credited to Big Dee Irwin on the record label, but included in the listing for her by Joel Whitburn because it's basically a duet between the two of them)
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
NINO TEMPO & APRIL STEVENS
1963 #1 Deep Purple
1963 #11 Whispering
1964 #32 Stardust
1966 #26 All Strung Out
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Ruby and the Romantics
Our Day Will Come - #1 in 1963
My Summer Love - #16 in 1963
Hey There Lonely Boy - #27 in 1963
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
BRENTON WOOD
1967 #34 The Oogum Boogum Song
1967 #9 Gimme Little Sign
1967 #34 Baby You Got It
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
The Browns (pop charts only - not their country hits)
The Three Bells - #1 in 1959
Scarlet Ribbons - #7 in 1959
The Old Lamplighter - #20 in 1959
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
FREDA PAYNE
1970 #3 Band Of Gold
1970 #24 Deeper And Deeper
1971 #12 Bring The Boys Home
THE FIVE AMERICANS
1966 #26 I See The Light
1967 #5 Western Union
1967 #36 Sound Of Love
1967 #36 Zip Code
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
THE KINGSMEN
1963 #2 Louie, Louie
1964 #16 Money
1965 #4 The Jolly Green Giant
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
The Skyliners
Since I Don't Have You - #6 in 1959
This I Swear - #26 in 1959
Pennies From Heaven - #24 in 1960
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
The Duprees
My Own True Love - #13 in 1962
You Belong To Me - #7 in 1962
Have You Heard - #18 in 1963
Why Don't You Believe Me - #37 in 1963
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
THE NEWBEATS
1964 #2 Bread And Butter
1964 #16 Everything's Alright
1965 #40 Break Away (From That Boy)
1965 #12 Run Baby Run (Back Into My Arms)
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Etta James
All I Could Do Was Cry - #33 in 1960
My Dearest Darling - #34 in 1960
At Last - #47 in 1961
Trust In Me - #30 in 1961
Don't Cry Baby - #39 in 1961
Something's Got A Hold On Me - #37 in 1962
Stop The Wedding - #34 in 1962
Pushover - #25 in 1963
Tell Mama - #23 in 1967
Security - #35 in 1968
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
BILLY STEWART
1965 #26 I Do Love You
1965 #24 Sitting In The Park
1966 #10 Summertime
1966 #29 Secret Love
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Re: More Top 40 Hits Than You Might Think
Dickey Lee
Patches - #6 in 1962
I Saw Linda Yesterday - #14 in 1963
Laurie (Strange Things Happen) - #14 in 1965
Last edited by GrimsbyFan (Today 6:52 am)
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