Are They A One-Hit Wonder?

I find it hard to classify the Tubes as a multiple-hit artist given that "She's a Beauty" was the only song of theirs that was a substantial hit in its day and continues to get significant airplay today. You have to get into the more liberal definitions of "hit" to give them credit for having multiple hits. Hitwise they're sort of like the Grateful Dead but with a much smaller fanbase.
 
jbnv said:
"She's a Beauty" was the only song of theirs that was a substantial hit in its day
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but that's not the case
HecticArt said:
TTYL only made it to 101??????
That's insane. How could it not be in the top 40?
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that song was played as often as Beauty in it's time, on both adult contemporary and alt rock radio. Apparently only Beauty became a hit on top 40 radio. And the classic rock/alt rock channels still play both.
 
scotchandcigar said:
but that's not the case

that song was played as often as Beauty in it's time, on both adult contemporary and alt rock radio. Apparently only Beauty became a hit on top 40 radio. And the classic rock/alt rock channels still play both.
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Where did TTYL chart on charts other than BH100?
 
TTYL: #7 on the Rock Chart.

Yeah I woulda thought TTYL woulda been on the Hot 100 and maybe even top 40. And that other top 40 hit of theirs is crapola and I assume long long forgotten.
 
I nominate Henry Gross. He wrote and recorded Shannon about the death of an Irish setter owned by Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys. The song reached #6 on the Hot 100 in June 1976. His next single, Springtime Mama, peaked at #37 in August 1976 and was his only other top-40 hit. None of our top-40 stations (KHJ, KIIS, KIQQ, KGBS, KEZY) ever played it.
 
I'll show you one person who thinks Gross is subjectively a one hit wonder....

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Personally, I don't know either song. Would the average under 50 even know "Shannon"? Subjectively a zero hit wonder?

I'm also seeing this little trivia tidbit. Classic.

“Shannon” is also remembered for being the subject of a profanity-laced tirade by American Top 40 host Casey Kasem, while recording the September 14, 1985 show. A listener from Cincinnati, Ohio had requested “Shannon” as a ‘Long-Distance Dedication’ (a regular feature of the show) to his own recently deceased dog, named Snuggles. Kasem was upset that the show’s producers had placed the dedication immediately following the Pointer Sisters' hit “Dare Me”, an uptempo song that he considered a poor lead-in to a sad song such as “Shannon”. The rant was an outtake; it was never intended to air in the broadcast and so did not originally.

 
sadchild said:
I'm also seeing this little trivia tidbit. Classic.

“Shannon” is also remembered for being the subject of a profanity-laced tirade by American Top 40 host Casey Kasem, while recording the September 14, 1985 show. A listener from Cincinnati, Ohio had requested “Shannon” as a ‘Long-Distance Dedication’ (a regular feature of the show) to his own recently deceased dog, named Snuggles. Kasem was upset that the show’s producers had placed the dedication immediately following the Pointer Sisters' hit “Dare Me”, an uptempo song that he considered a poor lead-in to a sad song such as “Shannon”. The rant was an outtake; it was never intended to air in the broadcast and so did not originally.

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It's been too long since I heard that. I'd say that every time we turn the clocks ahead or back, this clip should be played. This, and the Bill Shatner berating clip, and the Christian Bale on-set "oh good for you" clip.
 
Suzanne Vega
#3 "Luka"
#5 "Tom's Diner" (with DNA)

Definitely not a OHW subjectively. I think most people still know both songs.
 
Maybe he knew that gun was loaded and
sadchild said:
Suzanne Vega
#3 "Luka"
#5 "Tom's Diner" (with DNA)

Definitely not a OHW subjectively. I think most people still know both songs.
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I know both songs. Interestingly enough I never connected that they were the same artist until I actually decided to make "Luka" a part of my library. Then I saw the other song in the list. Its now in my library too.
 
Interesting story, article from 1991

D.N.A. first tried to license their remix through Vega’s label, A&M Records. When their phone calls went unanswered, they did what other British remixers have done: They released the record illegally, packaged in blank sleeves to disguise their identity.

When BBC Radio aired the song in June, A&M rose up with a vengeance, and, to avoid a lawsuit, D.N.A. was forced to sign away all rights to their creation for less than $8,000. ”D.N.A. got a terrible deal,” says entertainment lawyer Ken Anderson. ”But they’re not in the best position to complain.” Vega’s manager, Ron Fierstein, comments: ”Yes, we made a good deal. But these guys were guilty of criminal copyright infringement.”

”Tom’s Diner” may have earned her several hundred thousand dollars in royalties at a time when her career was sagging: Her 1990 album Days of Open Hand peaked at only No. 50, producing no hit singles.

ew.com

The art of the remix deal

The art of the remix deal -- How D.N.A. lost out with their remix of Suzanne Vega's ''Tom's Diner''
ew.com ew.com
 
sadchild said:
Suzanne Vega
#3 "Luka"
#5 "Tom's Diner" (with DNA)

Definitely not a OHW subjectively. I think most people still know both songs.
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Just... stay... calm...

You're (inadvertently) pissing me off again. As pop-sounding as Luka is (although a dark subject), she's not a pop artist. Her other hit song when she hit the scene was the title track from Solitude Standing, which was a top 100, and 43 on the mainstream rock chart. On the AC and Alt stations where she was popular, Solitude was played as often as Luka. She also did the TV show tours with it.

From her next album (yes, the "unsuccessful" Days of Open Hand), Book of Dreams hit 8 on the Alt rock chart, and 47 on mainstream. It also contained several other songs that fans regard as some of her best. And then she had big success with the album 99.9F, Blood Makes Noise hit #1 on the Alt chart, and the title track hit 13. Again, she did major TV appearances for those songs.

So aside from her #3 pop hit Luka, she had a #1, #8, and #13 with other songs on the Alt (Modern) rock chart. Plus the Tom's Diner remix.
 
I agree she's very successful and many of her songs are known the world round.

This thread heartlessly and soullessly takes people with two top 40 US hits and asks, "Does the general population still know these two pop chart hits?" And people's reactions is a big part of that, ie "WHAT?! THIS ARTIST IS BELOVED AROUND THE WORLD AND IT'S A CRIME THEY ONLY HAVE 2 TOP 40s!!" And that's where I classify her as well.

Once I've filled this thread to the rim with "technical two hit wonders", I am planning to do a DRC survey of the entries and determine things like:
* Most subjectively a one-hit wonder
* Most subjectively a zero-hit wonder
* Least-known technical two-hit wonder
* Most popular artist who is technically a two-hit wonder

Vega would be a strong candidate for that last category. So is Nirvana. And Barenaked Ladies. And The Clash....
 
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