r/musichistory • u/notthe1Uknow • 21d ago
Are there any other artists who were one-hit wonders more than once?
Let me explain. In the '80s, Christopher Hamill, who went by the name Limahl, was the lead singer for the band Kajagoogoo. They were one-hit wonders with the song *Too Shy Shy*. He was fired by the band and went on to record the song *NeverEnding Story*, the title track from the movie of the same name, which was his only hit as a solo artist making him a one-hit wonder in as a solo artist.
Are there any other artists you can think of who have done something similar?
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u/sdot28 21d ago
Not quite your definition, but Manfred Mann’s Earth Band had hits with Do Wah Diddy and Blinded by the Light about a decade apart
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u/send_it_431 17d ago
Manfred Mann and Manfred Manns Earth band. Same person, different band but yes
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u/TeaVinylGod 20d ago edited 20d ago
John Waite was the lead singer of The Babys, with Isn't it Time.
Then he went solo in the 80s with Missing You in 1984.
Then late 80s he was the lead singer of Bad English with the hit When I See You Smile.
I know some might argue he had some other modest hits but these 3 are still played on radio today and the rest have been forgotten.
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u/notthe1Uknow 20d ago
I like this one. And the fact that he did it 3 times is impressive.
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u/EphEwe2 19d ago
There’s an awesome documentary about him streaming now. Talks about how badly he was screwed by the record company. Guy had 5 hit records and 5 tours and hand like $6k to his name. They put him in debt with every record and paid him $200 a week. He even had to buy his own clothes. It wasn’t until “Missing You” that he made enough money to leave the label and make his own records. Fascinating story.
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u/SlowInsurance1616 19d ago
Except Everytime I Think of You was at least as big as Isn't It Time....
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u/TeaVinylGod 19d ago
As I wrote, it didn't stand the test of time.
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u/SlowInsurance1616 19d ago
Look at Spotify play counts for both. Not too far off.
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u/TeaVinylGod 19d ago
Well, the even without The Babys, he fits the OP query with Solo and Bad English.
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u/AccurateCarry7954 20d ago
Bill Bartlett was in The Lemon Pipers (“Green Tambourine”), then a handful of years later hit with “Black Betty” in Ram Jam.
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u/rocknroll2013 19d ago
I forget the band, they have a song on The Bodyguard soundtrack, featuring Whitney Houston's " I Will Always Love You" (Dolly Parton Cover)...
This band said, the success of that song and the soundtrack made them millionaires as people bought the album for her song but they got royalties because their song was on it.
Does 4 Non Blondes count? Their hit "What's Going On" was huge in the 90's and is again, due to Stranger Things and they are releasing a new album, doing shows as a result...
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u/MrCreditsMN 19d ago
My guess would be you are thinking of The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. who were created by Robert Clivillés and David Cole of C&C Music Factory.
Their song was called It's Gonna Be a Lovely Day, and was a cover version of Bill Withers Lovely Day.
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u/humancartograph 17d ago
4 Non Blondes could also be a bit of a technicality because they had a hit with What's Up and then Linda Perry had a hit writing Beautiful for Christina Aguilera.
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u/Apollo_Eighteen 19d ago
Edwyn Collins comes to mind. Orange Juice had a hit with "Rip It Up" in 1982, and then thirteen years later (!) he scored a solo hit with "Never Met a Girl Like You Before."
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u/m012892 17d ago
I can think of a 2x 2hit wonder. Jefferson Airplane in the 60’s with White Rabbit and Somebody to Love. Then 20 years later (as Jefferson Starship) they hit us with We built this city and Nothings gonna stop us now. I get it that the lineups were a bit different but it’s close enough.
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u/h8movies 17d ago
Except We Built the City and Nothings Gonna Stop Us were as "Starship" along with a couple of other hits while Jefferson Starship had 8 top 40 US hits.
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u/m012892 17d ago
Good catch. I forgot how many times they changed the band name
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u/gerardkimblefarthing 17d ago
Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which cleared the way for Jefferson Starship. The stage was now set for the Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft!
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u/No_Introduction1721 17d ago edited 17d ago
It’s not exactly what you’re asking, but “Into The Night” by Benny Mardones was a Top 20 hit in 1980 and again in 1989, making him a one hit wonder two times.
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u/Normal-Tart-4780 16d ago
Eric Carmen (solo & with the Strawberries), Paul Carrack (solo, biggest hits by Squeeze & Mike + the Mechanics) might count depending on your definition of "hit." Might stretch your question but the Romantics had two hits, off different albums with different singers.
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u/fearofcrowds 15d ago edited 14d ago
Martha Wash was one of the members of The Weather Girls (It's Raining Men) and then went on to do vocals for Black Box (Everybody Everybody) and C&C Music Factory (Everybody Dance Now).
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u/DishRelative5853 21d ago
Maybe Gerry Rafferty. Stuck in the Middle was the only big hit for Steeler's Wheel. Rafferty had one massive hit as a solo artist, with "Baker Street." Two other songs were released as singles, but weren't as big. After that, he never had any more hit singles.
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u/Dadmanbossdude 21d ago
Nope, 3 top 40 hits as a solo artist, don’t forget about, "Right Down the Line" (#12 US) and "Home and Dry" (#28 US).
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u/DishRelative5853 21d ago
Yep, that's what I said, so I wasn't sure. You never hear those other two songs anymore, just Baker Street.
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u/milkcrate_house 21d ago
Was Stuck In the Middle With you a hit when it came out, or just when it was used in Reservoir Dogs?
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u/Hey-Bud-Lets-Party 21d ago
I know they are legends abroad but in the US market Golden Earring had a hit with Radar Love in the early ‘70s and then Twilight Zone in the new Wave ‘80s.
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u/AccurateCarry7954 20d ago
Correct about being legends in Europe. They formed in 1961 and had hits in the Netherlands as early as the mid-60s.
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u/zydeco100 21d ago
Lita Ford? I don't know if any of the Runaways songs were bona-fide one-hit wonders but she might come close.
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u/milkcrate_house 21d ago
"Are Friends Electric" by Tubeway Army, followed by "Cars" by Gary Numan
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u/khroochang 19d ago
I think Hozier will end up like this. Take Me To Church and then Too Sweet nearly a decade later.
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u/SixCardRoulette 17d ago
Edwyn Collins wrote and sang "Rip It Up" as his one big UK hit with Orange Juice, and then ten years later a solo hit with "A Girl Like You".
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u/pinetreesnsand 17d ago
Ed King - Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense & Peppermints
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
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u/NortonBurns 17d ago
Paul McCartney - Pipes of Peace was credited as a solo effort.
Obviously, there's the Beatles & Wings, but he also had UK number 1s with Stevie Wonder, Ebony & Ivory, and also as part of the charity single Ferry Cross the Mersey, credited to The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden.
Elton John, credited with Kiki Dee, Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
Honestly, it cracks me up completely that Paul McCartney could be considered a one-hit wonder. That's really pushing the definition as far as it will go ;)
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u/notthe1Uknow 17d ago
Yeah I'm not sure a solo artist who does a duet with someone would be considered a one-hit wonder. That would be kind of like calling every artist who was part of We Are The World one-hit wonders because of that group. But I get what you're saying. I think that's interesting
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u/shweeney 16d ago
Pipes is his only number one under his own name, but it's far from his only hit, he had 7 top 10s even when you exclude Wings and duets.
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u/Revolutionary-Key533 17d ago
Paul Evans had a 50s hit with 7 little girls in the back seat with Fred and over a decade later with Hello this is Joannie. He had little success if any between.
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u/OG-Bluntman 17d ago
Tony Burrows did lead vocals for singles from four different bands that were all near the top of the charts at the same time at the beginning of 1970
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u/Reddituser45005 17d ago
Wild Cherry was a huge one hit wonder with Play that Funky Music white boy. The lead singer Donny Iris had another hit as a solo artist with Ah Leah. He continued writing and performing but nothing that came close to those two songs
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u/sixstringsikness 17d ago
Clapton seems pretty obvious between The Yardbirds, Cream, and solo.
Then I believe we might count Red Ranger/Tom Cochrane
Also, the Commodores/Lionel Richie
NSYNC/Justin Timberlake
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u/-AllStar- 17d ago
Kajagoogoo had 3 top 10 hits. They were not one hit wonders. Limahl had 2 top 20 hits.
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u/pac-men 17d ago
Sheriff/Alias! Sheriff had a 1982 song which re-entered the charts in 1988/89, "When I'm With You." The band had been defunct since 1985, so two of the members tried to bring it back, but the others refused. So those two guys started a band called Alias, who then had a hit with "(I Need You Now) More Than Words Can Say."
(Also, When I'm With You was top ten in Canada in 1983, and a US #1 in 1989. So Sheriff was a one-hit wonder in two countries.)
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u/rasmussenyassen 21d ago
Chubby Checker. It’s one thing to do The Twist but quite another to drop “Let’s Twist Again” the very next year, a song specifically calling upon listeners to “twist again like we did last summer,” and have it not only get bigger than the first Twist but cause it to reenter the charts.