Let the music play on
Let the music play on
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One Hit wonder Musicians in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
It's amazing how we listen and groove to various genres of music, but we never can remember the voice or the artist behind it. Let's just say they were meant to give us a hit and leave or should I say the music industry was never meant for them despite their one hit song?. Anyways, you would agree with me that the music industry is a competitive market that is only open for those who are strong and are ready to create a long-term legacy for themselves. Music is dynamic, never static. While some musicians have a way in maintaining their crown in the music world, some fell off the bridge of music. Every century, we enjoy different genres of music, while some were popularly known and have made their way to hit the top chart of billboard, some have faded off without saying goodbye to us, most especially the artist of the song. I would like to take you back to the 70s, 80s and 90s where music was born. Sometimes you only need a song to be recognized, having a hit song is never a crime, is it?, absolutely No! So, here they are. The one-hit wonders that we love best. But again, there’s no shame in having only one hit. After all, these one-hit wonders have something that 99.9% of the acts out there don’t have and never will. That’s right.
CHUMBAWAMBA ( image: Credit BBC)
CHUMBAWAMBA — (image: Credit BBC)
Chumbawamba
Are a perfect example of how a band's lone hit doesn't always paint a complete picture of the group's sound. The band formed in England in the early Eighties and wrote intensely political songs that fused folkpunks, and dances with just about every other genre of music you can imagine. In 1997, they released "Tubthumping," which is basically about getting hammered. It blew up all over the world, and turned the group of self-described anarchists into celebrities. They even went on `` Politically incorrect journey with Bill Maher and urged fans to steal their albums. As you can imagine, that really pissed off their label — who had no idea that Napster was coming within a year. Anyway, they never had a follow-up hit in America, though they still have a surprisingly active fan base across Europe.
The Knack (image:Wikipedia)
The Knack (image:Wikipedia)
THE KNACK — MY SHARONA (1979)
For a very brief period in 1979, the Knack looked like the future of rock & roll. It was the summer of the infamous Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park and many old-school rock fans were ready to embrace a new band. Into this void stepped the Knack, whose flawless debut ”Get the Knack” blew up on the strength of their power-pop classic "My Sharona." The song was inspired by Knack front man Doug Fieger's girlfriend Sharona Alperin, who now works as a real estate agent. Their second album didn't fare very well, and they split in 1981. Five years later they got back together, but any momentum they had was long gone. They played to a cult audience until shortly before Fieger's death in 2010.
SOFT CELL (Image: Sound On Sound)
SOFT CELL (Image: Sound On Sound)
Soft CEll
Tainted Love” seems like the quintessential Eighties song, but it actually dates back to 1965, when it was recorded by Marc Bolan’s future girlfriend Gloria James. It wasn’t a hit at the time, but in 1981 British synthpop duo Soft Cell New-Waved it up and created a masterpiece. They never had another American hit, but singer Marc Almond went on to a rather respectable solo career — and in 1989 scored a solo smash with “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart,” a duet with Gene Pitney. Soft Cell reformed in 2001 and still tour occasionally. In 2001 Marilyn Manson covered “Tainted Love” for the soundtrack to Not Another Teen Mother.
DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS( image:Wikipedia)
DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS( image:Wikipedia)
Dexy’s Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland says that his massive hit “Come On Eileen” was inspired by a real girl. “It’s about somebody I grew up with,” he told Melody Maker in 1982. “It’s absolutely true all the way. I was about 14 or 15 and sex came into it and our relationship had always been so clean. It seemed at the time to get dirty, and that’s what it’s about. I was really trying to capture that atmosphere.” The video benefited from the fact that MTV was brand new and desperate for anything they could broadcast. The constant play helped Dexy’s Midnight Runners score a huge smash, but they broke up just three years later after failing to match it in America. Rowland has toured Europe with different incarnations of the group over the past few years.
Haddaway( image:Getty Images)
HADDAWAY — “WHAT IS LOVE"(1993)
Thanks to Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, and Saturday Night Live, Haddaway will forever be linked to the infamous Butabi Brothers and the 1998 cult classic comedy "A Night at the Roxbury". For years, the two comics entertained NBC’s millions of viewers with their (admittedly hilarious) one-note gag about two doofus brothers who just couldn’t cut it in the clubs. But when you separate the laughs from the emotional single, it’s incredibly difficult not to dig deep and fully enjoy “the feels.” The Trinidadian-German Eurodance artist struck a raw nerve with his minimalistic club hit, issuing something that urged listeners to embrace their inner angst through the art of dancing. Like a strange concoction of New Order, Culture Club, and Jan Hammer, the grooves and change-ups tickle all parts of the body, dipping the mind in a sweet and bitter glaze that insists upon seconds, thirds, or eighths. He came close to hitting that gooey spot again with “Life”, also off his eponymous debut, but the track just didn’t stick. Decades later, he’s still kicking it, and this writer would be willing to drop everything to see him. –Michael Roffman
JEAN KNIGHT( image:Getty Images)
JEAN KNIGHT( image:Getty Images)
JEAN KNIGHT — “MR. BIG STUFF” (1971)
Who doesn’t love walking around to “Mr. Big Stuff”? Sure it’s a righteous slam against egotistical pricks, but hot damn if it wasn’t made for days and nights that call for tight slacks, new shoes, and a perfect ‘do. Since its Summer 1971 debut, Jean Knight’s empowering blockbuster single for Stax Records has never really left pop culture. It’s appeared in dozens of movies, countless commercials, and even a handful of other songs, having been sampled by the likes of Beastie Boys, TLC, Everclear (!), and John Legend. Shortly after its release, the song would be certified double platinum and score a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female. In a cruel twist of fate, Knight would lose to Aretha Franklin, whose “Bridge Over Troubled Water” proved to be an impossible match. Sadly, her luck didn’t change thereafter; she left Stax and found only mild success on smaller labels. –Michael Roffman.
There you have it guys. No music is old, although they all have a specific time frame to get the desired attention of the public. Share with us your own view or favorite hit songs by commenting below. Thank You.
