Hey sorry for not posting in so long but I've had computer problems. So here we go!It happens all the time; one band, one song, one placement on the top 40's chart. Today we'll be covering some of my personal favorite one hit wonders from the 70s and 80s. (Featured above is Europe, check out that hair; you know you love it.)
A hit single in 1986 by the Swedish rock band Europe swept the worlds top 40 charts. That song was "The Final Countdown." Inspired by David Bowie's "Space Oddity." The Song has over 8 covers and is considered to be a rock 'n' roll great. Of Montreal even used the song for an introduction to their own hit song "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games." However the reason it is considered (like other songs on this post) a One Hit Wonder is because it was the bands only song to break the top 40 charts. This rock "anthem" is mostly noted for its keyboard riff by the bands vocalist Joey Tempest composed 4 years before the song was even released. (It also has a pretty sick guitar solo).
Europe - "The Final Countdown" [Removed]
Released in 1979 "My Sharona" was the hit song released by The Knack. The songs guitar riff remains popular to this day. The song is considered a definitive of early 80s rock and power pop. The song has a myriad of covers, we even have a hardcore cover by the group The Number Twelve Looks Like You (here).
Finish this sentence: "Everybody was..." If you don't know the answer then you're not familiar with the historic one hit wonder by Carl Douglas, "Kung Fu Fighting." Released in 1974. Carl Douglas disappeared as fast as lighting shortly after.
Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting" [Removed]
Can you feel that? The nosie? "Cum on Feel the Noize" originally done by the band Slade in 1973; revived and made famous by Quiet Riot (in 1983) is among the best one hit wonders. Great guitar solo; really energetic song.
Quiet Riot - "Cum on Feel the Noize" [Removed]
Labels: carl douglas, europe, quiet riot, the knack
Actually, all of those acts (aside from Carl Douglas) had other hits. Europe had a power ballad called "Carrie." The Knack had "Good Girls Don't." Quiet Riot had "Metal Health."
However, according to most chart listings. A one hit wonder is defined as when a band only has one "hit" ever go into the top 40s. Those songs may have all been hits too but never reached top charts.
"Most American music industry insiders consider a song in the top forty positions of the Billboard Hot 100 to be a hit. Thus, any performer who recorded only one song that reached the Top 40 is, technically, a one-hit wonder. However, the term is more generally applied to musicians best known for only one song, meaning that some artists who fit the above criteria are not considered one-hit wonders, while others who do not are considered such."
im with pete on that one
To be honest, there isn't really a definitive meaning to "one-hit wonder". It can be an artist only known for one song, no matter how many songs that had chart, even if it's zero. It can also be a group that only had one song break the Top 40 on Billboard. But in the UK, a one hit wonder is generally a song that breaks the Top 75 on the UK Singles Chart. So really, a one hit wonder can be many different things.
The term "hit" is also elusive. The word is thrown about all the time for songs that just get radio play, and if a small local band has a fan favorite, it will often be called a hit.
In short, I don't know how to define one hit wonder, but the songs in this post are generally seen as the band's name to fame, so it can be left to opinion.
But thanks so much for the input guys, I'm really glad to see we have readers that are interested enough in the subject to comment and debate. Hopefully above all, the post was enjoyable and again, thanks a bunch for reading and commenting.
Actually that picture ins't from the band Europe. LOL
They are 5 men. You check their official website: http://www.europetheband.com
There you'll see that they're back since 2003 with 2 new powerfull albums.
To see old pics from them, do a search on google.
Regards
Rodrigo Silva
Actually Rodrigo, that is a picture of the band Europe from the 80's. and they are back. The pictures on http://www.europetheband.com are of the band now grown up.