Sometimes the brightest flames burn the quickest. In March, we asked our staff and patrons for their favorite "one-hit wonders," those songs by artists who struck gold once before fading into obscurity.
We met online on Tuesday, Mar. 22, at noon to share and discuss these songs in our monthly music discussion group, Music Talk. The full Music Talk: One-Hit Wonders playlist is now up on Spotify and you can follow Alachua County Library District's account for more playlists to come. You can find many of the music CDs with these songs in our catalog or on our streaming service, hoopla.
Don't forget to mark your calendar for the next Music Talk! We'll meet on Tuesday, Apr. 26 at noon on Zoom for Music Talk: A Day in the Life. What is your favorite song right now? Maybe it's an all-time classic or maybe you won't remember it in a year, but we want to know what you currently have playing on repeat. Email librarian Cameron with your song choice, along with a sentence or two about why you chose it. He’ll add it to the ACLD Music Talk: A Day in the Life playlist on Spotify and have it queued up to play during the live program. If you don’t have a song in mind, come to the program anyway to hear some great tunes and join in on the conversation.
These are our favorite one-hit wonders:
“Take on Me” by A-Ha
“Awesome song, massively awesome music video, a title that’s all the better for not making much sense.” – Laurel C.
“It was catchy and kind of dangerous, especially with the frantic sound of the keyboard when the hero was trying to escape the bad guys in the newspaper. Music videos were still very new, and this one was still very much ahead of its time. And there was an acoustic version a few years ago that sounded great as well.” – Lisa F.
“Still love that song and the video is fantastic. The song is very catchy and I really love his accent. I have their album but this song was my favorite.” – Caroline H.
“No Rain” by Blind Melon
“I love its happy, upbeat vibe and the video is perfect for the song. It takes me right back to college. 😊” – Heather L.
“Black is Black” by Los Bravos
“Of all the songs my dad played on rotation, this one was a favorite. Psychedelic rock that easily crosses over into proto-garage rock for me.” – Sally F.
“Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles
“It launched MTV! Which, at least for me, shaped my childhood and adolescence, and I consider that influence a plus.” – Sally F.
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
“Both the title of the song and the band’s name are quite something. Who even knows what tubthumping is? Nevertheless, this song is one heck of an earworm.” – Janna H.
“Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn
“This song was one of the first ‘real’ songs I learned to play on the piano. I love the arpeggios and the sliding of the chords.” – Beth N.
“Come on Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners
“There was a book my sister and I read (and really enjoyed), that had a three-legged dog who they named Eileen—prompting many random outbursts of characters singing the song in the book. This led to it kind of becoming my sister and I’s song, featuring dance parties and scream-singing in the car.” - Jordyn C.
“This song feels so musically out of place from any particular time and trend. It’s so sonically uplifting which makes it so bittersweet in contrast to the lyrics you eventually get around to learning, which do have a very sad context.” – Laurel C.
“I loved it when I first heard it in 1983 and I love it every time it comes on the radio, it still gets regular play on several stations and is a staple in several of my playlists. I love the tempo changes, the nonsense syllables, and the featured fiddling. It’s a great song and has been recognized as such, ranking 18th in VH1’s ‘100 Greatest Songs of the ‘80s’ list, in the top three of their ‘100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders’ list, and number one in the ‘100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ‘80s.’” – Marlin D.
“I listened to this song so much in early 1983 that I’m surprised I didn’t name my daughter Eileen (she was born in June 1983). The song is simple and makes no sense to me now but I’m listening to it a second time.” – Caroline H.
“How Do You Talk to an Angel?” by The Heights
“I had no idea that it was a theme song for a show called The Heights by a ‘fake band’ from the show.” – Beth N.
“King Tut” by Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons (aka The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band).
“The song was first performed on Saturday Night Live when the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibit was touring the United States from 1976-1979. Martin never had another hit song, but he did have a film career that includes such comedy classics as The Jerk, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, The Man with Two Brains, All of Me, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles.” – Teague F.
“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats
“Unparalleled bop. But, also, wonderfully odd, which denotes some of the best one-hit wonders out there.” – Sally F.
“I Melt with You” by Modern English
“Even though, technically, this song is about dying with your love in a horrific nuclear disaster, I don’t care. The energy, the sound, listening to it just gets me excited to be alive.” – Laurel C.
“Cuts You Up” by Peter Murphy
I’m kind of trolling with this choice, as Peter Murphy’s work with Bauhaus and Dali’s Car is beloved and his influence on goth culture is enormous. But mainstream success came only once, when, in 1990, this sprightly, melodic, slightly dark love song topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
“Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
“I absolutely LOVE this song. It has stayed with since I first heard it. Technically, the record it was released on had a couple of other Top 40 hits, but Alannah hasn’t put out another song that compares to this sultry charmer.” – Rachelle M.
“Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley
“I was a little shocked when I first heard this song at my friend’s house. I couldn’t believe a mother would act like that - my mom never wore a miniskirt in her life. But, I loved that she stuck up for herself and pointed out that everyone in town was drinking, cheating, or breaking the law, so they had no right to judge her life choices.” – Beth N.
“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
“I loved dancing to this song with my friends on Tuesdays at the Florida Theater when they did ‘80s nights.” – Beth N.
“Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder
“Great fun ‘80s song and helps me get motivated when the world starts to get me down.” – Bill B.
“Rock DJ” by Robbie Williams
“The music video. Just… the music video.” – Sean W.
Some other favorite one-hit wonders:
"Back in the Day," "Dirty Water," "I Wish," "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," "Lies," "The Loco-Motion," "Sh-Boom," "You Get What You Give"