Monthly Archive

As everyone well knows, the Oscars were dished out last Sunday. Which got me thinking about the Oscar Best Song winners that reached #1 in the U.S. charts. Thanks to the wild and wonderful Intertubes, here are the Academy Award-winning Best Original Songs that have reached #1 since 1955, the year Billboard created the Hot 100. (Beware: A few songs are listed that didn’t quite manage to eek out #1. These are included because they came so damned close.)

1956 - “Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)” (The Man Who Knew Too Much) just missed out on reaching the top spot, but managed to peak at #2 and garners a mention because it takes more than a decade before …

1969 - “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” (Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid)

With the dawn of the 1970s, the Oscar winning original song really begins to make its presence felt, beginning with the Isaac Hayes classic.

1971 - “Theme From Shaft” (Shaft)
1972 - “The Morning After” (The Poseidon Adventure)
1973 - “The Way We Were” (The Way We Were)
1976 - “Evergreen” (A Star Is Born)
1977 - “You Light Up My Life” (You Light Up My Life)
1980 - “Fame” (Fame)

“You Light Up My Life” saw a Debby Boone version which not only topped the charts in 1977 but went on to become one of the biggest selling singles of the decade. “Fame” tried to song and dance its way the top spot but ultimately stalled at #4.

Then we hit the Mother of All Movie Theme Song decades. The big, bad, bold 1980s. Winning the Oscar for Best Original Song was like a free pass to a #1 hit.

1981 - “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (Arthur)
1982 - “Up Where We Belong” (An Officer And A Gentleman)
1983 - “Flashdance … What A Feeling” (Flashdance)
1984 - “I Just Called To Say I Love You” (The Woman In Red)
1985 - “Say You, Say Me” (White Nights)
1986 - “Take My Breath Away” (Top Gun)
1987 - “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” (Dirty Dancing)

The 1990 Best Original Song winner, Madonna’s “Sooner Or Later” from Dick Tracy missed out on potential chart success after being pulled as a single in favor of the controversial “Justify My Love”. The four-year drought was broken when Disney rained on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” parade with …

1992 - “A Whole New World” (Aladdin)

Having shanked Houston’s record-breaker, “A Whole New World” would succumb after only a single week at #1 to the tour de force known as Snow and his signature “Informer” (lick your boom-boom down).

Again four years pass before Ms. Dion dropped the ubiquitous single for James Cameron’s epic.

1997 - “My Heart Will Go On” (Titantic)

And, yet another four year lull in chart success! Then, the Academy finally acknowledges the existence of hip hop by awarding its, then, bad boy, Eminem an Oscar.

2002 - “Lose Yourself” (8 Mile)

Since “Lose Yourself” we’ve seen the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and now 2007 Awards come and go without Oscar seeing singular chart success.

Huzzah! Those Zany Charts …

Well, guys, it’s been a slow news week. If anything big and not totally stupid (basically anything related to Mr. and Mrs. McCartney, as if anyone gives a tiny rat’s ass) happened, I missed it. Here’s some interesting news-ish things I did find around the interwebs.

First things first, congratulations to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova on their Oscar this week. I’ve not actually seen Once yet, but I was still pleased that a little indie song won a big fat Oscar. And congratulations to the Academy cutting back the stingy and allowing Marketa Irglova the extra 15 seconds she needed to say thank you.

No Rock And Roll Fun points us to a CNN Money article explaining that iTunes is now second only to Wal-Mart as the highest music retailer in the U.S. I’m not at all surprised really - digital music is just too damn convenient. But it is a little sad to see proper record shops die a slow and painful death. Remember how everyone was all worried that the printed word would die with the internet and other assorted technological advances? As if people really want to read books on a little screen when they’re curled up in bed. But it turns out that’s what’s happening to record shops, slowly but surely. Tamboosh just told me the other day that Boudisque, Amsterdam’s very best music shop, is closing their doors at the end of March. That’s a damn shame, and I think we should all take a moment to mourn, even if you’ve never been there and even though they’ll still have other branches around Holland - it’s like the shop in High Fidelity but without the snobbery. We loved to go in there just to see what was up and it kind of felt like home.

In a related online story, No Rock and Roll Fun also (sorry for stealing all your stories today, guys) links to this Guardian post about the lost art of listening to an album for the first time. Graeme Thomson writes: “I’d clear some time and space, put the record on and sit with sleeve in hand, drinking in every last detail. I’d listen to it end-to-end a few times, letting it slowly seep in and under the skin.” Me too. And, sadly, I don’t really do it anymore either. I think a lot of it time related - I just don’t have the same free time as I did back in high school. But I do still save new releases for the perfect time for my first listen, and I do still read the liner notes and lyrics. I’m all for the digital revolution, but that was a nice little ritual back then, and Mr. Thomson’s post brings back fond memories of hearing some classic albums for the first time.

Totally unrelated, it seems that there’s going to be some more dead icons flogging shoes. Oh, dear. Nevermind how disgusting it is to have Ian Curtis involved in this - there’s something so depressing to me about Sid Vicious on products. I once saw a cheap plastic-y handbag with Sid & Nancy on it at the Notting Hill market. It’s always stuck in my head as one of the most depressing items I’ve ever seen - I can’t understand why Sid Vicious is seen as cool when he was really just a totally messed up kid. Anyway, let’s hope this shoe thing isn’t the start of a new “Dead Icons Selling Dumb Crap” trend, I’ll seriously have to go Falling Down on their asses.

   Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve

Last month we celebrated the legendary Ramones, and today we put the spotlight on The Strokes. Both bands hail from New York, but we promise it’s just a coincidence and not 100best’s running theme. The Strokes are partly responsible for the 100b crüe getting together as united music geeks. They’re one of a very short list of bands that could have made us stand in line in the cold for seven hours for exclusive tickets to a small venue, and dear Lord, they were worth it. They have a special place in our hearts, and today we choose one song that we consider the best of their entire oeuvre. If you agree or think another song is more deserving of the accolades, feel free to have your say. But like we said last month, we have to stick by the rules and do it in 100 words or less, so it’d be cool if you did too.

aDawgg:

   The Strokes – Last Nite

Take Is This It?, Room On Fire and First Impressions Of Earth. Reduce until the deliciousest core remains, “Last Nite”, “Reptilia” and “You Only Live Once”. Sip each in turn, loud and soft, eyes open and closed. Which kicks most? Which is the pure and unadulterated essence of The Strokes phenomenon? “Last Nite”, indubitably. We crusty bunch may not easily recall, now, what it was like, then, to crank up Is This It? for the first time and be blown away by something so different from everything else at the party. It was love at first listen. And still is.

Bean:

   The Strokes - Soma

This was tough. I got it down to a shortlist (“Soma”, “Last Nite”, “Modern Girls and Old Fashion Men”, “When It Started”, “Under Control”), all of which I love dearly. They each have the trademark Strokesian elements: rolling drums, calmly insistent guitars, vocals that sound like they were screamed over a tin can telephone. But “Soma” has one other tiny thing that I couldn’t ignore: that wee drum roll that starts off each verse. You know it: it’s at 00:07 and 01:10 and can’t possibly last more than 2 seconds. It’s nearly nothing, but it’s enough to make the difference.

Tamboosh:

   The Strokes - Reptilia

My favourite is “Someday” because it was the first Strokes single I’d heard and I was immediately hooked. But I tried to choose not out of nostalgia, but by which song represents their sound best. I decided to take baby steps and chose one from each album first. After whittling the list down, I was left with “New York City Cops”, “Reptilia”, and “You Only Live Once”. All three high energy, über Strokes-y, spitfires of songs. I finally chose “Reptilia”, because the rousing chorus oozes with emotion and the instruments seem as much part of the dialogue as the lyrics.

Willie Nelson may look like your friendly, neighborhood, hippie troubadour, but he is and always will be a badass outlaw to me. He claims to have been smoking weed since he was ten, and that he even did it in the White House while visiting Jimmy Carter. Now, who else has the balls to do that? Before I get angry comments from concerned parents: All you kids out there, drugs are bad and all that but, come on, that is pretty badass … Besides a true outlaw is not meant to be a role model, so don’t do as Willie does. Though, he may be a law breaking, pigtail sporting, pot smoker, he’s also an environmentally conscious, anti-war, animal loving, philanthropist, and a talented artist to boot. You know what, angry comments be damned. If the rest of the world was more like Willie Nelson, it’d be a better place. Or ar least a very laid-back, chilled out place.

“Sad Songs And Waltzes” from his 1973 album Shotgun Willie is one of my favorite songs. It makes me laugh, because the lyrics are self-depricating, clever and vindictive, but at the same time it’s a beautiful, sad country song as well. All the country essentials are represented, it has a healthy dose of self-pity, heartache and even disappointment in the record industry, but he also manages to take a jibe at his lover turned nemesis. The Ryan Adams produced Songbird, which came out in 2006 has a reworking of the song. The older version highlights the heartache and sadness whereas, the latest seems to be sung with a wink and a smile and relishes in the bitterness of lyrics like: ‘I’ll tell all about how you cheated, I’d like for the whole world to hear’. Here’s the Songbird version, simply because my old Shotgun Willie CD doesn’t sound that good anymore and we’re all about quality, folks.

   Willie Nelson - Sad Songs And Waltzes

And as a bonus, check out this really great cover by CAKE from their 1996 album Fashion Nugget. In this version the lonely trumpet compliments the gloom beautifully.

   CAKE - Sad Songs And Waltzes

The Mules Present ‘Pick Your Own’ might just be the most delicious mix of new bands I’ve ever heard. It came out last October, but I hadn’t had the pleasure of hearing it before. It features the “cream of London’s young musicians” according to the CD jacket, and it’s no lie. If all the lovely reviews from last year haven’t suaded you to get it yourself yet, let me channel Mr.T and say, I pity the fool. Just as I pity myself, the queen of fools, for not getting it sooner. ALL these songs and all these bands make me want to crawl into the CD and hug each and every one of these people. Most of these bands, like Lightspeed Champion, Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit and Eugene McGuinness, already enjoy their fair share of Indie fame, as did this CD four months ago. So if you’re like me, and you find yourself thinking what the kids are talking about right now - while you’re wondering when you stopped being one of those kids - and you don’t read Drowned In Sound religiously and thus haven’t bought this CD yet, this is the bandwagon to jump. I promise it’ll be the best two bits you’ll spend all year.

I wasn’t going to highlight any of these bands individually, because they’re all worth your equal and lavish attention. But, if not for their sweet tunes then out of sheer gratitude, you have to go check out our beauteous host and instigator of the magical congregation that is the Pick Your Own compilation, The Mules. They open the CD with their own “This Is Your Life”, it’s celebratory, serious, and danceable all at the same time, and a wonderful start of great things to come. So go on over to their sites and give them their due props.

You can buy and sample it on kartelcreative.com.

   The Mules - This Is Your Life

When I was in high school I took this early Fleetwood Mac CD from my uncle without asking, because his CD collection was so ridiculously big yet all he seemed to play were the latest Celine Dion or Mariah Carey or other pop diva. So I figured he wouldn’t miss it and the, ehm, nine other discs I rescued from a dusty death, and he never did. My lack of remorse at the time stems from the fact that I fancied myself the Mozes of Music rather than a sneaky thief. I’ve stopped setting free other people’s music carriers since then, but I’ve failed my teen self because I sort of forgot about this one as well.

Looking Back On Fleetwood Mac is a sixteen song record of the band’s hits from their first successes as a blues band, generally known by Fleetwood Fans as the ‘Peter Green Led Era’. It’s not an ‘official’ compilation, which just means it was dirt cheap, but it does feature most of their big hits like “Black Magic Woman” and “Need Your Love So Bad”. I was only vaguely aware of their pre-Stevie Nicks days, thanks to their songs featuring in commercials and on movie soundtracks. I’ve since learned that they were really big during the British Blues Boom in the sixties and that they’ve had eleven personnel changes in total. And that their steady blues rhythms will lull you into a perfect state of cool contentment like a tall frosted glass of lemon iced tea.

I have to admit that Fleetwood Mac’s bluesy era is not my favorite, though this Cd is all I have to rate it by, so that might not be entirely fair. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by “My Heart Beat Like A Hammer”, which ironically makes it onto most ‘Worst Of Fleetwood Mac’ lists on the web. Like most of their songs at the time, it follows traditional blues patterns, but it has that touch of originality that made me do a double take, and wonder whether this cheapo compilation might have left out more of these little gems.

   Fleetwood Mac - My Heart Beat Like A Hammer

This week, 100b’s inbox shared Broken Records with us. Broken Records are so new they don’t have nothin’ out yet, other than an EP sold at their shows, but they have been getting some attention around the music world. They’ve done live sessions for the BBC and were voted Best of the T Break Stage (the best of unsigned Scottish music) at 2007’s T in the Park. According to their band bio:

Using a range of instruments including guitars, bass, violin, cello, accordion, mandolin, piano, trumpet, glockenspiel and drums, they create a sound combining traditional European folk with modern Scottish alternative music.

And they do have an incredibly eclectic mix of sounds. If you want some real-life comparisons, there’s moments in Broken Records’ music that sound like: Franz Ferdinand, Sons & Daughters, Muse, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Beirut … and more. They’re definitely going to be big this year and they’re currently planning their debut single release, so hop on board before it’s too late to say you knew about them first.

Download “Slow Parade” below and then go listen to what I think is their best song, “If The News Makes You Sad”, at BrokenSpace.

   Broken Records - Slow Parade

To be fair, this song could be filed under Classics. However, it’ll forever be ever so slightly flawed and poptasticized for many Americans of a particular generation thanks (sarcasm) to the California Raisin Advisory Board and the claymation California Raisins. The CALRAB closed up shop in 1994 but their painful legacy lives on in our social memory. Bastards.

Thankfully, the original two releases are still amazing songs, even if played so often you may think they’ve lost their punch. They haven’t. The California Raisins studio version was a dry and drained Poptastic nightmare, but Gladys Night & The Pips and Marvin Gaye turned in #2 and #1 chart performances in 1967 and 1968, respectively, with Gaye’s widely considered an All Time Classic.

   Gladys Night & The Pips - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
   Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Recently, those lovely lads Shout Magic sent over a copy of their latest release, Ceiling Fan And Other Revolutions. I wanted to post about them right away, but things around these parts got a bit crazy for a while. And to be totally honest, I’m not sure I really know what to write about Ceiling Fan anyway.

I’ll just get some stuff out of the way first. 1.) These are some of the friendliest and nicest guys I’ve had the pleasure of exchanging emails with. Which isn’t necessarily the best reason to talk up a band, so it’s a good thing that 2.) I adore their music. I’ve struggled to find some nifty adjectives to describe Ceiling Fan, but nothing seems quite right. It feels peaceful. And soothing. It’s creamy and buttery. But, although those are probably the kind of words I’d use to describe something I didn’t want to just call dull, Shout Magic is definitely not boring. There’s a strong ’60s influence in there but they avoid anything typical or obvious. They sound like getting dressed up to go dancing (not clubbing, mind you - proper dancing) but also like they wouldn’t be out of place playing in a beatnik coffee house.

Yes, that is a weird description, but it’s all the little bits that run through my head when I listen to them. And I love listening to them. Oddly, they’re appropriate for all kinds of situations - they’re great for if you need a little calm to clear your head to, but also energetic enough to be a happy energy boost, and most things in between. They sound good in the sunshine or if you’re up in the middle of the night. I realize I’m not doing a very good job describing what they actually sound like, but that’s because they don’t have a sound that can be described in any of the usual ways. I can’t compare them to other bands, because Shout Magic is far too unique for that. I can’t say you’ll like them if you like so-and-so, because they just don’t sound like anything else. I’ll be honest here and admit that it took me a while to get into them - their sound might not grab you straight away, it might take a few listens to settle in. But once it does, you’ll be hooked.

Order Ceiling Fan And Other Revolutions (in a lovely handmade silk-screened case) via Shout Magic’s official site (under ‘audio’), or from iTunes. And their first EP is still up for free, also on their site, so grab that while you’re at it. You won’t be sorry.

   Shout Magic - Suzie

I was actually looking for the songs that are most frequently used in movies, but so far I haven’t come across an accurate list yet. I always wonder who picks the songs for some of these movies, because if “Respect” comes on during another female empowerment scene, in yet another chick flick, I swear I’m gonna switch genders. I might come back to the most overused songs later, but it needs some digging around. Instead, let’s have a look at the songs that topped the American Film Institute’s list of best songs featured in movies.

1. “Over the Rainbow”, The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. “As Time Goes by”, Casablanca (1942)
3. “Singin’ in the Rain”, Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
4. “Moon River”, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
5. “White Christmas”, Holiday Inn (1942)
6. “Mrs. Robinson”, The Graduate (1967)
7. “When You Wish Upon a Star”, Pinocchio(1940)
8. “The Way We Were”, The Way We Were (1973)
9. “Stayin’ Alive”, Saturday Night Fever (1977)
10. “The Sound of Music”, The Sound Of Music (1965)

Mmm, dusty. The majority of songs on the AFI’s list of a hundred are from long before Tom Hanks was known as more than just ‘the curly haired one from Bosom Buddies’. It seems, the more we get to the top of the chart the older the tunes get, but I guess it has to have the weight of many years of success and reverence by the general public to truly earn the title of classic, at least according to the AFI. Most of these songs set a mood of sad reflection or hope for the future. So if you want to write a hit movie song be sure it will sound good over a close up of a pondering Barbara Streisand, a jubilant Julie Andrews, or a sullen Humphrey Bogart.

Here are two bands that proof that a truly great songs will always be celebrated:

   Happy Mondays - Stayin’ Alive
   The Flaming Lips - Over The Rainbow

Remember, I live in the U.K. So, I didn’t watch this year’s Grammy Awards. To be totally honest, I didn’t even realize they were even happening (*gasp*). This is a good example of why you probably think my News-ish Roundups are weak. Zing!

I’m not going to rehash the results good or bad. However, a few of the commentaries I read mentioned Alicia Keys tearing it up in her performance of “No One” with John Mayer. And, damn, if she didn’t. She made it Big. Check it for yourself if you didn’t see it go down.

The Gray Lady seemed to lament the “kiss off” of young fans by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in this year.

On a decidedly more depressing level - I don’t even know if I should feed this particular Attention Gobbler, be she real or not - have you heard about 90 Day Jane? By the way, that link will no longer take you anywhere. This morning it did and I read some of her blog. What was the deal? The short story: She was (or is) going to kill herself in 90 days. There were 82 days left this morning. By the time I checked shortly before finishing this post her blog was ~POOF!~ gone. So I did Columbo-ing on Google. Here’s the take from two sites: Way of the Mind and Museum of Hoaxes. Will she appear at another free blog provider? I hope not.

What exactly is Lupe Fiasco trying to say about racism? I swear he contradicts himself so many times I lost count and got confused trying to follow him. He talks about being a monk. Living in a hole in the ground or the Matrix or something. Is he saying racism was good? Is it bad? I hate when people, the media, whoever tries to elevate not necessarily bright, downright dumb, or just plain normal intelligence celebrities and assume they’ve got something good to say because they’re, well, celebrities.

Um, yeah. What he said. Maybe. … I think. Nevermind.

Finally, the RIAA may not be as dense as the Washington Post story indicates. And, finally, speaking of the RIAA, they continue to make the situation worse and anger a few more people. Go Oregon!

This one goes out to the Bean over in Germany. All the most important German phrases are in this song: if you want to attract some attention just say ‘Hast du etwas Zeit für mich, dann singe ich ein Lied für dich’. And when you see a bunch of German Trekkies you can say ‘Hielten sich für Captain Kirk’. See, a phrase for every occassion! When in doubt think of this song and you’re set, baby.

   Nena - 99 Luftballons

Last night, aDawgg and I were talking about how The Von Bondies have kind of disappeared since Jack White busted in Jason Stollsteimer’s face. Maybe if he’d just been quiet about it, things might be different for The Von Bondies now. (I’m not saying it’s good idea to be bashing people’s faces up, but Stollsteimer showing off his wounds to the press didn’t really get him anywhere, did it?)

Anyway, for this post, none of that is really relevant anyway. It looks like The Von Bondies will finally have some sort of new release coming up in a couple of weeks, as well as an album sometime later, and I’ll be curious to hear what they sound like with the gals replaced by several new members. But no matter what happens in their future, Lack Of Communication, their debut album, will always be their masterpiece to me. It perfectly captures that sound that I found so exciting in the early 00s and made me look at music in a new way. It took all kinds of old bluesy influences and made them rough and raw and dripping with attitude, but still kept a sense of timelessness. There’s just no denying that this whole album is a classic snapshot of an exciting time and place - and since most of us couldn’t just pop along to Detroit to hear it all for ourselves, it let us experience that feeling in our own bedrooms.

   The Von Bondies - Cass And Henry

Together with Khaela Maricich, Jona Bechtolt made a name for himself in The Blow. That is so before 2007, dude. Now he is YACHT.

I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real has been sitting in the Backlog Pile for more than a month and I whipped it into the player today. I don’t know if I’d call it Grunge R&B, but I do call it entertaining and worth spreading the word about. Give “Your Magic Is Real” a sip and see if you agree.

   YACHT - Your Magic Is Real

Snagged your interest? Go to MySpace or the Team YACHT site for more.

I came across a beautiful band that is sure to make you smile on a dark, dark day. The London based Tom Hatred & his Angryband are melancholy and sweet and their songs inspire dreamy moments of nostalgia without ever having heard a note of any of them. Inspired by fifties Rock ‘n’ Roll, folksy pop, love, death and heartbreak Tom Hatred has me dancing to lyrics that would have otherwise hurled me into a deep depression if it weren’t for the shake-your-ass and tap-your-feet quality his songs have. His voice ranges from deep Nick Cave-ian to dreamy and flighty. I want to lock them in a box and keep them all to myself, but that’s just selfish and a little bit creepy, so check them out on their Space and Face and let them bowl you over with their wit and charm too.

They haven’t had any releases yet, but for now you can listen to a good EPs worth of song on their sites. They’re all little gems of lovely, but my favorite is the rockabilly-ish song “From Here It’s Hard To Tell”, it’s fast and bouncy and eloquently ‘disses’ the vain and vapid. The band can also be found on The Mules amazing compilation of new bands from October last year called Pick Your Own. More on that later …

Kris Williams is a hard-working Welshman. He first recorded with kaptainblack (whose 7″ “Drone The Queen Bee” single I actually have and enjoyed, but never really got into). Then there was Dirty Perfect, whose music I unfortunately can’t find an example of. And now there’s Eugene Francis Jnr, a whole new stage name for a whole new music.

They (yeah, ‘they’) are calling this Folktronica (was this already a genre name I never knew about?), which makes a lot of sense to me. You’ll probably like it if you like Bright Eyes, or Devendra Banhart - or Arcade Fire, or the Flaming Lips. Which I do. You know, I was just saying to the Mighty Tamboosh that I haven’t heard anything brand new lately that’s really gotten me interested. Eugene Francis Jnr has changed that - “Poor Me” and “My Own Pollution” are so stunningly beautiful and uplifting, it feels like the warm sunshine on a breezy spring day. Which is perfectly fitting, because his debut album, The Golden Beatle, will be released on April 28th - some music is meant for the summer, or cold winter nights, but Eugene Francis makes music for the hope of spring.

Listen to some tracks on EugeneSpace and pre-order The Golden Beatle at Legion Records.

Have you all heard about the upcoming Austrian movie about Falco? (Watch the trailer - with no subtitles, sadly - here.) You have to ask - does Falco need a whole movie, really? Well, I can’t be sure until I see what is sure to be an awesomely Poptastic movie for myself, but after reading his wikipedia entry, it seems his achievements are a little more interesting than I expected.

But this song is still pretty silly.

   Falco - Rock Me Amadeus

Let’s have a look at one hit wonders today. The most commonly used meaning of a “one hit wonder” is someone who has come to be known for just the one song, although they may have had some chart success with other releases. We all know loads of these and some of them made truly classic pop songs: The Knack’s “My Sharona”, The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star”, Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”, Dee-Lite’s “Groove Is In The Heart”, and (as we learned last week) Digable Planets’ “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”.

Other definitions of the term exclude artists who ended up having a full, healthy career, despite having only one single in the charts. I want to look at this the other way around. I’m curious about artists who have come to be recognized as great or influential - or whose songs are now so well known, you’d swear they had a hit every week - but still only ever had one chart hit. This does get a little tricky, because there are a good number of artists who had only one popular song in the US but were much more popular in the UK, and vice versa. Plus, some of these artists may have hits in the more specific genre-based charts, but only one in the mainstream pop singles chart (based on Top 40 hits). But this being a short exercise in curiosity and not an in-depth research article, we’ll just have to work around those things. Here’s just a handful I picked out:

#20, 1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower

The Jimi Hendrix Experience had a good number of hits in the UK, and did pretty well in the US albums chart, but only this one lonely singles hit in the US which only made it to a measly #20. Pretty surprising, since Hendrix was pretty much considered a visionary guitar god even in his own time.

#1, 1971: Janis Joplin - Me And Bobby McGee

A couple of her albums did pretty well in the US, but she never did have a charting release in the UK.

#10, 1973: T. Rex - Bang A Gong (Get It On)

Marc Bolan and his fellow bandmates only reached #10 once in the States, but had 15 Top 20 hits in the UK, four of which were #1 hits. I guess the Americans just didn’t get on board with the whole glam thing like the British did.

#16, 1973: Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side

Lou Reed, despite being godfather to all sorts of genres today, has done rather dismally, chart-wise, on both sides of the pond. “Walk On The Wild Side” made it to #10 in the UK and a slightly lower #16 in the States.

#14, 1980: Devo - Whip It

Devo had a slighter better presence in the lower depths of the UK charts than the US, but “Whip It” didn’t even chart over here. Luckily, Americans liked at least that one single and gave Devo their only hit.

#33, 1999: Ol’ Dirty Bastard ft Kelis - Got Your Money

Of course this wasn’t Kelis’ only or even biggest hit, but it was the ODB’s one solo success before his death in 2004.

Obviously, there are more recent examples — Cornershop - “Brimful Of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)” (1998), Eels - “Novocaine For The Soul” (1996), The Cardigans - “Lovefool” (1997) — but it’s a little too soon to really call any of these bands true one hit wonders. By the very nature of those fickle pop charts, you just never know when they might hit it big again.