We’ve already looked at the one-hit wonders, but what about the artists that managed to taste sweet success a second time? For the full list go to Spinner.com, but here are some of my favorites of their staff’s selection of two-hit wonders.

Kim Wilde
‘Kids in America’ (No. 25, 1982)
‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ (No. 1, 1986)

Bean recently posted about Kim Wilde’s first hit. The thing I learned from this chart is that you never ever put out a cover if you haven’t had more than one chart topper. It’s the kiss of the death for your musical career, as demonstrated by this Wilde cover of a Supreme’s hit.

Blue Öyster Cult
   “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (No. 12, 1976)
“Burnin’ for You” (No. 40, 1981)

Aw, I love “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, but I’m not so crazy about their second hit. It sounds too much like it should be on a John Hughes movie soundtrack. My favorite Blue Öyster Cult tidbit is that they started the random umlaut craze. Without them there would be no Mötorhead, Mötley Crüe, or Spinal Tap (for some reason my keyboard doesn’t do umlauts on the N. Go figure.). I’m still not sure what the proper pronunciation of the ö is in these cases. Who cares when it’s so visually pleasing.

Golden Earring
“Radar Love” (No. 13, 1974)
“Twilight Zone” (No. 10, 1983)

Ooo oo, I just saw the singer cross the street on my way home the other day! He still looks like the frontman of a two-hit wonder rawk band. That is: leather pants, big shiny earrings, and sunglasses on a cloudy day. It was marvelous. I like “Radar Love”, but living in Amsterdam and the fact that Golden Earring is a Dutch band means you can hear this song every hour on every freaking classic rock radio.

Young MC
   “Bust a Move” (No. 7, 1989)
   “Principal’s Office” (No. 33, 1990)

I’ve been making fun of these bands a little bit until now, because Young MC is flippin’ brilliant and one of these days I’m writing him a proper post, but I thought he had more than two hits? He also wrote BOTH Tone Loc’s hits also in Spinner’s list. So either way, he really does have more than two hits. Spinner asks the question whether that makes him a two-hit wonder God. I say, you’re darn tootin’ it does. Stone Cold Rhymin’ is still one of my favorite records. I had it on tape, but it was gutted and ruïned by a really crappy walkman. That was a sad day. With a bass by the Chilli Pepper’s Flea and Young MC’s dynamite lyrics, his first hit was was destined for greatness, but I LOVE “Principal’s Office” with its adorable rebellious high school student theme.

The Presidents Of The United States Of America
“Lump” (No. 21, 1995)
   “Peaches” (No. 29, 1996)

Ehm, this isn’t right, is it? What about “Mach 5″ and “Kitty”? I wonder what charts Spinner uses for its references, because I’m pretty sure they had more than one hit. Anyway, I loved their first album, but didn’t really keep up with them after it. They reformed in 2004 and just released a new album in March.

The Knack
“My Sharona” (No. 1, 1979)
   “Good Girls Don’t” (No. 11, 1979)

My Sharona has a legendary status in my world, but I totally forgot “Good Girls Don’t” was by The Knack. It’s a nice sounding song, but the lyrics are a bit … bewildering. The first verse says:

She’s your adolescent dream
Schoolboy stuff, a sticky sweet romance
And she makes you want to scream
Wishing you could get inside her pants

Combined with the chorus ‘Good Girls don’t, but I do’, it makes for a really rather disturbing song about adolescent lovin’ written by a 26-year-old. And if there’s anything Madonna’s last tour taught us it’s that the words Sticky and Sweet only sound not disgusting when they refer to candy.

Spin Doctors
“Two Princes” (No. 7, 1992)
“Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” (No. 17, 1992)

I associate these two Spin Doctor songs and KC & The Sunshine Band’s “Play That Funky Music White Boy” with all those cheesy cover bands that play weddings, birthdays and bat/bar mitswas. I always get the feeling that these kinda songs have caused many-a embarrassing drunken uncle to tie his tie around his head and bite his lip while he boogies on down with his eyes closed and his fists in the air.

The Power Station
   “Some Like It Hot” (No. 6, 1985)
“Get It On (Bang a Gong)” (No. 9, 1985)

Oh man, “Some Like It Hot” is still one of the hottest songs ever! That crazy choppy beat, Robert Palmer’s sultry voice and the horn section, it all screams giant shoulder pads and making out at office parties with Bob from Accounting. The Power Station was an eighties supergroup with members of Chic, Duran Duran and that guy who married Pamela Des Barres fronted by Robert Palmer. I never heard their version of “Get It On”, but see Kim Wilde if you want to know my views about covers as second singles.