00:00I had visions, I was in them, I was looking into the mirror.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 one-hit wonders who had a lot more
00:11depth and quality in their catalog than that label would suggest.
00:15And I run, I run so far away.
00:22Number 10. Fountains of Wayne.
00:25Stacy's mom has got it going on.
00:29Stacy's mom has got it going on.
00:32Becoming immortalized in pop music history for a novelty song like Stacy's Mom is a double-edged sword.
00:38For one thing, it ensured that the band Fountains of Wayne remained a recognizable name all these years later.
00:44I wanna sink to the bottom with you.
00:48On the flip side, though, it ended up putting them in a box they probably didn't deserve to be in.
00:53And now it's time to say what I forgot to say.
00:57Their larger discography contains some widely adored power-pop and alt-rock songwriting, music that will never be heard by
01:04most who know their biggest hit.
01:06The wit and immediacy needed to craft a song like Stacy's Mom are sprinkled all over their back catalog, packed
01:12with strong melodies and concise song structure.
01:15I know there's nothing wrong, but I'm in love with Stacy's Mom.
01:20Number 9. Alien Ant Farm.
01:22Covering a Michael Jackson song is always going to be a tough task, especially in genres that lie far off
01:29on the spectrum of music from the King of Pop's placement.
01:40For alt-metal heroes Alien Ant Farm, even though their take on Smooth Criminal was a huge success, they don't
01:46usually get credit for the rest of their material.
01:48Ask any Alien Ant Farm fan for a crash course on the band, and you may just end up getting
01:54surprised by their strong songwriting, underrated instrumental chops, and super catchy choruses.
02:00I want you to be free.
02:04They get lumped into the new metal category, but in reality, there is a lot more happening here than Smooth
02:09Criminal lets on.
02:11You've been hit by, you've been struck by, a smooth criminal.
02:14Number 8. Harvey Danger.
02:17While most bands will never come close to achieving just one hit single, some who do end up resenting the
02:23success and labeling that comes with it.
02:26Put me in the hospital for nerves and then they had to commit me.
02:30For Seattle alternative rockers Harvey Danger, they seemed uncomfortable with their status as a one-hit wonder after the release
02:37of their track Flagpole Sitta.
02:47They ended up doing their best to distance themselves from that song and the overall sound that bred it, expanding
02:53their approach in a way that arguably made them more interesting and eclectic.
02:57Their fans would argue that their major hit barely scratches the surface of what Harvey Danger were capable of, a
03:03sentiment we're sure the band themselves agree with.
03:06I miss talking to you, but you never draw me out, so cast off the ego's guard.
03:16Number 7. New Radicals.
03:19It sometimes feels odd to put bands who have released only one album in the same one-hit wonder category
03:25as those who struggled for years and years with only a single breakthrough.
03:28The New Radicals released their sole studio album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too, in 1998, to high praise from fans
03:35and critics alike.
03:36The lead single, You Get What You Give, was, of course, the major hit.
03:40Don't let go, you got the music in you, one dance left.
03:46But most people would agree that the album is packed with quality material.
03:50Unfortunately, band leader Greg Alexander decided to end the band shortly after, pivoting into writing and producing for other artists.
03:5790 miles outside Chicago, can't stop driving.
04:04A role that he has had great success in.
04:06Still, this leaves the group as one of modern music's biggest what-ifs.
04:11Sunday, we'll know why I wasn't meant for you.
04:18Number 6. Norman Greenbaum.
04:20Oh, set me up, spirit in the sky.
04:24Best known for the psychedelic rock gem that is Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum has unfairly
04:30been lumped into the one-hit wonder category over the years.
04:33As the story goes, he wrote his most famous song in just fifteen minutes, unaware of the
04:38fact that it would go on to define his legacy.
04:41In reality, though, Greenbaum's work as the leader of Dr. West's medicine show and junk
04:46band and his other solo work is far more interesting and eccentric than many realize.
04:51Gonna steal your heart out.
04:54He largely retired from music shortly after to concentrate on dairy farming, although he
04:59did return as a manager and promoter in the 1980s.
05:02Sweetwater William, there he is smiling, got a new girlfriend, said to stand by him.
05:10Number 5. The Lies.
05:12The pursuit of perfection is a dangerous thing in arts, and while nobody can argue that the
05:17Lies and their singer Lee Mavers were special, that pursuit would end up being their undoing.
05:26There She Goes is regarded as a perfect slice of acoustic pop magic, but most of the
05:31most don't realize that their entire album is a truly strong release.
05:35This band were already well on their way to greatness, but Mavers' unwavering perfectionism
05:40left them to toil away at endless re-recordings and line-up changes, while their momentum slowly
05:46died.
05:53His attitude towards the music industry eventually soured, and to this day, The Lies' debut is
05:59the only album he ever recorded.
06:03Number 4. Chumbawamba.
06:06There is no other way to say it.
06:08There is a huge mismatch between the general public's perception of Chumbawamba and their
06:13actual identity as artists.
06:19Known almost exclusively for their super-moshable hit Tub Thumping, the band were almost caught
06:24off guard by its success.
06:26In reality, they had their roots firmly based in anarcho-punk, writing politically charged
06:31anthems that showed no signs of conformity to the mainstream world.
06:38As soon as they did achieve that surprising breakthrough, they retreated further into their shell, doubling
06:44down on their core aim as a group.
06:46It seemed as though the irony of Tub Thumping is still utterly lost on some people.
06:51No long-term memory loss, I don't remember.
06:57Number 3.
06:59A Flock of Seagulls.
07:00While many remember A Flock of Seagulls mainly for their major hit I Ran So Far Away, to boil
07:06them down to just one standout moment is to miss the bigger picture.
07:18They did indeed have a string of relatively successful releases, but in the grand scheme
07:23of things, one song stood above all others.
07:26Upon closer inspection, however, there's quite a lot to enjoy here.
07:30And despite the electronic arrangements, they were a formidable live act.
07:34If I had a photograph of you, there's something to find me.
07:41The band made major strides within the new wave and synth-pop genres, anticipating the
07:46dream-pop and ambient-pop hybrids that would eventually break through.
07:50And if I feel this wind so low, then tell me is it all in the pain.
07:55Number 2.
07:56Rupert Holmes.
07:58If you like pina coladas, I'm getting caught in the rain.
08:03As soon as Rupert Holmes wrote and released Escape the Pina Colada Song, he would inevitably
08:08be linked to it for the rest of his life.
08:11For as much as the track is a timeless favorite, the larger picture of Holmes' work is arguably
08:16just as interesting.
08:17A masterful storyteller at his core, he had a knack for creating concise little tales
08:22through his music.
08:23While the music itself is always at the front and center, Holmes' music often has more in
08:28common with the novella than anything his contemporaries were putting out.
08:32And I'll say, oh, I'm not blind to him, him, him.
08:40What's she gonna do about him?
08:43Plot twists, psychological nuance, and surprisingly deep character studies are the name of the
08:48game for Rupert Holmes, making him an underrated gem of his era.
08:52I'm the love that you've looked for, write to me and escape.
09:05Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album Balance, classical music reimagined
09:11as rock, hard rock, and metal.
09:13Check out the full track and album below.
09:15Fortune calls, rise and ruin, night and noon, all are prisoners of the moon.
09:29Number one, The Proclaimers.
09:33Now I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you.
09:38Although primarily known for a track that has become something of a novelty song, Scottish
09:43icons The Proclaimers have far more depth to them than most realize.
09:48Sure, their breakout single, Letter From America, was a hit at home, but
09:51I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles became something much bigger.
09:55But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more.
10:02In reality, the band's catalog is way more varied and colorful than you might expect,
10:08melding genres and lyrical themes, all packed with that unmistakably Scottish identity.
10:13Initially, an acoustic duo, they eventually branched off into a rockier sound,
10:18taking influence from punk, country, and folk.
10:21Even if 500 miles gets them a large portion of their ticket sales,
10:24those who do attend a Proclaimers show often end up getting surprised.
10:36But what's your favorite one-hit wonder of all time?
10:40Let us know in the comments below.
Comments