Recently (By recently, I mean three
months ago), I listened to SiriusXM’s list of the top 100 one-hit wonders, and
it made me realize how bad some one-hit wonders are. Memorable is not always
the same as good. At the time, I made my own list of the top one-hit wonders. One
hundred songs sounded hard, so I decided to divide it into 10 genres with 10
songs each plus some honorable mentions. Over the course of two weeks, I made my
list and have updated multiple times after I remember the song exists. If there
is more interest in one-hit wonders, check out YouTuber Todd in the Shadows’ series
One-Hit Wonderland.
Qualifications: Crack the US
Billboard Top 40 one time. There are some exceptions if the song is
well-remembered. We will allow some two-hit wonders if the second hit did not
peak higher than 20 and has been forgotten.
The first list I made was the
hardest. This was originally supposed to be just a list of R&B songs, but R&B
is not a genre with many one-hit wonders when you take out disco (Dance songs
list is coming later). I am also not a big fan of R&B; a lot of it sounds
the same to me. To expand it, I included funk and soul songs. Basically, it’s
traditional African American pop music other than hip-hop (that list is coming
later, too).
10. Vehicle- Ides of March
A classic 70’s funk song with an impressive horns section. This song is about how a man describes himself
as a vehicle. He sees his only value to the girl as a means of transportation. According
to lead singer, Jim Peterik, this song was based on his own experience of driving
a girl to modeling school while in high school. He hoped it would lead to an actual
relationship, but it never did. So, he wrote a song about it. It became a hit,
and he received a call from the same girl shortly after. They are now married.
This song works because Peterik’s vocals are very passionate and angry while
showing that he does deeply cares about the girl, even though she rejected him. However,
some lyrics sound weird 50 years later. He is a friendly stranger in a car with
candy. Don't get in.
9. Mr. Big Stuff- Jean Knight
This is a groove where Knight talks down to a rich playboy
who thinks he can flash his cash and get her love. This works by Knight’s strong
personality where she tells this man that he will never actually love her and
that she does not care about his clothes and fancy car. This song would net her
a Grammy nomination in 1971. Unfortunately, she got into an argument with her
producer and she was fired by the major record label. In other words, she was “screwed
by the label.”
8. Return of the Mack- Mark Morrison
When I talk about all R&B sounding the same, I am
thinking about 90’s R&B. Most female singers sound like Mariah Carey and most
male singers sound like Boyz II Men. One of the few exceptions is Mark
Morrison. He has a great voice while not trying to make the same smooth songs
most of his contemporaries were making. Unlike them, this song has energy. This
energy comes from a funky production that samples four different songs. In the
lyrics, Morrison wants revenge from a dishonest ex. The lyrics are a little unspecific,
but this song’s groove is undeniable.
7. Crazy- Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is a supergroup made up of rapper/singer
Cee-lo Green, best known for his work with the Goodie Mob at the time and
producer Danger Mouse, who was best known for his work on the Gorillaz song “Feel
Good Inc.” They probably do not deserve to be called one-hit wonders when you
look at their full work, but this list was hard, so they are staying on the
list. Cee-lo croons his heart about how crazy he is out over a beat Danger
Mouse based on the scores of old westerns. Eventually, both guys went onto
better things. Cee-lo had a big hit with the song otherwise known as “Forget
You” and Danger Mouse produced music for the Black Keys, the Red Hot Chili
Peppers and Adele.
6. Freak Like Me- Adina Howard
This song is an important step in R&B’s evolution in the
90’s. Howard is way more overtly sexual than any past female R&B singers. Cardi
B’s song “WAP” would not exist without “Freak Like Me.” In the song, Howard shows
that women can be proud of their promiscuity as much as any man can, and she
has the charisma to pull it off without sounding too desperate. For more
information, watch Todd in the Shadows video on this. If I were to write about
it, I would just plagiarize his entire video.
5. Money (That’s What I Want)- Barrett Strong
This song is the oldest song to make any of these lists,
being from 1959. In this very simple song with memorable piano chords, Barrett wants
money and values it more than the simple things and love. This song would be covered
many times and become the first hit for an upstart record label in Detroit
called Motown Records. This label would define soul and R&B music for the next
two decades.
4. EARFQUAKE- Tyler, The Creator
Time to cheat. I know this guy is a rapper, but EARFQUAKE is
not a rap song in any way. It’s a moody R&B song. This is the only time
Tyler has cracked the Top 40, which is slightly surprising when you look at how
much time he has spent in the limelight. Tyler’s voice is beautiful as he asks
his lover to not leave him after a big argument. There are some illegible rap bars
from Playboi Carti that add some interesting texture to the song. I know that he will not be a one-hit wonder
when he releases an album in 2-3 years, but this song is an emotional gut punch.
3. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
This is a fun funk song about how a rock band sells out. It’s
the true story about how Wild Cherry was demanded by an audience at one of
their shows to play funk music. It has a great undertone message about how you
are not too good for a genre you do not understand. This song is also seen as racial harmony. A white rock band is appreciating the commonly black genre,
funk, and their mix of both genres shows the harmony.
2. Word Up! - Cameo
This is a funk song with the right groove and a lead singer with a strong personality. This song is not anything deep or intelligent; it’s Cameo asking for the code word and disses the upcoming genre hip-hop. It works based on how over-the-top it is. The band goes at full force and enjoy every second of it. In addition, the frontman, Larry Blackmon, has all the confidence in the world, as he shows in the music video where he wears a codpiece. It’s a fun listen through and through.
1.Me and Mrs. Jones- Billy Paul
Once I finally decided on the genres, I knew this song would
top the list. It’s an emotional ballad where Billy talks about his extramarital
relationship with a married woman. They only meet at a café to talk and hold
hands, but his voice makes it sound like it is the worst thing in the world. There
is talk about their obligations that they ignoring to make themselves happy.
Most cheating songs are angry or cocky. This one is sad and guilt-filled. At
the time, this song was criticized for glamorizing adultery, but there is
nothing glamorous about this affair. They want to spend time with each other
but feel bad about cheating. This works because Paul was in his 40s when he
recorded the song. He sounds like a man with experience and wisdom. This song is
another gut punch with mixed complex emotions.
Honorable Mentions:
Mercy- Duffy
We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off- Jermaine Stewart
Somebody’s Watching Me- Rockwell
Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!) - Blu Cantrell
Sources Used:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-eyes-of-the-tiger-vintage-cars-and-their-legacy-1458656528
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Knight
https://www.whosampled.com/Mark-Morrison/Return-of-the-Mack/samples/
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