Tuesday, September 25, 2012

September 25: One Hit Wonder Day

The Usual Suspects are in near-unanimous accord that today is One Hit Wonder Day, a day to commemorate the recording artists who hit the charts once -- and never again.

This September 23, 2011 piece, by David Moyer, on the Huffington Post calls to mind all sorts of one-hit wonders -- and some of them we'd wish would stay uncalled.

Terry Jacks' "Seasons In The Sun," for example. Ick.

On the other hand, we liked Starland Vocal Group's "Afternoon Delight." We even liked "Funkytown," by Lipps Inc.

As the article makes clear, "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)," by the Looking Glass, really shouldn't be considered a one-hit wonder: The follow up, "Jimmy Loves Mary Anne," did chart.

It just wasn't played to death.

A very interesting fact from Mr. Moyer's article: There are a few who made more than one one-hit-wonder. This guy may be the record holder:
British singer Tony Burrows sang lead on five early 1970s pop classics: Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)," White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'," The Pipkins' novelty song "Gimme Dat Ding," The First Class' "Beach Baby" and The Brotherhood of Man's "United We Stand."

How does one celebrate One-Hit Wonder Day? Well, after you've played all the one-hit wonders on the jukebox at the tavern, you may want to go home and put on Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do!, a sweet little movie about the making of a one-hit wonder and the breaking of the bank that made it.

Or, perhaps, you could dance the Macarena just one more time.

Pull down the shades first, though. You don't want the neighbors to see that.

On a far less frivolous note, Yom Kippur begins tonight at sundown.

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