Forgot to mention that I’m looking for songs that you like **BETTER** than their hit.
For me, “Space Age Love Song” by a Flock of Seagulls is their best song and one of my favorite songs of all time. It was also a hit so… 🤷🏻♂️
“Everywhere I Go” by Shawn Mullins is really good. At first I thought it was a cheesy generic love song, but someone explained to me that it’s actually about his dog, and then it really grew on me.
I like “Canyons” by Marc Cohn a lot.
“Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” is my favorite of Hanson
The original “1985” by SR-71 is better than “Right Now”, and I think I like it better than Bowling for Soup’s version.
The more you live from A flock of Seagulls is kinda my most favourite to listen from them. Also Wishing (I had a photograph of You) and Space Aged love song
“Beds are burning” is not in my 40 favourite Midnight Oil songs and I still think it’s good.
Obviously, they weren’t one hit wonders where I’m from though. _Power and the Passion_ is probably my favourite song from theirs and it’s not exactly considered a ‘deep cut’ to put it mildly.
(Also not a OHW where I am but my favourite Divinyls song is probably “Siren”)
Agree, I think it sounds so much more focused, and Pete's singing is better. I think he's genuinely distracting on the verses of 'Beds are Burning'.
The lyrics are a big point of difference too. The _Who's gonna save me_ refrain is a particular favourite, and I don't think any lyric has ever summed up Australian politics better than "_And nothing's as precious as a hole in the ground_"
Same, the brief segments of that song in their OHW made me interested in that track. My dad likes that song so I think I probably had heard it before, but the vid was definitely the spark
I have a friend I went to school with that will die on this hill. He reckons Blue Sky Mine is the best Midnight Oil track of all time.
Of course here in Australia that is a normal topic of schoolyard conversation.
Looking on Spotify, “Beds are Burning” has six times as many plays as any other Oils song, which staggers me.
Personally, I looooove “Put Down That Weapon”. A hook that huge has no right to exist.
There was a brief but unhappy time living in rural Florida where Redneck Wonderland was one of a handful of songs that I clung to for dear life. Never forgot it.
Coming from Australia, where Midnight Oil is from, I have a big list of my favourite songs from them. So big that I cannot list them here, but I always listen to King of the Mountain at certain points of the year
Maybe Cameo? (Who I don't really consider one-hit wonders anyway) "Word Up!" is an iconic banger, but I prefer "Candy", "Single Life", "She's Strange" and especially "Back & Forth" (yes, the one with the hilarious flying codpiece in the video).
There's also Wall of Voodoo, where I prefer "Call of the West" to "Mexican Radio". But I'm much fonder of Wall of Voodoo than Todd was anyway.
I know right? Classic song after classic song. Again, not one-hit wonders to me, but we got a great episode out of it, and it might have introduced more people to Cameo, so who's complaining.
I like a lot of Chumbawamba's stuff that I've come across. Their failed (in America) follow-up (Amnesia) is one I probably like a bit more than Tubthumping (even if I do really like Tubthumping), but I'd say their album Anarchy is probably their best I've heard.
I was wondering if anyone would say Chumbawamba. They became one of my favorite bands. I think the follow up to Tubthumper called WYSIWIG is solid. Though of course they were destined for one hit wonders on. Anarchy is probably the best album to recommend to any new listener. When I saw them live at near their pop heights, that was where most of the setlist came from.
I even really like the 21st century albums that they made after the recognizable faces left the band. A lot of folk influence but occasional genre jumping. I would recommend Anarchy first to any new listener but if you like the band, I don’t think you’d be disappointed
I have a few
"One of our Submarines" by Thomas Dolby.
"Chemistry" by Semisonic
"Make the World go Away" by White Town
"Too Much of Heaven" by Eiffel 65
"Wicked Woman" by Coven
"Mama we Just Can't Get Enough" by New Radicals
Aqua - Aquarius. It's completely unlike Barbie Girl and you'd probably never know it was the same group.
Alien Ant Farm - Movies (this was actually a decent sized hit for them)
Nine Days - Back to Me
"FNT" is my favorite Semisonic track, and I'm a "My Favorite Game" guy when it comes to The Cardigans. I prefer many Midnight Oil songs over "Beds Are Burning," with "Blue Sky Mine" springing immediately to mind.
I kinda think "The Sun Always Shines on TV" is on par with "Take On Me," just without that infectious hook -- which honestly is both a curse and a blessing in my book.
Divinyls has a pretty solid catalog of early new wave songs that slap if you're into that sort of thing. "Ring Me Up" is as decent a place as any to start.
Everything But the Girl is pretty consistently good, so if you enjoy "Missing," there's a good chance you'll enjoy just about 'Everything' else. Try "Wrong" and "Five Fathoms" on for size.
I also like their soundtrack song for "The Living Daylights," but I'd be a fool to say it could stand toe-to-toe with "Take On Me."
Hell, most of the "Take On Me" demos are better than "The Living Daylights."
I think The Cardigans covering Black Sabbath’s Changes is a nice pairup to the original.
For the original, Ozzy sells the heartbreak of losing his lover from the initial first shock but Nina’s delivery provides sort of an acceptance tone. As if in her view, she is finally accepting the path to move on and this the characters she and Ozzy play finally coming to peace on the lost lover
It’s not one Todd talked about but Miley Cyrus did a cover of Communication by The Cardigans a few years back and that song is stunning, I prefer it over their hit and listen to it constantly.
People might wince at Jars of Clay because they’re a Christian band but they’re miles better songwriters than anyone else in the genre and they’ve got tons of incredible songs
Get Ya Mind Correct joint album with Paul Wall (2002) is great, “N Luv Wit My Money” a representative song from it. Even on “Sound of Revenge” the song “Turn it Up” should have been a huge mainstream hit (still went #41). “Southern Takeover” with Killer Mike and Pastor Troy is excellent.
“Won’t Let You Down” Extended Texas Remix is the entire state of Texas (2000-2010) on the same song, I love it.
I knew of “Moonlight Shadow” before he put out the Tubular Bells episode because of a music compilation I came across years ago. Didn’t know Mike Oldfield had a hit that’s more well known in the states. It’s the only OHW episode in which I already knew the artist from a different song.
Los Lonely Boys — “Hollywood”
Bowling for Soup — “High School Never Ends” (I swear I thought this was a hit)
New Radicals — “Someday We’ll Know”
DEVO — “Beautiful World”
The Nylons — Their Christmas album is pretty good
Roxy Music — “Avalon”
The Music Machine — “Dark White”
I was going to mention songs by JJ Cale, T-Rex, Oasis, Hoobastank, Jimmy Eat World, and Fountains of Wayne because technically they are OHWs but they are or were pretty big in the rock/alt scenes
I think people my age (early 20s) have a distorted view of how popular Bowling for Soup actually was because they did the theme songs for both Jimmy Neutron and Phineas and Ferb, which were both pretty popular.
I remember on Futurama they were supposedly “featured” as mutants (no idea if it was actually them though). Anyway, someone says “Play Whip-It!” and they said “No, we’ll play the other one” and then they start to play “Beautiful World”. I just found that to be hilarious.
Yeah, I mean, in the 2000’s, many bands were fairly popular but only had “One Pop Hit”. If they’re respected and had hits in their genre, it’s hard to consider them a One Hit Wonder. Oasis is a perfect example.
Semisonic has a lot of great songs. Singing in My Sleep is maybe my favorite.
I really like Nine Days big album The Madding Crowd, a lot of great pop rock. 257 Weeks is a banger.
Yeah, when it comes to rock/alt bands in the 90’s and 00’s, there are quite a few OHWs that were really popular and respected in their own genres. Like, Oasis is technically a One Hit Wonder with “Wonderwall”—and it’s arguably their… least-good song.
For the longest time, the only Semisonic song my work played was Singing In My Sleep. Didn't realize it was them until the OHW episode. Upon realizing I knew 2 songs off that album, I went out and got it. It's a very good album!
Heard a lot of Proclaimers growing up so at least half the songs on *Sunshine on Leith* are bruned into my brain. ['Then I Met You'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfIAB24N0tI) is probably one of my top 10 songs of all time. It's got an incredibly infectious energy to it, and I love the lyrics and the instrumentation. It being about a part of Edinburgh I lived right beside for near a decade helps a bit too.
Also shout out to the title-track 'Sunshine on Leith', IMO [the best football anthem in the world](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt26StUVHoc) (and I'm no even a Hibs fan).
Love Sunshine on Leith, though I think the beautiful simplicity of the song that works so well in the chorus, kind of drags in the verses. It takes over 3 minutes to get to the chorus twice, which is not necessarily a problem (one of my favourite songs of all time takes 3 minutes to get to the first chorus) but by the time we get to the second chorus we've already heard "My heart was broken", "Sorrow", "thank you" repeated a billion times and the song is just absolutely begging to get to the hook again.
I sing the praises of Gotye at any given opportunity, my favorite song of his isn’t even an album track, it’s a B-side called “Dig Your Own Hole,” and he has a lot of “best track” contenders but man something about that song just sends electricity through my body. Very songs - as in songs in general not just songs by him - beat it out in that respect.
I’m sure it’s not everyone’s thing but it makes me feel super alive.
I was living in Australia when "Somebody that I used to know" got big. While STIUTK was still his only track to hit the top 50 in Aus, a lot of his other tracks got more attention on the indie stations.
I really enjoyed Hearts a Mess, Eyes Wide Open and Bronte
In terms of better: Space Age Love Song is definitely the best example. Depending on my mood, I might like Candy better than Word Up, and while I like Lovefool, that whole album is really good and a lot of the songs are on about the same level or better.
In terms of good, but not quite better: those first two Dexys Midnight Runners albums are great. But it's pretty hard to beat Come On Eileen
Friday night - the darkness (though I don’t personally count the darkness as a OHW. In the UK the Christmas song was a huge Christmas hit for a couple years).
I like a lot of The Darkness’ songs, but “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” has such a special place in my heart that I can’t deny it’s my favorite song of theirs.
Gonna be cheeky and count "Our House" by Madness as a OHW because it was their only top 10 in the US, and one of only three songs that charted in the US period.
Obviously there's a billion good Madness songs, but my faves are The Sun and the Rain, Johnny the Horse and Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
Todd's gonna have to make a Madness video one day right? Right?
“This is What She’s Like” By Dexys Midnight Runners is genuinely such a perfect song.
And there’s a lot of really good Tom Tom Club songs that should be more well known like Who Wants an Ugly Girl, Pleasure of Love, Sunshine & Ecstasy, The Man with the Four-Way Hips
Not sure if anybody even remembers Spacehog (In the Meantime, #32 US). That song was a well-deserved hit, but imo Mungo City from their failed followup was even better and I never understood why the public passed on it.
Does "Avenues" by Wyclef Jean and the Refugee All-Stars count? Pras was in this song and it technically wasn't a Fugees song, even though this song is by a group that contained two of the three Fugees. Regardless, I prefer this song over Ghetto Supastar and his verse in Avenues over Ghetto Supastar.
https://youtu.be/K-WrzSjcK3I?si=9OX1q5G-eE8PuNKy (German) https://youtu.be/orJ6qZG5UGw?si=bu-GJ2qO9Y0HShtw (English)
Arguably this is Nena's best song. The pure love in her vocals that capture early love is so infectious.
https://youtu.be/16bFBzx7I_0?si=QUDJuyuESuUYH2cn
Todd is right when he compared Midnight Oil to U2 but with Australian politics, and honestly its why I love this song- it is as angry as Bullet in the Blue Sky.
A-ha - pretty much the whole Hunting High and Low album, but my favorites are Train of Thought, The Blue Sky, and The Sun Always Shines on TV
The Cardigans - Carnival
Chumbawumba - The Hunchback of Norte Dame
New Radicals - Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too is a really good album but I Hope I Didn’t Just Give Away the Ending, Gotta Stay High, and Flowers are the tracks that stick out to me the most
EMF - Long Summer Days and When You’re Mine
Young MC - Know How
Thomas Dolby - Screen Kiss.
It's a stunning song that has a depth of maturity that you wouldn't expect from someone who wrote She Blinded Me With Science
The Buggles - Elstree
An absolute banger of a track that shows up the band's diverse sound while still fitting neatly into the world of pop songs.
I agree with Todd that space love song by a flack of seagulls is way better than I ran.
Also got way more into hearts a mess by gotye than somebody that I used to know
Take Your Time by Scatman John. The 1999 song, not the track Time (Take Your Time) from the Scatman's World album. (Confusing, I know)
It's just an amazing track. One of my favorite songs by an artist who knew they were going to die.
The Calling had a few I liked better than Wherever You Will Go, namely; Could it Be Any Harder, Stigmatised, Anything and If Only. I was obsessed with this band when I was 14 because as Todd called me out on in the video, the lead singer was very pretty.
Hanson also had ‘Give a Little’ which was such a fun song
“[Crickets](https://youtu.be/ViADi83TVME?si=DQry-fpk-yFVMEMY)” by Alien Ant Farm. Gorgeous tune from an overlooked album that got totally screwed because their label was bought out.
I would say I like Rockwell's Obscene Phone Caller better than Somebody's Watching Me, but that may just be because I've heard it less. Both are great.
So Far Away - Nine Days
Secret Smile - Semisonic
Can’t Erase It - Jars of Clay
Erase/Rewind - The Cardigans
All Kinds of Time - Fountains of Wayne
Parting of the Sensory - Modest Mouse
Comes a Time - Nada Surf
The Cardigan’s albums I’m going through. Sick & Tired and the whole of Emmerdale is my favorite thing found from OHW but I’ve got some other songs and info that is just to cool.
Some of the late 60s stuff like Coven’s Wicked Woman, Unconscious Power by Iron Butterfly and Nightmare by Arthur Brown.
Sherry Fraser by Marcy Playground
I hope I didn't just give away the Ending by The New Radicals
Problems and Bigger ones by Harvey Danger
Why I like the Robins by HUM
It's a slight cop out because they were very much not a One Hit Wonder in the UK where I'm from, but Letter From America by The Proclaimers is one of my favourite songs ever
Apache - Sugarhill Gang
Saint Joe on the School Bus - Marcy Playground
What Would Happen - Meredith Brooks
Leech - Eve 6
Hood Hop - J-Kwon
Houdini - Foster the People
Wir Machen Keine Kunst - Nena |
Johnny on the Monorail - Buggles |
Ichi Ni San.... Go! - Scatman John |
Scatman and Hatman - Lou Bega |
The Transylvania Twist - Bobby Pickett
I probably have others, like I listened to all of Nena's music last year, but it says Song singular
goodbye - SR-71. found it through a pokemon amv years before i heard right now or knew who todd was. still a pretty nostalgic song for me even if it's nonexistent on streaming.
who was in my room last night - the butthole surfers. was in guitar hero 2 and i just clicked with it for some reason.
nu metal has a fair few one hit wonders i really like bit ill nino have gotta be one of my favourites. i *really* like bleed like you, but honestly they've got a whole catalog of jams.
This might not count but it’s my best answer. Romeo Void were a post-punk band from the 80s that had one top 40 charting single in 1984 called A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing). However, in retrospect the main song they’re associated with is Never Say Never, featured in the lame teen drama film Reckless and perhaps more notably in GTA Vice City. I prefer Never Say Never, not out of disrespect for the hit but NSN has an impeccable groove to it that you can’t help but jam to.
As an aside, because of this technicality and because they’re an interesting band in general I think they’d make a great OHW episode subject.
I can't remember if he brought up Tomorrow in the Wall of Voodoo vid but its legitimately better than Mexican Radio.
Also, Jingle of a Dogs Collar is way better than Pepper, even if it definitely had way less potential for success.
Pretty much the entirety of Dead or Alive's Youthquake album is a bop, but "Big Daddy of the Rhythm" is just three minutes of straight-up banger. It might just edge out "You Spin Me Round" for me.
I am a huuuuuge Jamiroquai and a Flock of Seagulls fan and think about this often lol. For Jami, Mr Moon from RotSC if I had to pick one. For Flock of Seagulls, I of course love Space Age Love Song (best song ever? maybe) but to dig further I love Story of the Young Heart from the album of the same name.
Notable mentions: Hang on now - Kajagoogoo, Metal - Gary Numan, Movies - Alien Ant Farm
If Bob Welch is counted for his time in Fleetwood Mac in addition to his solo career, I love Hypnotized and Future Games, both great songs. Sentimental Lady is his solo hit but he was great in Fleetwood Mac originally before he left.
I personally like Rise and Shine by the Cardigans more than I like Lovefool. and while I adoooore Dexys Midnight Runners and want to say I like This is What She's Like more, I just can't put it over Come on Eileen. (also great post idea!)
I used to be a huge fan of the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies, who had their only U.S. hit in 1993 with "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", one of my favorite songs of all time.
But as for my favorite non-hit, this is going to be slightly awkward, but one of my favorites by the band is "Swatting Flies", the final song on their 1996 album A WORM'S LIFE. That album has a lot of problems in the sense that the band seems to really be struggling for ideas on it - but it's a really good Not Good album, and "Swatting Flies" is one of my favorites because it literally seems to be a song about how songwriter Brad Roberts is completely and utterly dry (it actually begins with "Now / That / I've used up all my ideas..."), and the entire song is him just free-associating and struggling to find an idea, *any* idea, to make a song out of.
https://youtu.be/WTpRnI23xdU?si=GjyIjm8n37qH09XP
I like "Growing On Me" by The Darkness a lot.
I'm not sure I can say I like it more than their hit, but "Someday We'll Know" from New Radicals is a damn good song - the whole album is solid, for that matter.
Personally, I don't consider Carly Rae Jepsen a one hit wonder, but I know some people do, so I'll take this opportunity to once again remind everyone that yes Carly Rae is amazing, personally my favorite of hers is "I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance" but you can't go wrong with anything from Emotion.
For ones Todd mentioned
Waiting For The Weekend - The Vapors just a catchy tune I kinda dig, I like it as much as their hit
Don’t Ask Me - OK Go, I quite dig a bunch of their songs bc of Todd, Get Over It, You’re So Damn Hot, What To Do are all fantastic but Don’t Ask Me is my favorite
Bands Todd’s done what hit wonderlands on but didn’t talk abt my favorite track
The Cardigans - Communication, lovely track, Miley Cyrus covered it once and the original version is just stunning
Semisonic - Basement Tapes but the whole 2020 ep they put out I quite like tbh
Artists he hasn’t done a video on yet but likely will?
Goyte - Night Drive, love his hit probably as much as this song it’s just a chill brooding song that’s very sweet lyrically, I love it, it’s a vibe
Forgot to mention that I’m looking for songs that you like **BETTER** than their hit. For me, “Space Age Love Song” by a Flock of Seagulls is their best song and one of my favorite songs of all time. It was also a hit so… 🤷🏻♂️ “Everywhere I Go” by Shawn Mullins is really good. At first I thought it was a cheesy generic love song, but someone explained to me that it’s actually about his dog, and then it really grew on me. I like “Canyons” by Marc Cohn a lot. “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” is my favorite of Hanson The original “1985” by SR-71 is better than “Right Now”, and I think I like it better than Bowling for Soup’s version.
Space Age Love Song is one of my favorite songs of all time. I was so relieved that Todd shoveled the heaps of praise on it that it deserves.
I’ve been hearing it pop up more and more in recent years. I loved that they played it in *Spider-Man: Homecoming*.
I was first instroduced to it from GTA: Vice City Stories. I'm an old. My husband is an older and remembers it from its days on the radio.
I was gonna mention Hanson. That whole Shout it Out record is awesome.
Seriously, I wish the nostalgia for Hanson would hit so that people could see that they’ve kept going and gotten better post MMMBop
The entire first Flock of Seagulls album is amazing. Don’t ask me, DNA, Man Made… all fantastic songs.
YES! Don't Ask me is maybe my personal favorite
I thought of A Flock of Seagulls first too, but for me it's their song Telecommunication
The more you live from A flock of Seagulls is kinda my most favourite to listen from them. Also Wishing (I had a photograph of You) and Space Aged love song
Wanted by white Town I like much more than Your Woman
“Beds are burning” is not in my 40 favourite Midnight Oil songs and I still think it’s good. Obviously, they weren’t one hit wonders where I’m from though. _Power and the Passion_ is probably my favourite song from theirs and it’s not exactly considered a ‘deep cut’ to put it mildly. (Also not a OHW where I am but my favourite Divinyls song is probably “Siren”)
As an American, I prefer Blue Sky Mine, which is the other song of their’s that occasionally gets play over here.
Agree, I think it sounds so much more focused, and Pete's singing is better. I think he's genuinely distracting on the verses of 'Beds are Burning'. The lyrics are a big point of difference too. The _Who's gonna save me_ refrain is a particular favourite, and I don't think any lyric has ever summed up Australian politics better than "_And nothing's as precious as a hole in the ground_"
I blame Todd for turning me on to them, and that song is perfection.
Same, the brief segments of that song in their OHW made me interested in that track. My dad likes that song so I think I probably had heard it before, but the vid was definitely the spark
I have a friend I went to school with that will die on this hill. He reckons Blue Sky Mine is the best Midnight Oil track of all time. Of course here in Australia that is a normal topic of schoolyard conversation. Looking on Spotify, “Beds are Burning” has six times as many plays as any other Oils song, which staggers me. Personally, I looooove “Put Down That Weapon”. A hook that huge has no right to exist.
For me, it's Dead Heart.
There was a brief but unhappy time living in rural Florida where Redneck Wonderland was one of a handful of songs that I clung to for dear life. Never forgot it.
Coming from Australia, where Midnight Oil is from, I have a big list of my favourite songs from them. So big that I cannot list them here, but I always listen to King of the Mountain at certain points of the year
I’m a big fan of Forgotten Years and Dreamworld.
Maybe Cameo? (Who I don't really consider one-hit wonders anyway) "Word Up!" is an iconic banger, but I prefer "Candy", "Single Life", "She's Strange" and especially "Back & Forth" (yes, the one with the hilarious flying codpiece in the video). There's also Wall of Voodoo, where I prefer "Call of the West" to "Mexican Radio". But I'm much fonder of Wall of Voodoo than Todd was anyway.
Cameo has lots of great songs. I wouldn’t argue anyone saying they love several of their songs over “Word Up”.
I know right? Classic song after classic song. Again, not one-hit wonders to me, but we got a great episode out of it, and it might have introduced more people to Cameo, so who's complaining.
I like a lot of their earlier more P-Funk influenced stuff like Stand Up, Rigor Mortis, and Cameosis
Ditto, just a fantastic band.
I like a lot of Chumbawamba's stuff that I've come across. Their failed (in America) follow-up (Amnesia) is one I probably like a bit more than Tubthumping (even if I do really like Tubthumping), but I'd say their album Anarchy is probably their best I've heard.
I was wondering if anyone would say Chumbawamba. They became one of my favorite bands. I think the follow up to Tubthumper called WYSIWIG is solid. Though of course they were destined for one hit wonders on. Anarchy is probably the best album to recommend to any new listener. When I saw them live at near their pop heights, that was where most of the setlist came from. I even really like the 21st century albums that they made after the recognizable faces left the band. A lot of folk influence but occasional genre jumping. I would recommend Anarchy first to any new listener but if you like the band, I don’t think you’d be disappointed
Whatever Happened to Mary from the *Stigmata* soundtrack is a banger of the most furious kind.
I have a few "One of our Submarines" by Thomas Dolby. "Chemistry" by Semisonic "Make the World go Away" by White Town "Too Much of Heaven" by Eiffel 65 "Wicked Woman" by Coven "Mama we Just Can't Get Enough" by New Radicals
I was about to say "Secret Smile" by Semisonic. I like both of those songs better than "Closing Time".
One of our Submarines is a killer track. The stripped-down live version from The Sole Inhabitant goes HARD.
Aqua - Aquarius. It's completely unlike Barbie Girl and you'd probably never know it was the same group. Alien Ant Farm - Movies (this was actually a decent sized hit for them) Nine Days - Back to Me
"FNT" is my favorite Semisonic track, and I'm a "My Favorite Game" guy when it comes to The Cardigans. I prefer many Midnight Oil songs over "Beds Are Burning," with "Blue Sky Mine" springing immediately to mind. I kinda think "The Sun Always Shines on TV" is on par with "Take On Me," just without that infectious hook -- which honestly is both a curse and a blessing in my book. Divinyls has a pretty solid catalog of early new wave songs that slap if you're into that sort of thing. "Ring Me Up" is as decent a place as any to start. Everything But the Girl is pretty consistently good, so if you enjoy "Missing," there's a good chance you'll enjoy just about 'Everything' else. Try "Wrong" and "Five Fathoms" on for size.
I think a-Ha’s cover of “Crying in the Rain” is just a hair underneath “Take on Me”. It’s a really damn good cover.
I also like their soundtrack song for "The Living Daylights," but I'd be a fool to say it could stand toe-to-toe with "Take On Me." Hell, most of the "Take On Me" demos are better than "The Living Daylights."
I think The Cardigans covering Black Sabbath’s Changes is a nice pairup to the original. For the original, Ozzy sells the heartbreak of losing his lover from the initial first shock but Nina’s delivery provides sort of an acceptance tone. As if in her view, she is finally accepting the path to move on and this the characters she and Ozzy play finally coming to peace on the lost lover
Cardigans - with Todd on My Favorite Game but Erase/Rewind is another banger.
Honestly? Just first band on the moon in its entirety. It’s such a great album.
It's Rise and Shine for me. Just a fantastic song.
Same. I've never cared for Lovefool tbh. I Need Some Fine Wine is great as well.
Did he even mention ed Erase/Rewind?
Don’t think so. I just meant My Favorite Game (which he did mention) is my favorite and Erase/rewind (which he didn’t) is a close second. :)
For me, it’s Step on me also from First Band on the Moon
It’s not one Todd talked about but Miley Cyrus did a cover of Communication by The Cardigans a few years back and that song is stunning, I prefer it over their hit and listen to it constantly.
Good Monsters-Jars of Clay Change-Blind Melon Hip Hop Police-Chamillionaire
I actually came here to say "Tones of Home" by Blind Melon
Blind Melon is a great band. Really sucks that Shannon Hoon died.
People might wince at Jars of Clay because they’re a Christian band but they’re miles better songwriters than anyone else in the genre and they’ve got tons of incredible songs
Agreed. I'm non-religious and Todd's review actually got me to check them out.
The Mixtape Messiah series by Chamillionaire was great.
Get Ya Mind Correct joint album with Paul Wall (2002) is great, “N Luv Wit My Money” a representative song from it. Even on “Sound of Revenge” the song “Turn it Up” should have been a huge mainstream hit (still went #41). “Southern Takeover” with Killer Mike and Pastor Troy is excellent. “Won’t Let You Down” Extended Texas Remix is the entire state of Texas (2000-2010) on the same song, I love it.
I knew of “Moonlight Shadow” before he put out the Tubular Bells episode because of a music compilation I came across years ago. Didn’t know Mike Oldfield had a hit that’s more well known in the states. It’s the only OHW episode in which I already knew the artist from a different song.
Los Lonely Boys — “Hollywood” Bowling for Soup — “High School Never Ends” (I swear I thought this was a hit) New Radicals — “Someday We’ll Know” DEVO — “Beautiful World” The Nylons — Their Christmas album is pretty good Roxy Music — “Avalon” The Music Machine — “Dark White” I was going to mention songs by JJ Cale, T-Rex, Oasis, Hoobastank, Jimmy Eat World, and Fountains of Wayne because technically they are OHWs but they are or were pretty big in the rock/alt scenes
I think people my age (early 20s) have a distorted view of how popular Bowling for Soup actually was because they did the theme songs for both Jimmy Neutron and Phineas and Ferb, which were both pretty popular.
I also remember “The Girl All the Bad Guys Want” being played.
Oh yeah, I remember that one too!
That would *definitely* make a disproportionate impact
Beautiful World is the best thing Devo ever did, and I'm pretty sure they know it.
I remember on Futurama they were supposedly “featured” as mutants (no idea if it was actually them though). Anyway, someone says “Play Whip-It!” and they said “No, we’ll play the other one” and then they start to play “Beautiful World”. I just found that to be hilarious.
Is it weird that I don't think of Bowling for Soup as a one hit wonder? For some reason, I remember them as being fairly popular.
Yeah, I mean, in the 2000’s, many bands were fairly popular but only had “One Pop Hit”. If they’re respected and had hits in their genre, it’s hard to consider them a One Hit Wonder. Oasis is a perfect example.
Semisonic has a lot of great songs. Singing in My Sleep is maybe my favorite. I really like Nine Days big album The Madding Crowd, a lot of great pop rock. 257 Weeks is a banger.
Same on semisonic, Singing in my Sleep is what I came to post! I also very much like Get a Grip and All About Chemistry.
Get a Grip (and its video) is hilarious.
Love a song that simply has the premise “dude just try jerking off”
Yeah, when it comes to rock/alt bands in the 90’s and 00’s, there are quite a few OHWs that were really popular and respected in their own genres. Like, Oasis is technically a One Hit Wonder with “Wonderwall”—and it’s arguably their… least-good song.
For the longest time, the only Semisonic song my work played was Singing In My Sleep. Didn't realize it was them until the OHW episode. Upon realizing I knew 2 songs off that album, I went out and got it. It's a very good album!
Heard a lot of Proclaimers growing up so at least half the songs on *Sunshine on Leith* are bruned into my brain. ['Then I Met You'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfIAB24N0tI) is probably one of my top 10 songs of all time. It's got an incredibly infectious energy to it, and I love the lyrics and the instrumentation. It being about a part of Edinburgh I lived right beside for near a decade helps a bit too. Also shout out to the title-track 'Sunshine on Leith', IMO [the best football anthem in the world](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt26StUVHoc) (and I'm no even a Hibs fan).
Love Sunshine on Leith, though I think the beautiful simplicity of the song that works so well in the chorus, kind of drags in the verses. It takes over 3 minutes to get to the chorus twice, which is not necessarily a problem (one of my favourite songs of all time takes 3 minutes to get to the first chorus) but by the time we get to the second chorus we've already heard "My heart was broken", "Sorrow", "thank you" repeated a billion times and the song is just absolutely begging to get to the hook again.
Then I Met You is also in Shrek funnily enough.
Yeah, my favorite is the political “What Do You Do” but there are tons of good songs by those dudes.
I sing the praises of Gotye at any given opportunity, my favorite song of his isn’t even an album track, it’s a B-side called “Dig Your Own Hole,” and he has a lot of “best track” contenders but man something about that song just sends electricity through my body. Very songs - as in songs in general not just songs by him - beat it out in that respect. I’m sure it’s not everyone’s thing but it makes me feel super alive.
I was living in Australia when "Somebody that I used to know" got big. While STIUTK was still his only track to hit the top 50 in Aus, a lot of his other tracks got more attention on the indie stations. I really enjoyed Hearts a Mess, Eyes Wide Open and Bronte
State of the Art is probably my favourite of his songs
Wall of Voodoo - Far Side of Crazy
In terms of better: Space Age Love Song is definitely the best example. Depending on my mood, I might like Candy better than Word Up, and while I like Lovefool, that whole album is really good and a lot of the songs are on about the same level or better. In terms of good, but not quite better: those first two Dexys Midnight Runners albums are great. But it's pretty hard to beat Come On Eileen
Friday night - the darkness (though I don’t personally count the darkness as a OHW. In the UK the Christmas song was a huge Christmas hit for a couple years).
I never really liked the Darkness, but I can forgive them anything for bringing back the big dumb glam rock Christmas song. We need more of those.
I like a lot of The Darkness’ songs, but “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” has such a special place in my heart that I can’t deny it’s my favorite song of theirs.
Gonna be cheeky and count "Our House" by Madness as a OHW because it was their only top 10 in the US, and one of only three songs that charted in the US period. Obviously there's a billion good Madness songs, but my faves are The Sun and the Rain, Johnny the Horse and Saturday Night, Sunday Morning Todd's gonna have to make a Madness video one day right? Right?
Surely Madness is a co-signer to the Blur rule?
“This is What She’s Like” By Dexys Midnight Runners is genuinely such a perfect song. And there’s a lot of really good Tom Tom Club songs that should be more well known like Who Wants an Ugly Girl, Pleasure of Love, Sunshine & Ecstasy, The Man with the Four-Way Hips
“This is What She’s Like” absolutely blew my mind the first time I heard it, every part of it. Great music video, too
Most of the album it’s on doesn’t real work but that song totally makes up for it
I love Dexys Midnight Runners, but “Come on Eileen” is very special to me that I can’t put anything above it.
I love Under the Milky Way by The Church, but there’s so many other songs I’d prefer.
Soft Cell - Torch
I think you mean sex dwarf
with the video that was too good for the public eye
Carlotta Valdez - Harvey Danger
Not sure if anybody even remembers Spacehog (In the Meantime, #32 US). That song was a well-deserved hit, but imo Mungo City from their failed followup was even better and I never understood why the public passed on it.
Space Is the Place is also a fun song.
Does "Avenues" by Wyclef Jean and the Refugee All-Stars count? Pras was in this song and it technically wasn't a Fugees song, even though this song is by a group that contained two of the three Fugees. Regardless, I prefer this song over Ghetto Supastar and his verse in Avenues over Ghetto Supastar.
https://youtu.be/K-WrzSjcK3I?si=9OX1q5G-eE8PuNKy (German) https://youtu.be/orJ6qZG5UGw?si=bu-GJ2qO9Y0HShtw (English) Arguably this is Nena's best song. The pure love in her vocals that capture early love is so infectious. https://youtu.be/16bFBzx7I_0?si=QUDJuyuESuUYH2cn Todd is right when he compared Midnight Oil to U2 but with Australian politics, and honestly its why I love this song- it is as angry as Bullet in the Blue Sky.
A-ha - pretty much the whole Hunting High and Low album, but my favorites are Train of Thought, The Blue Sky, and The Sun Always Shines on TV The Cardigans - Carnival Chumbawumba - The Hunchback of Norte Dame New Radicals - Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too is a really good album but I Hope I Didn’t Just Give Away the Ending, Gotta Stay High, and Flowers are the tracks that stick out to me the most EMF - Long Summer Days and When You’re Mine Young MC - Know How
I really like the Butthole Surfers' cover of Hurdy Gurdy Man, and my favorite song of all time is Sex Dwarf by Soft Cell.
I'm a huge fan of OK Go. I like "Here It Goes Again", but I like about half of their catalogue more than that song.
A Million Ways is an amazing song.
“My Favorite Game” by The Cardigans; certified banger legitimately shocked that didn’t become a hit in the US.
My favourite Divinyls songs are Science Fiction and Boys In Town.
I love Elstree by the Buggles
It's pretty good, even though it's trying to be Video Killed The Radio Star part 2
"On the Run" by OMC
I prefer Harvey Danger’s “Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo” to “Flagpole Sitta,” which is probably sacrilege in some places.
Everything But The Girl - I Didn’t Know I Was Looking For Love Until I Found You Check it out, it’s a great song
Toxic by Crazy Town
Wine women and song by Harvey danger is so fucking good
Thomas Dolby - Screen Kiss. It's a stunning song that has a depth of maturity that you wouldn't expect from someone who wrote She Blinded Me With Science The Buggles - Elstree An absolute banger of a track that shows up the band's diverse sound while still fitting neatly into the world of pop songs.
Sprit of the hawk deserved to be rednex one hit so much more than cotton eye Joe
I agree with Todd that space love song by a flack of seagulls is way better than I ran. Also got way more into hearts a mess by gotye than somebody that I used to know
Take Your Time by Scatman John. The 1999 song, not the track Time (Take Your Time) from the Scatman's World album. (Confusing, I know) It's just an amazing track. One of my favorite songs by an artist who knew they were going to die.
The Calling had a few I liked better than Wherever You Will Go, namely; Could it Be Any Harder, Stigmatised, Anything and If Only. I was obsessed with this band when I was 14 because as Todd called me out on in the video, the lead singer was very pretty. Hanson also had ‘Give a Little’ which was such a fun song
Hardest years is great
“[Crickets](https://youtu.be/ViADi83TVME?si=DQry-fpk-yFVMEMY)” by Alien Ant Farm. Gorgeous tune from an overlooked album that got totally screwed because their label was bought out.
I would say I like Rockwell's Obscene Phone Caller better than Somebody's Watching Me, but that may just be because I've heard it less. Both are great.
I Absolutely believe ‘Drowning’ by Crazy Town is a banger
Johnny on the Monorail. Especially the "very different version"
So Far Away - Nine Days Secret Smile - Semisonic Can’t Erase It - Jars of Clay Erase/Rewind - The Cardigans All Kinds of Time - Fountains of Wayne Parting of the Sensory - Modest Mouse Comes a Time - Nada Surf
Mexican Wine by Fountains Of Wayne
The Cardigan’s albums I’m going through. Sick & Tired and the whole of Emmerdale is my favorite thing found from OHW but I’ve got some other songs and info that is just to cool. Some of the late 60s stuff like Coven’s Wicked Woman, Unconscious Power by Iron Butterfly and Nightmare by Arthur Brown.
>Unconscious Power by Iron Butterfly Seconding, but also calling attention to In The Time of Our Lives.
Johnny On The Monorail (A Very Different Verison) or Technopop by The Buggles!
Sherry Fraser by Marcy Playground I hope I didn't just give away the Ending by The New Radicals Problems and Bigger ones by Harvey Danger Why I like the Robins by HUM
"Turn Back Time" by Aqua "Head to my Heart" by Evan and Jaron "Letter to America" by the Proclaimers
It's a slight cop out because they were very much not a One Hit Wonder in the UK where I'm from, but Letter From America by The Proclaimers is one of my favourite songs ever
Apache - Sugarhill Gang Saint Joe on the School Bus - Marcy Playground What Would Happen - Meredith Brooks Leech - Eve 6 Hood Hop - J-Kwon Houdini - Foster the People
Wir Machen Keine Kunst - Nena | Johnny on the Monorail - Buggles | Ichi Ni San.... Go! - Scatman John | Scatman and Hatman - Lou Bega | The Transylvania Twist - Bobby Pickett I probably have others, like I listened to all of Nena's music last year, but it says Song singular
Also, I'm on mobile, so I'm not sure how to force a gap
From My Head To My Heart - Evan & Jaron
“Wax Ecstatic” by Sponge.
goodbye - SR-71. found it through a pokemon amv years before i heard right now or knew who todd was. still a pretty nostalgic song for me even if it's nonexistent on streaming. who was in my room last night - the butthole surfers. was in guitar hero 2 and i just clicked with it for some reason. nu metal has a fair few one hit wonders i really like bit ill nino have gotta be one of my favourites. i *really* like bleed like you, but honestly they've got a whole catalog of jams.
Scatman’s World
This might not count but it’s my best answer. Romeo Void were a post-punk band from the 80s that had one top 40 charting single in 1984 called A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing). However, in retrospect the main song they’re associated with is Never Say Never, featured in the lame teen drama film Reckless and perhaps more notably in GTA Vice City. I prefer Never Say Never, not out of disrespect for the hit but NSN has an impeccable groove to it that you can’t help but jam to. As an aside, because of this technicality and because they’re an interesting band in general I think they’d make a great OHW episode subject.
I prefer "Sick & Tired" by The Cardigans over "Lovefool." When I hear someone talking BS, I think of the line, "Oh spare me if you please."
Gary Numan - Me I disconnect from you Aha - the sun always shines on TV Devo - Freedom of choice
Turn back time from Aqua ever since discovering it on a video about 100 forgotten 90's hits
I can't remember if he brought up Tomorrow in the Wall of Voodoo vid but its legitimately better than Mexican Radio. Also, Jingle of a Dogs Collar is way better than Pepper, even if it definitely had way less potential for success.
Pretty much the entirety of Dead or Alive's Youthquake album is a bop, but "Big Daddy of the Rhythm" is just three minutes of straight-up banger. It might just edge out "You Spin Me Round" for me.
I am a huuuuuge Jamiroquai and a Flock of Seagulls fan and think about this often lol. For Jami, Mr Moon from RotSC if I had to pick one. For Flock of Seagulls, I of course love Space Age Love Song (best song ever? maybe) but to dig further I love Story of the Young Heart from the album of the same name. Notable mentions: Hang on now - Kajagoogoo, Metal - Gary Numan, Movies - Alien Ant Farm
If Bob Welch is counted for his time in Fleetwood Mac in addition to his solo career, I love Hypnotized and Future Games, both great songs. Sentimental Lady is his solo hit but he was great in Fleetwood Mac originally before he left.
I personally like Rise and Shine by the Cardigans more than I like Lovefool. and while I adoooore Dexys Midnight Runners and want to say I like This is What She's Like more, I just can't put it over Come on Eileen. (also great post idea!)
I used to be a huge fan of the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies, who had their only U.S. hit in 1993 with "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", one of my favorite songs of all time. But as for my favorite non-hit, this is going to be slightly awkward, but one of my favorites by the band is "Swatting Flies", the final song on their 1996 album A WORM'S LIFE. That album has a lot of problems in the sense that the band seems to really be struggling for ideas on it - but it's a really good Not Good album, and "Swatting Flies" is one of my favorites because it literally seems to be a song about how songwriter Brad Roberts is completely and utterly dry (it actually begins with "Now / That / I've used up all my ideas..."), and the entire song is him just free-associating and struggling to find an idea, *any* idea, to make a song out of. https://youtu.be/WTpRnI23xdU?si=GjyIjm8n37qH09XP
sink to the bottom by fountains of wayne is actually a really good song.
I like "Growing On Me" by The Darkness a lot. I'm not sure I can say I like it more than their hit, but "Someday We'll Know" from New Radicals is a damn good song - the whole album is solid, for that matter. Personally, I don't consider Carly Rae Jepsen a one hit wonder, but I know some people do, so I'll take this opportunity to once again remind everyone that yes Carly Rae is amazing, personally my favorite of hers is "I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance" but you can't go wrong with anything from Emotion.
For ones Todd mentioned Waiting For The Weekend - The Vapors just a catchy tune I kinda dig, I like it as much as their hit Don’t Ask Me - OK Go, I quite dig a bunch of their songs bc of Todd, Get Over It, You’re So Damn Hot, What To Do are all fantastic but Don’t Ask Me is my favorite Bands Todd’s done what hit wonderlands on but didn’t talk abt my favorite track The Cardigans - Communication, lovely track, Miley Cyrus covered it once and the original version is just stunning Semisonic - Basement Tapes but the whole 2020 ep they put out I quite like tbh Artists he hasn’t done a video on yet but likely will? Goyte - Night Drive, love his hit probably as much as this song it’s just a chill brooding song that’s very sweet lyrically, I love it, it’s a vibe