Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Southpoint Sun - 19
Exploring the greatest one-hit-wonders of all time Recently, I was asked about “one-hit wonders” and what exactly qualifies for this title or achievement. Is it a singer or group who has had only one song released that made the Billboard Hot 100 charts? Sort of, but only if it has made the top 40. Getting a song that makes the Billboard Hot 100 but stalls at 95 or 62, hardly makes it a one-hit wonder. And not two or more songs in
the top 40. Just one. And that is how they would be classified as a bona fide “one-hit wonder”. Keeping that in mind, as we acknowledge the number one-hit wonder of all time – here‘s a perfect definition of a one-hit wonder as it’s the only song by this group that ever got on the charts. Originally released in 1993, the song, “Macarena”, absolutely went nowhere.
Windsor-built 1947 Monarch coupe THE OLD CAR DETECTIVE Bill Sherk An email arrived from Barry Head in Newcastle, Ontario: “Hello, Bill. You say you are looking for car stories. In 1990 I bought a 1947 Monarch sedan coupe with 97 hp. flathead V8 and standard three-on-the-tree transmission. I purchased it from an Oakville resident who was going to turn it into a stock car but said it was too good to ruin. “When I was about 9 years old, we had a 1947 Mercury 114 four door with suicide rear doors and I always from that time have had a fondness for fat-fendered Ford products. “I spent a few years finding missing parts for my Monarch and working on the body, repairing, priming, and painting some pieces. I worked in a paint shop and was able to take in parts and paint them. “The big advantage was being able to bake on the paint. This was done during my lunch hour and the finish was exceptional. “As you know, when you have an old car, you often dream big. The expenses added up and the work added up, and as Frank Sinatra sang in his hit ‘My Way,’ yes, there were times when I knew I had bitten off more than I could chew.” When I looked at the photo of Barry’s 1947 Monarch, I suddenly noticed it was really two-tone. The car was red but the area around the side windows was white and there were white streaks along the front fenders next to the hood. That paint job took me back to when I was 17 and over 30 years before Barry bought his Monarch. A local body and paint man named Jerry Mills loved bombing around in our home town of Leamington, Ontario in his 1947 Mercury 118 sedan coupe. It was pink with white trim around the side windows. That white trim made the pink paint really stand out, and it did the same for the red paint on Barry’s Monarch! I’m always looking for stories. Email billtsherk@sympatico.ca.
It was a simple Spanish folk dance song by Los Del Rio, which with c o n s i s t e d Chuck Reynolds of Antonio spirational “You Light Up Romero Monge and RaMy Life” in 1977. Unlike fael Ruiz Perdigones who the song’s slow tempo, it were, in comparison to raced up the charts reachmost of their conteming number one in just 7 porary artists, well past weeks – making it the sectheir prime having been ond biggest one-hit wonaround in the business der of all time, spending since 1962. the next 10 weeks at the And, when first retop of the chart and a leased, the song just total of 25 weeks on the lacked having any Hot 100. It also got her a ‘oomph’ and didn’t go Grammy Award for Best absolutely anywhere for New artist in 1978. three years. However, Debbie only had two in 1996, the song was more pop songs, neither punched up and given a which broke into the top new electronic beat called 50. However, she did the “Bayside Boys Mix”. make it to the top of the And it made its way country charts in 1980 up to #1 where it spent and won two more Graman amazing total of 14 mys for her Contempoweeks. It also stayed on rary Christian albums. the Billboard Hot 100 for No doubt the genes of her 60 weeks making it the father, Pat Boone, helped biggest one-hit wonder out a bit as he had quite of all time – and, by far, a career himself, releason the chart for the most ing 65 singles from 1955 weeks for its only release. to 1969. And 59 of those Going from this very reached the Hot 100 and 6 catchy up-tempo Latin hit the number one spot. dance tune, to a sombre A regular “Speedy Gonsounding love ballad was zales” indeed! Debbie Boone, and her in-
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Order key tags online – free. 1 800 250-3030 waramps.ca Barry Head’s two-tone 1947 Monarch coupe.
The third greatest onehit wonder of all time will certainly be a surprise for many of you. Written and sung by Canadian Daniel Powter, “Bad Day” spent 5 weeks at the top of charts in 2006 and a total of 32 weeks in the Hot 100. Oddly, just like the single for Los Del Rio, it too was originally recorded and released three years earlier, but never made any headway. The song was finally used in a French Coca-Cola TV commercial in 2004 and then released in Europe as Daniel’s debut single in 2005. It reached top five in several countries worldwide but, its greatest success came in the U.S. in 2006 when Bad Day reached the top of the Hot 100, the Pop 100 and the Adult Contemporary charts. The “(Had A) Bad Day” music video was also one of the most watched music videos on the Internet, reaching almost 10 million viewers after one year. Being the all-time fourth greatest one-hit wonder fall on the shoulders of Anthony L. Ray from Seattle. That’s his
birth name. You would probably know him better as Sir Mix-A-Lot. He’s only had three singles reach the Hot 100, but this one was a verifiable onehit-wonder called “Baby Got Back” ,which was released in 1992 and sold 2 million copies. It spent 5 weeks at the top of the charts and was on the Hot 100 for a total of 28 weeks. As for other one-hit wonders, there are at least another 21 artists, that have reached #1, including Wild Cherry, Starland Vocal Band, Billy Paul, Van McCoy, Toni Basil, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, ? & The Mysterians, Sinead O’Connor, M, Terry Jacks, EMF, Nick Gilder, Bobby McFerrin, Minnie Riperton, Lipps Inc., Vicki Lawrence, Carl Douglas, David Soul, Right Said Fred, The Heights and Thelma Houston. And no, the duet of Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X don’t qualify for their massive hit, “Old Town Road” as Cyrus had a couple of top 40 hits including “Achy Breaky Heart” which reached #4 in 1992.
