Two Hit Wonders

[Shellhead]

We've all heard of One Hit Wonders, musicians or bands that had just one hit. But what about those that had exactly two hits?

For example, Tone-Loc had Wild Thing and Funky Cold Medina.

[Athena Bast]

Bowling for Soup

[Ontir]

Big Country had 1 and 2 halves:

They hit with In a Big Country, and followed it with the less successful, but still good Fields on Fire then, a few years later, returned with their last hit, in America, anyway: Look Away, which is still a song I love as much as the previous 2! Sadly, in the wake of their inability to continue, and I assume with some other factors entering into it, lead singer Stuart Adamson killed himself a few years ago.

[Ilash]

Well, if we define "hit" as a Billboard Top 10 single then the Troggs had Wild Thing and Love is All Around. By that same definition, The Byrds also qualify, oddly enough, with two #1s, Turn Turn Turn and Mr Tambourine Man.

[Adam Crocker]

Well, if we define "hit" as a Billboard Top 10 single then the Troggs had Wild Thing and Love is All Around. By that same definition, The Byrds also qualify, oddly enough, with two #1s, Turn Turn Turn and Mr Tambourine Man.

According to that criteria they would. An alternate definition according to American music industry insiders involves any artist who had a single hit within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100. Though it's worth keeping in mind that a 'one-hit wonder' doesn't merely refer to an artist who only had one hit. It is generally used to refer to those that are largely known by their one hit. Which is why Toni Basil, who sang "Mickey", is a one hit wonder, but Jimi Hendrix is not despite the fact that "All Along the Watchtower" was his only US top forty hit. In that sense the Byrds probably couldn't be considered 'two hit wonders.'

[Buried Alien]

One of my favorites, the Romantics, who are mostly known for 1980's "What I Like About You" and 1983's "Talking In Your Sleep." They actually had a boatload of terrific power pop songs in the same vein that could have been equally huge hits, but these are the two they are destined to forever be known for.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[JeffreyWKramer]

The Knack had "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't", both off their first album. The second one was a lesser hit, in an edited version.

[Buried Alien]

Well, if we define "hit" as a Billboard Top 10 single then the Troggs had Wild Thing and Love is All Around. By that same definition, The Byrds also qualify, oddly enough, with two #1s, Turn Turn Turn and Mr Tambourine Man.

I thought the Byrds had more hits than just those two (albeit definitely not as big as those two): weren't "My Back Pages," "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n Roll Star," and "Eight Miles High" sizable hits as well?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Adam Crocker]

I thought the Byrds had more hits than just those two (albeit definitely not as big as those two): weren't "My Back Pages," "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n Roll Star," and "Eight Miles High" sizable hits as well?

"My Back Pages" was at #30, "Eight Miles High" at #14, and "So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star" #29. Not top ten, but within the Top Forty.

[Ilash]

According to that criteria they would. An alternate definition according to American music industry insiders involves any artist who had a single hit within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100. Though it's worth keeping in mind that a 'one-hit wonder' doesn't merely refer to an artist who only had one hit. It is generally used to refer to those that are largely known by their one hit. Which is why Toni Basil, who sang "Mickey", is a one hit wonder, but Jimi Hendrix is not despite the fact that "All Along the Watchtower" was his only US top forty hit. In that sense the Byrds probably couldn't be considered 'two hit wonders.'

Yeah, I definitely see where you're coming from. And I would think the Troggs would be a three hit wonder because they're only really known for those two songs and With a Girl Like You. As for Jimi, I realize that he only had one hit in the US (though yeah, it's hard to see him as a one hit wonder) but surely he had more in England, where he was embraced far quicker than he was back home?

[Adam Crocker]

As for Jimi, I realize that he only had one hit in the US (though yeah, it's hard to see him as a one hit wonder) but surely he had more in England, where he was embraced far quicker than he was back home?

Oh yeah. "Purple Haze" reached #3 and "The Wind Cries Mary" was somewhere in the top ten, but I can't find any ready sources for the chart positions of his UK singles right now.

What's interesting though is that despite only having one top forty single in the US during his life (which is interesting considering how many of his songs are now staples of classic rock radio) all three of his albums were in the US top ten at #5, 3, and #1 respectively. (Which is interesting because in the UK it went #2, #5, and #5.)

It's also worth noting that while Dexy's Midnight Runners are one-hit wonders in America for the supberd "Come On Eileen" they had more hits and renown (as well as critical respect) in their native England.