That techno-rock you guys listen to is gutless.
I was browsing my TiVo guide recently and came across VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders. I share them with you because they took me on a trip down memory lane and I invite you to join me on that journey.I was particularly nostalgic concerning numbers 91, 86, 59, 37 (cf. Valley Girl), and 18.
Some of these bring to mind strong memories of particular times, places, and people. I had #24 on 8-track and blasted it through my first "Jam Box" back in the day. Number 96 is one of the first videos I remember on MTv.
Some of them beat me down beyond all measure 89, 83, 55 (no offense, Oil), and 1.
At least one of these artists really shouldn't be on the "one-hit wonder" list, Twisted Sister. Some folks even had 3 of their albums. Quiet Riot is marginal, as is Ratt.
Any of these do a little something for ya?
100. Kung Fu Fighting, Carl Douglas
99. No Rain, Blind Melon
98. Two of Hearts, Stacey Q
97. Whoomp! (There It Is), Tag Team
96. I Want Candy, Bow Wow Wow
95. Harper Valley P.T.A., Jeannie C. Riley
94. What's Up, 4 Non Blondes
93. Don't Give Up on Us, David Soul
92. T'Pau, Heart & Soul
91. Electric Avenue, Eddy Grant
90. Don't Wanna Fall in Love, Jane Child
89. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus
88. Barbie Girl, Aqua
87. Don't Leave Me This Way, Thelma Houston
86. Bust a Move, Young MC
85. Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum
84. You Gotta Be, Des'ree
83. Safety Dance, Men without Hats
82. I know What Boys Like, The Waitresses
81. Just a Friend, Biz Markie
80. Cum on Feel the Noize, Quiet Riot
79. Puttin' on the Ritz, Taco
78. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Crash Test Dummies
77. What I Am, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
76. We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off, Jermaine Stewart
75. I've Never Been to Me, Charlene
74. Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat), Digable Planets
73. Convoy, C.W. McCall
72. Maniac, Michael Sembello
71. How Bizarre, OMC
70. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, Vicki Lawrence
69. Funky Town, Lipps Inc.
68. A Girl Like You, Edwyn Collins
67. Epic, Faith No More
66. Mambo No. 5, Lou Bega
65. In My House, The Mary Jane Girls
64. You Get What You Give, New Radicals
63. Jump Around, House Of Pain
62. Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades, Timbuk 3
61. Round And Round, Ratt
60. More, More, More, Andrea True Connection
59. 867-5309/Jenny, Tommy Tutone
58. What Is Love?, Haddaway
57. Smokin' In The Boys Room, Brownsville Station
56. Lovin' You, Minnie Riperton
55. It's Raining Men, Weather Girls
54. Makin' It, David Naughton
53. Somebody's Watching Me, Rockwell
52. Genius Of Love, Tom Tom Club
51. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers
50. I Touch Myself, The Divinyls
49. Turn The Beat Around, Vicki Sue Robinson
48. True, Spandau Ballet
47. Rock & Roll, Part 2, Gary Glitter
46. Don't Worry Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin
45. Lovefool, The Cardigans
44. Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
43. How Do You Talk To An Angel, The Heights
42. Hot Child In The City, Nick Gilder
41. Relax, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
40. In A Big Country, Big Country
39. Bittersweet Symphony, The Verve
38. Me & Mrs. Jones, Billy Paul
37. I Melt With You, Modern English
36. Turning Japanese, The Vapors
35. Bitch, Meredith Brooks
34. Afternoon Delight, Starland Vocal Band
33. Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn
32. Hot Hot Hot, Buster Poindexter
31. Unbelievable, EMF
30. Seasons In The Sun, Terry Jacks
29. Pass The Dutchie, Musical Youth
28. It Takes Two, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
27. Pop Musik, M
26. Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro
25. Too Shy, Kajagoogoo
24. Whip It, Devo
23. Tubthumping, Chumbawumba
22. Play That Funky Music, Wild Cherry
21. Cars, Gary Numan
20. She Blinded Me With Science, Thomas Dolby
19. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly
18. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinéad O'Connor
17. We're Not Gonna Take It, Twisted Sister
16. Rapper's Delight, Sugarhill Gang
15. 96 Tears, ? And The Mysterians
14. Groove Is In The Heart, Deee-Lite
13. The Hustle, Van McCoy
12. Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-A-Lot
11. You Light Up My Life, Debby Boone
10. 99 Luftballoons, Nena
9. Rico Suave, Gerardo
8. Take On Me, A-Ha
7. Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice
6. Who Let The Dogs Out, Baha Men
5. Mickey, Toni Basil
4. I'm Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
3. Come On Eileen, Dexy's Midnight Runners
2. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
1. The Macarena, Los Del Rio
posted by GUNNY @ 16:51
14 comments
14 Comments:
If it weren't for #100, I might not have married my wife. Yes, there's definitely a story behind that one.
In relation to Gunny's picks:
91 - Oy!
59 - I got it!
37 - Listened to it just yesterday .... still sounds fresh.
18 - The only thing Sinead ever did well.
24 - Whip it good!
89 - Ugh!
83 - You can dance...if you want to
55 - The thought is terrifying
1 - The only thing worse than the song is the dance.
Personal faves/ serious nostaligia:
85 - Horrible theology, fantastic bass line!!!
73 - This here's the Rubber Duck...
I didn't own it on 8-Track, but I wanted to! ;)
71 - Couldn't tell you why I like it, how bizarre is that?
62 - This was a cool song when in high school and college. Now, as somebody inhabiting the body of a middle-aged man, it isn't really that cool. ;)
48 - Have this one in my current playlist.
46 - Hard to believe this one's 20 years old now.
40 - Ahh, the college years.
37 - Simply great.
16 - THE first rap song
10 - I lived in Germany when it was a hit there.
8 - At the time, was there a cooler video?!? And how in the world did that dude hit that note?
3 - Remember the overalls?
2 - Still greatness! Should be #1
Songs I never hope to hear ever, ever, ever, ever, ever again:
82 / 55 / 50 / 41
36 - thought it was cool when I was in 8th grade, didn't know what it was about until I was an adult...oh my!)
35 -
34 - thought it was about a 4th of July picnic as a 9-yr-old)
32 - Not! Not! Not!
19 / 9
I don't know how Billy Ray Cyrus made the list. Sure, he has never had as much success as the fingernails-on-a-chalkboard irratating "Achey, Breaky Heart," but he is currently on the Billboard top 100 and has had some decent songs.
Toni Basil had another song that got frequent play for a few weeks:
"Shoppin, from A to Z."
I wish I could say that I don't remember that, but I do.
Saw a tv infomercial recently advertizing some videos from the 70's and 80's, which were originally part of a tv show which I think was called the Midnight Special. Famous artists, many of whom I remember (Aerosmith, Kiss, Blondie, Tommy Petty, and many, many others) were all in their prime, performing live. It was very nostalgic. But it served to remind me of how fleeting everything is. In the blink of an eye, we're decades removed from this. Some of those people on the show, who seemed so vibrant, alive, on top of the world, have now either died, experienced intense personal suffering, or just become older, lost the glow of their youth. The years of my own life are slipping away as well. Soon, we will all stand before Him (or kneel).
Anonymous,
I think I'd stay anonymous if I knew that also!
;-)
Rev,
You are hitting 'em outta the park, brutha!
Isn't it a shocker (HT Oil) that Eddy Grant never had another hit after the greatness of Electic Avenue?
18 ... her other big splash was tearing up the Pope's picture on SNL. Remember that?
Incidentally, I gotta agree. #2 should be #1, that thing rocks me like a hurricane.
How in the world did #50 make it on the radio, much less poplar (HT Jerry Jones)?!
Mark T,
Right in your wheelhouse, all the way from Kansas ...
I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone.
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity.
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea.
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see.
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind.
I was born in 1972. Thus much of my pop culture formative years were in the 80's. What I found interesting about this list is how many of the songs are from the 80's. I cannot list all that i remember and even liked because the list would be too long.
But of particular interest are
80. Cum on Feel the Noize, Quiet Riot- I can't believe Gunny you actually put this title on the board.
76. We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off, Jermaine Stewart- The most conservative song by one who is obviously not a conservative.
18. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinéad O'Connor- I was going out with a girl that later became known as " the troll" when this song came out.
69. Funky Town, Lipps Inc- I remember listening to this one and dancing around like a freak. (I was like 7 or 8)
67. Epic, Faith No More- Still the best Rap/rock song of all time.
40. In A Big Country, Big Country- Could of/ should of been the next U2. This song is very good.
14. Groove Is In The Heart, Deee-Lite- This one came out my first year in college. It is a personal fav. The groove is in my heart.
10. 99 Luftballoons, Nena- always liked the german version the best. I guess because I did not know what she was talking about except for Captain Kirk.
8. Take On Me, A-Ha- has the best video of all time. No other is even close.
What is sad is there is so many annoying songs like the Macarena, Who letthe dogs out?, Achey breaky heart, and Barbie girl. We need to, after a ball game, blow up all the albumns these came on.
Okay I commented on many more than I thought I would. I love nostalgia. Even when VH1 does it.
#1 should be off the list. It is annoying. It always was and always will be annoying. But even though I like #2 I think maybe #3 should be #1.
Isn't it insteresting though that much of the top ten could be on a list of top ten annoying songs? The Macrean, Who let the dogs out,Ice Ice Baby.
I'm too sexy and Rico Suave are annoying but at least there fun to sing because they are so bad.
Quite a list. I know most of them, too. When I was still much younger, I used to be a DJ on a local radio station and played some of these... Rapper's Delight comes to mind. Drove me nuts!
Glad you quoted Dust in the Wind... helped get some of the other tunes out of my mind!
They didn't show The Biz some love. Now he was never a pop dude. He was a true hip hop head, especially for those of us who love DITC (digging in the crates) The Vapors is a classic and then he had nobody beats the Biz!
These people are heretics! To the stake with them!!!!
Did the Digital Underground ever do anything of significance other than "The Humpty Dance"?
What about DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince? "Could Parents Just Don’t Understand" qualify?
Or these?
New Wonder's "Blue Monday"
Midnight Star's "Freakazoids"
"Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe
"Superfreak" by Rick James
Man I feel old...
Thanks for that post though
Fresh Prince had "A Nightmare on Elm Street, and "Summertime" also. So they may not work.
Digital Underground were more underground than people know. They had Dowatcahulike and a song I regret to list called "sex packets" and "All around the world same song" which introduced 2pac to the world.
BBD had "Do me" and a slow song called "When will I see you Smile again" which were serious on the black R&B circuit
Rick James had "Fire and Desire" which still has people over the age of 55 trying to have kids (LOL)! Put on the Fire and Desire song and the lights go out and you hear someone my moms age saying "oh thats my song" while simultaneously swaying and lifting their hands in the air!
The other two I don't know.
Thanks, brother. That's helpful, particularly on BBD.
Still, I thought it was a shame that New Edition broke up. Truly, they were "the bomb" back in the day, before we even knew that "the bomb" was going to be something positive.
I so know what you mean by immediately hitting an "out of body" groove with a song.
Whenever I hear Prince's "Purple Rain" I'm immediately transported to junior high, rocking back & forth on the dance floor.
I want to lift a lighter in the air and sway, but that's dangerous (I assume) while driving the streets of the Metroplex.
Pastor Gunny you said:
"I want to lift a lighter in the air and sway, but that's dangerous (I assume) while driving the streets of the Metroplex."
You crazy dude! LOL!! I almost lost it!
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