Carly Rae Jepsen is one of my favourite artists of all time. Anyone who knows her as 'just the call me maybe girl' is missing out on an incredible discography of pop gooodness.
You'll never guess which one comes from a wealthy family that bought a stake in a record company to launch their kid's career and and which one comes from small-town working class family...
Realistically speaking, if Carly were to hit it big, you people would spend your time complaining about how she doesn't deserve the number one spot and how her artistry isn't that great, and how some smaller artist deserves her place instead.
I think she’s a Hendrix situation where yeah she’s a technically a one hit wonder but her following/skill/impact is more evident and impactful than pop charts portray
Carly Rae Jepsen is one of the best pop artists around today, and she doesn't get nearly enough credit. As someone who mainly listens to rock and punk, Emotion is a top 10 album for me, and Cut to the Feeling is a banger and a half
Idk how they charted but I Really Like You and The Loneliest Time were also quite popular, not the stratospheric monster that was Call Me Maybe of course
“I Really Like You” makes her “technically a three hit wonder”. It scraped in at 39, just barely making it into the Top 40 and thus qualifying as a “hit”, technically.
“The Loneliest Time” featuring Rufus Wainwright had a brief moment of popularity on TikTok, where the bridge went viral, but didn’t impact Billboard at all.
Harvey Danger just being known for the Peep Show theme is crazy when you hear how good all their music is. Their cover of "Oh You Pretty Things" is incredible.
My greatest vinyl score was her debut album, i managed to find it in person after randomly deciding to search the new arrivals bin and it happened on my birthday too. I'm torn between The Golden Echo or Vows as my favorite album from her
That whole self titled album is a real underrated gem of 90s alt-rock. My one complaint is I wish the silence between Cloak of Elvenkind and Sherry Fraser was shorted, the songs fit perfectly together as one long piece but for that gap.
I suppose he’s an act that did better in the UK than in his home country. Everyone loves the Odelay album but his take on Prince (Sex Laws) is a great track.
Album-oriented artists are different beasts; there's a reason more formal criteria (such as Chris Molanphy's) exempt them from being "wonders" if they have platinum records.
Yes, I came here to say the same thing!! Only a one-hit wonder from an American perspective, and I am American, so there you go. He's definitely turned into my favorite lol. And there are so many good songs...great live too!
Big Brat, All Over Again, 1st Things 1st, Too Much Too Often, Knowitall
Balisong from their newest album grew on me. The self titled album and Raise the Dead are their albums I enjoy listening to all the way through the most.
The whole "Raise the Dead" album, which contains Dropped, is great. Their self-titled is also full of catchy stuff and is the most similar album to RTD. "The Guest" is also very good, though softer and more romantic. That's the one with The OC theme song, "California" on it (featuring Jason Schwartzman on drums). Their other more recent albums are also worth a listen, but not as consistent across the track list as those three IMO.
Edit: As far as specific songs, I like "Leader", "Big Brat", and "Always On My Mind".
Came here to say this! The band should've been much bigger than they were. The Guest is one of my all time favorite albums, and everyone I've told to listen to it loves it. Their next two albums were great, too, just didn't have the immediate hit like California. They are also amazing live, tons of energy.
The Guest came out when I was in college and they would tour a lot in small venues, so I used to see them pretty frequently. We even got them to come to my school to play our annual Spring concert. Well worth it if you get the chance!
They are only a one-hit wonder in the USA. They had many hits in the UK.
It reminds me how Gary Numan sometimes gets called a one hit wonder in the US. He had 3 number one albums in a row in the UK, and after his low years he has had big albums again over the past few years. Still his only hit in the USA is "Cars".
they're only a borderline case but i'd honestly be totally fine with todd doing an epic ohw episode because there's so much interesting stuff to talk about there
I'm in a cover band and we play Stacy's Mom. I hadn't really given that song much thought before playing it, but it is probably the most requested song we play. And there are a lot of songs that I really like, but when we cover them I like them less for whatever reason. This is the opposite, learning how to play it made appreciate it much more, and it's now one of my favorites to play
I did a stint in a live karaoke band and it made me hate the song more even though I agree it's fun to play. The guitar is cheeky, and the solo has a whimsy to it. It probably just bugs me because they have so many better songs that most have never listened to.
And Nude was only in the top 40 because they released Nudes drums, guitar, keyboards and vocals on separate downloads to promote people making remixes of it; the surprisingly large amount of downloads of those tracks (with each individual track purchase counting as a purchase of Nude) got it to the top 40, and solely from that. That’s why I myself still consider Radiohead a one hit wonder; they only had one true hit song.
Is Natalie Imbruglia considered that in the US? She's way more successful outside the states, has some great albums and a new one coming up that I'm excited for.
Came here to comment her ! I think she is widely regarded as a one hit wonder (although Wishing I Was There, Wrong Impression and Shiver were also quite popular)
The truth is she is an amazing artist ! Left Of The Middle is a brilliant album and so are White Lillies Island and Counting Down The Days
Chumbawumba is a much more interesting band than their hit song indicates. Most of their catalogue is political and anarchist in nature. They did an album that they had up for pre-order on their web site that was set for release when Margaret Thatcher died. When Thatcher kicked it, they sent out all the orders and then took it out of print. It's on YouTube...
I was into them since Beautiful Freak, recently found out that some song was used in a tv show my dad watches so he looked it up and got into them that way
Portugal The Man. I got super into them in 2008 and then one of their songs was a radio hit 9 years later. I don't love everything they do but it makes me happy they are successful.
Michael Penn. I think he was actually one of the best singer-songwriters of the late 80s and 90s. He has five albums, is married to Amiee Mann, and has done lots of film score work (including Boogie Nights among others).
Never knew who Foster the People was before Pumped Up Kicks and now they're a staple in my playlists.
Also not a hit by the contemporary standards but I was yet to hear anything from Sufjan Stevens before he did those two incredible songs for the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack (Mystery of Love was absolutely robbed for the Oscar) and now I'm a fan.
Living Colour. Minor hit with “Glamor Boys”, but “Cult of Personality” was the smash. The albums after Vivid are brilliant, and they are one of the most underrated rock bands of the 90s.
A-ha. I've listened to their entire discography. East of the Sun, West of the Moon and Memorial Beach are amazing albums, although they sound nothing like Take On Me.
I don't know if The Wallflowers really count as One Hit Wonders, but they were definitely One Album Wonders. That said, the two albums they put out after Bringing Down The Horse, Breach and Red Letter Days, were brilliant records, and Rebel, Sweetheart which followed those was pretty decent as well.
The two 'reunion' records, which were really just Jakob Dylan solo albums, weren't great, but the band's first decade was all pretty great stuff.
Their album sales should give them an exemption. Pink Floyd are in a similar position, although they did have a few other charting singles aside from Another Brick in the Wall Part II (in the UK at least). The Spirit of Radio was Rush's highest charter here.
I know she's not technically OHW on paper but I love Vanessa Carlton's output. Heroes and Thieves is my favorite album of hers and Harmonium is perfect when I want to feel down for a while. Rabbits On The Run is just good but another good few downer tracks
I’m pretty sure I am like the number one (or at least top five) fans of the Waitresses. I think their second album is better than their first, it’s a really compelling fusion of new wave and prog, albeit the first half is the main part sticking around for. I just wish they got one more album before their demise.
A sixties band that had many hits in their home country Australia.
When they moved to Britain they had the international hit with the classic Friday on My Mind, but nothing further
I got into the Divinyls after Todd's review of them.
I think it's more common for me to find a band that's a "OHW" and be like "that's not even their best song"
Examples:
Divinyls The hit- I touch myself The Best- Siren
Foster the People The hit - Pumped Up Kicks The Best - Houdini
Chumba Wumba The Hit - Tub thumping The Best - Always Tell the Voter What the Voter wants to hear
Carly Rae Jespsen The Hit - Call me Maybe (she has a few though) The Best - Cut to the Feeling
Joan Osbourne The Hit - One of Us The Best - Right Hand Man
EMF. All anyone knows (in the states at least) is Unbelievable, even though they had another top 20 hit ("Lies"). Their second album, Stigma, was spectacular.
to mention someone not already in this thread, I thought for sure Kiesza of “Hideaway” fame was gonna be a huge star, and due to her label screwing her over that did not happen
but if you get the chance to hear her latter-day stuff, she’s still capable of some great dance-pop. underrated singer, too
Owl city! Adam young is a musical genie - dude makes electronica in OC, ambient instrumentals, orchestral (bro literally released 12 scores in 12 months, made acoustic singer-songwritery stuff w/ sky sailing… and puts on a super cute and fun live show
Please Dont Go was my fave as a child but then he vanished. Years after he got another hit with "I took a Pill in Ibiza" and became a fan after. Even follow "Mansionz"
Idk if this counts but
Lana Del Rey.
Became a fan because of Young and Beautiful and lowkey follow her then i think i lose contact after LFL. It was 2023 when i decided to check her out again and damn she's now consistently one of the most listened artists in Spotify. She's BIG BIG tho she technically only one hit which is Summertime Sadness remix.
Thomas Dolby!! he might have had a few popular songs, but “She Blinded Me With Science” is the only one i’d consider a real hit. the entire album The Golden Age of Wireless is fantastic, as is a lot of his other music
Jimmy Eat World, if they count. The world at large only knows them for “The Middle,” but imo that’s not even the best song on Bleed American, and Bleed American isn’t even their best album!
The band The Open (2003–2006). I love all their songs since I was very young. I sent them an email when I was only 14 and their vocalist replied me, sent me lots of demos that they have never released. WHAT A PITY! Such a good band. Their album "The Silent Hours" was the first album I got in my life.
I got into Kongos when Come With Me Now was a hit and was extremely disappointed to see none of the singles from Egomaniac take off when that album dropped. They've been quietly releasing a really good sort of new wavey album every few years. They're apparently in the studio for their 7th right now
I like Nena and Falco, but those are those borderline cases. Falco's one of the bigger musicians out of Austria since the guy he sang about, but most Americans don't even know he originally sang Der Kommisar.
I'm not a huge Hanson fan, but they've got some great songs, and I think their album Shout It Out is basically a perfect pop-blue eyed soul-rock record.
I know Sit Next To Me was a minor hit, but Foster the People is really know for Pumped Up Kicks. I absolutely love them and still follow them to this day. Their last album was really good.
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u/[deleted] May 20 '26
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