This is a multi-part blog, starting with the decade of the 1960s. What is a “one hit wonder?” It could be the only that ever charted by an artist, or the highest charting song of theirs. Sometimes artist fade away, vanishing from the public eye. That’s not always the case. Many one time wonders have long careers, are part of other bands, or simply keep doing what they love despite the changing tastes of audiences. Here’s an example: Anita Bryant. A big hit in 1960, she went on to have a long, and somewhat controversial career as an entertainer, but can you name another of her chart hits? I can’t.
Many of the songs below have links to information about the artist or song. Enjoy!
1960s
“Alley-Oop” The Hollywood Argyles (1960)
“Stay” Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs (1960)
“Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Honolulu Strandbikini” Club Honolulu (1960)
“Paper Roses” Anita Bryant (1960)
“Hey! Baby” Bruce Channel (1961)
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” The Tokens (1961)
“Blue Moon” The Marcels (1961)
“Telstar” The Tornados (1962)
“Do You Love Me” The Contours (1962)
“The Monster Mash” Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers (1962)
“Johnny Angel” Shelley Fabares (1962)
“Wipe Out” The Surfaris (1963)
“Just One Look” Doris Troy (1963)
“Rhythm of the Rain” Cascades (1963)
“Hello Muddah Hello Faddah” Allan Sherman (1963)
“Tell Him” Exciters (1963)
“My Boyfriend’s Back” The Angels (1963)
“Walk Right In” The Rooftop Singers (1963)
“Bread & Butter” The Newbeats (1964)
“Hippy Hippy Shake” Swinging Blue Jeans (1964)
“The Game of Love” Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (1965)
“Eve of Destruction” Barry McGuire (1965)
“Dirty Water” The Standells 1965)
“I’m Telling You Now” Freddie & The Dreamers (1965)
“Hang On Sloopy” The McCoys (1965)
“Lies” The Knickerbockers (1965)
“Winchester Cathedral” The New Vaudeville Band (1966)
“(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” Blues Magoo’s 1966)
“Sunny” Bobby Hebb (1966)
“They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” Napoleon XIV 1966)
“I Fought the Law” The Bobby Fuller Four (1966)
“See You in September” Happenings (1966)
“Cool Jerk” The Capitols (1966)
“Hey Joe” The Leaves (1966)
“Dirty Water” The Standells (1966)
“Psychotic Reaction” The Count Five (1966)
“San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)” Scott McKenzie (1967)
“Western Union” Five Americans (1967)
“Bend Me, Shape Me” The American Breed (1967)
“It Must Be Him (Seul Sur Son Etoile)” Vikki Carr (1967)
“Incense & Peppermints” Strawberry Alarm Clock (1967)
“Green Tambourine” The Lemon Pipers (1968)
“In-A-Godda-Da-Vida” Iron Butterfly (1968)
“Classical Gas” Mason Williams (1968)
“Journey to the Center of the Mind” The Amboy Dukes (1968)
“Fire” The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 1968)
“Angel of the Morning” Merrilee Rush (1968)
“Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)” John Fred & The Playboy Band (1968)
“Harper Valley P.T.A.” Jeannie C. Riley (1968)
“Spirit In The Sky” Norman Greenbaum (1969)
“Something in the Air” Thunderclap Newman (1969)
“Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” Steam (1969)
“In The Year 2525” Zager & Evans (1969)
“Hey There Lonely Girl” Eddie Holman (1969)
“Smile A Little Smile For Me” Flying Machine (1969)
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