onehitwondered.bsky.social
Celebrating American One-Hit Wonders from the Billboard Hot 100 era... A US #OneHitWonder is a group/performer with just 1 hit single, as measured against the industry-standard US Billboard Top 40, which is #1 through #40 on their Hot 100 chart. 🇺🇦 🇨🇦
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(We'll be diving into this "Butterfly Kisses" rabbit hole next weekend... stay tuned!) 🤣
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#Interestingly In December of 1998, Billboard revised its rules to allow airplay-only songs onto the Hot 100, too late for Bob Carlisle, though. “Butterfly Kisses” was hugely popular but never hit the #Billboard #Top40… Chart rules can shape #OneHitWonderland history. #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly Carlisle’s label chose to release the song only as part of his album… probably trying to pump up album sales, which did work… it went Gold and then Platinum. (I think a single was available, but only at Christian book stores). #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly Second… and, more significantly, it had to be released as a commercially available single (available for purchase in physical format like 7-inch vinyl, cassette, or CD single). #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly First, the song had to be played on pop radio… (We’ve already established that Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses” took the radio world by storm in 1997.) #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly For most of Billboard’s Hot 100 era in the 20th century, from the chart’s inception on August 4, 1958 to December 5, 1998, two things generally had to happen before a song was eligible for the Hot 100 chart (and, therefore, the #Top40). #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses” didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100, despite its massive popularity, due to record label practices and chart eligibility rules… No appearance on the #Billboard #Top40, equals no #OneHitWonder honors, right? 🤔 #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly In April of 1997, contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Bob Carlisle released “Butterfly Kisses.” Surprisingly, the song reached the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay chart… & peaked at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart that June. #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly Marty Raybon was the lead singer of the country group Shenandoah during their late ‘80s & early '90s peak (he rejoined the band in 2014). #MartyRaybon #Shenandoah #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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I'm not a selfie kinda guy, so it's a no-brainer that I'd agree with you... It showed admirable restraint, though. Very commendable!
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Thanks for the good words... 😀
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#Interestingly The reissue of “It Feels So Good” by Sonique, a radio hit that was club-ready, would be hugely influential (if a bit ahead of its time). A decade or so later, we would hear acts like Rihanna dominate mainstream pop radio with radio-friendly EDM. #Rihanna #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly Republic Records, recognizing that the “It Feels So Good” mix combined a compelling pop song structure with a dance mix energy (rare at the time), signed Sonique and rushed out a reissue in early 2000. It went to #1 in the UK and peaked at #8 in the US. #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly “It Feels So Good” by Sonique was released in the UK on Nov. 9, 1998. It peaked at #24 on the UK Top 40, but got a 2nd life in the US. A Tampa radio DJ found an import 12” club mix in a shop. He started playing it on the air & the requests poured in. #Sonique #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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I agree... it topped out at #60
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Well, no phone voting necessary...
but definitely 'Stay deeeeeeemented!' 🤣
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I believe there was a big hullabaloo at the time... and, I think, Vanguard had to rerelease it (again) with Paul Wynn as the vocalist... but everyone who remembers the novelty song still associates it with Benny Bell.
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#OneHitWonder honors? Yep... but for whom? Benny Bell wrote and produced the novelty song “Shaving Cream” back in the '40s. The lead vocals were actually performed by Phil Winston, who used the stage name Paul Wynn. When Dr. Demento resurrected the song, Vanguard re-released it as by Benny Bell.
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Sadly, this is the same dude who shamed Joel Osteen when he didn't initially open the doors of his megachurch for those displaced by Hurricane Harvey... Mattress Mack opened his Gallery stores for them. I admired him (then)
I guess he drank the Kool-Aid... (or Flavor-Aid for you purists)
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A great-looking piece of equipment... congrats
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Cursive script?
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They definitely had more success on the R&B chart...
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Every time I see that Randy VanWarmer cover, I think of Harold Wormser from Revenge of the Nerds...
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Linking this one back to #OneHitWonderland is a lil' more tenuous... The single (backed by "Oh, Lonesome Me") was released on Curb Records... Mike Curb earned US #OneHitWonder honors in 1971 with "Burning Bridges" by the Mike Curb Congregation 😆
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By 'barely-a-hit,' I wasn't making any judgement on the merits of the song... I was being a bit flip, and maybe should've put it differently (I certainly meant no offense to fans!) I was trying to point out that the song just barely made it onto the #Billboard #Top40 chart. My bad, as they say.
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#Interestingly A quick sidenote… The flipside of the “O-o-h Child” single was a soulful cover of the Lennon & McCartney classic “Dear Prudence.” It wasn’t a hit… but it was an imaginative way to meld soul & rock (and is one of my favorite Beatles covers) #FiveStairsteps #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly The Five Stairsteps had been working with Curtis Mayfield for several years with little success. By 1970, they’d moved to Buddah Records. Producer/songwriter Stan Vincent was brought in to write & produce for the group. #FiveStairsteps #StanVincent #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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We're always trying to make a point that 'one-hit wonder' shouldn't be a negative thing... It's a huge accomplishment. Thanks for pointing out that we also need to realize that an artist who has earned US #OneHitWonder honors is not defined by that 1 hit.
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I believe they call that drink a 'Cosby'....
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Gerald Levert died of a prescription and over-the-counter drug overdose at the age of 40.
Gerald Levert
(July 13, 1966 – November 10, 2006)
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#Interestingly It’s crazy how fast a cavernous rabbit hole can open up on a guy… From a relatively obscure Dallas R&B singer, through several US #OneHitWonder honorees, all the way to The O’Jays and the Philly Soul rabbit hole! We could go on forever! #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly Gerald Levert’s father, Eddie Levert, Sr., is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a founding member & lead singer of the legendary R&B group, The O'Jays. #TheOJays #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#OneHitHistory Did ya notice Reggie Calloway wrote & produced “Casanova”? After leaving synth-funk group Midnight Star, brothers Reggie & Vincent Calloway earned US #OneHitWonder honors in 1990 with “I Wanna Be Rich." #Calloway #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#OneHitHistory Gerald Levert, as a founding member of the R&B trio LeVert (with younger brother Sean & Marc Gordon), earned US #OneHitWonder honors in 1987 when “Casanova” spent 12 weeks on the US #Billboard #Top40, peaking at #5 in October of that year. #LeVert #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#Interestingly The name LSG came from the initials of their last names: Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill… all powerhouse vocalists with a lil’ different flavor. Gerald LeVert… Hmmm, that name sounds familiar. #LSG #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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#OneHitHistory Lincoln ‘Link’ Browder co-wrote the 1997 sultry single “My Body,” which earned R&B supergroup LSG their US #OneHitWonder honors that November. It spent 18 weeks on the US #Billboard #Top40, peaking at #4. #LSG #OneHitWondered #MusicSky
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“Since You’ve Been Gone” peaked at #57 on the US #Billboard #Top40 in 1979... "Street of Dreams" at #60 in 1983... those were the only other songs by Rainbow to chart on Billboard's Hot 100, and only "Stone Cold" reached the Top 40, even if it was only for a week.
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Nice one... I hadn't known that.
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Well, once again... it depends on where you are. If you're in the UK, it certainly was a hit, peaking at #12. In Belgium, it peaked at #9... in New Zealand, it hit #3! Meanwhile, in the US (and Australia) it failed to chart. Music is strange...