One Hit Wonders

Which Is Your Favorite

Growing up for me was a time of economic struggle, but not one that people were aware of or concentrated on.  My economic struggle began when my mother and father separated and soon after divorced.  I went from being a city person to being a country boy.  It seems that everyone was oblivious to poverty, and most likely because we were still moving away from the mother of all wars (WW2).  Every day we lived was a celebration where we were grateful for what we had.

I’ve always had enough common sense and gratitude in my heart to be thankful for what I do have, and to find the good in people. The way to minimize the impact of not having all your wants is to appreciate having your needs met.  Another way to increase your enjoyment of life is to concentrate in a special interest, whatever it may be.  The attention paid to a special interest will allow you to focus on things that bring you enjoyment.  For me, music has always been that special interest.

It isn’t terribly unusual to have a person or group come into the spotlight and stay there for the duration of a long career.  Some great examples are all around us; The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, The Platters, the Doors, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Glen Miller Orchestra, The Supremes, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, and on, and on.  Lightning does, however, strike a chosen few.  I will only mention a chosen few because I can easily come up with a Top 100 One Hit Wonders for the 50’s, 60’s 70’s etc.  We individually have favorites, and you may well have very different from the ones I remember. 

During the 50’s I remember:

·       Chain Gang by Bobby Scott (1956) peaked at #13 on the charts.

·       Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins (1956) peaked at #2 on the charts.

·       Mr. Lee by the Bobbettes (1957) peaked at #6 on the charts.

·       At The Hop by Nick Todd (1958) peaked at #21 on the charts.

During the 60’s I remember:

·       Let the Little Girl Dance by Billy Bland (1960) peaked at #7 on the charts.

·       Alley Oop by The Hollywood Argyles (1960) peaked at #1 on the charts.

·       Stay by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs (1960) peaked at #1 on the charts.

·       Rama Lama Ding Dong by The Edsels (1961) peaked at #21 on the charts.

·       Silver Threads and Golden Needles by The Springfields (1962) peaked at #20 on the charts.

During the 70’s I remember:

·       Love Grows (Where Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse (1970) peaked at #5 on the charts.

·       Spirit In the Sky by Norman Greenbaum (1970) peaked at #5 on the charts.

·       For The Good Times by Ray Price (1971) peaked at #11 on the charts.

There is so many One Hit Wonders that the most I can hope to accomplish is to get the wheels in your mind turning.  Feel free to tell me about your favorite One Hit Wonder.  The best is yet to come…