Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia
Episode: One and Done, Part 2
Host: Chris Molanphy (Slate)
Date: October 2, 2020
Episode Overview
In this episode of Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy digs deep into the contentious, nostalgic, and sometimes arbitrary world of the “One Hit Wonder.” Building off the prior episode’s cultural explorations, Chris lays out his own analytical framework: the “Three Rules for One Hit Wonder-dom,” crafted to clarify who truly deserves the label. Using decades of chart history, memorable music trivia, and fun anecdotes, Chris explains how a combination of talent, timing, and (sometimes) luck determines which artists break free from the one-hit shadow and who remains forever frozen in that “flash in the pan” spotlight.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Framing the One Hit Wonder Debate (00:12–03:09)
- Main Question: What makes an artist a one hit wonder? What criteria should be used—public perception, chart stats, or both?
- Personal History: Chris shares how his work as a chart columnist led him to develop these rules after seeing how ambiguous the term was, especially in cases like Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Good Time.”
- Establishing Parameters: The rules are anchored to U.S. chart data, specifically the Billboard Hot 100—not the UK, Australia, or any international or genre-specific charts.
Quote
"My rules, which are based around Billboard chart data, attempt to find a middle ground between hidebound parameters and public perception." (03:04)
2. Preliminary Stipulations (03:13–12:24)
- Only the U.S. Hot 100 Counts: International or genre-specific chart success doesn’t affect American one-hit status.
- Example: Y&T (“Summertime Girls”) – big in Japan, one hit in the U.S.
- Adult radio & genre charts are excluded: Making minor returns to, for example, Adult Top 40 doesn’t rescue you from the one-hit label.
- Example: MAGIC!’s “Rude” (2014): Only one Hot 100 entry; follow-ups on minor radio charts don’t count.
- Respect for genre stars: Artists may be one-hit wonders on the pop chart, but icons in their respective genres.
- Example: Jeannie C. Reilly, Cheryl Lynn—lots of R&B or Country hits mean they’re not one-hit wonders in those worlds.
3. The Three Rules for One Hit Wonder-Status
Rule 1: A Second Top 10 Hit Removes One Hit Wonder Status (12:24–17:21)
- If an artist lands a second Hot 100 Top 10 hit, they're retired from one hit wonder status, no matter how fleeting their fame otherwise was.
- Example: Crowded House—two Top 10s (“Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Something So Strong”) means not a one-hit wonder.
- Surprising Examples: Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby,” “Play That Funky Music” [#4]), LFO (“Summer Girls,” “Girl on TV” [#10]), Marky Mark Wahlberg.
- Modern Example: Lizzo cracked the Top 10 twice in quick succession; she’s safe.
Quote
"The bottom line of Rule 1 is that any artist who comes back to the top 10 is at the very least a two hit wonder. That includes acts as goofy as Vanilla Ice, LFO and Marky Mark..." (16:50)
Rule 2: The “Coattails” Rule – Second Top 40 Hit Within Six Months Doesn't Count (17:21–28:59)
- If a follow-up hit hits the Top 40 within 6 months of the first, it's probably piggybacking on the original's success ("coattails"). If there’s no later Top 40, one hit wonder status remains.
- Examples:
- Young MC (“Bust a Move” [Top 10], “Principal’s Office” [#33 two months later], nothing else)
- Falco (“Rock Me Amadeus” [#1], “Vienna Calling” [#18 three months after], nothing else)
- A-ha (“Take On Me” [#1], “The Sun Always Shines on TV” [#20 four months later], nothing else)—still a one-hit wonder in the U.S., despite massive global and UK success.
- Counterexample: Men Without Hats—second Top 40 hit (“Pop Goes the World”) came years later; they're not one-hit wonders.
- Examples:
Quote
"The six months or less gap between hits in my Rule 2 is important. It’s designed to distinguish follow-ups that are coattails hits from those that hit the charts on their own power." (21:55)
- Contemporary twist: Ella Mai (“Boo’d Up” [#5], “Trip” [#11 three months later])—jury’s still out, but currently a one-hit wonder using Rule 2.
Quote
"As recently as a decade ago, A-ha's single 'Foot of the Mountain' went Top 10 in both Germany and Norway... but in America, they are a one hit wonder." (25:36)
Rule 3: Three Top 10 or Platinum Albums Means No One Hit Wonder Status (28:59–36:48)
- An artist with three (or more) Top 10 / Platinum albums can’t be a one-hit wonder, even if they only had a single Top 40 hit; their popularity is better reflected in album sales.
- Saves:
- Jimi Hendrix—one Top 40 hit, but a ton of hit albums.
- Grateful Dead—one Top 40 pop hit (“Touch of Grey”), but many platinum albums.
- Radiohead—only “Creep” for years, but many bestselling albums.
- Troye Sivan—one hit, but four Top 10 albums.
- Lil Uzi Vert—one hit as lead, but three platinum albums.
- Not saved:
- Lou Reed (only one Top 10 album and one gold album)
- T. Rex (no Top 10 or platinum U.S. albums)
- Chris Isaak, Liz Phair—both fall short of three major hit albums.
- Saves:
Quote
"This rule might seem like shameless pandering to classic rock fans, but it not only makes sense commercially, it’s also a harder rule to beat than you might think." (31:23)
4. Defending and Debating the Rules (36:49–45:47)
- The rules aim to be both fair and practical, accounting for public perception and commercial reality.
- Chris acknowledges areas of debate, especially the “six months” limit and the role of album charts in the streaming era.
- Flashes in the pan vs. one-hit wonders: Some acts weren’t true one-hit wonders but did fade quickly.
- Example: Spandau Ballet—more than one Top 40 hit in the U.S.
- Streaming era challenges: With streaming, it’s easy for artists to rack up Hot 100 hits, but the “one huge hit” phenomenon persists.
- Example: Tones and I—massive international hit with “Dance Monkey,” but no U.S. follow-ups as of recording.
Quote
"Even today, it’s still possible to score one massive, blazing, outsized hit... Even during a pandemic, one hit wonders are still looking to change their fate." (46:30)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the shifting meaning of 'hit':
"There are so many ways to call yourself a hitmaker, and we don’t want to set the bar too low." (04:41)
- On international differences:
"Your band may be, to use the old cliché, 'big in Japan.'... In America they only hit the Hot 100 once.” (04:04)
- On modern hits and luck:
"Frankly, America was a little late on Tones and I. In late 2019, 'Dance Monkey' was a true global hit... On our Hot 100, it peaked at number four." (45:53)
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [00:12] - Introduction, recap of previous episode, the need for clear rules
- [03:13] - Why only the U.S. Hot 100 counts
- [08:54] - Examples of genre stars and why only pop counts for this analysis
- [12:24] - Rule 1 explained and explored (with examples: Crowded House, Vanilla Ice, LFO, Lizzo)
- [17:21] - Rule 2 (the “coattails” rule), with discussion of Young MC, Falco, A-ha, Men Without Hats, Ella Mai
- [28:59] - Rule 3 (album chart exception), with classic rock, alternative, and streaming era examples
- [36:49] - Defending the rules, 'flash in the pan' distinction, streaming impact
- [45:36] - Modern one-hit wonders: case study of Tones and I (“Dance Monkey”)
- [47:13] - Outro, credits, invitation to Slate+ bonus content
Episode Takeaways
- The “one hit wonder” is not just about chart statistics or public memory—it’s a mix, and for fairness and defensibility, Chris’s three rules clarify and structure the debate.
- Chart success is complex: what the public remembers may not match the numbers, and the rules account for radio inertia, “coattails” hits, and enduring album popularity.
- Even as technology changes music consumption, the allure (and stigma) of the “one hit wonder” label persists, as new artists try to shed or reclaim it.
For Deeper Listening
- Join Slate Plus for bonus episodes (“The Bridge”), including a segment where Billboard’s Jason Lipshutz weighs in on official one hit wonder rulings and Louis Capaldi’s journey from one-hit status.
Recommended for:
Anyone who’s ever argued about what makes a one hit wonder, pop trivia buffs, Billboard chart geeks, and classic rock/streaming-era fans curious about how history will remember today's chart-toppers.