Over 2000 One Hit Wonder Songs!!
Last Update 04/03/16
Novelty One Hit Wonders
- Artist
- Splodgenessabounds
- Year
- 1980
- Song
- Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps Please
- Chart
- UK 7
This hard-to-pronounce British punk rock band first emerged into national scene with an unintentional hit in 1980. The song "Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps Please" was probably one of the craziest singles in UK music history. It was all about a man who has to repeat his order until he is out of breath. Too bad, they could not make a second order.
- Artist
- The Tweets
- Year
- 1981
- Song
- The Birdie Song
- Chart
- UK 2
"Chicken Dance" was a dance song originated in Switzerland during the 1950s. It was later adapted into an instrumental record "The Birdie Song" by the producer Henry Hadaway in 1981. Credited to the Tweets, this novelty tune became a big hit in UK and sold more than 1.6 million copies in the UK alone. The group released a couple more singles but all went unnoticed.
- Artist
- Afternoon Delights
- Year
- 1981
- Song
- General Hospi-Tale
- Chart
- 33
This Boston vocal group was an assembly of musicians/singers for one recording project. Their debut singles "General Hospi-Tale" was released in 1981. This parody of the ABC's 'General Hospital' became a fluke hit and climbed to no.33 on the chart. The full LP soon followed but went nowhere. It was the last recording ever been released by the group.
- Artist
- Joe Dolce
- Year
- 1981
- Song
- Shaddap You Face
- Chart
- UK 1
Joseph 'Joe' Dolce was an American-born musician who later became one of the most successful musicians in Australia - thanks to one of his 1980 singles. His original novelty tune "Shaddap You Face" topped the chart in both Australia and UK in 1981. It also held the record for the most successful Australian song for the next 31 years. Sadly, it was his only international hit so far.
- Artist
- Keith Harris
- Year
- 1982
- Song
- Orville's Song
- Chart
- UK 4
Keith Harris was a UK ventriloquist from the 1980s, who performed in several television shows, audio recordings and club appearances. His signature puppets are Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey. In 1982, he cut a children records "Orville's Song" with Orville the Duck. This heart warming song became a Top5 hit in UK, and was later voted as the worst song ever recorded. It was his only musical success in his career.
- Artist
- Bob & Doug McKenzie
- Year
- 1982
- Song
- Take Off
- Chart
- 16
A Canadian comedy Rick Moranis accidentally made a hit song while running a comedy show on SCTV as one of the fictional Canadian brothers "Bob & Doug McKenzie". In 1982, their singles "Take Off", which featured the chorus voice of Rush's Geddy Lee, became a hit in US and peaked at no.16. It was the only hit for this fictional brothers - same as Rick Moranis.
- Artist
- Pia Zadora
- Year
- 1983
- Song
- The Clapping Song
- Chart
- 36
An American actress Pia Zadora has released her own works since the early 1980s - but only one of them actually became a hit. Her cover version of Shirley Ellis' children game song "The Clapping Song" became top40 hit in 1983. Although she could make some more hit in Europe, she never have another hit in US again.
- Artist
- Elmo & Patsy
- Year
- 1983
- Song
- Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
- Chart
Elmo Shropshire was a Kentucky veterinarian and sometimes a comedy musician. He was particularly famous for one novelty song. "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", a hilarious story about one family's grandmother and Santa Claus's reindeers, became one of the all-time christmas favorite. Elmo still releases Christmas novelty records, but none of them could match that 1983 song.
- Artist
- Total Coelo
- Year
- 1983
- Song
- I Eat Cannibals
- Chart
- UK 8
This odd all-female new wave group briefly appeared on the scene during the early 1980s. Their exotic novelty record "I Eat Cannibals" became a no.8 hit in UK and a moderate hit in US. Sadly, all of their following records could not carry on this success and the band decided to split shortly after.
- Artist
- Wall of Voodoo
- Year
- 1983
- Song
- Mexican Radio
- Chart
- 58
Wall of Voodoo was a Los Angeles new wave band who specialized in fusing synthesized music with spaghetti western soundtrack style music. They hit it big only once with the Mexico-theme song "Mexican Radio", which became a minor hit in US. Its music video received well response on MTV and landed them a status of one-hit wonders of the 80s.
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