Artists Whose First Hit Was Their Biggest--Part 25

We're looking into and featuring artists who did so well on their first hit that they were unable to match it:

Looking Glass

"Brand (You're A Fine Girl)"

As this is one of The Top One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*, you knew it would be featured here as well.  For those of you who are alumni of Rutgers University in New Jersey, here are some fellow Scarlet Knights.  They scored a huge #1 in 1972, but their next-best was #33.

Trini Lopez

"If I Had A Hammer"

This artist used to perform at PJs nightclub in Los Angeles.  Just as Peter, Paul & Mary did, Lopez took this song by Pete Seeger and made it into a big hit.  Lopez charted a total of 13 times, but nothing came close to this one.  Trini was asked by Gibson Guitars to design a guitar for them--he designed two, the Trini Lopez Standard and the Lopez deluxe.

Los Bravos

"Black Is Black"

Four musicians from Spain joined one from Germany to form this band.  They reached #4 with this great song, but were unable to land in the Top 40 again.

Los Del Rio

"Macarena"

One of the biggest hits of all-time, this song was recorded by Antonio Romero Monge and Rafel Ruiz Perdigones, a flamenco guitar duo from Spain.  After a production team in Miami, Florida, the Bayside Boys, mixed it, "Macarena" vaulted to #1, where it stayed for an amazing 14 weeks.  Los Deo Rio couldn't muster another Top 20 hit--perhaps they should have hired the Bayside Boys permanently.

"Love and Rockets"

"So Alive"

This trio recorded their first album in 1985, but it wasn't until 1989 that they enjoyed their first hit.  It soared to #3 on the Popular chart and #1 on the Modern Rock chart, but the group never did better than #82 after that.

Love Unlimited Orchestra

"Love's Theme"

Barry White organized, conducted and arranged this 40-piece studio orchestra.  In 1974, the Love Unlimited Orchestra reached #1 with this song, but after four more hits, the best they could do after that was #22.

Nick Lowe

"Cruel To Be Kind"

This artist was in a group called Rockpile in the early 70's, but his solo effort in 1979 caught on.  Yet Nick never found the Top 40 again.

M

"Pop Muzik"

This song essentially contains the resume of Robin Scott, who had been in the music industry for 25 years prior to landing this #1 song.  Scott named his musical project "M", but this song was the only one he ever managed to chart with.

Johnny Maddox

"The Crazy Otto"

Just prior to the beginning of the Rock Era, this Tennessee artist got as high as #2 with "The Crazy Otto".  Never climbing any further, the song spent seven weeks in the backup spot and sold over one million copies.  Maddix scored two more minor hits in the years to follow, but nothing matched his debut hit.

Barry Mann

"Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)"

If you're a teenager today, you'll note that the songs in the '50s sounded like kids had more fun back then.  It was a great time to be alive--they definitely knew how to have fun.  Barry Mann teamed with wife Cynthia Weil to write some great songs, including "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" for the Righteous Brothers, "Kicks" and "Hungry" for Paul Revere & the Raiders and "We Gotta' Get Out Of This Place" for the Animals.  But this #7 song is by far the best he ever recorded himself.