The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #440-431

Inside The Rock Era is bringing back The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era* in 2025, and we've even updated the list to include songs through 2020.  If we've done our homework correctly, each segment should be just a little bit better.

The artist who released one of the top songs of 1972 is up next:

  
#440:  Luther Ingram --"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right"

Ingram recorded his first record in 1965, but none of his first three records were successful. He then signed with KoKo Records and his first hit, "My Honey and Me" peaked at #55 in 1970. Ingram's only big hit, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" reached #2 in 1972.

Ingram opened for Isaac Hayes for a few tours and co-wrote "Respect Yourself" by the Staples Singers. Ingram managed a few minor R&B hits, but could not avoid being a One Hit Wonder.

Sometimes an act just needs a boost to hit the limelight:

 

#439:  Snow Patrol--"Chasing Cars"

This group struggled until one of their songs was featured in the second season finale of the television drama Grey's Anatomy.  Founded in 1994, lead singer Gary Lightbody had to sell part of his record collection in 2001 just to keep the band going.

In 2005, Snow Patrol got a break in opening for U2 in concert.  The following year, they released the album Eyes Wide Open and a different single, but there was nothing to indicate that their fortunes would change from producing albums that got good reviews and a solid fan base but wasn't expanding.  Finally, Grey's Anatomy featured "Chasing Cars" and the song spread like wildfire.

"Chasing Cars" peaked at #5 in the United States and #6 in the U.K.  Snow Patrol was particularly strong in their native U.K., where the song remained in the Top 100 for 66 weeks and sold over one million copies.  It is nearly over four million in U.S. sales.  "Chasing Cars" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards.

At #438, another artist whose songwriting overshadowed his recordings:

  
#438:  Bob Lind --"Elusive Butterfly" 

Lind signed a recording contract with World Pacific Records in 1965.  This led to the release of "Elusive Butterfly", which reached #5 in the United States and the U.K.  But Lind's drug and alcohol problems made him hard to work with and in 1969, Lind and World Pacific parted ways.  

He dropped out of the music business for several years, but wrote five novels, an award-winning play, and a screenplay, Refuge, which won the Florida Screenwriters' Competition in 1991.

Lind has written songs recorded by over 200 artists, including the Four Tops, Cher, Glen Campbell, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton and Petula Clark.

All the planets were aligned properly for this group to score their one big hit:

 

#437:  Blink-182--"All The Small Things"

After years of recording and touring as an independent act, this act got its big break when they finally signed with MCA Records.  

By 1999, Blink-182 was one of the top international rock bands in the world, and the fact that they scored just one Top 40 career hit tells us a lot about the state of rock in 1999--unlike the four decades that preceded it, it just wasn't very good.  

The album Enema of the State was a massive success, however, which sold 15 million copies worldwide and yielded "All The Small Things", #2 in the U.K. and #6 in the United States.

The band managed three more Gold albums, but after "All The Small Things", the best they could do was #42.

An unfortunate disagreement with their record company kept this group from further success:

  
# 436:  Ninedays--"Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)"

John Hampson and Brian Desveaux formed this group in Long Island, New York in 1994 with keyboardist Jeremy Dean, bassist Nick Dimichino and drummer Vincent Tattanelli.  They released three independent albums in the 1990's before signing a recording contract with Sony Records and releasing their debut album The Madding Crowd.

Ninedays released the single "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" from the album.  The single rose to #3 in Canada, #6 in New Zealand and #7 in the United States.  The group planned another album on Sony , but a dispute with that record label resulted in a split.  Ninedays then released the album Flying The Corporate Jet on their own record label.

The group is still together performing, but both Hampson and Desveaux have pursued solo careers and other interests.  

At #435, this eclectic singer-songwriter:

 

    #435:  Bruce Cockburn--"Wondering Where the Lions Are"

Cockburn graduated from Nepean High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1964.  Pursuing his dream of being a musician, he attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston for three semesters.  Bruce joined the final lineup of the Esquires in 1967, then moved to Toronto to form the Flying Circus, which later became Olivus.  Olivus opened for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream in 1968.

Cockburn began his own career in 1969, headlining the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1969. In 1970, he released his self-titled debut album and he quickly attracted a following.   But it was in 1979 that Cockburn's appeal spread outside his native country with the album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws.  "Wondering Where the Lions Are" reached #21 in 1980. 

Cockburn became involved with progressive causes, and his songwriting in the 1980's reflected that.  His eclectic musical tastes are evident in music that ranges from folk to reggae to rock.  In 1998, Cockburn jammed with Grammy Award-winning musician Ali Farka Toure in West Africa.  The month-long experience was filmed and documented in River of Sand.

Cockburn has had his songs covered by artists such as Dan Fogelberg, Anne Murray, Jimmy Buffett, the Barenaked Ladies and Judy Collins. 

In 1982, Cockburn was honored as a Member of the Order of Canada and in 2002, he was promoted to Officer.  In 2001, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.  Bruce has received five honorary doctorate degrees.

Cockburn has released 25 albums and 32 singles, but other than "Wondering Where the Lions Are", that success has largely been confined to Canada.

At #434, an artist produced by Sylvia Robinson, herself a two-time One-Hit Wonder:

  
#434:  Shirley and Company--" Shame, Shame, Shame"

This act included lead singer Shirley Goodman, Jesus Alvarez, Walter Morris, Bernadette Randle, Seldon Powell, Jonathan Williams and Clarence Oliver.

Shirley and Company reached #12 in the United States and #6 in the U.K., and they achieved a #1 dance record in 1975 with this one.  Their only other single ("Cry Cry Cry") could not get past #91 later that year.

This One Hit Wonder, like most recording acts, went through numerous twists and turns (and name changes) before getting their big break:

  
#433:  Smokie--"Living Next Door To Alice"

This group formed when Ron Kelly and Alan Silson met by chance in Moore's Music Shop in Bradford, England in 1963.    Chris Norman joined them for rehearsals, and the trio practiced for a year without a suitable bassist.  Finally in 1965, the group added Terry Uttley on bass and they were set.  The group originally called themselves the Yen, then the Sphynx and Essence.  

Essence toured small clubs in the surrounding area before splitting in 1966.  Kelly joined the Black Cats which included Peter Eastwood on guitar and vocals and bassist Arthur Higgins.  Silson soon joined and Norman replaced Eastwood on vocals.  In 1967, the group changed their name to the Four Corners.  In 1968, Mark Jordan was hired as manager and he renamed them the Elizabethans.  Uttley then replaced Higgins, and the group was the same as it was in the original lineup.  

Jordan landed the group appearances on British television, and they recorded a demo tape.  RCA Records expressed interest but suggested a name change to Kindness.  When a single failed to sell, RCA lost interest.  But Steve Rowland had heard the group and signed them to his production company.  Albert Hammond, who was with the group Family Dogg with Rowland, wrote the song "It Never Rains In Southern California" for them, but before Kindness could release it, Hammond decided to record it himself.

In 1971, Dave Eager took over as manager of the group and Norman suffered a serious infection of his vocal chords.  After recovery, Norman's voice sounded much rougher.  The group signed with Decca Records and released three singles.  The group enjoyed some success but nevertheless, Decca terminated their contract.

But during this time, Eager arranged for the group to be the backing band of Peter Noone, formerly with Herman's Hermits.  Bill Hurley became the new manager after a nationwide tour with Noone.  Kelly left the group in 1973, when drummer Pete Spencer took over.  Hurley introduced the group to composers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who had written songs for Sweet, Hot Chocolate and Suzi Quatro, among others.  

This led to yet another name change to Smokey.  The group recorded their debut album, Pass It Around, in 1974, which led to a tour for Pilot ("Magic").  The following year, Smokey released the album Changing All the Time, which contained the single "If You Think You Know How to Love Me".  The song was #3 in their native Great Britain but only reached #96 in the United States.  The group changed the spelling of their name to Smokie to avoid confusion with Smokey Robinson, and headed out on their first tour as a headlining act.  

In 1976, the group finally scored a universal hit from their album Midnight Cafe.  "Living Next Door to Alice" reached #25 in the United States and enabled them to be European superstars with packed houses and million-selling albums.  Chris Norman combined with Quatro for the smash hit "Stumblin' In" in 1978, but Smokie themselves would never again achieve worldwide success despite the release of 21 career albums.

Up next, a man who has made contributions in music, movies, television and advertising:

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#432:  Joe Harnell--"Fly Me To The Moon"

Harnell began playing piano at age six and played in his father's ensembles at age 14.  He received a music scholarship to the University of Miami of Florida in the early 1940's, then joined the Air Force and played in Glenn Miller's Air Force Band.  Harnell studied at Trinity College of Music in London, then after his discharge from the military in 1946, at Tanglewood under Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.

In 1950, Harnell returned to New York City, and found work as an accompaniest for Judy Garland and Maurice Chevalier, among others.  Harnell was Peggy Lee's accompanist and arranger from 1958-1961.  Harnell then wrote bossa nova songs for Kapp Records, and "Fly Me to the Moon" became a #14 song in 1963 and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.  

Harnell went on to release 20 albums on Kapp, Columbia and Motown among others.  He wrote advertising jingles, then was the musical director for The Mike Douglas Show from 1967-1973.  Joe then worked on film and television scores, including The Incredible Hulk and The Bionic Woman, and Harnell won an Emmy Award for his work in V. Joe also composed the theme music for the soap opera Santa Barbara and then became a faculty member at USC as an instructor in film score composition.

The next featured artist is a Julliard-trained singer who has performed for five U.S. presidents:

  
#431:  Jane Morgan--"Fascination" 

Morgan began taking voice lessons and studying piano at age five.  In the summer, she appeared in theater productions at the Kennebunkport Playhouse in Kennebunkport, Maine.  After graduating from Seabreeze High School in Florida, Morgan gained admittance into the presitgious Julliard School of Music in New York City.  

Morgan studied opera at Julliard, and performed in nightclubs and at private parties to help pay her tuition.  Soon, Morgan was hired for $25 a week to sing at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.  Orchestra leader Art Mooney heard Jane and hired her initially, then in 1948, Morgan accompanied bandleader Bernard Hilda to Paris, France.  Hilda needed a singer to perform at a nightclub that he planned to open near the Eiffel Tower.  Morgan performed at the Club des Champs-Elysees, singing American songs by Cole Porter, George Gershwin and others in flawless French to mostly French audiences.

Morgan became a sensation throughout France and Morgan and Hilda soon began a weekly hour-long television show.  Jane began recording in 1949 on the French Polydor label.  In 1952, Morgan moved to Montreal, Canada, to perform a bilingual act at the Ritz Hotel using French and English.  She then returned to New York City with regular performances at upscale nightclubs.  Morgan then returned to Europe to perform at the London Palladium and Savoy Theatre.

Morgan returned to New York, where she was discovered by Dave Kapp, who had recently begun Kapp Records.  Morgan signed a recording contract about the same time as pianist Roger Williams, and the pair recorded "Two Different Worlds", which gave Morgan her first significant airplay in the United States.  Kapp brought the singing group the Troubadors to his studio to sing with Morgan on "Fascination".  

The song was released in 1957 and peaked at #7, sold over one million copies and remained on the chart for 29 weeks.  "The Day the Rains Came" reached #1 in the U.K. but found little success elsewhere.  In 1959, Morgan was featured on the television special Timex All-Star Jazz III with Louisa Armstrong and Lionel Hampton.

Morgan then turned to musicals on stage, appearing in Can-Can, Kiss Me, Kate, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and others and also performed on numerous television specials.  Jane performed for French President Charles de Gaulle, and for five U.S. Presidents:  John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush.  Morgan continued to record until 1968, but could never match the overall success of "Fascination".  

Join us tomorrow for 10 more One-Hit Wonders*, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #450-441

Get set for 10 more of the best One-Hit Wonders!

This talented act from the San Francisco Bay area performed their One Hit Wonder on American Bandstand and opened for Styx on a national tour in 1980:

#450:  Snail--"The Joker"

Bob O'Neill and Ron Fillmore began playing together in 1967 in the band Talon Wedge.  That group evolved into one of Santa Cruz's most-loved bands.  Snail released two albums, Snail and Flow, and played the club circuit around San Francisco until 1981.  Then, legal issues brought on by the bankrupt record label that controlled them forced the group to retire, just one step away from that big break they deservedly earned.  

Since then, the group members have been in contact and several reunions of Snail have sold out San Jose and Santa Cruz venues.  

  

#449:  Honeycombs--" Have I The Right?"

Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley saw this group (then going by the name of the Sheratons), and was impressed with lead singer Dennis D'ell and the fact that the group employed a female drummer, Anne ("Honey") Lantree.  As the group was looking for material to play for an upcoming audition with producer Joe Meek, Howard and Blaikley wrote a few songs for them.  The group played those songs and Meek recorded one of them, right then and there!

The result was "Have I The Right?", a Top 5 smash in 1964 (#1 in the U.K.).  The Honeycombs made many appearances on music television shows such as Top of the Pops, Ready Steady Go! and Shindig! and released 16 singles after "Have I The Right?", but the best they could do was #48.  

Up next, a group that disbanded soon after lead singer Robbie Williams put drug abuse above his career:

 

#448:  Take That:  "Back For Good"

Nigel Martin-Smith began a campaign in 1990 to audition young men who could sing and dance and held auditions in and around the Manchester, England area.  They were modeled after New Kids on the Block and the campaign was not much different than the Monkees of the 1960's, except Take That was nowhere near as successful as either.  

This universal smash hit of 1995 #1 in 13 countries, with a stop at #7 in the United States.  Lead singer Robbie Williams became jealous of leader Gary Barlow and his increasing drug use forced Williams's exit in 1995, right after the group's only hit.

Take That released 46 career singles, but "Back For Good" was the only one which caught on worldwide.

The artist at #447 was helped along by another Southern act, .38 Special:

#447:  Flirtin' With Disaster--Molly Hatchet  

This group was based in Jacksonville, Florida. Another Southern act, .38 Special, is credited with helping them on their way.  .38 Special recommended Molly Hatchet to manager Pat Armstrong, which led to a recording contract with Epic Records.

Combining hard rock with boogie and blues, the band had a unique sound compared to other Southern rock and roll bands. Molly Hatchet released their self-titled debut album in 1978, followed by Flirtin' with Disaster.  The title song reached #42 in the United States.  The next-best song they had was "Satisfied Man", which reached #81 in 1984. 

The group toured and developed a loyal fan base. There have been several reincarnations of the group, notable by the absence of any original members. Molly Hatchet still performs worldwide and has built a good following in Germany, the U.K., Sweden, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and other markets in Australia and the Pacific Rim.  

The group has released 13 albums in their career, but nothing else caught on besides "Flirtin' with Disaster".

This studio group enjoyed a smash in 1974:

  

#446:  Beach Baby--First Class

Most of the One Hit Wonders are artists who record and tour, but we have a few like this one.  The First Class was a studio group created by singer-songwriter John Carter and singers Tony Burrows and Chas Mills.  Carter wanted a vehicle for his songs and the First Class filled the need.

Carter had appeared as a backing vocalist for artists such as the Who ("I Can't Explain"), Tom Jones ("It's Not Unusual") and Jeff Beck prior to forming the group.  Burrows worked extensively as the lead singer for a succession of studio-only groups, including fellow One-Hit Wonders Edison Lighthouse and White Plains and also the Brotherhood of Man and the Pipkins.  Carter and his wife wrote "Beach Baby" in London, far from a beach.  

The song hit #4 in the United States and #13 in the U.K. in 1974.  There was a demand for live performances by the group, but neither Carter nor Burrows had the interest.  So a group formed to fill that need, even though none of them played on "Beach Baby" or any of the album's tracks.

Four singles failed to chart and a second album was unsuccessful, so Burrows and Carter declared the First Class over.

The dance craze of the 60's enabled this group to make the One-Hit Wonder spectacular:

  
#445:  Capitols--"Cool Jerk"  

This group formed in 1962 as the Caps with lead singer and drummer Samuel George, Ralph Julius Jones as vocalist, Don Storball on guitar and backing vocals and keyboardist and backing vocalist Richard Mitchell.  The group performed at a dance in Ann Arbor, Michigan headlined by Barbara Lewis, which led to a recording contract with Karen Records.  They recorded a single in 1963 which did not catch on, and the group dissolved.

Storball and Jones then wrote a song about a popular dance of the mid-60's called "the jerk".  Realizing the song was a hit, the group re-formed and recorded the song as "Cool Jerk".  The song reached #7 for the group and #2 on the R&B chart.  The Capitols then released two albums of mostly covers of Motown and other popular soul songs.  The albums failed, and out of eight additional singles, the best they could do was #65.  In 1969, the group broke up for good.

"Cool Jerk" has been used in Cool Whip commercials and has appeared on many soundtrack albums, including More American Graffiti and Home Alone 2:  Lost in New York.

Another English recording artist is cued up next in the One-Hit Wonder special:

  #444:  Crispian St. Peters--"Pied Piper"  

Crispian St. Peters (real name Robin Smith) went to Swanley Secondary Modern School in Kent, England.  He performed in several groups in England before EMI publicist David Nicholson heard him and eventually became his manager.  Nicholson suggested the stage name of Crispin Blacke and then subsequently Crispian St. Peters.  

In 1965, St. Peters signed a recording contract with Decca.  He released two unsuccessful singles and made appearances on U.K. television, including Ready Steady Go!  In 1966, St. Peters recorded his version of the We Five smash "You Were on My Mind", which was a Top 10 hit in Britain.  Finally, his fourth single, "The Pied Piper", became a worldwide hit, reaching #4 in the United States.  After this success, "You Were On my Mind" was re-released, and it reached #36.  But St. Peter's would never again hit the Top 20.

This group's sound may be familiar to you if you're a fan of Nickolodeon:

  
#443: Jive Five--"My True Story"

This group formed in Brooklyn, New York with Eugene Pitt, Jerome Hanna, Richard Harris, Thurmon Prophet and Norman Johnson.  The Jive Five signed a deal with Beltone Records and hit #3 with their One Hit Wonder in 1961.

After the death of Hanna in 1962, the group reorganized and recorded four other singles, but they couldn't follow up with other great songs, but they did have a nearly ten-year relationship providing the sound of the children's television network Nickolodeon. 

This group got a big break when DJ Alan Freed got behind them:

  
#442:  Impalas--"Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)"

The Impalas formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1958 with lead singer Joe "Speedo" Frazier, Richard Wagner, Lenny Renda and Tony Carlucci.  The group landed a contract with a small label called Hamilton before being discovered by songwriters Artie Zwirn and Aristides Giosasi, who had written "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)".  

In 1959, disc jockey Alan Freed heard the group, added his name to the writing credits for the song, and helped them get a deal with Cub Records, a subsidiary of MGM Records.  Cub released the single to huge success--it became a #2 song and sold over a million copies.  The Impalas recorded an album and released two other singles before breaking up in 1961.

This doo-wop group gave us a memorable song from 1965:

  
#441:  Ad Libs --"Boy From New York City" 

The Ad Libs originated in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1964 as the Creators with Hugh Harris, Danny Austin, Dave Watt, Norman Donegan and Mary Ann Thomas. Shortly after, the group changed their name to the Ad Libs. "The Boy from New York City" reached #8 in 1965.

The group released a follow-up, "He Ain't No Angel", which only got to #100. When their next two singles did not chart, Red Bird Records dropped their contract. The group continued to record into the 1980's, but could never match their initial success. 

We hope you enjoyed these 10, but tomorrow's should be even better!

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited: #460-451

We continue our salute today to The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*.  There's not only some amazing songs but many, many talented acts featured.

On several other Inside The Rock Era productions, including The Top 100 Albums of the Rock Era*, The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* and The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*, while we had input into the factors, the specials featured mathematics-based formulas.  The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders*, however, is entirely subjective.  Some organizations base their ranking of One-Hit Wonders solely on the songs.  We feel that is unfair to the artists themselves.

Rather, we base the ranking on several factors, including the popularity of the one big hit, both then and now, the musicianship and talent displayed on the song, including playing of instruments and songwriting, the background and experience of each artist, the quality of any future releases and the level of subsequent success and accomplishments.  In short, we looked at "the surprise factor"; in other words, how surprised we are that the artist never had another big hit.  And again, we remind you that these evaluations are completely subjective.

Some organizations, most notably VH-1, do a Top One-Hit Wonders special, then use the occasion to mock the artists.  That is not what we are here to do.  The vast majority of these 500 artists are extremely talented and worked very hard to achieve their success, however fleeting it may have been.  Included in this music special are artists who are veteran session musicians, artists who went to prestigious music schools, who collectively have been nominated for and won numerous music awards, including Grammys, Academy Awards, and others, child prodigies, and artists saluted by various Hall of Fame organizaitons, including The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Vocal Hall of Fame, and others, and honored by their respective countries with Legendary Awards. 

To mock these artists is to damage the credibility of the organization doing the ranking.  We for one are here to salute these artists, to congratulate them for their amazing achievements.  Anyone who is aware of the blood, sweat, tears and toil that go into being successful in the music business  and then mocks these artists--well, I venture to say there is more than mild jealousy involved.

This artist's one big hit was an instrumental for a song you know better by Johnny Rivers:

#460: Lonnie Mack--"Memphis"

Mack began his career in the mid-1950's, and seldom has there been an artist who has come and gone more often. Mack was a great guitarist, but didn't have the songwriting ability to get his songs played. He utilized elements of R&B, country, bluegrass, rockabilly, soul and gospel in his music.

Mack began playing acoustic guitar at age seven. In his mid-teens, he began performing in roadhouses in Cincinnati, Ohio.  In the late 1950's, Mack recorded "Pistol Packin' Mama" on Dobbs Records. He then worked as a session guitarist for Fraternity Records, playing on singles by local R&B artists.
In 1963, at the end of a recording session, Mack and his band were offered the remaining twenty minutes of studio time. Mack recorded an instrumental loosely based on the melody of Chuck Berry's song "Memphis, Tennessee".

While Mack was touring with singer-songwriter Troy Seals, a friend told him that his song "Memphis" was climbing the charts. Mack was completely surprised, saying he had no idea what was happening. "Memphis" rose to #5.

But despite releasing 11 career albums, the best that Lonnie could do after that was "Wham!", which reached #24 later that year. Mack did several recordings through 1971, then slipping into relative obscurity for 14 years. Mack himself said, "Seems like every time I get close to really making it, to climbing to the top of the mountain, that's when I pull out. I just pull up and run". 

In the early 70's, Mack played guitar in Dobie Gray's band.  In 1975, Mack was shot during an altercation with a police officer.  Lonnie recovered, but once again virtually disappeared from the music business.  He recorded a few albums that attracted little attention.

Besides his solo career, Mack has also recorded with the Doors, James Brown, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King, Ronnie Hawkins, Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins and others.  In 2005, Mack was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Other than his one big hit, this artist mostly stayed out of the limelight, but was a key force behind one of the biggest groups of the Rock Era:

#459:  Bob Crewe Generation--"Music to Watch Girls By" 

Bob Crewe co-wrote and produced a string of Top 10 hits for the Four Seasons and has written many great songs.  He learned music from 19th and 20th century classical composers and the giants of jazz and swing, including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.

Crewe initially landed recording contracts as a solo singing artist, but it was his songwriting that won him the greatest fame.  Crewe and pianist Frank Slay, Jr. formed a partnership that led to the creation of several hits.  Crewe was the singer on the Rays' hit "Silhouettes" in 1957, which reached #3, and the duo also wrote "Lah Dee Dah" for Billy Ford and Lillie Bryant and "Tallahassee Lassie" for Freddy Cannon.

As a solo artist, Crewe recorded two albums in 1961 that made him a teen heartthrob, with coverage in magazines such as 16 Magazine and to appearances on television variety shows.  

In the early 1960's, Crewe began writing with Bob Gaudio.  Their first work together was "Sherry" in 1962, which became one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* by the Four Seasons.  The pair followed "Sherry" with many others, including "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Rag Doll", "Walk Like a Man" and "Ronnie" for the Four Seasons and "The Sun Ain't Gonna' Shine (Anymore)", which became a hit for the Walker Brothers.  

In addition, Crewe oversaw recording sessions by artists such as Dee Dee Sharp, Ben E. King and the Orlons.  In 1965, Crewe began his own record label, DynoVoice Records.  The label released songs such as "A Lover's Concerto" by the Toys and Crewe was chiefly responsible for the success of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels.  With the guidance of Crewe, the group scored 11 Top 100 hits, capitalizing on Crewe's arrangements of "Devil with a Blue Dress On" and "Sock It to Me, Baby!".  Crewe also helped the career of the Tremeloes when they recorded "Silence Is Golden", a song originally recorded by the Four Seasons.

In 1967, Crewe, recording as The Bob Crewe Generation, released the instrumental single "Music to Watch Girls By".  The song became by far his biggest solo hit.  The Bob Crewe Generation also recorded the "Barbarella" Soundtrack in 1968.  

In 1967, Crewe and Gaudio teamed up to write "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", which reached #2 for Frankie Valli.  Crewe then collaborated with Oliver to produce his hits "Jean" and "Good Morning Starshine".  Bob continued to have a hand in  musical projects; in the mid-70's, he and Sir Monti Rock III formed Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, who had the hit "Get Dancin'", and produced "My Eyes Adored You" for Valli.  In 1977, Crewe and Kenny Nolan wrote "Lady Marmalade", which became a #1 smash for Labelle.

In 1985, Crewe was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.  He has written or produced songs for Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack, Lesley Gore, Bobby Darin and Patti LaBelle, among others.  His songwriting and work behind the scenes obviously made Crewe a major talent, but "Music to Watch Girls By" was his only major success as a solo artist.

This former singer on The Tonight Show enjoyed one big hit, though he should have had many more...

#458:  John O'Banion--"Love You Like I Never Loved Before"

O'Banion began performing in theater at age 13 and joined the band Hog Honda & the Chain Guards in Kokomo, Indiana.  He hosted his own radio show on WIOU at age 15 and his own local television show at age 20.  

John was the lead singer in Doc Severinsen's band (of The Tonight Show fame).  Johnny Carson was a big fan and supporter of O'Banion, who also appeared on television shows of Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas, as well as on American Bandstand and Solid Gold.

O'Banion left The Tonight Show to pursue a solo career and was the winning singer on the first episode of Star Search.  John released the single "Love You Like I Never Loved Before" in 1981, which reached #24.  He won the prestigious Tokyo Music Festival Award in 1982 with "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love", which later became a country hit for Crystal Gayle.  O'Banion further endeared himself to Japanese fans with two songs in the movie Legend of the Eight Samurai.  

O'Banion also starred in the movies Borderline with Charles Bronson and the television movie Courage with Sophia Loren and Billy Dee Williams.  In 1995, he released an album of jazz covers that included his versions of 10 CC's "I'm Not in Love", "Hearts", made popular by Marty Balin and Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love".  

O'Banion should have been a star, so this one is on radio for ignoring him.  He released four career albums.

This English artist enjoyed a worldwide hit in 1972:

#457:  Daniel Boone--"Beautiful Sunday"

Boone (real name Peter Green and then Peter Lee Stirling) began his career as the guitarist and lead singer of the Beachcombers, who played gigs in Birmingham, England from 1958-1962.  The group met up with Tommy Bruce ("Ain't Misbehavin'" from 1960 and released several records as Tommy Bruce and the Bruisers.

The group landed an appearance on the British television show Thank Your Lucky Stars but their records were not successful.  Stirling wrote several songs during this period, including "I Think of You" and "Don't Turn Around" for the Merseybeats.  The Bruisers broke up in 1967 and Stirling became the co-owner of a recording studio in London.  In 1971, he changed his name to Daniel Boone and joined Penny Farthing Records.

Daniel Boone co-wrote his One Hit Wonder that sold over two million copies worldwide.  It reached #15 in the United States and #21 in the U.K. in 1972.  Boone was especially popular in Germany, where "Beautiful Sunday" hit #1.  He released singles of both that song and the follow-up, "Annabelle", in German.  The song was also popular in much of Southeast Asia.  On the Japanese chart, "Beautiful Sunday" ranks 19th in all-time sales with nearly two million copies sold.

Here's one of many artists in the countdown who have made valuable contributions as a songwriter:

#456:  Van Stephenson--"Modern Day Delilah"

Stephenson played in several garage bands as a teenager, and and after graduation, gained a reputation as a songwriter for Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Restless Heart and Dan Seals.  Stephenson scored a recording contract and released his first album, China Girl, in 1981.  In 1984, Van reached #22 With "Modern Day Delilah".

Stephenson released two more albums and three singles, but the best he could do after his One Hit Wonder was #45.  He did go on to enjoy a successful foray into the much-smaller country music field with the group BlackHawk in the 1990's.  

A group from America's Pacific Northwest lands at #455:

#455:  Nu Shooz--"I Can't Wait"

The husband and wife team of John Smith and Valerie Day formed this group in Portland, Oregon, in 1979 that originally included 12 members.  They eventually pared their act down to seven members and released six career albums, but it was their third, Poolside, that contained their one big hit.  

"I Can't Wait" was originally released in Portland in 1985 and became a big local hit, but still the major labels, in their infinite wisdom, turned them down.  Peter Slaghuis remixed the song in the Netherlands, and once the head honchos at Atlantic Records heard that mix, they signed Nu Shooz to a recording contract.  It was still the same song by the same group that radio had ignored earlier, just the mix was different, but I digress...

Upon release in 1986, the song became a huge hit, reaching #3 in the United States.  The group released the single "Point Of No Return", which made it to #28.  Nu Shooz was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.  

In 1988, the group released the album Told 'U So.  The single "Should I Say Yes?" was a minor R&B hit but only reached #41 overall.     

Up next, the first of a husband and wife team who each enjoyed one big solo hit:

  
#454: Gwen McCrae--"Rockin' Chair"

McCrae began singing gospel music, then discovered the music of Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke. Gwen began performing in local clubs as a teenager. In 1963, she recorded a duo with husband George, and signed a solo contract with TK Records. Singer Betty Wright discovered the pair in 1967 and helped them sign with Alston Records. Thee singles by the duo were regional hits but that was all. They did manage to gain a reputation as excellent session vocalists, however.

Gwen signed another solo deal with TK subsidiary Cat Records and found some success on the much-smaller R&B chart. Then in 1975, she finally hit paydirt with the #9 song "Rockin' Chair". She signed with Atlantic Records and had a few more R&B hits after that. McCrae has recorded 14 albums in her career, but she could never match the success of "Rockin' Chair".

Here's the only living musician to be awarded the Order of Merit from the Jamaican government:

#453:  Jimmy Cliff--"I Can See Clearly Now"

Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica.  He began writing songs while at Primary school.  In 1962, Jimmy went to the Kingston Technical School in Kingston.  Cliff attempted to attract producers to record his songs without success.  Finally, he persuaded Leslie Kong to go into the recording business to record Jimmy's songs.  "Hurricane Hattie" became a local hit for Cliff when he was 14 years old.

In 1964, Cliff was chosen to be one of his country's representatives at the World's Fair.  Afterwards, he signed a recording contract with Island Records and moved to the U.K.  Cliff made his international debut with the album Hard Road to Travel.  A song written for him by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons called "Waterfall" won the International Song Festival and was a hit in Brazil.

In 1969, Cliff released the album Wonderful World, Beautiful People, which contained the great protest song "Vietnam".  In 1972, Jimmy starred in the reggae movie The Harder They Come.  The soundtrack album sold well and is credited with bringing reggae music to a worldwide audience.  

After a break, Cliff toured for several years and recorded with Kool & the Gang.  His album Cliff Hanger in 1985 won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.  But Jimmy still wasn't able to enjoy a popular hit.  Cliff collaborated with other artists on the song "Sun City" to protest the existing South African policy of apartheid.  He provided backing vocals for the Rolling Stones on their 1986 album Dirty Work, and Jimmy's song "Shelter of Your Love" was included in the movie Cocktail.  

Cliff performed at the Rock in Rio festival in 1991 and continued to have a following in his native country of Jamaica and the U.K.  He finally struck it big with his version of the Johnny Nash classic "I Can See Clearly Now".  The song was included on the "Cool Runnings" Soundtrack in 1993.  The song reached #18 overall and #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States, #23 in the U.K. and #1 in France.

Cliff performed at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and his song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was included in the soundtrack to the popular movie Something's Gotta' Give.  Cliff scored a big comeback in 2012 when his album Rebirth was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. 

In 2003, the Jamaican government honored Cliff with The Order of Merit in recognition of his contributions to the film and music of Jamaica.  In 2010, Cliff was inducted as one of the many artists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

At #452, a garage staple:

#452: Castaways--"Liar, Liar"

This garage group formed in the Twin Cities in Minnesota with James Donna on keyboards, guitarists Robert Folschow and Dick Roby, drummer Dennis Craswell and bassist Roy Hensley.  

Donna and Craswell wrote "Liar, Liar" with Donna's sister Joanne on a napkin at Donna's parents' house.  Donna and Craswell took the song to the other members of the Castaways who liked it.  The song found its way to Soma Records founder Amos Hellicher and the group signed a deal with Soma Records.  The song reached #12.  A follow-up was a regional hit but the group wasn't able to break through after their initial success.

This artist came up with one of the top songs of 1956 but it would be her last big hit: 

  
#451:  Cathy Carr--"Ivory Tower"

Carr appeared on a local New York City television show called The Children's Hour.  She later became a singer and dancer with the USO and joined big band orchestras led by Sammy Kaye, Johnny Dee and Larry Fontaine.

In 1953, Cathy signed with Coral Records, but was unsuccessful.  She switched to Fraternity Records in 1955.  Carr released five singles before the sixth, "Ivory Tower" caught on, becoming a #2 song in 1956.  It would be her first and last hit.  Carr went on to record five albums and release 29 singles.

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited:  #500-491

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited:  #490-481

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited:  #480-471

The Top 500 One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era Revisited:  #470-461

We're now well into our feature of 500 One-Hit Wonders*.  We hope you notice that the talent level and potential of the artist is going up; at least that's the intention of the ranking itself.  In any case, we hope you are enjoying the special and will continue to check out the web site through June 20 as we salute these 500 artists.  Tomorrow, artists ranked from #450 to 441.