Artists Whose First Hit Was Their Biggest--Part 10

William DeVaughn

"Be Thankful For What You Got"

He held a job working for the United States government when he released his first single.  William DeVaughn climbed to #4 with it, but was never able to reach the Top 40 again.

Devo

"Whip It"

This group from Akron, Ohio was named for the theory of "de-evolution", or the regression of mankind.  Their first release sold over one million copies.  Although they recorded other good songs, they were strangers to the Top 40 after that.  Jerry Mothersbaugh of the group went on to become a director for music videos, including "Big Me" for the Foo Fighters.

Dexys Midnight Runners
"Come On Eileen"

Here's one of the great One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era, a Birmingham, England group that raced to #1 with their debut, but were unable to get higher than #86 with future releases.

Dick and DeeDee
"The Mountain's High"

This couple formed a duo when they were high school students in Santa Monica, California.  Their first release stopped one position shy of the top  in 1961.  They did reach #13 three years later with "Thou Shalt Not Steal".

Mark Dinning
"Teen Angel"

Here's another artist whose only appearance in the Top 40 was his first hit, a #1 smash in 1960.

Dixie Cups
"Chapel Of Love"

This New Orleans trio generated a #1 classic right in the thick of Beatlemania in 1964.  The Dixie Cups got to #12 with their follow-up, but nothing in their career came close to "Chapel Of Love".

Carl Dobkins, Jr.
"My Heart Is An Open Book"

This artist landed at #3 with his debut in 1959, but was never able to approach that.

Bill Doggett
"Honky Tonk"

Here's one of the great pianists, who formed his own band in 1938.  He recorded with the Ink Spots, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and many others.  In 1956, his first release went to #2 for three weeks, one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*.  The best Doggett could do after that was #26.

Thomas Dolby
"She Blinded Me With Science"

Here's another great first song, released in 1983.  It hit #5, but that was pretty much the last we heard from the talented Thomas Dolby.

Doors
"Light My Fire"

When an artist releases a song as monumental as this one, pretty tough to match that.  The Doors were a supergroup with 17 hits and two other Top 10 songs, including another #1, "Hello, I Love You".  But when you own The #17 Song for the last 60 years*, that's a high bar to set with your first single.

Artists Whose First Hit Was Their Biggest--Part Nine

As we've said, this isn't an all-inclusive list, but our series gives you some idea of how an artist will work for years to come up with something worthy of a recording contract, and once they get it and release the best song they've done to that point, it's tough indeed to match it.

Dale & Grace

"I'm Leaving It Up To You"

This vocal duo from Prairieville, Louisiana scored a multi-format #1 smash in 1963.  They were able to reach #8 with their follow-up, but well short of the standard they had set for themselves.

Danny & the Juniors

"At The Hop"

To those of you in high school, perk those ears up.  This act formed while at a Philadelphia High School.  They took the world by storm with a gigantic #1 hit of seven weeks.  After that, Dann & the Juniors could only manage #19.

DeCastro Sisters

"Teach Me Tonight"

This group of sisters came all the way from a sugar plantation in Cuba to reach #2 with their first release.  Six other releases gave them a best of #17.

Joey Dee & the Starliters

"Peppermint Twist"

Joey Dee was a high school classmate of the Shirelles in New Jersey.  They landed at #1 with a great #1 song.  They achieved another Top 10 and eight more hits, and in 1964, the band included three members who later formed the Young Rascals and Jimi Hendrix on guitar.

Delfonics

"La-La-Means I Love You"

One of the many great R&B acts from Philadelphia, the Delfonics hit #4 with their first release.  Several years later, they achieved a second Top 10 with "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" and had more than a dozen R&B hits.

Dell-Vikings

"Come Go With Me"

This interracial doo-wop group formed at the Air Force Serviceman's Club in Pittsburgh in 1955.  Their debut single went to #4 and sold over one million copies.  They achieved two other Top 15 hits that year, then disappeared.

Martin Denny

"Quiet Village"

Another Gold record came from Martin Denny's first release in 1959.  But that was his last Top 20 hit.

Deodato

"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)"

Rio De Janieiro, Brazil's Eumir Deodato only had one big hit, but that first release is instantly recognizable worldwide as the theme to the futuristic movie 2001:  A Space Odyssey.  Deodato became Kool & the Gang's producer from 1979 to 1982.

Rick Derringer

Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo"

A teenage singer and guitarist with the McCoys on "Hang On Sloopy", Rick Derringer released his first solo record in 1974.  He never reached the Top 40 again.

Des'ree

"You Gotta' Be"

London-born Des'ree scored a huge hit in 1994 with her first release, but for the rest of her career, the best she could attain was #67.

This Date in Rock Music History: September 20

1957:  Buddy Holly released the single "Peggy Sue".  (Note:  one website reports the song was released in July.  According to the Buddy Holly Center in his birthplace--Lubbock, Texas, the song was released September 20.)










backed with "Everyday".

1964:  The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a repeat (rerun) of their performance on February 16.
1964:  The Beatles wrapped up their first tour of North America with a charity concert at the Paramount Theatre in New York City.
1967:  Rick Nelson and wife celebrated the birth of twins Gunnar and Matthew, who would go on to form the group Nelson ("(Can't Live Without Your) Love And Affection").
1969:  During a band meeting in London, John Lennon announced he was leaving the Beatles.
1969:  The self-titled Blind Faith album was #1 in the U.K.
1969:  "Share Your Love With Me" by Aretha Franklin ran its winning streak to five weeks at #1 on the R&B chart.

1969:  Blind Faith rose to #1 on the Album chart in the U.S. with their self-titled release.  Johnny Cash at San Quentin fell and word of mouth was beginning to sell the great debut album Blood, Sweat & Tears.  The Soundtrack to "Hair" came in fourth, just ahead of the mind-blowing move from 127 to #5 for Green River by CCR.  The rest of the Top 10:  In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly in its 62nd week, the Best of Cream, Smash Hits from the Jimi Hendrix Experience at #8, The Soft Parade from the Doors, and the compilation Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Volume 2) by the Rolling Stones entered the Top 10.






1969:  Elvis Presley had his biggest song in years and one of the fastest-risers as well--"Suspicious Minds", which moved from #77 to #36 on this date.
1969:  Oliver reached #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Jean" from the movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
1969:  Today was the day that "Sugar, Sugar" by the Archies first hit #1, besting "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones.
1970:  Jim Morrison was found guilty of indecent exposure and profanity in Miami, Florida.  The charges stemmed from Morrison's desperate attempt to gain attention near the end of his life when he exposed himself while on stage in Miami.  (Note:  one website falsely says Morrison was arrested in Miami on this date.  Morrison turned himself in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 4, 1969.  On September 20, Morrison was found guilty of the charges, according to 'CNN' and numerous other reliable sources.)
1971:  Peter Frampton left the group Humble Pie to begin a solo career.
1973:  Elton John, Carole King, Jackson Browne and Neil Young & Crazy Horse opened the Roxy in style in Los Angeles.








1973:  The great Jim Croce, who was on the verge of superstardom, died at age 30 when his light plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
1975:  The Bay City Rollers appeared on the show called  Howard Cosell's Saturday Night Live on ABC-TV.
1975:  Between the Lines by Janis Ian was the #1 album, displacing the Isley Brothers LP The Heat is On.  Two new entries in the Top 10:  Born to Run from Bruce Springsteen moved from #84 to #8 while Pick of the Litter gave the Spinners a Top 10 album.
1975:  Most will remember this gem from 1975--the #1 song on the R&B chart for Tavares--"It Only Takes A Minute".
1975:  John Denver owned the top Easy Listening song with "I'm Sorry".




1975:  Neil Sedaka and Elton John moved from 66 to 32 with "Bad Blood".
1976:  The Captain & Tennille began their variety show on ABC-TV.











1977:  Linda Ronstadt released her remake of the Buddy Holly classic "It's So Easy".
1980:  Kate Bush owned the #1 album in the U.K. with Never for Ever.
1980:  The Game by Queen took over on the U.S. Album chart from the great album Hold Out by Jackson Browne.  Diana from Diana Ross was third with the Rolling Stones tumbling with their former #1 Emotional Rescue.  The Cars moved from 12-5 with their third album Panorama while the self-titled Christopher Cross was still at 6.  The rest of the Top 10:  George Benson's Give Me the Night, two great movie soundtracks, "Xanadu" and "Urban Cowboy" and Pat Benatar's breakthrough album Crimes of Passion moved from 16-10.





1980:  Dionne Warwick had one of The Top Adult Contemporary Songs of the 1980's*--"No Night So Long", which first reached #1 on this date.
1980:  Larry Graham had the only new Top 10 song on the Popular chart--"One In A Million You".
1983:  Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood performed at the ARMS benefit concert to raise money for multiple sclerosis research at Royal Albert Hall in London.







1985:  Simple Minds released the single "Alive And Kicking".
1986:  Oran "Juice" Jones hit #1 on the R&B chart with "The Rain".







1986:  The Soundtrack to "Top Gun" took over the #1 position on the Album chart from Madonna's True Blue.  Huey Lewis had the only new entry but it was a big one--the great album Fore! moved from #42 to #10 in its second week of release.
1986:  Huey Lewis & the News grabbed the #1 spot with "Stuck With You" but Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson were close behind with their song "Friends And Lovers".  Lionel Richie fell after peaking at 2 with "Dancing On The Ceiling".  The rest of the Top 10:  Run-D.M.C. with their remake of the Aerosmith classic "Walk This Way" (never remake classics...).  The rest of the Top 10:  Canada's Glass Tiger with "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)", Daryl Hall's solo hit "Dreamtime", Janet Jackson had "When I Think Of You" which moved from 14 to 7, Stacey Q and "Two Of Hearts", Berlin was down with their former #1 "Take My Breath Away" and Billy Ocean's sixth but next-to-last Top 10 "Love Zone" was #10.
1986:  Huey Lewis & the News were on top of the AC chart with "Stuck With You".




1991:  Tom Cochrane released the single "Life Is A Highway". It did not become a hit until May of 1992.
1995:  Natalie Merchant began her first solo tour after she had left the group 10,000 Maniacs.
1997:  Elton John scored the #1 song in the U.K. with "Something About The Way You Look Tonight".

1997:  Jewel's masterpiece album Pieces of You was still in the Top 10 on this date after 82 weeks of release; in fact, it was moving back up to #5.
2002:  Nils Stevenson, former manager of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Sex Pistols, died at the age of 49 in London.
2003:  Nelly Furtado gave birth to daughter Nevis at a hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
2005:  J.D. Fortune of Canada won an audition to replace the late Michael Hutchence as the new lead singer of INXS.
2006:  The Rolling Stones continued their tour A Bigger Bang with the fall segment beginning at Gillette Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts.
2009:  Muse had the top U.K. album with The Resistance.


Born This Day:
1924:  Gogi Grant, who scored one of the biggest hits early in the Rock Era ("The Wayward Wind", #1 for eight weeks in 1956) and who dubbed Ann Blyth's vocals in The Helen Morgan Story, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died March 10, 2016 in Los Angeles.
1945:  Sweet Pea Atkinson of Was Not Was 

1946:  Mick Rogers (real name Michael Oldroyd), guitarist, singer and songwriter of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, was born in Dovercourt, Essex, England.  (Note:  some websites falsely spell the name Dover Court.  The correct spelling is Dovercourt.)

1948:  Not one but two sets of musical twins born today--Chuck Panozzo, bassist of Styx, was born in Chicago, Illinois.  (Note:  the birth years of both Chuck and John are reported as 1947 or 1949 by some websites.  According to the official website for fellow Styx member Tommy Shaw, the Panozzo's were born in 1948.)
1948:  John Panozzo, drummer of Styx, was born in Chicago.
1957:  Alannah Currie, saxophonist with the Thompson Twins, was born in Auckland, New Zealand.  (Note:  Allmusic.com reports the birth as September 28, but nearly every other source lists it as September 20.)
1960:  Robert Wiggins of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five; died September 8, 1989 of a heart attack brought on by crack cocaine.

1960:  David Hemingway of the Housemartins was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

1966:  Elite guitarist Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme was born in Praia da Vitória, Terceira, Açores, Portugal.
1967:  Gunnar Nelson of the group Nelson, and the son of Rick Nelson, was born in Santa Monica, California.
1967:  Matthew Nelson, Gunnar's twin brother and son of Rick, of the group Nelson was born in Santa Monica, California.
1968:  Ben Shepherd, bassist of Soundgarden, was born in Okinawa, Japan.
1979:  Rick Woolstenhulme, drummer of Lifehouse, was born in Gilbert, Arizona.