http://www.answers.com/article/1227977/13-artists-you-didn-apos-t-realize-are-actually-one-hit-wonders?param4=fb-us-de-entertainment&param1=dyk&param2=7511101&param5=10152255732571186&param6=7511871
 
technically they are right in the sense that all of these people only had one song that was a hit by the standard of chart success, but not exactly who i think of when i hear the term "one-hit wonder".  I think the need a better term for people like this.  reading this made me realize that a lot of "one-hit wonders" technically had more than one chart hit, but most don't remember the other "hit".  Says a lot about how charts work.

The site doesn't seem to agree with my computer - froze at Jimi. Which is as well, because I can't stomach Jimi being labelled a one-hit wonder. ;)
 
I remember reading a similar list a while ago though - of genuine one hit wonders and, also quite interesting, a list of chart toppers who'd filled for bankruptcy, among which, the Goo-Goo Dolls.
 
Hard to conceive that you be left w/o a penny after writing a hit like Iris...

i think a common factor among people like Jimi is that their popularity overall increased more after their song were no longer on the charts.  Although a songs like "Foxy Lady", "Wind Cries Mary" and "Purple Haze" are played every day all around the world and consistently sold, they lack the  new artist publicity push to sell millions in one week and have Clear Channel radio stations play song 5 times per hour each station for a couple of months before abandoning for next pop song.  the music industry has changed.  Things were not as heavily singles driven as they are now.  many great groups released few singles and this did not have a chance to chart many singles.
 
Regarding the latter part of your post, i actually understand it since it happens so often.  look at people like Croce and the all the many other great songwriters/performers who died broke.  Most music contracts suck and have mostfly been heavily favored towards the label.  fortunately Croce's widow, i believe, was able to recoup income after his passing.

I cannot hear "one hit wonder" without thinking of this....
 

lol

dubdisciple
Regarding the latter part of your post, i actually understand it since it happens so often.  look at people like Croce and the all the many other great songwriters/performers who died broke.  Most music contracts suck and have mostfly been heavily favored towards the label.  fortunately Croce's widow, i believe, was able to recoup income after his passing.

Yup, that I'm a bit familiar with and I can see exactly how it happens. When an artist makes millions, usually it's because others have already made a fortune on his/her back. 
 
At first sight, it just seem incredibly "unfair", as reluctant as I am to dabble with the concept of "fairness", especially when something involves $.

They omitted my favorite one-hit-wonder, Dexys Midnight Runners' "Not Now Eileen".  It was used in the wonderful movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".  You can see the scene here:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r590TaHktEo
 
Lots of fun.
 
 

 

Rain

dubdisciple
Regarding the latter part of your post, i actually understand it since it happens so often.  look at people like Croce and the all the many other great songwriters/performers who died broke.  Most music contracts suck and have mostfly been heavily favored towards the label.  fortunately Croce's widow, i believe, was able to recoup income after his passing.

Yup, that I'm a bit familiar with and I can see exactly how it happens. When an artist makes millions, usually it's because others have already made a fortune on his/her back. 
 
At first sight, it just seem incredibly "unfair", as reluctant as I am to dabble with the concept of "fairness", especially when something involves $.

 
it is terribly sad but i have watched the progression a few times firsthand.  Obviously not on that level.  When an artists goes from performing at coffee houses and dive bars for beer money to that first advance it seems awesome.  having YOUR record on the radio and fans cheering for you it seems great but sooner or later tha tcontract seems awful when you realize that the percentage that looked so great when you were makming peanuts does not look so great when you are selling millions of records.  Since the average pop star fizzles within 7 years there is not time to sign a better contract when the initial crappy one expires.  the artists that  sign the meg-adeals with guaranteed figures of megamillions like the madonnas, beyonce, marish careys of the world either bucked the odds and had longer careers than typical or had a contract expiring when they were actually increasing in popularity and able to call their own shots.  Even the veteran bands from the classic rock error made exponentially more from huge tours built off of loyal  baby boomer fans than they did off the record sales of their early hits. the changing distribution methods may help improve these things, but for now, trust me when i say many of these rappers driving maybachs and bragging about money are broke!! Even that jewelry is purchased on advance money tha twill be sucked up by record label out of what little cut they actually get from sales.

dmbaer
They omitted my favorite one-hit-wonder, Dexys Midnight Runners' "Not Now Eileen".  It was used in the wonderful movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".  You can see the scene here:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r590TaHktEo
 
Lots of fun.
 
 

i never saw that movie. Might have to check out .  It was not included because everyone knows they are a one-hitter.  this list was strictly people who people don't think of as such.   I think the group fell apart shortly after hit.

I love one hit wonders. And I love lists like these even more. Most folks...including my ownself..."mis-remember" that many of their favorites never did that well on the charts.

But I still think Randy's "I Love LA" cracked the top forty as well.

Wrong...of course...only 110.