One-Hit Wonders

Sarah Hill is Associate Professor of Popular Music and Tutorial Fellow at St Peter's College, University of Oxford, UK. She is Co-ordinating Editor of the journal Popular Music and Chair of the UK/Ireland branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. She is the author of 'Blerwytirhwng?' The Place of Welsh Pop Music (2007), Peter Gabriel, from Genesis to Growing Up (2010), and San Francisco and the Long 60s (Bloomsbury 2017).

One-hit wonders are pop’s overachieving underachievers, winners-but-losers that stretch categories – up to a point. In this big book of small fries, academics and musicians reckon with the results, from bubblegum to global pop – every musical identity ersatz, every twist and turn a chance to marvel, yet again: “How Bizarre.”

• List of FiguresAcknowledgementsThe Chart of the Book: One-Hit Wonders' Top HitsIntroductionSarah Hill, St Peter's College, University of Oxford, UK1. Buchanan & Goodman, "The Flying Saucer" Parts 1 & 2 (1956)Paul Carr, University of South Wales, UK2. The Kingsmen, "Louie Louie" (1963)Samuel Murray, Middlesex University, UK3. ? and the Mysterians, "96 Tears"Adam Behr, Newcastle University, UK4. The Easybeats, "Friday on My Mind" (1966)Dai Griffiths, Independent Scholar, Oxford, UK5. Norman Greenbaum, "Spirit in the Sky" (1969)Philip Auslander, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA6. The Archies, "Sugar Sugar" (1969)Jon Stewart, BIMM Institute, Brighton, UK7. Serge Gainsbourg, "Je t’aime(moi non plus" (1969)Philippe Gonin, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, France; trans. Jackie Ortiz8. Blue Swede, "Hooked On a Feeling" (1974)Sarah Hill, St. Peter's College, Oxford, UK; with Bengt Palmers9. Wild Cherry, "Play That Funky Music" (1976)Robert Fink, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, USA10. Althea and Donna, "Uptown Top Ranking" (1977)Paul Long, Monash University, Australia11. Plastic Bertrand, "Ça Plane Pour Moi" (1977)Patrick McGuinness, St. Anne's College, Oxford, UK12. Nick Gilder, "Hot Child in the City" (1978)Richard Parfitt, Independent Scholar, Wales, UK13. The Vapors, "Turning Japanese" (1980)Abigail Gardner, University of Gloucestershire, UK14. Aneka, "Japanese Boy" (1981)Richard Elliott, Newcastle University, UK15. Toni Basil, "Mickey" (1981)Tim J. Anderson, Old Dominion University, USA16. Trio, "Da Da Da" (1981)Tim Quirk, Singer and Lyricist, USA17. Nena, "99 Luftballons/99 Red Balloons" (1983)Melanie Schiller, University of Groningen, Netherlands18. The Grateful Dead, "Touch of Grey" (1987)Tom Irvine, University of Southampton, UK19. A View from the Ground: Latin Quarter, "Radio Africa" (1986)Michael Jones, Senior Lecturer in Music, University of Liverpool, UK20. A View from the Desk: Product ManagementSarah Hill, St. Peter's College, Oxford, UK21. Shakespear’s Sister, "Stay"(1992)Áine Mangaoang, University of Oslo, Norway22. OMC, "How Bizarre" (1996)Geoff Stahl, Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand23. The Butthole Surfers, "Pepper" (1996)Gina Arnold, University of San Francisco, USA24. Chumbawamba, "Tubthumping" (1997)Matt Grimes, Birmingham City University, UK25. Meredith Brooks, "Bitch" (1997)Asya Draganova, Birmingham City University, UK26. New Radicals, "You Get What You Give" (1998)Jon Gower, Independent Scholar, UK27. Las Ketchup, "Aserejé" (2002)Eulalia Febrer Coll, Conservatori Superior de Música de les Illes Balears and Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Spain28. Gotye ft. Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used to Know" (2011)Ellis Jones, University of Leeds, UKList of ContributorsIndex