Sometimes, even one-hit wonders aren’t just one-hit wonders, at least to their biggest fans. Here are a few one-hit wonders, and some other “hits” of theirs you might be less familiar with.
“Geno” by Dexys Midnight Runners
Before “Come On Eileen”, Dexys Midnight Runners had their first-ever No. 1 hit with “Geno” in the UK. This was the second song the group ever released, and the lead single to their debut album. The song was actually meant to be a tribute to R&B singer Geno Washington. In fact, it features a sample from one of Washington’s favorite albums at the beginning.
Videos by American Songwriter
“The Sun Always Shines On T.V.” by a-ha
Ironically, in the places where commercially, a-ha’s “Take On Me” was lacking, if any, this song seemed to make up for it. While “Take On Me” only peaked at No. 2 in the UK, this song found its way to the top spot for about two weeks. As Pal Waakataar described it, this one is about how things on TV can often be better than real life.
“‘The Sun Always Shines On T.V.’ was written on one of those down days,” he shared with 1000 UK No. 1’s. “Me and Mags (Furuholmen, keyboards) were in a hotel watching English television on a rainy day and the guy announcing the program says, ‘It’s a rainy day but, as always, the sun always shines on TV.’ The song is about the power of television and the way television presents life.”
“Torch” by Soft Cell
While “Tainted Love” was Soft Cell’s first and most successful hit, it certainly wasn’t their last. The group also found success with songs like “Torch”, which peaked at No. 2 in the UK. Songs like “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” and “What” were also hits, peaking at No. 3.
In an interview with Alexander Laurence, Mark Almond talked a little about “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”. Almond was the vocalist for Soft Cell.
“In Britain, [‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ is] the more popular song. ‘Tainted Love’ is a song that has a life of its own, and I don’t have anything to do with,” he shared. “…It’s been a good friend, because when I play a concert and people don’t know me very well, and it’s going down like a lead balloon, all I have to do is bring out ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ or ‘Tainted Love’ and suddenly I have everybody.”
Photo by: Lorne Thomson/Redferns