#8: My Number Ones

Nothing gold (or even platinum) can stay. This is my last blog post, at least for the time being. Because the goal of this project was to analyze and share music I am passionate about with readers, I’m concluding this phase of my blog by telling you some of my all-time favorite one-hit wonders. There’s

#7: Sing to the Lord a New Song

What brings out passion in an artist better than their faith (or lack thereof)? The following one-hit wonders tackle the topics of religion, God, and the afterlife with gusto, taking the nation by storm. There are plenty of other gorgeous religious one-hit wonders (and I highly recommend you check out the Singing Nun’s “Dominique”), but

#6: Shoot for the Moon

It puzzles me relentlessly how guns have become a recurring topic of interest for one-hit wonders. When you imagine the kind of song that inspires you to crank up the volume and sing along, you don’t envision lyrics about violence and murder. However, I’d be lying if I said some of the following songs weren’t

#5: When Ear Candy Meets Nose Candy

It’s no shock that the eighties brought a plethora of songs about drug usage. Cocaine was in its prime, serving as the drug of choice for Hollywood stars and Wall Street stockbrokers alike. Unfortunately, blow was even responsible for the death of comedy legend John Belushi. Let’s explore how cocaine and other drugs made their

#4: Anti-Establishmentarianism Goes Commercial

This week, I’m tackling some of the cheekiest songs to hit the charts. The fact that these songs were able to find widespread success despite their controversial nature speaks to their universality and captivating nature. From garage punk to vaporwave, music has long served as a vehicle for dissension and insubordination. Here, we’ll see how

#3: Getting to the Core of Success (How Apple Launched So Many OHWs)

This week’s collection of feel-good jams highlights then-unknown songs that Apple launched into success by featuring them in commercials. Each song evokes a slightly different set of feelings, but all of them take me back to happy times during my childhood when I didn’t have to worry about things like quarantine or taxes. I happen

#2: Music is the Answer

One surefire way to get people talking about your music is to compose a response song. The resulting controversy can make an ordinary melody spread like wildfire, especially when the lyrics pertain to intriguing topics like war, illegal substances, and infidelity. To be clear, most of the following songs strike me as a cheap attempt

#1: When Wonderland Meets Hollywood

Movies have served as vehicles for musical success across the decades. In this week’s post, I’m reviewing some of the most memorable examples of how music artists achieved momentary greatness by tapping into the world of cinema. Tip: Click on the song titles to listen to these one-hit wonders in all their glory! “To Sir