National One-Hit Wonder Day (September 25th)
It’s exactly what everyone who loves music has been waiting for — a day to celebrate every artist who has conspired to give the world one massively successful song… and the grand total of nothing ever since! That’s right, it’s time for National One-Hit Wonder Day!
History of National One-Hit Wonder Day
National One-Hit Wonder Day was established by music journalist Steve Rosen back in 1990 to pay tribute to all of those who have had their fifteen minutes (or less) of fame and subsequently vanished, leaving the world with only a catchy (hopefully!) tune to remember them by. This day has been observed for more than two decades, and every year that adds new musicians to the list just makes the celebrations that much more rich and exciting.
From bizarre, middle-aged Spaniards, like Los Del Rio doing the “Macarena”, to beanie-hatted Daniel Powter singing about his “Bad Day”, via Lou Bega’s “Mambo #5”, the list of one-hit wonders is a long and varied one. No matter how famous they are or aren’t, songs like Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” sometimes have lyrics (they see me rollin’, they hatin’) that just can’t be ignored!
Because even more than 30 years later, it’s still hard for most anyone in a crowd of 40-somethings or older to say “867”, without someone responding with the rest of Jenny’s digits: “5309”. Thank you, Tommy Tutone.
So take some time in celebration of this day to dig out that old record collection and see how many of these unfortunate souls are lurking there! Then join together in sitting back, listening to their tunes and wondering what the heck these artists are doing now (apart from spending their massive royalty check).
How to Celebrate National One-Hit Wonder Day
Have some fun and enjoy some amazing music by celebrating National One-Hit Wonder Day with some of these delightful ideas:
Create a One-Hit Wonders Playlist
A super way to pay heed to National One-Hit Wonder Day might be to show appreciation by gathering them all together in one place on an incredible playlist. Head on over to Spotify, Apple Music, or another platform and choose the best tunes that align with the story of the guy or gal with one song who made it big and then disappeared.
Try out some of these One-Hit Wonders to get started on a playlist:
- My Sharona by The Knack (1979)
- Escape (The Piña Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes (1979)
- Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum (1970)
- Come On Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners (1982)
Host a One-Hit Wonders Party
Those who have a group of friends, family members or coworkers who are really into pop music of today and the past might have a barrel of laughs by hosting a party. After all, National One-Hit Wonder Day is just as good an excuse to have a party as any other, right? Of course, the theme of the party needs to be a variety of music and musicians that were a bit of a flash in the pan. Decorate and serve snacks that go along with the theme of music and quick hits.
Invite guests to dress up as their favorite one-hit wonder artists and let the other guests play a Game to guess who they are and what their song is. Dressing up as Vanilla Ice (of 1990 “Ice, Ice Baby” fame) or Tony Basil (with her random 1982 song “Mickey”) might just be the most fun costume party ever!
Write a One-Hit Wonder
The time has never been better for a random no-name to get noticed! With the advent of the internet, social media and YouTube, individuals with no prior experience can write, record and publish a song. With some luck and good vibes, perhaps it would be time for that little catchy tune to get some international attention and turn into the next one-hit wonder!
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