Yesterday for unknown reasons I decided to create a playlist consisting of one-hit wonders. These were no ordinary one-hit wonders, these were personal one-hit wonders. Songs buy individuals with only one song in my 9,705 song iTunes collection. There were other rules, for instance if the individual was part of a bigger collection (e.g. Soundtracks, Live Current CDs, etc.). they weren’t included in the list. Neither were songs included on mix CDs given to me by friends, or duets where I had more than one song by either of the featured singers (Madonna & Justin Timberlake, Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty). Some of my personal one-hit wonders surprised me, others I had no recollection of how they weaseled into the collection. Here’s a sampling of the 194 one-hit wonders.

Interesting Covers

• I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Amy Millian
• Hey Ya, Obidiah Parker and another version by Booker T. — both one-hit wonders
• Dead Flowers, Townes Van Zandt
• Halleuljah, John Cale, k.d. lang, Bono
• Even Here We are, Shawn Colvin/Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Fuck and Run, Cassettes Won’t Listen

On Topic, because I like to collect songs about certain subjects or with certain words

• Hips Don’t Lie, Shakira
• Sweet Lips, Big Hips, Shirley Brown
• Honey in Your Hips, Yardbirds
• Hips, Blanket Music
• Ruby, Apples in Stereo
• Ruby Soho, Rancid
• Ruby, Kaiser Chiefs

Nostalgia

• Freedom, Wham!
• Freedom 90, George Michael
• Bust a Move, Young MC
• Two Hearts, Stacey Q
• My Boyfriend’s Back, The Angels
• Turn Up the Radio, Autograph
• Those Were the Days, Mary Hopkins

Inexplicable

• When Children Cry (MarkOh Remix), White Lion

Oldies but Goodies

• Weekend in New England, Barry Manilow
• Hey Won’t You Play Another Love Song, BJ Thomas
• My Baby Loves Lovin’, White Plains
• Oh Sherrie, Steve Perry
• Peg, Steely Dance
• Dance with Me, Orleans
• Baby Got Back, Sir Mix A lot
• Against All Odds, Phil Collins
• Coca Cola Cowboy, Mel Tillis

Downloaded for Title Alone

• I Hate the Doors, $1000 Wedding
• I’m the Man Who Murdered Love, XTC (I am surprised I don’t have more XYC)
• The Ghost of an Unkissed Kiss, Trembling Blue Stars
• Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me, TISM
• Honey, Let me Sing You a Song, Matt Hires
• The Book of Right-on, Joanna Newsom (which I should just delete right now because I cannot handle her voice)
• What Poets Know, Jayber Crow
• The Library, Jason Anderson
• Sick Hipster Nursed by Suicide Girl, Film School
• I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You, Black Kids