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One-Hit Wonder Challenge

Rotblatt Mar 27 2006 01:17 PM

So I was listeing to "I'm Turning Japanese" by the Vapors this morning, and it got me thinking about one-hit wonders. During my commute, I thought of another possible ladder challenge. 1. Same ladder format as BLC, but 2. When a sponsor challenges a band, he not only lists the song of the band he's sponsoring, but also what he considers to be the next-best song the defending band. 3. The defending band has 24 hours to pick the second-best song of the challenger, then the voting starts. 4. The first vote is for which one-hit wonder's song is better. 5. The second for which counter song is WORSE. 6. Combined total score wins the contest. For example. Cooby is the sponsor of Daydream by the Lovin' Spoonful, sitting pretty at #2 on the ladder. I challenge Daydream with Jump Around by House of Pain. I then select Do You Believe In Magic as my counter song. Cooby selects, say, Put On Your Shit Kickers as her counter song. Final Tally: OHW Challenge: Daydream v. Jump Around LL's Daydream v. HoP's Jump Around: 10 to 3 DYBIM v. Shit Kickers: 0 to 13 House of Pain wins, 16-10, as voters determine that compared to House of Pain, the Lovin' Spoonful is, at minimum, a two-hit wonder. The dual voting should reward bands who had one seriously kick-ass hit, and absolute crap aside from that. It should also eliminate powerhouse bands like the Beatles from competing against the true one-hit wonders. Whaddya think?

cooby Mar 27 2006 01:27 PM

So you're saying you don't like "Summer in the City"?

cooby Mar 27 2006 01:27 PM

So you're saying you don't like "Summer in the City"?

Edgy DC Mar 27 2006 01:44 PM

This sounds promising, but the NBF is becoming all rock'n'roll all the time.

Edgy DC Mar 27 2006 01:49 PM

Cooby's doop above is probably the fault of the forum slowing down. I think its fixed now.

cooby Mar 27 2006 01:51 PM

Yes, that's right, I wasn't being a smart alec.

sharpie Mar 27 2006 01:53 PM

"Do You Believe in Magic" also. Lovin' Spoonful can't be part of that competition. Someone could probably make a decent entry of them in the BLC. I think the BLC is all-consuming for rock & roll contests now. Bring this up again in a few months.

Edgy DC Mar 27 2006 01:55 PM

I think that's his point. If you read the scenario, the present of DYBiM "defeats" The Lovin' Spoonful.

HahnSolo Mar 27 2006 02:05 PM

Doesn't being a One Hit wonder negate the chance that anybody knows a "second best song" by said one hit wonder?

Rotblatt Mar 27 2006 02:09 PM

]So you're saying you don't like "Summer in the City"? Wow, I totally forgot they did Summer in the City! That IS a great song. ]I think that's his point. If you read the scenario, the present of DYBiM "defeats" The Lovin' Spoonful. Yeah, Edgy's right--I was using a band that ISN'T a one-hit wonder to demonstrate the challenge's efficacy. Someone COULD nominate the LS, but they wouldn't get very far. ]"Do You Believe in Magic" also. Lovin' Spoonful can't be part of that competition. Someone could probably make a decent entry of them in the BLC. I agree, but I'm (clearly) not familiar enough with the Lovin' Spoonful to sponsor them in the BLC, although it sounds like cooby might be . . . ]I think the BLC is all-consuming for rock & roll contests now. Bring this up again in a few months. Word. That makes sense, although I'm dying to know where "Sister Christian," "Turning Japanese," "Whip It," "Wiggle It" and "Funkytown" end up (that's my preliminary list). Sister Christian's my early favorite, but for all I know, Night Ranger has 9 other songs just as awesome . . .

sharpie Mar 27 2006 02:10 PM

"Girl U Want" was a minor hit for Devo, as was their version of "Satisfaction."

Rotblatt Mar 27 2006 02:12 PM

HahnSolo wrote: Doesn't being a One Hit wonder negate the chance that anybody knows a "second best song" by said one hit wonder? Yup. They'd have to throw some random shit out there, which would make contests of TRUE one-hit wonders about their one hits rather than their second-best songs. It'll come in handy in tie-breaker situations too. Maybe the Vapor's second-best song is just a hair worse than Devo's, for example.

RealityChuck Mar 27 2006 02:12 PM

But most one-hit wonders don't even have a second hit. Since no one is familiar with it, it won't work. For instance: John Fred and His Playboy Band. I doubt anyone has ever heard anything by them other than "Judy in Disguise." Or Norman Greenbaum. Also, what about the Grateful Dead, who only had one hit?

sharpie Mar 27 2006 02:16 PM

Then we get into a discussion of what is a hit. "Canned Ham" was Norman Greenbaum's follow-up to "Spirit in the Sky." Needless to say it didn't go anywhere but I can name the song. "Truckin'" and "Touch of Gray" were both hits for the Dead. Patti Smith and Lou Reed also had no other hits but I don't think it serves anything to introduce people like that into that kind of contest because of course people could easily name other songs by them.

Edgy DC Mar 27 2006 02:20 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 27 2006 02:34 PM

Some songs can be radio hits but not released as a single, or move only on niche charts. "That's What I Like About You" splashed all over MTV, but the record company wasn't ready for it and it wasn't distributed in time. The record went nowhere even though everybody in the USA knew it. The stupid company made up for it by spreading he Romantics' next record ("Talking in Your Sleep") far and wide. It got airplay, made top ten, but stunk and was soon forgotten in the popular consciousness, while "That's What I Like About You" remains in radio playlists 'til this day.

Rotblatt Mar 27 2006 02:23 PM

RealityChuck wrote: But most one-hit wonders don't even have a second hit. Since no one is familiar with it, it won't work. Oh, but it will. The counter songs will weed out the bands (or individuals) with more than one decent song. For those true one-hit wonders, their crappy, unrecogizable second songs will cancel each other out. For example, without the second song, maybe I could run Devo up into the top 10 OHW, but WITH the second song, Sharpie might be able to keep me off the top 100 because Satisfaction and/or Girl U Want are actually pretty good.

Rotblatt Mar 27 2006 02:28 PM

sharpie wrote: Then we get into a discussion of what is a hit. "Canned Ham" was Norman Greenbaum's follow-up to "Spirit in the Sky." Needless to say it didn't go anywhere but I can name the song. "Truckin'" and "Touch of Gray" were both hits for the Dead. Patti Smith and Lou Reed also had no other hits but I don't think it serves anything to introduce people like that into that kind of contest because of course people could easily name other songs by them. I guess I was thinking in terms of popularity only as defined by those of us voting. So while Ice, Ice Baby might have beeen a hit, if CPF voters didn't like it, it won't get very far. Best One-Hit Wonders as Determined by Members of the Crane Pool Forum is a more apt title, but it's kind of a mouthful . . .

Willets Point Mar 27 2006 02:34 PM

I don't get it but have fun. I also don't buy the "too much music discussion in the NBF" argument. This is the forum to discuss whatever you want and if a lot of us like talking about music so be it. I don't gripe about all the times I get pissed off when I go to see new posts and it's just "J-E-T-S" or "Going Back To School" or "Orange Basketball" going to page gazillion. Ok I just did but you get my point.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 27 2006 02:38 PM

"Talkin in Your Sleep" is a perfectly cromulent single

soupcan Mar 27 2006 02:47 PM

Question Mark and The Mysterians - '96 Tears' Contest over.

Giant Squidlike Creature Mar 27 2006 02:49 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: "Talkin in Your Sleep" is a perfectly cromulent single Sure you don't mean "somnolent"? (Pun on song title).

RealityChuck Mar 27 2006 04:32 PM

sharpie wrote: "Truckin'" and "Touch of Gray" were both hits for the Dead. Not unless you consider #64 a hit (note that John Fred and the Playboy Band did better than that on one of their songs). Only "Touch of Gray" is listed on the "Pop Singles" or "Top 100" as reaching the top 40, the basic definition of a hit. ="Rotblatt"]Oh, but it will. The counter songs will weed out the bands (or individuals) with more than one decent song. For those true one-hit wonders, their crappy, unrecogizable second songs will cancel each other out. No, it favors groups with two (or more) songs that got airplay. The unrecogizable song by the one-hit wonder will always be considered worse than the familar second song by the multiple hit groups. Consider: John Fred vs. Devo Judy in Disguise vs. Whip It. John Fred leads 12-6 Hey Hey Bunny vs. Satisfaction. No one's heard of Hey Hey Bunny, so Devo gets all the votes -- 0-18. The only real way to do this is to define "hit" (say Billboard Hot 100 or Pop Single -- the earlier version of the Hot 100 -- top ten), select only groups that had one song that meets the criterion, and have them go head to head. The secret weapon on your proposal would be a two-hit wonder like Sugarloaf (who I'm going to sponsor if it is done this way), which had a #3 and a #9 hit and nothing else. There would be competition for "Green Eyed Lady," but "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" would blow away any second single by a true one-hit group.

Edgy DC Mar 27 2006 04:45 PM

="Johnny Dickshot"]"Talkin in Your Sleep" is a perfectly cromulent single. In my pants. ="soupcan"]Question Mark and The Mysterians - '96 Tears' Contest over. Right Said Fred: "I'm Too Sexy." Game on.

Rotblatt Mar 27 2006 04:51 PM

]No, it favors groups with two (or more) songs that got airplay. The unrecogizable song by the one-hit wonder will always be considered worse than the familar second song by the multiple hit groups. Consider: John Fred vs. Devo Judy in Disguise vs. Whip It. John Fred leads 12-6 Hey Hey Bunny vs. Satisfaction. No one's heard of Hey Hey Bunny, so Devo gets all the votes -- 0-18. The only real way to do this is to define "hit" (say Billboard Hot 100 or Pop Single -- the earlier version of the Hot 100 -- top ten), select only groups that had one song that meets the criterion, and have them go head to head. The secret weapon on your proposal would be a two-hit wonder like Sugarloaf (who I'm going to sponsor if it is done this way), which had a #3 and a #9 hit and nothing else. There would be competition for "Green Eyed Lady," but "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" would blow away any second single by a true one-hit group. Ah, I must not have laid the rules out clearly enough. I'll create a sample contest so you can see what I mean.

MFS62 Mar 27 2006 07:13 PM

And then you run into a problem like Ross Bagdasarian. He had one hit "The Witch Doctor" under his own name. But as David Seville, he had another #1 hit - "The Chipmunk Song" along with Alvin and the gang. He did not sing the song, but co-wrote "Come Ona My House" that became a hit when sung by Rosemary Clooney. That doesn't count, but it is interesting. So is the fact that he also was related to writer William Saroyan. Later

Iubitul Mar 27 2006 08:00 PM

Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners Rappers Delight - Sugar Hill Gang

MFS62 Mar 28 2006 08:27 AM

Bust A Move - Tone Loc Later

cooby Mar 28 2006 08:39 AM

I thought Captain Kirk sang that!

Edgy DC Mar 28 2006 08:50 AM

I think we're missing the point of this effort. And, while Ton Loc had more than one hit, "Bust a Move" wasn't one of them.

metirish Mar 28 2006 08:55 AM

"Wild Thing" was his big hit.....and damn cool it was.

sharpie Mar 28 2006 09:06 AM

The Troggs' one US hit was also "Wild Thing."

Edgy DC Mar 28 2006 09:18 AM

The Troggs had more than one hit also.

RealityChuck Mar 28 2006 09:22 AM

MFS62 wrote: He did not sing the song, but co-wrote "Come Ona My House" that became a hit when sung by Rosemary Clooney. That doesn't count, but it is interesting. So is the fact that he also was related to writer William Saroyan. And that Saroyan was his cowriter on the song.

Rotblatt Mar 28 2006 10:20 AM

Hm. Shatner's version of "Common People" might do well . . . So is this retarded? I can't tell if I was frustrated yesterday because the concept is poor or because I couldn't find a clip of Hey Hey Bunny. Anyway, I think maybe the second song should only be used as requested by the challenger or in the case of a tie-breaker. So if the challenger happens to know that, say, Devo has a decent second song, they could request a counter song during their initial challenge. But no one HAS to use a second song if they don't think it would give them a clear advantage. This would also allow us to use polling, which would be convenient, in those cases where the challenger doesn't request a counter song. Better?

sharpie Mar 28 2006 10:22 AM

I still don't wanna do it til we've got about 100 bands in the BLC. (on edit): Yikes! I'm Braden Looper!

Johnny Dickshot Mar 28 2006 10:29 AM

I like this idea but maybe next offseason.

sharpie Mar 28 2006 10:37 AM

Good idea, Dickshot.

Frayed Knot Mar 31 2006 12:16 AM

I was in an exercise class at the gym when they dusted off one of the great all-time one-hit wonders: [u:aeaff3cfe0]Hocus Pocus[/u:aeaff3cfe0] by Focus -- a great/bad, early/mid '70s, mostly instrumental, 8 minute orgy of guitars, drums, flutes and yodeling (yes, yodeling) by some (Dutch? Danish? Norwegian?) band I've never heard of before or since.

cooby Mar 31 2006 09:27 AM

That song was interesting. They always seemed to play it in the morning when I was getting ready for school (I guess everybody was) and it always got me going