Finally we have arrived at the Top 5 Uk One Hit Wonders. I wonder if you will agree with these final choices or whether you think that I have missed ot some better songs.
“Mambo No. 5” (5) is an instrumental mambo and jazz dance song originally composed and recorded by Cuban musician Damasoo Perez Prado in 1949. German singer Lou Bega recorded a cover of the song and released it in April 1999 as the first single from his debut album, A Little Bit oof Mambo (1999). His version became a summer hit during 1999 in most of Europe. Later that year, it experienced success in the United Kingdom, North America, and Oceania. In France, it set a record by staying at number one for 20 weeks. The song reached number three on the US Billboard in November 1999, giving Bega his only top-40 hit in the United States.
“Uptown Top Ranking” (4) is a song by Jamaican teenage singers Althea Forrest and Donna Reid, recorded when they were 17 and 18 years old respectively. Released in 1977, the song comprises the girls ad-libbing to deejay track “Three Piece Suit” by Trinity. The lyrics were written by the duo and Errol Thompson. The record was initially recorded as a joke, but it was played by accident by DJ John Peel, resulting in numerous requests for additional plays. With early championing by Peel and a performance on Top of the Pops, it soon became a surprise hit, reaching number one in the UK in February 1978. The track spent a total of 11 weeks in the charts. Althea & Donna became the youngest female duo to reach the number-one spot on the UK chart.
“Spirit in the Sky” (3) is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in late 1969. The single became a gold record, selling two million copies from 1969 to 1970, and reached No. 3 on the US Billboard where it lasted for 15 weeks in the Top 100. Billboard ranked the record the No. 22 song of 1970. It also climbed to No. 1 on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone ranked “Spirit in the Sky” No. 333 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was featured on the 1969 album of the same name. Cover versions by Doctor and the Medics and Gareth Gates have also made the No. 1 spot in the UK. The song is also known for being one of the greatest and best selling one hit wonders of all time.
“It’s Raining Men” (2) is a song by the American musical duo the Weather Girls from their third studio album, Success (1983). It was released as the album’s lead single in September 1982. Paul Jabara wrote the song in collaboration with Paul Shaffer, and produced the song in collaboration with Bob Esty. “It’s Raining Men” is a Hi-NRG and post disco song. Its lyrics describe an excitement and enjoyment of many different types of men. “It’s Raining Men” was a number-one dance hit in the United States, and reached the top ten in various other countries worldwide. VH1listed the song as one of the Greatest Songs of the 1980s as well as one of the Greatest Songs of the 2000s decade. At the 26th Grammy Awards (1983), “It’s Raining Men” received a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
“Video Killed the Radio Star” (1) is a song written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley in 1979. It was recorded concurrently by Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club and by British new wave/synth-pop group the Buggles, which consisted of Horn and Downes (and initially Woolley).
The Buggles’ version of the track was recorded and mixed in 1979, released as their debut single in September by Island Records.The song relates to concerns about, and mixed attitudes towards 20th-century inventions and machines for the media arts. Musically, the song performs like an extended jingle. The track has been positively received, with reviewers praising its unusual musical pop elements. Although the song includes several common pop characteristics and six basic chords are used in its structure, Downes and writer Timothy Warner described the piece as musically complicated, due to its use of suspended and minor ninth chords for enhancement that gave the song a “slightly different feel.”
On release, the single topped sixteen international music charts, including those in the UK, Australia, and Japan. It also peaked in the top 10 in Canada, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa, but only reached number 40 in the US. The accompanying music video was written, directed, and edited by Russell Mulcahy. It was the first music video shown on MTV in the US, airing at 12:01 a.m. on 1 August 1981, and the first video shown on MTV Classic in the UK in March 2010. The song has received several critical accolades, such as being ranked number 40 on VH1’s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’80s.
