Max TV

[raskolnikov]

Just been watching the top 100 one-hit wonders of all time on Max TV. At no.5 was Laura Branigan with "Gloria". WTF? Branigan had quite a few hits. "Solitaire" "Self -Control", "Ti Amo" and "Spanish Eddie" to name a few. Would love to know how they define one-hit wonders. Curiously "99 Luftballoons" by Nena wasn't on the list. That would be my favourite, along with Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen".

 

[Muffo]

What was #1?

 

[Jaymin]

I notcied Bush was in there as well. I'm tipping they have had more than one hit.

 

[raskolnikov]

What was #1?

Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart

 

[Muffo]

Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart

Should have guessed.

I remember seeing the worst songs of the '90's on Max, and im sure that was #1 too.

There was also a song by Shaq up there too.

 

[Sheeds]

I notcied Bush was in there as well. I'm tipping they have had more than one hit.

Bush had some quality songs.

Let me guess Glycerine!!!

Some of their work was quite reasonable.

 

[year of the roo]

VH1 were doing one today as well. William Shatner was hosting it

But anyway, some of the ones I saw included Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby", Right Said Fred's "Too Sexy", Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen", Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", Bahamen's "Who Let The Dogs Out?" and coming in at number one was Los Delos Rios' awful hit "Macarena".

 

[Monkster]

I notcied Bush was in there as well. I'm tipping they have had more than one hit.

According to my gf (a pretty big fan of Bush) Glycerine was their only song that could be defined as a "hit" song.

 

[Pantsless]

It was based on the US market.

I saw they had Spandau Ballet - True in there at one point and they actualy made a point that they were popular in the UK, but only had 1 US hit, hence why they made it on the list.

I was watching VH1 last night.

 

[raskolnikov]

It was based on the US market.

I saw they had Spandau Ballet - True in there at one point and they actualy made a point that they were popular in the UK, but only had 1 US hit, hence why they made it on the list.

I was watching VH1 last night.

Even based on the US market Laura Brangian shouldn't have been there.

This american pop singer came to fame in 1982 with the single "Gloria". This Italian song had originally been a hit in continental europe in the late seventies, but had been ignored in the UK and US, save for a minor British hit version by the irrepressible Jonathan King. When Branigan recorded it in '82 (with a different English lyric from the King version), it was a sleep smash, eventually climbing to No. 2 in the States. Her powerful voice breathed new life into this catchy song, sung in a Donna Summer vein. It was also Branigan's first UK hit, peaking at No. 6 in early '83. Its follow-up "Solitaire" was another Top Tenner in America, though not a major British success.
In 1984 she recorded another italian song and scored another international smash. "Self Control" reached No. 4 in the US, was a huge hit, in complex structure but still with a broad pop appeal. The most extraordinary example of it's success was in [the then] West Germany, where the Branigan version went to No. 1 while the original italian disc by co-writer Raffaele Riefoli was simultaneously at No. 2. Raff's original had the disadvantage of lacking the Branigan vocal performance, which was once again power-packed.
The next single "The Lucky One" was a Top 20 hit in the States. Her LPs are patchy in their choice of material, but her voice is good enough to ensure that, when she has the right song, Branigan will sell many singles.