1961 One Hit Wonders page 1961 One Hit Wonder tune timeline
with weekly chart links,
song links and samples at Tunecaster music encyclopedia
The Ultimate One Hit Wonders Site.
Here are all the one hit wonders, year by year, in tune timeline order. Tunecaster samples, full song or video links, downloads, extras, below each song in green.
Stream amazon samples, click play to the right. Full weekly CHART data, click underlined blue chart peaks, 1975 to date.ROCK chart data, click reddish
underlined peaks, 1980 to date.
41 years of one hit wonders, each on its own page; and late 50s, links to far right. SEARCH and find a song, or browse the alphabet for one hit wonders, at bottom of page.
Rosie Hamlin
wrote Angel Baby when she was 14, and the song became famous
when she was 15. She was not listed as the writer on the record.
Although Angel Baby was the only top 20 hit for Rosie & The
Originals, Rosie followed-up with Lonely Blue Nights, which
received minor radio airplay.
Yes, I'm Lonesome
Tonight was an answer song to 1960
number one song Are You Lonesome Tonight by Elvis
Presley. Vaughn Deleath originally popularized Are
You Lonesome Tonight in 1924. Thelma Carpenter was a popular
singer during the big band era, and sang with many top groups.
She also was an actress.
Number 7 hit
instrumental
song Wheels was a top 20 one
hit wonder for The String-A-Longs. The group followed-up
with other instrumentals that received moderate airplay. Wheels
was written by: Richard Stephens, Jimmy Torres.
Good Goodbye
(So So Long) was the only top 20 hit for The Bob Knight Four.
The group received minor radio airplay with other songs too,
like Two Friends.
Instrumental
song Asia Minor was based on Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard
Grieg.
Kokomo was actually Jimmy Wisner, hiding his identity from other
classically trained musicians. Kokomo was a top 20 one
hit wonder, but Jimmy Wisner received some airplay
with other songs as Jimmy Wisner Trio also. The 1970s group Kokomo was unrelated.
In My Heart
was also released as Here In My Heart. The Timetones received
moderate radio airplay with In My Heart, and slight airplay
with I've
Got A Feeling.
The Marathons
was actually The Vibrations. The record company wanted a group
that sounded like The Olympics, so they secretly borrowed The
Vibrations. When the record company for The Vibrations found
out, it took the song and released it as by Vibrations Recorded
As Marathons. The Vibrations, under its correct name, had other
songs that were near top 20 misses, like The Watusi. Peanut
Butter was written by: Bill Barnum, Martin Cooper, Cliff Goldsmith,
Fred Smith.
Pretty Little
Angel Eyes was the only top 20 hit for Curtis Lee. He had other
songs that received radio airplay including Under The Moon Of
Love. Pretty Little Angel Eyes was written by: Tommy Boyce,
Curtis Lee.
I Just Don't
Understand was the most popular song by actress and performer
Ann-Margret. She had a few other songs that received radio airplay
too, like It Do Me So Good.
A Little Bit
Of Soap was the only top 20 hit for The Jarmels. The group received
some airplay with other songs too, like Little Lonely One, a
regional east coast song.
Lover's Island
was the only top 20 hit for The Blue Jays. The group received
minor radio airplay with other songs like Tears Are Falling
too. In the 1950s, there was another group with the same name.
Who Put The
Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) was the only top 20 hit for Barry
Mann. He had a string of songs that received minor airplay,
including The Princess And The Punk in 1976.
Although instrumental
song Mexico was a top 20 one
hit wonder hit for Bob Moore, he received some airplay
in 1963
for another instrumental, Kentucky. Mexico was written by Boudleaux
Bryant.
Although This
Time was the only top 20 hit for Troy Shondell, some other songs
by him received minor radio airplay like Tears From An Angel.
Singer Tommy
James named his backup band The Shondells after Troy
Shondell.
I Really Love
You was originally released in monophonic sound. This was the
only top 20 song for The Stereos, which received no measurable
radio airplay with any other song.
Dec
1961
24
22
Your Ma
Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night
Kenny Dino
Your Ma Said
You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night was performed in 1990 by Led
Zeppelin member Robert Plant. His version of the
song reached number
8 on the rock chart. Kenny Dino was actually Kenny
Doino. He received slight airplay with other songs too, like
Betty Jean.
