The Ongoing History of New Music, episode 1080: The 50 biggest all-time alt-rock one-hit wonders (30-21)

Usually, if something is one of a kind, it’s at the very least unique and if enough people lust after this thing, it can also be very valuable.

Take the case of an artist having one (and only one) big hit—a song that forever defines them and no matter how they try, the artist is never, ever able to scale those heights again…

On the positive side, a one-hit wonder can provide steady income for years, even decades. In that sense, you’re a giant success. If it’s sufficiently enduring and popular, this one song can pay for a house, some cars, putting your kids through college, and more. You may never have to work again.

But it can also be a negative. “What, you could only write one song? Loser!” That kind of thing. And maybe this inability to repeat your success weighs on your psyche. It’s not fair, but you know how humans can be.

But hey, having one hit is better than having zero hits, right? So shouldn’t this achievement be celebrated? I think so.

This is part three of the 50 biggest all-time alt-rock one-hit wonders, with the 30-21 portion of the countdown.

Songs heard on this show:

• • Dishwalla, Counting Blue Cars

• • Real Life, Send Me an Angel

• • Tom Tom Club, Genius of Love

• • American Hi-Fi, Flavour of the Week

• • Fiction Factory, (Feels Like) Heaven

• • The Toadies, Possum Kingdom

• • EMF, Unbelieveable

• • Spacehog, In the Meantime

• • Better Than Ezra, Good

• • Harvey Danger, Flagpole Sitta

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations.

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• • WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

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