Benson: One Hit Wonder Day; Here’s Seven Great Ones

I just finished writing a quick piece on some cringe-worthy one hit wonders on today, One-Hit Wonder Day. Yes, it's a holiday. Did you go out and get a card and buy a gift?

But, as I was writing that, I thought, all kidding aside, there are some great one hit wonders, including one from here. (Disclaimer. These are not the five best ever; just five great songs, period)

1. The Verve Pipe's The Freshmen
2. Alannah Myles' Black Velvet
3. Tom Cochrane's Life Is A Highway
4. A-ha's Take on Me
5. Bill Vera and the Beaters' At This Moment.
6. Howie Day's Collide
7. The Calling's Wherever You Will Go

The first one on my list is obvious. The Verve Pipe is from here, so there's some local bias, but listen to the song. It still is great storytelling and what a great Brian Vander Ark vocal.

Alannah Myles's Black Velvet is a song about young Elvis Presley. It's gritty, rough, bluesy, oh, and sensuous as hell...just like the young King of Rock and Roll was. Tom Cochrane's Life is a Highway is a catchy song that gets in your head.

A-Ha's Take on Me is maybe the greatest video ever. But here's my trump card for putting it on this list. Here's the song performed some thirty years later. Sans video, and the song puts tears in your eyes.

If you watched Family Ties back in the day, "At This Moment" became famous for a classic scene between Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan.(who became Mrs. J. Fox, in real life). But without the video, just listen to the pain and agony in this song. It is great.

I'm a sucker for harmony and over-dubs in the studio, and Collide is that. I've loved this song for 15 years. Same goes for The Calling. Alex Band's vocals and four chords, and a hit.

I'll stop at seven, because I could take it to seventeen or seventy, if you let me. Enjoy.