One Hit Wonders: 1955-1959

Submitted by Imposter on Fri, 11/10/2006 - 03:21
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  • 1955

  • "At My Front Door" - The El Dorados (17)
  • "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" - The Voices of Walter Schumann (14)
  • "Band Of Gold" - Kit Carson (11)
  • "The Bandit (O'Cangaceiro)" - Eddie Barclay and His Orch. (18)
  • "Baubles, Bangles And Beads" - Kirby Stone Four (14)
  • "Black Denim Trousers" - The Cheers (6)
  • "Blue Star (The "Medic" Theme)" - Felicia Sanders (29)
  • "The Breeze And I (Andalucia)" - Caterina Valente (8)
  • "Cry Me A River" - Julie London (9)
  • "Daddy-O" - Bonnie Lou (14)
  • "Dixie Danny" - The Laurie Sisters (30)
  • "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" - The Penguins (8)
  • "Hey, Mr. Banjo" - The Sunnysiders (12)
  • "I Want You To Be My Baby" - Lillian Briggs (18)
  • "Lullaby Of Birdland" - Blue Stars (16)
  • "Make Yourself Comfortable" - Andy Griffith (26)
  • "The Man In The Raincoat" - Priscilla Wright (16)
  • "The Man In The Raincoat" - Marion Marlowe (14)
  • "Melody Of Love" - Leo Diamond (30)
  • "Nuttin For Xmas" - Joe Ward (20)
  • "(I'm Getting') Nuttin' For Christmas" - Ricky Zahnd & The Blue Jeaners (21)
  • "Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sun Shine In)" - The Cowboy Church Sunday School (8)
  • "Plantation Boogie" - Lenny Dee (19)
  • "Pledging My Love" - Johnny Ace (17)
  • "When You Dance" - The Turbans (33)

  • 1956

  • "Chain Gang" - Bobby Scott (13)
  • "Cindy, Oh Cindy" - Vince Martin (9)
  • "Cry Baby" - Bonnie Sisters (18)
  • "Eddie My Love" - The Teen Queens (14)
  • "Eloise" - Kay Thompson (39)
  • "Garden Of Eden" - Joe Valino (1956, 12)
  • "The Happy Whistler" - Don Robertson (6)
  • "Main Title" From "The Man With The Golden Arm" - Elmer Bernstein and Orchestra (16)
  • "Moonglow and Theme From Picnic" - Morris Stoloff (1)
  • "The Old Philosopher" - Eddie Lawrence (34)
  • "Priscilla" - Eddie Cooley And The Dimples (20)
  • "Stranded In The Jungle" - The Jayhawks (18)
  • "Stranded In The Jungle" - The Gadabouts (39)
  • "Themes From The Man With The Golden Arm" - Richard Maltby and his Orchestra (14)
  • "True Love" - Jane Powell (15)
  • "When The White Lilacs Bloom Again" - Helmut Zacharias And His Magic Violins (12)

  • 1957

  • "After School" - Randy Starr (32)
  • "Almost Paradise" - Lou Stein (31)
  • "Back To School Again" - Timmie "Oh Yeah!"Rogers (36)
  • "Bad Boy" - The Jive Bombers (36)
  • "Cinco Robles (Five Oaks)" - Russell Arms (22)
  • "A Fallen Star" - Jimmy Newman (23)
  • "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" - The Tune Weavers (5)
  • "Hey! Little Girl" - Techniques (29)
  • "I'm Available" - Margie Rayburn (9)
  • "The Joker (That's What They Call Me)" - Billy Myles (25)
  • "Moon-Light Swim" - Tony Perkins (24)
  • "Peanuts" - Little Joe & The Thrillers (22)
  • "Pledge Of Love" - Ken Copeland (12)
  • "Rainbow" - Russ Hamilton (4)
  • "Rosie Lee" - The Mello-Tones (24)
  • "White Silver Sands" - Dave Gardner (22)
  • "Your Wild Heart" - Joy Layne (20)

  • 1958

  • "7-11" - Gone All Stars (30)
  • "Been So Long" - The Pastels (24)
  • "The Blob" - The Five Blobs (33)
  • "Book Of Love" - The Monotones (5)
  • "Cerveza" - Boots Brown And His Blockbusters (23)
  • "Cha-Hua-Hua" - The Pets (34)
  • "Chanson D'Amour (Song Of Love)" - Art Todd And Dotty (6)
  • "Crazy Eyes For You" - Bobby Hamilton (40)
  • "Delicious!" - Jim Backus and Friend (40)
  • "Dinner With Drac Part 1" - John Zacherle "The Cool Ghoul" (6)
  • "Down The Aisle Of Love" - The Quin-Tones (18)
  • "The Freeze" - Tony And Joe (33)
  • "Get A Job" - The Silhouettes (1)
  • "Got A Match?" - The Daddy-O's (39)
  • "He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands)" - Laurie London (1)
  • "Judy" - Frankie Vaughan (22)
  • "Little Star" - The Elegants (1)
  • "Lollipop" - Ronald And Ruby (20)
  • "Manhattan Spiritual" - Reg Owen And His Orchestra (10)
  • "Need You" - Donnie Owen (25)
  • "No Chemise, Please" - Gerry Grahahan (23) (previously in Dicky Doo And The Don'ts, The Fireflies)
  • "Oh Julie" - Sammy Salvo (23)
  • "Oh Julie" - The Crescendos (5)
  • "One Summer Night" - The Danleers (7)
  • "Philadelphia U.S.A." - The Nu Tornados (26)
  • "(It's Been A Long Time) Pretty Baby" - Gino & Gina (20)
  • "Susie Darlin'" - Robin Luke (5)
  • "Teasin'" - Quaker City Boys (39)
  • "Torero" - Renato Carosone (18)
  • "Week End" - The Kingsmen (35)
  • "When The Boys Talk About The Girls" - Valerie Carr (19)
  • "Wishing For Your Love" - The Voxpoppers (18)
  • "You" - The Aquatones (21)
  • "You Cheated" - The Shields (12)

  • 1959

  • "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir (13)
  • "The Battle Of Kookamonga" - Homer & Jethro (14)
  • "The Enchanted Sea" - The Islanders (15)
  • "The Happy Reindeer" - Dancer, Prancer And Nervous (34)
  • "Here Comes Summer" - Jerry Keller (14)
  • "I've Come Of Age" - Billy Storm (28)
  • "If I Had A Girl" - Rod Lauren (31)
  • "The Little Space Girl" - Jesse Lee Turner (20)
  • "Makin' Love" - Floyd Robinson (20)
  • "Marina" - Rocco Granata (31)
  • "Midnight Stroll" - The Revels (35)
  • "The Mummy" - Bob McFadden And Dor (39)
  • "Only You" - Franck Pourcel's French Fiddles (9)
  • "Petite Fleur (Little Flower)" - Chris Barber's Jazz Band (5)
  • "Robbin' The Cradle" - Tony Bellus (25)
  • "Sandy" - Larry Hall (15)
  • "Sea Of Love" - Phil Phillips With The Twilights (2)
  • "See You In September" - The Tempos (23)
  • "Tell Him No" - Travis & Bob (8)
  • "The Three Bells (The Jimmy Brown Story)" - Dick Flood (23)
  • "Three Stars" - Tommy Dee (11)
  • "Woo-Hoo" - Rock-A-Teens (16)
Author Comments: 

There are probably as many definitions of "one hit wonder" as there are one hit wonders, and here's one more. For this list I'm selecting artists that had just one song in the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles charts, and no other entries anywhere in the top 100. This will account for some of the more popular one-hit wonders being omitted (Tommy Tutone had a top 40 single prior to the phone # song, for example).

The # that appears in parentheses is the song's peak chart placement. On a few occasions some artists had technically just one hit, but were previously part of a group that had several charting singles. I've done my best to mark those.

Finally, if anybody spots any mistakes, please do let me know.