Top 10 Alert!
One-Hit Wonder Alert!
Song#: 1094 One-Hit Wonder Alert!
Date: 07/10/1982
Debut: 86
Peak: 9
Weeks: 22
Genre: New Wave
Pop Bits: UK brothers Mike and Ali Score formed a band that would rehearse in a space above Mike's hair salon. After getting some experience working the clubs and recording a couple of songs, the band got the attention of Jive Records. Their first single from their self-titled debut, "Telecommunication," got some attention and went to #19 on the US dance chart, but otherwise if failed to do any real business. However, this second single and its accompanying video hit the right new wave mark and it flew into the US Top 10. The success pushed the album to #10 and it would eventually be certified gold. The song wasn't such a hit in their homeland where it petered out at #43. Although they would actually have three other lower-charting songs, this one major hit got them saddled with being a One-Hit Wonder. This song was placed at #2 on VH1's Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s.
ReduxReview: The song and band were so intriguing at the time. From their look to their sound, it was all so other-worldly, which fit in perfect with the alien abduction concept of their debut LP. The were mocked and liked at the same time. Critics were basically kind yet a lot of music fans thought they were all flash and no substance - a typical sentiment of the time thanks to MTV and synthpop. For me, I loved it. The songs dark, droning groove really hooked me. Love it or loath it, the song became an 80s staple and a classic from the period reflecting a lot of the decades sound and look.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) The Seagulls are mostly know for this song and Mike Score's distinctive brushed-back hair that basically gave him seagull-ish wings. His original career as a hairdresser certainly came in handy when it came to developing the band's image. 2) Their name comes from a line in a song by the UK punk band The Stranglers. Their song "Toiler on the Sea," from their 1978 LP "Black and White," contains the lines "Fought with aliens, the young ones used their hands, pointed their way to a flock, a flock of seagulls, a flock of seagulls!"
_________________________________________________________________________________
Considering they had three consecutive top 30 hits, I'd hardly call A Flock Of Seagulls a one-hit wonder.
ReplyDeleteActually I agree. If going by my personal definition of a one-hit wonder, the two other minor chart entries would erase the tag. But the looser definition of having a defining major hit without a significant follow-up seem to be more the norm and since they ranked as VH1's #2 one-hit wonder, I thought it worthy of the tag. To me it doesn't matter either way as I enjoyed and bought all their LPs! They were unique, interesting, and helped define the 80s sound.
Delete