The term "one-hit wonder" gets thrown around a lot, and - yes - you probably are using it correctly, but Chuck Bryant went to the trouble to really define what makes a one-hit wonder in the article this episode is based on. Join him and Josh as they get to the bottom of this disparaging term.
AI Summary
Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating world of one-hit wonders, exploring what exactly defines this cultural phenomenon and why it's surprisingly hard to pin down. They discuss how the term originated, examine famous examples across music, movies, books and sports, and reveal how some legendary artists like Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead technically qualify as one-hit wonders despite their iconic status. The hosts also touch on the psychology behind being labeled a one-hit wonder and whether it's better to have that one moment of glory or never hit it big at all.
Amadeus
1984
2h 40m
★ 8.0
"it like didn't occur to my young brain that that wasn't from the Amadeus soundtrack — Josh thought Falco's 'Rock Me Amadeus' was part of the movie soundtrack because they came out around the same time."
— Josh
Apollo 13
1995
2h 20m
★ 7.5
"It was in Apollo 13. — Josh mentioned that the song 'Spirit in the Sky' was featured in the movie Apollo 13."
— Josh
"Steve Gordon, one of my favorite movies of all time. — Josh was praising the original Arthur as one of his favorite movies of all time."
— Josh
Black Sheep
1996
1h 26m
★ 6.1
"He made it into Black Sheep with Chris Farley and David Spade. — Chuck was discussing Gary Busey's acting roles after mentioning problems on the Joe Dirt set."
— Chuck
Heaven Can Wait
1978
1h 41m
★ 6.6
"Was Heaven's Gate a Warren Beatty movie too? Or is that Heaven Can Wait? He was in Heaven Can Wait — Josh was trying to remember which Warren Beatty movies were which, clarifying the difference between Heaven's Gate and Heaven Can Wait."
— Josh
Heaven's Gate
1980
3h 37m
★ 6.7
"But yeah, he famously made Heaven's Gate as his follow-up, which was one of the notorious disasters — Chuck was explaining how Michael Cimino's follow-up film was a famous failure."
— Chuck
"which was one of the notorious disasters along with Ishtar and like Waterworld of all time. — Chuck listed Ishtar as one of the notorious movie disasters alongside Heaven's Gate and Waterworld."
— Chuck
Joe Dirt
2001
1h 31m
★ 5.6
"Oh man, such a great, like, keep your chin up movie is so good. — Josh was recommending the movie to Chuck, praising it as having heart despite David Spade comedy."
— Josh
Red Dawn
1984
1h 54m
★ 6.3
"I think Red Dawn is one of my favorite movies of all time. — Josh used Red Dawn as an example of a favorite movie he refuses to see remade."
— Josh
To Kill a Mockingbird
1962
2h 9m
★ 8.0
"That's one of those rare ones where I actually think the movie is better than the book. — Chuck was discussing the Harper Lee novel and comparing it to its film adaptation."
— Chuck
Waterworld
1995
2h 15m
★ 6.2
"which was one of the notorious disasters along with Ishtar and like Waterworld of all time. — Chuck listed Waterworld as one of the notorious movie disasters alongside Heaven's Gate and Ishtar."
— Chuck
Wonder Boys
2000
1h 51m
★ 6.8
"God, remember that scene in Wonder Boys where Toby Maguire rattles off the famous celebrity suicides? — Chuck referenced a specific scene from the movie while discussing famous author suicides."
— Chuck
Year of the Dragon
1985
2h 14m
★ 6.8
"He did Year of the Dragon was like, with Mickey Rourke, was his only other like notable movie. — Chuck mentioned this as Michael Cimino's only other notable film after The Deer Hunter."
— Chuck
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