Earlier this week, I was blogging about Two Hit Wonders – bands or artists that have two hits then disappear from the charts (usually not of their own choosing). Here are some more two hit wonders:
Tone Loc – “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina”
Tone Loc’s 1989 album Loc-ed After Dark produced both “Wild Thing,” which went to #2 and “Funky Cold Medina,” which went to #3. The album itself went to #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts. His follow-up, Cool Hand Loc, only reached #46 on the charts, but it was still certified gold.
Tone Loc Update: Tone Loc turned his focus to acting after his music career stalled. He appeared in films such as Heat, Ace Venture: Pet Detective, and Titan A.E.. He has also made appearances on television including “Roc,” “News Radio,” and is currently appearing on “Celebrity Rap Superstar.”
Cutting Crew – “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” and “I’ve Been in Love Before”
Oh, I truly loathed these soft rockers of the 80s. I continue to cringe whenever I hear “(I Just) Died in Your Arms!” But, in 1986, the song went to #1 and it’s follow-up “I’ve Been in Love Before” (thankfully I blanked that one out) hit #9 in 1987. Both songs were from the band’s album Broadcast. Guess what? They received the dreaded Best New Artist Grammy in 1987 yet by 1993, the band was history.
Cutting Crew Update: Guitarist Kevin MacMichael died on lung cancer in 2002, but Nick Van Eede reformed the band with a whole new line-up in 2006. The new band has toured Germany, the UK, and Denmark.
Spin Doctors – “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”
As much as I despised Cutting Crew, I loved the Spin Doctors. They hit the charts in 1992 with “Two Princes” doing the best by reaching #7. Their album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, peaked at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Rolling Stone magazine said their popularity was based on “universal rock & roll virtues.” Subsequent albums didn’t do as well and disaster struck in 1999 when vocalist Chris Barron suffered from a rare acute form of vocal cord paralysis. His voice came back in 2000, but the band remained inactive until 2001, when it briefly reformed for a tribute concert at the music venue Wetlands in NYC.
Spin Doctors Update: After the Wetlands success, the band continued to from 2002 until 2005 and still plays one-off live shows in the U.S. and Europe. “Two Princes” was featured on “The Sarah Silverman Program” when character Brian Spukowki’s iPod only played that one song.
Stay tuned tomorrow for my final installment of “Two Hit Wonders.”