The band released an album, Beautiful Ending, in 2019. Tommy Tutone returned in the mid-'90s, with Heath once again at the helm. However, Tommy Tutone wasn’t able to ride that momentum into further hits. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most recognizable songs of its era. The band struck gold in 1981 with "867-5309/Jenny,” a song about a girl’s phone number scribbled on the bathroom wall. Formed in 1978 by singer Tommy Heath (there’s your titular Tommy) and guitarist Jim Keller, the band’s lineup featured a fluctuating assortment of bassists and drummers. More recently he’s worked in film, contributing to the soundtracks of Shattered, Where the Money Is and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.įirst, let’s just get this out of the way: Tommy Tutone was not an individual but rather a group. Rivkin, meanwhile, became better known as David Z, the record producer and engineer known for his work with Prince. She has a memoir in the works titled From Funkytown to Higher Ground and teaches whole-food classes at wellness centers when not making music. Johnson, who released her first solo album in 2013, continues to tour and perform. The singer later found success as a member of the gospel group Sounds of Blackness, taking home three Grammy Awards during her tenure. would officially disband two years later). Johnson left the band in 1981 (Lipps Inc. would continue to be popular in dance clubs, they never scored another mainstream hit. scored a smash hit with 1980’s “Funkytown.” The upbeat track reached No. Surrounded by a talented group of session musicians – including guitarists David Rivkin and Tom Riopelle, along with bassist Terry Grant – Lipps Inc. in 1979 as a vehicle for singer Cynthia Johnson, a former beauty queen who was named Miss Black Minnesota in 1976. Record producer Steve Greenberg formed Lipps Inc. The band has been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a few times but has yet to be enshrined. The surviving members of Devo still occasionally perform together. The band’s drummer, Alan Meyers, died the year before. Casale’s brother Bob, who played keyboards in Devo, died in 2014 due to heart failure. He’s been behind the camera for videos by Rush, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters and A Perfect Circle. Meanwhile, Devo bassist Gerald Casale – who helmed many of his band’s music videos – ventured into directing. Brother and bandmate Bob Mothersbaugh has collaborated with Mark on many of his TV endeavors, including the Rugrats run. His credits include 13 years – and three theatrical movies – for the animated series Rugrats, as well as the score to Thor: Ragnarok. Mark Mothersbaugh has enjoyed a long, successful career as a film and television composer. That said, it’s somewhat surprising that the band scored only one Top 20 hit - 1980’s “Whip It” - while such well-known tracks as “Freedom of Choice,” “Working in a Coal Mine” and “Beautiful World” failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40. Devo is unquestionably an influential act in music history, whose contributions go far beyond chart success. We start with an artist whose inclusion is sure to upset many music fans. Others decided to change career paths completely, including one artist who later found success as a Silicon Valley CEO.įor our purposes, a one-hit wonder is defined as any act that scored a single song in Billboard Hot 100’s Top 20 chart and then never returned. Some artists have continued to have long and influential careers, even after their time in the global spotlight faded. We’ve highlighted 22 one-hit wonders from the ‘80s below and taken a look at what they’ve done since their brief chart success. While this environment helped many previously unheard bands grab sudden stardom, it was oftentimes fleeting.
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