Some singers make a big splash with one smash song, then seem to drift out of sight. They thereby get reputations as one hit wonders. Actually, through, they were more successful than they appeared to be. Many have done quite well, in fact. Here are a few of those who have been categorized as OHW but really aren't. They re Carly Rae Jepsen, James Blunt, Kim Wilde, and Gotye.
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Carly Rae Jepsen
Jepsen, a singer from Mission, British Columbia, scored big (no, make that huge) with the irresistibly catchy "Call Me Maybe" in 2012, per the toptens.com. Was it really that long ago? Another singer from Canada, Justin Bieber, alerted his followers to the tune via Twitter, and the rest is history. According to Britannica, it was "the biggest-selling song in the world in 2012 and the best-selling domestic Canadian single in history." It's hard to top a monster smash like that. Now 39, Jepsen has an impressive resume. A two-time Grammy nominee, per People, she finished in a very respectable third place on Canadian Idol in 2007, released seven studio albums, and has won a slew of awards.
James Blunt
Blunt may deserve the unfortunate title of most irksome singer. Per rateyourmusic.com, Blunt "is a TWO-hit wonder ('Goodbye My Lover" is the other one.). He has one of the most annoying voices in pop history. It sounds like a drunk man on helium being tortured and kicked in his unmentionables." Ouch! That is a pretty harsh indictment indeed. The mopey 2004 song "You're Beautiful" catapulted Blunt, 50, to widespread fame and international success. But despite all that hoopla, as American Songwriter pointed out, "There's something sinister to 'You're Beautiful'—a sense of creepiness that's lurking just beneath the surface...." Blunt released a total of seven albums and snagged five Grammy nominations, plus a pair of MTV Video Music Awards. Somebody sure likes this guy - he has sold millions of albums globally.
Kim Wilde
Wilde, 64, exploded into the world of pop phenomenons with her rambunctious debut single, "Kids in America," in 1981. Then five years afterward, came a pulsating reboot of The Supremes' hit, "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Per dailymail.co.uk, Wilde "had seven more Top Ten singles in the UK but never a number one, however her reworking of the Motown classic 'You Keep Me Hangin' On,' which topped the US Billboard chart in 1986." The next year, she teamed with Michael Jackson on the Bad tour.
Years went by. Wilde indulged her affinity for gardening and wrote books. It seemed like she hung up her mic and mini skirt for good. But after a long hiatus, Wilde released a new album, Closer, just days ago. Per the outlet, "I had no intention of getting back into the music industry at all. None. So I really did leave it. It wasn't like I left and thought "I can go back when I fancy it. In my heart and in my head it was over. So when I did get lured back after a tour with the Human League it all started again."
Gotye
Maybe the name does not ring a bell with you. But Gotye, 44, (his name is actually Wouter André "Wally" De Backer) had a gigantic hit on 2011 with "Somebody That I Used To Know," featuring Kimbra. Per American Songwriter, "It hit No. 1 on Billboard and was the best-selling song of 2012. Why? Duh. We've all been there. It's a universal song that became ubiquitous." The song earned two Grammys for the Belgian-Australian vocalist and ultimately went multi-platinum. According to smoothradio.com, "After deciding to step away from the spotlight, Wally didn't retire from music altogether. But - until the time of writing - has never made music as Gotye again. He returned to his original band The Basics who he'd been writing music since 2002, and focused on his record label Spirit Level." He also founded the Ondioline Orchestra nine years ago. Gotye may be gone, but Wally clearly is not.
