Hello, fellow slobs! This week, we’re diving into Joan Osborne and her inescapable 1996 hit, “One of Us”. Written on a whim by Eric Bazilian of The Hooters, the song asks important questions about a supposed higher power, including “if God had a face, what would it look like?” Well, WE’D speculate that he or she MIGHT look like this week’s guest…Meeting Of Important People’s Josh Verbanets! Will we put thunder on Joan’s name, or would we rather she remain a stranger on the bus tryin’ to make her...
Mar 15, 2023•56 min•Ep. 163
Local H carved out a niche for themselves in the mid 90s, landing somewhere in between grunge and indie rock. The hypnotic single “Bound For The Floor” was a Gen X anthem, cleverly using the word “copacetic” to exhibit a feeling of dissatisfaction with life. This two-piece band made a lasting impression on this week’s guest — Wells, Maine’s own Spose — even if this particular single wasn’t the reason why. If you like the show, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Email us at onehitthunderpodc...
Mar 08, 2023•52 min•Ep. 162
We often forget that artists might tune in to One Hit Thunder to hear us offer our sometimes misinformed and ALWAYS overly opinionated thoughts on their music. One of these artists — John Hampson of Nine Days — was gracious enough to not only listen to our episode on “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)”, but also to kindly send us a series of tweets correcting some things we didn’t get quite right. A few years later, he’s here with us to discuss a band that he spent a lot of time with on the road back...
Mar 01, 2023•48 min•Ep. 161
In 1996, two siblings from Belgium had an unexpected alternative hit that sounds unlike anything else from the era. The single “Not An Addict” caught fire and became an international hit, grabbing the attention of even Alanis Morissette, who handpicked the band to open for her on tour. Beyond diving into the track and the band, we force Matt Kelly to make some of his OWN K’s Choices in this fun and informative episode. If you like the show, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Email us at one...
Feb 22, 2023•38 min•Ep. 160
The story of T. Rex’s Marc Bolan is one of those rock n’ roll fables that seems so trite that it MUST have been written by some second-rate Hollywood screenwriter. The truth, however, is that Marc Bolan’s tale serves as the BASIS for these overused rock clichés, as he led a wild (and unfortunately short) life full of fame, excess, pageantry, and incredible music. This week, we’re joined by actor and musician Danny Tamberelli to dive into the history of the Godfather of Glam Rock. Together, we tr...
Feb 15, 2023•52 min•Ep. 159
In the mid 70s, Wild Cherry thrived in all the funk and disco hot spots, from the Northern West Virginia panhandle to the Ohio Valley region. People were getting down to the sweet sounds of “Play That Funky Music” in Steubenville, Ohio, all the way to the bright lights of the big city…of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The groundswell created by the band’s popularity in these areas took the song all the way to #1 on the Billboard charts, which was unfortunately a peak they’d never come close to again....
Feb 08, 2023•44 min•Ep. 158
Do you hate it when you show up to a date’s house in your best ripped jeans and leather jacket, only to be offered disgusting food by their scumbag mother? Well this episode’s for you! This week, we’re joined by my good buddy and bandmate Paul Menotiades to discuss Gerardo’s 1990 hit “Rico Suave”, a song that becomes infinitely more shocking when you dive into the lyrics. Oh, don’t worry…we do that in this episode. Our only addiction has to do with the one hit wonders, and today, we eat Gerardo ...
Feb 01, 2023•37 min•Ep. 157
Welcome to the most bass-heavy episode of One Hit Thunder ever! Thanks to Level 42’s 1985 hit single “Something About You”, we get into a LOT of talk about the best instrument in the world…the good old electric bass. Frontman Mark King’s bass proficiency is impressive, but his songwriting is…well…next LEVEL. Stay tuned for a fun conversation about a jazz fusion band that drew us into the stream of undefined illusion. If you like the show, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Email us at onehi...
Jan 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 156
Midnight Oil shined a light on the plight of the Aboriginal communities in the Australian Outback with their 1987 hit “Beds Are Burning”. This anthemic song is widely considered one of the greatest pieces of music to ever come out of Australia, and any Australian listeners will likely be shocked that we’re discussing this band on a podcast about one hit wonders. The charts don’t lie, however, and this was Midnight Oil’s only Top 40 Billboard hit in the US. This week, we’re joined by Zao guitaris...
Jan 18, 2023•40 min•Ep. 155
In 1993, the world was introduced to a white Canadian reggae artist named Snow. His hit song “Informer” topped the US Billboard charts for nearly two months straight, while Snow himself sat in a prison cell for maybe or maybe not puncturing another human being with a knife (aka stabbing them). This semi-autobiographical tune echoed a warning to whoever snitched on him, in the form of being “licky boom boomed down” by the artist himself. Are we risking this fate ourselves by discussing Snow this ...
Jan 11, 2023•34 min•Ep. 154
Sometimes we have to bend the rules to qualify artists as appropriate subject matter for One Hit Thunder, but not this week. Deadeye Dick are an undeniable choice, as they are almost universally known ONLY for their catchy pop rock hit “New Age Girl”. This week, we’re joined by Johnny Yetsconish to decide if the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack was the EXACT place this song should be, or if there’s more meat on the bone when it comes to this fun 90s band. If you like the show, be sure to rate, review,...
Jan 04, 2023•45 min•Ep. 153
The songwriting duo Boy Meets Girl wrote chart-topping songs for several iconic artists, but it wasn’t until their 1988 single “Waiting for a Star to Fall” that they made a name for themselves as performers. The song was an enduring adult contemporary juggernaut, even finding its way into the hit film Three Men and a Little Lady a few years later. Even after their marriage ended, their song collaborations forged ahead, and they continue to release pop gems even today. This week, we explore their...
Dec 28, 2022•36 min•Ep. 152
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Dec 28, 2022•15 min
The holiday season is here once again. To celebrate, we’re discussing the bizarre case of The Waitresses, which are a band that we’re able to discuss on One Hit Thunder because they’re a one hit wonder in two different countries for two different songs. While “Christmas Wrapping” is now considered a Christmas classic, it wasn’t well-known in the US until many years after its release. Meanwhile, “I Know What Boys Like” was ONLY a hit in the States. This week, we’re diving into the short-lived car...
Dec 21, 2022•32 min•Ep. 151
Today is our 150th episode, so we had to bring the heat with an undeniable 80s jam. Spandau Ballet may have formed out of a love for the Sex Pistols, but their 1983 musical love letter “True” was inspired by the soulful sounds of Al Green and Marvin Gaye. This smooth pop classic dominated the radio airwaves for years, but we needed to know more. Can Producer Matt Kelly pronounce their name? Is “True” really Adam Sandler’s favorite song? Did Spandau Ballet TRULY bring the one hit thunder? On this...
Dec 14, 2022•39 min•Ep. 150
As we near Episode 150, it's time for another Year End Countdown. Where will YOUR favorites stack up this year? Listen to find out!! If you like the show, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Email us at onehitthunderpodcast@gmail.com. Also, follow us on our social media: Twitter: @1hitthunderpod Instagram: onehitthunderpodcast Wanna create your own podcast? Contact us at www.weknowpodcasting.com for more information. Visit punchlion.com for Punchline tour dates, news, and merch. Sign up for ...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 149
This week, return guest Matt Jurcevich joins us to discuss something that’s got US feeling insane in the membrane — the fact that we can categorize legendary rap group Cypress Hill as a one hit wonder. Despite having multiple high-charting albums and decades of widespread popularity, their 1993 single “Insane in the Brain” is the only one to cross over into the Top 20 on the Billboard charts. In this episode, we’ll break down their catalog, their vocal stylings, and even the awesome way they got...
Nov 30, 2022•40 min•Ep. 148
Against all odds, a song completely sung in German floated all the way up to #2 on the Billboard charts in 1983, rising above some of the biggest artists of the 80s. Even more surprising, the danceable pop gem “99 Luftballons” was actually a protest song about a theoretical nuclear war. This week, we’re joined by Cheer Up Dusty vocalist Justin Humenik to find out if we should all pick up a few Nena records with the money we’ve got, or if we should think of them and let it go. If you like the sho...
Nov 23, 2022•42 min•Ep. 147
After two decades of pursuing a music career, a 30 year old Canadian singer named Alannah Myles scored a #1 hit in 1989 with “Black Velvet”. While her success continued for years after in the Great White North, she completely fell off the Billboard charts of the United States. This week, we try to determine if the blame for her US decline should fall on the lack of promotion from her record label, or if the rest of Alannah’s catalog just lacked that slow southern style. If you like the show, be ...
Nov 16, 2022•45 min•Ep. 146
We’ve discussed close to 150 one hit wonders on the podcast at this point, but none have had as bizarre of a series of events that led to a hit as Primitive Radio Gods. Producer Matt Kelly considers “Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” not only a song title that he’s sure to butcher in this episode, but also a song that he considers one of the greatest of the 90s. Does the rest of the band’s catalog live up to the moody vibe of this jam though? This week, we try to figur...
Nov 09, 2022•38 min•Ep. 145
Originally intended to be a theme song and nothing more, “I’ll Be There For You” gave The Rembrandts a Top 20 Billboard hit on the wings of NBC’s juggernaut of a sitcom Friends. The visual that the song provokes in everyone’s mind, however — that of a group of white twenty-something Manhattanites dancing and clapping around a fountain — soon led to the band actually apologizing for the song on MTV News. This week, High School Slumber Party’s Brian Rodriguez joins us to discuss not only the caree...
Nov 02, 2022•55 min•Ep. 144
Hey Party People! One Hit Thunder back again. This week, the REAL tag team - myself and my co-host and producer Matt Kelly - jump in the ring with the massive stadium anthem “Whoomp (There It Is)”. The song never REALLY went away, but a recent resurgence thanks to an ice cream themed insurance commercial exposed this party classic to a whole new generation. Should Tag Team continue to repurpose this song in every possible way, or should the world be scooping into the rest of their almost impossi...
Oct 26, 2022•39 min•Ep. 143
In 2010, a song by a ten-piece hippie folk pop group unexpectedly started appearing in seemingly endless amounts of movies, TV shows, and commercials. This sincere and lively tune caught the ear and heart of this week’s guest Tessa Markle, who later found herself dancing and singing along to them at an Arts Festival. The singsong love ballad leaves all of us asking what “home” really means, and if we should all be more hot and heavy pumpkin pie over Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. If you...
Oct 19, 2022•42 min•Ep. 142
Phantom Planet had a modest radio hit with their single “California” in 2002. When a little TV show called The O.C. debuted and used the song as its theme song, however, it skyrocketed the band to stardom. The album The Guest was not just a favorite of this week’s guest Matt “Team Goldie” DiStefano, but it also had a permanent place in the CD rotation on early Punchline tours. When it came time for Phantom Planet to record a follow-up album, their shift in sound led to a slide off the charts. Th...
Oct 12, 2022•59 min•Ep. 141
Break out the cherry wine and prepare to have your brain stimulated…we’re FINALLY taking a deep dive - or should we say SKINNY DIP - into Jermaine Stewart’s hit 1986 single “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off”! Does a man REALLY want to be approached cool and romantically? Should we REALLY take our time to get to know each other slow and easily? Should we all avoid showing up at Matt Kelly’s house unexpectedly? We’ll answer all these questions and more in this episode. If you like the show, b...
Oct 05, 2022•35 min•Ep. 140
This week, we’re joined by Horror Movie Night co-host Kyle Kuchta to discuss Orgy, an industrial nu metal band that rose to fame thanks to a questionable cover of New Order’s 1983 classic “Blue Monday”. Was Kyle right to ask his parents for an Orgy poster for Christmas, or did his middle school newspaper make the right call in simply referring to them as “the opening band” on the 1998 Family Values Tour? Stay tuned to see how WE feel. If you like the show, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe....
Sep 28, 2022•42 min•Ep. 139
This was recorded as the Patreon bonus episode to our Sagat episode ... enjoy this episode and hear more Patreon episodes like this every Friday on Patreon.com/OHTPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 25, 2022•21 min
There’s a good chance that if someone mentioned the song “But It’s Alright” by J.J. Jackson, you would say “uh…how does that one go?”. The second you heard the iconic opening guitar riff, however, you’d undoubtedly say “Oh, OF COURSE I know this one!” This week, we’re joined by A.J. Santini to discuss this soulful 60s belter, and try to figure out why this big guy (285 pounds, to be exact, as made clear in the liner notes of his record) isn’t a bigger name. If you like the show, be sure to rate,...
Sep 21, 2022•40 min•Ep. 138
Being that Matthew Milligan is currently our most frequent guest, we tend to give him a little more leeway with his song choices. That being said, he chose Kid Sister and her minor 2008 hit “Pro Nails”. Prior to this episode, neither producer Matt Kelly nor myself had ever heard this song from the Chicago based artist, which is surprising because it features Kanye West during a very prolific era of his career. But hey, this is what One Hit Thunder is all about: discovering music we may have miss...
Sep 14, 2022•47 min•Ep. 137
Our Patreon supporters voted, and they made it clear…they said YOU GOTTA BE crazy if you don’t do an episode about Des’ree! Don’t worry Patreon, we’re not crazy…but we ARE bad, bold, wise, hard, tough, strong, cool, calm, together, and everything other positive self-affirmation you can imagine. But did the signature Des’ree mix of pop and soul make us want to listen as our day unfolds, or leave us challenging what the future holds? Listen to find out. If you like the show, be sure to rate, revie...
Sep 07, 2022•31 min•Ep. 136
