A history of popular music, as told by 100 one-hit wonders (part 7) 

40. Doris Troy –•– Just One Look — (Peaked: July 27, 1963 at # 10)

Doris Troy cowrote "Just One Look," so her payday came 15 years after it charted with Linda Ronstadt’s cover, followed by its use in Mazda and Pepsi commercials. Troy later became an in-demand backup vocalist, singing on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” among many other early 70s rock stuff. 

39. Mason Williams –•– Classical Gas — (Peaked: August 3, 1968 at # 2)                            

"Classical Gas" won three Grammy Awards for Mason Williams, a moonlighting writer for the Smothers Brothers Show. On The Tonight Show, Albert Brooks performed a “tribute to the animal kingdom” during which he frantically held up nature books and stuffed animals trying to keep pace with “Classical Gas.” Unfortunately, it didn’t survive to make it to YouTube. 

38. Julie London –•– Cry Me a River — (Peaked: December 17, 1955 at # 9)                       

Quite sure this is the only song on this list, maybe ever, that includes the word “plebeian” in its lyrics. 

37. The Honeycombs –•– Have I the Right? — (Peaked: November 14, 1964 at # 5)         

36. The Tornados –•– Telstar — (Peaked: December 22, 1962 at # 1)     

Often working in a makeshift studio in his apartment, or flat as the Brits like to call it, Joe Meek built a reputation as a pioneer in sound recording, developing everyday studio tricks like overdubbing, reverb and sampling. His records had a unique sound: the hammering-heart bass drum and broken-spring guitar of "Have I The Right" and the instrumental "Telstar" with its futuristic keyboards and rocket-blast sound effects (and the first British rock record to reach #1 in the US). But Meek suffered with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; was being blackmailed at a time when homosexuality was a crime in the UK; and was convinced Buddy Holly was communicating with him from beyond the grave. When another songwriter accused Meek of plagiarizing “Telstar,” he fatally shot his landlady, then himself, in 1967. The “Telstar” issue was resolved in his favor three weeks later. 

35. Timmy Thomas –•– Why Can’t We Live Together — (Peaked: February 10, 1973 at # 3)

Radio deejays who prided themselves on their ability to “hit the post” – talking over the instrumental introduction of a song and timing it to end as the singing began – had a broad canvas to work with on "Why Can't We Live Together" a record that began with 1:30 of journeyman R&B singer Timmy Thomas playing the organ with some sort of metronome keeping the beat – enough time to give the weather, news and, if it was a winter storm, every school closing in the tri-state area. Philosophically, lyrically and vocally “Why Can’t We Live Together” feels like everything Marvin Gaye wrote and sang during his “relevant” phase in the early 70s. 

34. The Youngbloods –•– Get Together — (Peaked: September 6, 1969 at # 5)                 

The Youngbloods moved from hip Boston to hipper San Francisco and released the groovy "Get Together" in 1967. The song faced a lot of competition from similarly themed Summer of Love songs, like “All You Need Is Love” and “San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)” and peaked at #62. The song began getting airplay again in 1969 when it was being used in a popular radio public service announcement and this time it clicked. Two years later the very 1967 raga guitar solo still worked. 

33. Preston Epps –•– Bongo Rock — (Peaked: June 29, 1959 at # 14) 

You proved your musical chops in elementary school by banging out the drum solo to “Wipe Out” on your desktop. Being able to keep time to "Bongo Rock" put you in the master class.  

32. Neal Hefti –•– Batman Theme — (Peaked: March 12, 1966 at # 35)                 

Almost moronically simple and memorable. 

31. Billy Swan –•– I Can Help — (Peaked: November 23, 1974 at # 1)

Nashville musician Billy Swan sounded a lot like Ringo Starr, leading people to at first believe this was a solo Beatles record. Further supporting the misconception was the song’s message, which made it a country cousin to “With A Little Help From My Friends.”