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Wayne Jancik
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Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, The Paperback – January 1, 1998

by Wayne Jancik (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 41 ratings
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Profiles recording artists from 1955 to the present who have had only one top 40 hit, with each entry listing the song title, writer, chart information, and the circumstances of the song's release and success
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  1. Print length
    518 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Watson-Guptill Pubns
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1998
  5. Dimensions
    7.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0823076229
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0823076222
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Watson-Guptill Pubns; Subsequent edition (January 1, 1998)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 518 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0823076229
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823076222
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 41 ratings

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Wayne Jancik

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
41 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

James I. Cary-Hamby
5.0 out of 5 stars What I love most is the detail
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2018
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I have not read the entire book from cover to cover. I use it for periodic reference when a group of my friends and I are discussing the early days of rock 'n' roll. What I love most is the detail. Jancik obviously has interviewed many of the artists involved and gotten wonderful stories of things that happened back in the day. Great stuff!!

A minor criticism - the section at the end of the book - "THE BOTTOM 20" - is never explained. I finally figured out that the bulk of the work describes the artists/songs who made it into the Top 20, and "THE BOTTOM 20" it is a list of the artists/songs that did NOT make it into the Top 20. If Jancik had given detail about all of the artists/songs that made it into the Top 40, the book would have been four inches thick! Probably a good decision. If one wants info on the "THE BOTTOM," he or she can go to Wikipedia.

Great book!
2 people found this helpful
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R. M. Mayhew
5.0 out of 5 stars There Are Several Editions Of This Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2019
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The edition I purchased went through the 1980s, which was fine for me (the price was right). I've always been curious about artists and groups that hit the big time - one time. Several of those mentioned actually had another song that hit the charts, but they were not "hits" per se. I have enjoyed learning the backstories of some of my favorite artists who weren't quite famous enough to get an extended biography.
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Alfred D.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2021
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Very informative book for a music fanatic. Well worth the money.
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ron johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Music
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2021
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Great addition to the Music Library
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Allen Smalling
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, informative look at a closed period of popular music
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
Rock and roll may never die, but the period of pop music covered in this (1990) edition, 1955-1984, pretty much parallels the primacy of rock. Included are any Top 40 singles by any acts that never charted again. It's indispensable for the "what happened to THEM?" factor, and seeing what kind of music hits the charts at any particular time. I wish a little more attention had been paid to musicology -- key changes, for example. But it does offer fascinating glimpses of what is now pretty much a sealed era of popular music. Very readable, but the index only works for acts whose name you already know, or for songs that went to nos. 1 or 2 only. The photographs -- culled largely from publicity stills and 45 r.p.m. record covers -- are great fun.
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GIANT PLAN
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016
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This book is fast easy reading, and spins many a fascinating story about who they were, and what became of them. Each time I pick this book up I have a hard time putting it down. Great book.
One person found this helpful
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Carla Seyller
5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Hit!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2014
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Wayne Jancik knocked it out of the park with this book. It truly is the best "Encyclopedia" of One-Hit songs that I have come across. I reference this
book all of the time. I wonder if this is the only book he's written?
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Marty LeGere
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun reading ... if you can get by the errors
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2000
With Wayne Jancik's "The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders," it was interesting to revisit some of the artists who had only one hit on the Top 40 chart of the Billboard Hot 100 ... and then never returned again. It's even more interesting when you find superstar album acts such as Jimi Hendrix and Grateful Dead are among this elite club since they never were big as singles artists.
Unfortunately, while reminiscing about these songs I grew up with, it was frustrating to find glaring errors that made it to print. Some prime examples: The 1985 top 20 single for 17-year-old Charlie Sexton was "Beat's So Lonely," not "Been So Lonely" as the book states. Also, the Canadian one-hit wonder Kon Kan who briefly charted in 1989 in the U.S. with "I Beg Your Pardon" got their name by flip-flopping the term Can Con which is short for Canadian Content. Jancik referred to it as Canadian "Continent." Plus he never attempts to explain what the term means (Section 3 of Canada's Broadcasting Act mandates that AM and FM radio stations play a minimum of 35 percent Canadian artists to help develop native acts). And the artist who rapped "Just a Friend" in 1990 was Biz Markie, not Biz Marke.
These were just the few that I caught skimming through the hundreds of one-hit acts. Did an intern at Billboard edit Jancik's book? How did Billboard allow their name on this before it went to press? Anyway, you get the idea. One-Hit Wonders is fast and fun reading, but it could stand more accuracy.
23 people found this helpful
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Joromi
4.0 out of 5 stars Curioso.
Reviewed in Spain on March 19, 2021
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Solo para fans del RNR. Se nota que es un libro muy antiguo. Pero tiene cosas curiosas.
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Julio
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2013
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Probably one of the best books I've ever had. Many "One Hit Wonders" included here, are probably the one(s) you know.
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