Neither Rick James nor MC Hammer were one-hit wonders. They both hit the Top 40 multiple times, and that is even before you flip from Billboard Hot 100 over to the Billboard R&B charts. Both "Super Freak" and "Can't Touch This" benefit from that undeniable bass hook, though. That's what makes all-time dance floor classics.
As I wrote in the article, commercially, Rick James was not a one-hit wonder. But culturally, ‘Super Freak’ became the shortcut to his career.
Or here:
“Neither man was technically a one-hit wonder. Rick James had multiple R&B hits before – and after – ‘Super Freak’. MC Hammer sold millions of records beyond his breakout single.
But culturally, both careers were short-lived.
Rick James? The ‘Super Freak’ guy. MC Hammer? The ‘Can’t Touch This’ guy. What’s interesting is how the riff overshadowed both of them.”
As someone who during much of the late 70’s and through the mid 80’s within an hour of Buffalo (Rick’s hometown), he always had a much larger footprint. His albums, especially the earlier ones, were funk staples. Some really good stuff.
As for Hammer, I always found he had a good take on the rap-sample sounds of the late 80’s/early 90’s. It was always a party when Hammer hit the airwaves.
But, for the average music listener, the two are indeed most remembered for the two sides of that same musical coin that bonds them together.
When I did album reviews on my blog (almost a decade ago), I wanted to point out the rest of the music that artists put out where-in only one track struck lightning with the charts. I feel I get a lot more from songs when heard in context to the other tracks the artists recorded at that same time.
Neither Rick James nor MC Hammer were one-hit wonders. They both hit the Top 40 multiple times, and that is even before you flip from Billboard Hot 100 over to the Billboard R&B charts. Both "Super Freak" and "Can't Touch This" benefit from that undeniable bass hook, though. That's what makes all-time dance floor classics.
You are right.
As I wrote in the article, commercially, Rick James was not a one-hit wonder. But culturally, ‘Super Freak’ became the shortcut to his career.
Or here:
“Neither man was technically a one-hit wonder. Rick James had multiple R&B hits before – and after – ‘Super Freak’. MC Hammer sold millions of records beyond his breakout single.
But culturally, both careers were short-lived.
Rick James? The ‘Super Freak’ guy. MC Hammer? The ‘Can’t Touch This’ guy. What’s interesting is how the riff overshadowed both of them.”
https://beyondthehit.substack.com/p/two-one-hit-wonders-one-song
As someone who during much of the late 70’s and through the mid 80’s within an hour of Buffalo (Rick’s hometown), he always had a much larger footprint. His albums, especially the earlier ones, were funk staples. Some really good stuff.
As for Hammer, I always found he had a good take on the rap-sample sounds of the late 80’s/early 90’s. It was always a party when Hammer hit the airwaves.
But, for the average music listener, the two are indeed most remembered for the two sides of that same musical coin that bonds them together.
Thanks for the authentic insight. I think all songs considered one-hit wonders - rightly or wrongly - inevitably extend beyond their original scene.
When I did album reviews on my blog (almost a decade ago), I wanted to point out the rest of the music that artists put out where-in only one track struck lightning with the charts. I feel I get a lot more from songs when heard in context to the other tracks the artists recorded at that same time.