On a sadder note, Redgum's hit "Only 19" was very poignant.

"Only 19" is incredibly sad. The line "Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon" always puts things into perspective for me. A mate of mine loves Redgum and is teaching his 3 year old daughter some of the songs. I want him to teach her "I was only 19 months" but he's not so keen. Can't imagine why..

"Smiley" by Ronnie Burns is another anti-war song that tugs at my heart strings. It sounds so happy until you really listen to the lyrics. Neither one hit wonders but never mind

Tizzabelle, I love both of those.. the only thing with "I was only 19"..
Frankie kicked the mine the day that mankind kicked the moon.. god help him, he was going home in June"...
"Mankind kicked the moon" in July 1969.. June was still 11 months away...
and yes, I do know I am a pedantic cow !

Hi Tezza, That incongruity has occured to me too but I interpret that line as meaning "He WAS going home in June" i.e. he was to go home but stayed on for some reason. If he had gone home he wouldn't have been injured/killed. I don't know if that is correct but how I read it. *shrug*

"Everywhere That I'm Not" - Translator

"Jackie Blue" - Ozark Mountain Daredevils (they had one other song that charted, but when I ask anyone to name it - no one can)

"Life In A Northern Town" - Dream Academy (I know, an embarrassing admission )

Cydonia, I love "Life in a Northern Town" too for reasons I know not. I even bought the single and I rarely bought singles. Here's another one I love. "The Devil went down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band. I don't know about elsewhere but I'm fairly sure they only had the one hit in Oz.

How about something from the 60s here.
"(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" by The Reflections.

Tizzabelle, Charlie Daniels is still big in the USA. He's a good ole' country boy and has a few other hits beside Devil Went Down to Georgia. I saw him in concert a couple of years ago and totally enjoyed his show.

Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground
Informer - Snow

I always have an issue with Redgum's Only 19 (shades of green) I think that was the subtitle. Anyway "Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon" continues "he was going home in June". Ok so he only had eleven months to go!!
I'll put it down to artistic licence. In any case they weren't a one hit wonder because Redgum also had the awesome "I've been to Bali too" I'm assuming its on You Tube. About to find out.
I couldn't place a single song but two that keep popping into my head is "Play the Game" by Wendy and the Rockets or Sticky Music by Suzie and the Sunsets.

But wait what about "One night in Bangkok" or "Ship of Fools" by umm, yeah that band eith that guy in it.

Oh and im also thinking of a song about and possibly called Managua by an Aussie band in the early 80's. Haha can you see a trend emerging?

"Smile A Little Smile For Me" by The Flying Machine. I just love the music from the sixties

Beep!Beep! (The Liite Nash Rambler) by the Playmates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1c4QZGQw5o

Funky Town by Lipps Inc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6pg18bJt-A

Video Killed The Radio Star by Buggles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw6xesXLIAA&feature=related
Historic MTV launch, first song.

Goodbye Horses by Q Lazzarus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_DVS_303kQ

Definitely a classic - 'Spirit In the Sky' by Norman Greenbaum.

"Mexican Radio" - Wall of VooDoo.... =)

“Take On Me” by Aha!
But my favorite is probably “The Way” by Fastball.

Loved "Boom Sha La La Lo" by Hans Poulsen (Australian, 1970) and "San Francisco" by Scott McKenzie c 1967.

(Edited to correct date for Hans Poulsen release)

Wildfire ... Michael Murphy

Thought I'd be clever and go for a song by a group that have only had a single hit here (Australia) ... That makes my selection of "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves a safe pick.

The downside is that by using that criteria I can't pick "Melt With You" by Modern English ... it was never a hit here ....

The biggest one-hit wonder in terms of chart success would be Debby Boone's 'You Light up my life'. She even won best new artist, go figure! But to get back to favorites; My pick would be 'Drivers Seat by Sniff 'n' The Tears about 1979.

Mississippi Queen-Mountain

Just one? There are so many to choose from and you could pick one from each decade and that still wouldn't do them all justice. One that popped into my head is Chilliwack's "My Girl(Gone, Gone, Gone" from 1981.

"Smoking in the Boys' Room" by Brownsville Station.

To an impressionable young lad at school like me, that was such a cool concept! (But it fortunately didn't convince me to take up with the coffin nails) I know they released a few other songs and albums but I don't think any of them got close to the top of the charts.

And to Tezza, Ozzz2002, Tizzabelle & Quogequox: I heard an interview with John Schumann from Redgum a few years ago and he said they were aware at the time of the chronological problem with Frankie, the mine and the moon landing but couldn't find a better way to phrase it. "Caught in the Act" is a great album - especially if you're an old 'lefty'. Some of the songs have dated quite badly, but some are still wonderful.

I saw James Reyne on telly a while ago and he was asked about the line in "The Boys Light Up" which goes "The garden it is dorseted, that lady, she's so corseted." So what is a dorseted garden? It doesn't exist. It doesn't mean a thing. They couldn't find a rhyme for corseted so they made up dorseted.

Doug and the Slugs - The Tomcat Prowl
Thanks everybody,I just got at least a dozen
songs i had forgotten about to put on my Ipod.

"You're Beautiful" James Blunt
He may yet have another but so far I think he qualifies.
An older post listed Don McLean with "American Pie"
"Vincent" ("Starry Starry Night") gets him off the list.

How about one for the over 50 crowd?
"(Just Like)Romeo and Juliet" by The Reflections

I have two favorites and they are both from the 80's and I can still listen to them both over and over.

The first one is: Salt In My Tears by Martin Briley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bi5Oci3m3M


The Second is: Der Kommissar by After the Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guvo7gUdUnE

Would I get chased out of town to actually admitting that I liked 'Ice Ice Baby' by Vanilla Ice? I know all the words and sing when I hear it - usually from my computer playlist rahter than hearing on the radio though!