Wonder Why

Wonder Why EP. 42: Sir Mix A Lot

It's a trip back to the early 90s to celebrity an ode to a female body part. What Queen did for "Fat Bottomed Girls," Sir Mix A Lot continued with the number 1 hit "Baby Got Back." 

Emerging from the Pacific Northwest, Sir Mix A Lot gained traction as a solid rapper with his first two albums before becoming a household name with his third album.  On this episode, @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb break down the first three albums to see if Sir Mix A Lot should be remembered as a gimmick rapper or if he's an underrated flow master. 

Wonder Why EP. 41: The Outfield

"Josie's on a vacation far away."  Most fans of '80s music can tell you that is the opening line to The Outfield's Top 10 song, "Your Love."  But how many know The Outfield had four other top 40 hits? Not only did they have multiple hits, the hits came from four different albums.

Wonder Why 40: Flock of Seagulls

Going back to the '80s for another new wave one hit wonder. This month it's the Flock of Seagulls who hit the charts in 1983 with the song "I Ran" along with two follow up hits that don't have the same following today.  The bigger question to come out of the episode is the a group of seagulls isn't actually called a Flock. So, what are they called?

Wonder Why EP. 39: Brownsville Station

Anyone who grew up in the '80s knows the song "Smokin' in the Boys Room."  But how many know the Motley Crue version was a cover of a 1973 song by the band Brownsville Station? On this episode of Wonder Why, we look at a band who had some success in the early 1970s and then seem to have faded from the musical landscape.

Wonder Why EP. 38: ? And the Mysterians

This month's selection for Wonder Why may not be the weirdest song we've had on the show but I'm willing to bet it's the weirdest performer (at least by name) we'll have the show.  Who is ? and the Mysterians? Are they Marvel superheroes about to get their own entry into the MCU?  Not that we're aware of at this time.

What we do know is ? and the Mysterians originated in Michigan and went on to have two Top 40 hits in 1967. The biggest hit was the #1 song, "96 Tears." Should they have had more success post 1967? How long did they last as a band? What is the longest time between releasing a single and still performing it in concert? Some of these questions are answered on this episode of Wonder Why

Wonder Why: EP. 37: Arrested Development

Continuing the 2021 series of musical artists that aren't really one hit wonders, we go to 1992 for a band who had three songs on the billboard chart for over a year and then nothing.  While hard core or gangsta rap was taking hold in 1992, Arrested Development emerged on the scene as conscious rappers.

 

Wonder Why EP. 36: Simple Minds

While anyone who grew up in the '80s, can't forget the Scottish band, Simple Minds, most American music listeners probably aren't aware the band has a 40+ year career that is still going. On this episode of Wonder Why, the  exploration of artists primarily known for one hit while having multiple hits continues with a enlightening discussion of a band with 20 studio albums.

Should Simple Minds be better known in America? How does their latest release compare to their biggest hit? Are they comparable to an world famous Irish band? These questions are raised and addressed on this episode.

Wonder Why EP. 35: The Rembrandts

2021 moves rapidly along with the "Not Quite" One Hit Wonder series. This month we examine probably the biggest television theme song of the last 30 years. The Rembrandts' song "I'll Be There For You" became a hit after the breakout success of the NBC sit-com "FRIENDS" in 1995. What most people probably don't know is The Rembrandts had a higher charting song four years earlier.

Even more shocking was finding out the history of The Rembrandts goes back to 1978 and has a connection to the Two Coreys (Feldman and Haim).  Join @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb as they examine the discography of this power pop duo to find out why they are mainly known for a 45 second TV theme song.

Wonder Why 34: Digital Underground

Continuing the series of mistaken one hit wonder, this month, the Wonder Why series looks at the hip-hop group Digital Underground.  Breaking out in 1990 with the song "The Humpty Dance," it was easy to write off Digital Underground as a gimmicky rap group.  However, upon looking deeper, one finds the DU were carrying on a tradition started by funk legends P-Funk.  The success of "The Humpty Dance" led to a unique opportunity for the band as well as hoping launch the career of one of the biggest rap stars of the nineties.  A minor hit would follow a couple of years later.

 

Wonder Why 33: Rupert Holmes

The unofficial fourth season of Wonder Why kicks off with a new theme for the year. Instead of looking at technical "One Hit Wonders," for 2021, the focus is on Artists that have more than one hit but are primarily known for one hit.

The first artist on the list is Englishman, Rupert Holmes. Scoring a number one hit with "Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Rupert had a couple more hits before transitioning to a second (and third) career.