Wonder Why

Wonder Why 32: Foster the People

How soon is too soon to label a band a one hit wonder? That's the question asked by this episode of Wonder Why as we delve into the success, or lack thereof, for Foster the People. Busting onto the scene in 2011 with "Pumped Up Kicks," a song that reached number three on the Billboard chart, success seemed likely for the Alt-Pop band.  Surprisingly in the following 9 years, Foster the People have had limited success on the main charts. They did come close to another Top 40 hit falling just two spots shy.

@chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb examine three studio albums to try and understand the challenges Foster the People have failed to overcome to achieve more hits. Their conclusion puts the blame less on Mark Foster and group and more on the state of the modern day music industry. 

Wonder Why 31: The Vapors

Rising to fame quickly in the late '70s, The Vapors achieved one hit wonder status with their song "Turning Japanese."  After the success of that song and lack of success with a follow up album, the band went their separate ways.  On this edition of Wonder Why, @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb looking into the history of the band and examine the other songs on their albums to try and discern why long term success eluded The Vapors.

Wonder Why 30: Mark Morrison

In time to tie in with a popular Google ad, this episode of Wonder Why examines the career of "Return of the Mack" singer, Mark Morrison.  Like other One Hit Wonders, Morrison had a successful career outside of America but only manged to land one song in the Top 40 back in 1997. 

Hosts @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb look at the career and personal life of this British singer to try and decide why he only managed one hit in the USA.  There are similarities to an American R&B singer that may help explain the lack of continued success.

Wonder Why 29: Murray Head

We have a first and a second on this episode of Wonder Why.  This is the second time we're talking about an artist that technically has two Top 40 hits. The first is neither song appears on a studio album by the artist in question.  How did Murray Head come to have two hits? And why didn't he have any hits from his own albums?  What connection does he hold to Buffy the Vampire Slayer?  Listen to this episode of Wonder Why to get the answer to these questions.

Wonder Why 28: M (Robin Scott)

Hoping in the One Hit Wonder time machine, this episode of Wonder Why travels back to 1979 to explore the career of the hardest artist to Google, M. Achieving a number one hit with the song "Pop Muzik," M (AKA Robin Scott) quickly climbed the Billboard charts and then, almost as quickly, faded from the spotlight.

@chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb break down the pre and post "Pop Muzik" career of M to see why he only had one hit.  The reason may surprise you.

Wonder Why 27: Crash Test Dummies

On this episode of Wonder Why, we look at probably the most uniquely titled one hit wonder.  "Mmm mmm mmm mmm" by the Canadian group Crash Test Dummies hit the top ten in 1994.  With the distinct vocals of singer Brad Roberts, the very descriptive song stood out from the rest of the songs on the charts at the time.

Why didn't the follow up songs chart well? Why did future Crash Test Dummies albums fail to make much of a dent in America? @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb break down the career and try to figure out why the band became a subject for Wonder Why.

Wonder Why 26: Walter Egan

We've achieved something never expected on Wonder Why. We've found a one hit wonder that host @chadsmart has never (at least he thought) heard. Yes, @MikeDeKalb was able to stump Chad with the 1978 Walter Eagan hit, "Magnet and Steel." 

Who is Walter Eagan? How did he come to have a top ten hit? What did he do after that hit? Where is he today? What do Flying Burritos, Rumors and an all sister group have to do with this story?  All those questions are answered on this episode of Wonder Why

Wonder Why 25: Tom Cochrane

Hang the fuzzy dice from the mirror, make sure the gas tank is full and lets hit the open road cause "Life is a Highway."  On this episode of Wonder Why, @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb look at the career of Canadian superstar Tom Cochrane. From his early days in the band Red Rider to being a solo superstar, Tom Cochrane's career has span over 40 years.

Wonder Why 24: Mary Jane Girls

Before Flo Rida talked about his house, the Mary Jane Girls were inviting guys over to their house. Put together by musician Rick James, the Mary Jane Girls were a group assembled partly out of planning and partly out of necessity. On this episode of Wonder Why, @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb break down the career of the Mary Jane Girls who just barely qualified for consideration for this series.

Also, how many reference to Extreme can Chad work into one episode?

Wonder Why 23: Nine Days

This is the story of a podcast. That examines one hit wonders and tries to understand why they didn't have a follow up hit. This month, @chadsmart and @MikeDeKalb examine the hit from 2000 "Story of a Girl" by the Long Island band Nine Days. One quick observations Chad and Mike notice is how music from this era is very interchangeable. Along the way, Mike makes a discovery that blows Chad's mind and could become a recurring theme on future shows.

At the start of the show, Mike pays homage to Rush drummer Neil Peart who passed away a few weeks before the recording of this episode.