Something to celebrate
With her gravelly voice and soulful blues and rock tunes, Janis Joplin is a musical icon.
But did you know that Joplin is also a one-hit wonder?
The strict definition of a one-hit wonder is an artist or band who only has one song make the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Shockingly, Joplin qualifies, albeit technically, twice: once as a solo artist and once as a member of her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company.
鈥淢e and Bobby McGee鈥� hit the top of the charts on March 20, 1971 during Joplin鈥檚 solo career.
And while she鈥檚 equally known for the smoky vocals of 鈥淧iece of My Heart,鈥� that appearance came under her band: Big Brother and the Holding Company.
The song peaked at No. 12 on the charts on Nov. 12, 1968.
Joplin isn鈥檛 the only one who鈥檚 designation as a one-hit wonder is a bit surprising.
Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix had a single hit (鈥淎ll Along the Watchtower鈥�) crack the Top 40. Turns out 鈥淧urple Haze鈥� peaked in the 65th slot, and neither 鈥淰oodoo Child鈥� nor 鈥淭he Wind Cries Mary鈥� cracked the Top 100.
The Grateful Dead is another 鈥� 鈥淭ouch of Grey鈥� hit No. 9 in 1987, but none of the jam band鈥檚 other songs have been in the Top 40.
And while Garth Brooks may dominate the country charts, his only tune to hit the Hot 100 was 鈥淟ost in You鈥� in 1999.
The widespread success of these one-hit wonders should give hope to the hundreds of others who qualify for the designation.
Maybe 40 years from now, Los del Rio鈥檚 鈥淢acarena鈥� (ranked No. 8 on Billboard鈥檚 All-Time Top 100 Songs) will be just one of a dozen hits for which the band is known.
In the meantime, observe National One-Hit Wonder Day on Saturday. Make a playlist, turn it up and groove through the weekend.
Other days to celebrate include:
Sept. 23: National Great American Pot Pie Day, National Checkers Day
Sept. 24: National Punctuation Day, Hug a Vegetarian Day, National Cherries Jubilee Day
Sept. 25: National Daughter鈥檚 Day, National One-Hit Wonder Day, National Ghost Hunting Day
Sept. 26: National Dumpling Day, National Gold Star Mother鈥檚 Day, National Johnny Appleseed Day
Sept. 27: National Family Day, National Scarf Day, National Crush A Can Day
Sept. 28: National Good Neighbor Day, National Voter Registration Day, National North Carolina Day
Sept. 29: National Coffee Day, VFW Day, National Women鈥檚 Health and Fitness Day