3 One-Hit Wonders From the 60s Who Wrote Songs for Others

For some reason, it feels like the artists who become one-hit wonders wouldn’t also be the type who’d want to collaborate with others. Instead, there is a sense that these types of songwriters are solo creatives, siloed off on their own to manifest wacky, weird tunes that may just rocket up the charts. But collab? That seems strange.

But there are actually a number of one-hit wonders from throughout the decades who have been very collaborative during their careers. Here, we wanted to explore the works of three such songwriters from the hallowed decade of the 1960s. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 60s who also wrote songs for others.

Barry Mann

Known for his supremely catchy 1961 tune, “Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)”, which hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, Barry Mann didn’t just save his best tracks for himself. No, he also penned tunes for others, including for the famed deep-voiced singer Lou Rawls. Indeed, Mann co-wrote Rawls’ 1968 song, “Hang-Ups”, a smoothed-out groove with bright horns and loving lyrics. Throughout his career, Mann also wrote for people like Quincy Jones, Joe Cocker, and The Muppets.

Gale Garnett

Famous for her 1964 song, “We’ll Sing In The Sunshine”, which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, Gale Garnett also wrote songs for others, including Lalo Schifrin and George Benson. Indeed, Garnett penned the 1979 song “Street Tattoo”, which Schifrin and Benson recorded for the Boulevard Nights soundtrack. The song about the tough world is actually a beautiful, swelling number about a harrowing lifestyle of living on the streets.

Arthur Alexander

In 1962, Arthur Alexander’s song “You Better Move On” hit No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. You might think he’d be satisfied with that. But no, he also wrote songs for others, including the great Otis Redding. Indeed, Alexander co-wrote Redding’s track, “Johnny’s Heartbreak”, which the soul singer released on his 1970 LP, Tell The Truth. The recording displays Redding’s incredible voice and the lovely sonic chemistry between him and Alexander.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images