Often, it takes a special something to get people to remember you. While art is about intuition and feeling, sometimes you have to be calculating to rise to the top of culture. And that’s just what we wanted to highlight here below.
Videos by American Songwriter
Indeed, sometimes it takes a certain kind of name to be that memorable—a moniker either so unique or of the moment that it can take your career from middling to major. These are three one-hit wonders from the 1960s known by a single name.
“98.6” by Keith from ‘98.6/Ain’t Gonna Lie’ (1966)
This piano-driven number by the Philadelphia-born artist Keith brings the positive, flower-power vibes. The hook, as the title suggests, references the temperature of a human body. It’s the temperature you feel when you’re close to another. And that’s the image and feel this song offers its listeners. When you find the one you love, hold them close, and feel that warmth—that’s Keith’s message. Clear and concise, just like his moniker.
“I Love You” by People! (Single, 1968)
This track was originally released by The Zombies in 1965. Yet, three years later the rock group People released their own version as a standalone single. Featuring vocals that knife into your gut, the track is buttressed by rhythmic electric guitars, wailing organs, and toe-tapping drums. When your band name is People!, it’s easy to remember. And when your chorus is “I Love You”, it’s also easy to commit to memory. For those reasons and the others above, this track became a top-20n hit in 1968.
“I Got A Line On You” by Spirit from ‘The Family That Plays Together’ (1968)
This track will get you on a mission. It’s the kind of song that plays during a movie’s big scene. Something just has to go right. And so this song propels the action forward. It sounds like Led Zeppelin went back in time and wrote songs in the heart of a Wild West Saloon. Spirit brought just that on this offering. Let it wash over you, like something truly unforgettable.
Photo by Pete Still/Redferns
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