You know the song by heart, but can you name the singer/songwriter behind it? Didn’t think so.
Annoying as all-hell, and yet as catchy as mono in high school, the 2006 hit song “Bad Day” has earned Canadian singer/songwriter Daniel Powter the dubious distinction of being Billboard’s “one-hit wonder” of the decade.
Now usually I’m all about trumpeting the successes of my fellow Canucks, but I’m leery of recognizing this one. After all, Powter is being acknowledged as much for the failure of his subsequent releases as he is for the ubiquity of his first. But let’s look on the bright side, shall we?
Powter’s “Bad Day” was used as the “too-bad, so-sad” song that ushered losers off the stage during the fifth season of “American Idol” helping to keep it on heavy rotation on radio stations around the country, and making it the biggest single of 2006. For months, I couldn’t get my morning coffee without being assaulted by the song at my local coffee shop (which shall remain nameless, but it rhymes with “Plunkin’ Shownuts.”) The song was also the most-played song in the UK for a whopping five years between 2003 and 2008.
But like all one-hit wonders, Powter failed to duplicate his freshman success with his second album release last year. OK, so maybe it didn’t help that he called it “Under the Radar.” Billboard defines a one-hit wonder of the decade as a singer who reached the Hot 100′s Top 10 with their very first single, then failed to crack the top 25 for the rest of the decade. But really, how many of us can say we’ve had a hit song, even just one? I’m pretty sure Powter’s laughing all the way to the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Other notable singer/songwriters to make the One-Hit Wonder of the Decade list include James Blunt for “You’re Beautiful” (seriously??), Gnarls Barkley for “Crazy” (what??) and Macy Gray with “I try” (Oh yeah, I remember her!) Rounding out the list is a whole lotta songs I can’t even recognize by name. Check them out here.
And for those of you who would like to relive Powter’s “Bad Day,” let the reminiscing begin:
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
