Oscar WildeI stumbled across a silly fact I wasn’t aware of today, but probably should have been. Oscar Wilde only wrote one book: The Picture of Dorian Gray. So off I went in search of similar ‘one offs’ and of course ended up completely lost in lists of authors and musicians. The so called ‘One Hit Wonders’.

After Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell came Harper Lee with To Kill a Mockingbird followed by Emily Brontë and Wuthering Heights. Nice start. Then I recalled Philip Roth and his notorious Portnoy’s Complaint.

Then I wondered about another famous book. The Bible. Another one off unknown author?

So of course music was next. My favourite one here is Kyu Sakamoto and the song
Sukiyaki. One of the rare Japanese world wide hits. Then the list of unforgettables; Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen, Shocking Blue – Venus, Barry Mann – Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp), Billy Bland – Let the Little Girl Dance and of course Sheb Wooley and his famous Purple People Eater.

This is way too much fun, so I’d better stop here. But I’m sure you’ve got your own favourites.

The Big One Offs

8 thoughts on “The Big One Offs

  • 16/06/2011 at 8:04 pm
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    "Shuddupa your face" Derek. Not an insult, a one off from Aus, remember it mate? :)

  • 16/06/2011 at 8:23 pm
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    Do I remember Jack? Joe Dolce. What a one off! Great song worldwide and then ….. poooof! lol

  • 16/06/2011 at 8:37 pm
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    That reminds me. Who was the bloke who always had a bit if dunny paper stuck to his face – Aussie comic. Not quite Aus's version of Fred Dagg, but damned close? :)

  • 16/06/2011 at 8:40 pm
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    Oscar Wilde wrote TONS of plays, though. :)

    The Bible is actually a collection of books, mostly by one-off authors. :D Luke had a couple to his name, though, and the Apostle Paul was fairly prolific. :D

    Moses may have had 5, though personally I've never really been convinced by the idea that he wrote the first 5 books of the Bible. But I'd better not get into the stuff from my theology degree work or I'll bore everyone silly! :D

    Or did you mean God as a one-off author? :D

  • 16/06/2011 at 9:19 pm
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    Oh Jack! What a memory. He was called Norman Gunston aka Garry McDonald! Brilliant he was.

  • 16/06/2011 at 9:21 pm
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    Of course Ruth! I forgot about the Bible. Quite a few one off wonders there! lol But not sure God wrote a book :)

  • 04/08/2011 at 10:11 am
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    Wilde had his book of ‘Poems’ published before ‘Dorian Gray’ I think. I think! :)

  • 04/08/2011 at 11:59 am
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    Wow, I never knew the author had only written one book, it happens to be one of my all time favourite story… Thanks for sharing yet another great subject.. Xx

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