Most one-hit wonders don’t use unusual instruments in their songs, but these three hitmakers slipped an oddball or two into their biggest hits. Let’s take a look!
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1. “In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry
If you’re not from the United States, you might not consider these British rock icons to be one-hit wonders. However, “In The Summertime” was Mungo Jerry’s only charting hit in the US, so we’ll go ahead and include them here.
“In The Summertime” is a bold skiffle-meets-pop tune from 1970, and it actually features a pretty interesting instrument in the mix. If you listen closely, you can hear a jug being used in the percussion section. In fact, the whole of the song doesn’t feature traditional percussion at all. No drums are used, Paul King plays the jug, and Ray Dorset plays the cabasa and contributes stomps throughout the song.
2. “The Lumberjack” by Jackyl
Remember this glam Southern rock outfit? Jackyl’s only Top 10 hit was the 1994 track “Push Comes To Shove”. And oddly enough, that song is not what the band is known for. Rather, Jackyl is best known for their lower-charting debut single “The Lumberjack” from 1992. And that fascinating song features a pretty odd instrument: The chainsaw!
That’s not a metaphor for something else. They really used a tree-cutting chainsaw as an instrument in this song. Jesse James Dupree managed to get a B and E flat out of the machine, and it made it to the song’s famed 30-second solo.
3. “96 Tears” by ? And The Mysterians
These one-hit wonders who utilized unusual instruments are best known for their garage rock hit “96 Tears”. This psychedelic-leaning single made it to no. 1 on the Hot 100 chart in the US, and did quite well elsewhere. ? And The Mysterians never had as big of a hit after this one in 1966, but it has aged fairly well through the years. And if you listen closely, you’ll hear a wildcard in the instrumental mix.
“96 Tears” features the basic vocals, guitar, bass, and drums of any traditional rock song. However, Frank Rodriguez also plays the Vox Continental organ on the track. This particular organ was popular in the 1960s and was designed as a lightweight touring alternative to the heavy-duty Hammond organ.
Photo by kpa/United Archives via Getty Images
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