Novelty One Hit Wonders: funny storytelling, humorous, and nonsensical songs

Novelty songs are basically songs with comical or nonsensical lyrics written with a purpose to humor the listeners. They not only usually come as original stories, but also often come as parodies or answer songs. While many of them use normal music, a number of them also integrated with special, comical effects to enhance their humorous content. Although not widely mention in everyday's music, these novelty songs do play a great role in the history of popular music. There are a lot of novelty records that have broke it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart throughout decades. Many artists have made their career out of novelty songs ...while some of them can only did it once... and these are the list dedicated to the artists of the latter group.

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Artist	Art Mooney & His Orchestra with Barry Gordon	Year	1955
Song	Nuttin' For Christmas	Chart	6

An American actor/voice actor Barry Gordon became the youngest artist ever to chart the Billboard Hot 100. At the age of seven, he got a chance to recorded a christmas song with Art Mooney band. The funny christmas song "Nuttin' For Christmas" became a Top10 hit in US by the end of 1955. It was Gordon's only music success in his long career.

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Artist	Ricky Zahnd & the Blue Jeaners	Year	1955
Song	(I'm Gettin') Nuttin' For Christmas	Chart	21

During Christmas of 1955, "Nuttin' for Christmas" became a phenomenon hit in US - with 5 different covers on the Billboard chart at the same time. One version was done by a Ricky Zahnd, an ex-lawyer from New York City turned a vice president of the New York basketball and hockey teams. His version climbed to no.21 spot on the chart. It was the only records he ever made.

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Artist	Joe Ward	Year	1955
Song	Nuttin For Xmas	Chart	20

Yet another version of the 1955's novelty christmas hit song. Joe Ward was an eight-years-old boy from Cincinnati, who gained a brief, unexpected fame when his records "Nuttin For Xmas" became a Top20 hit by the end of 1955. He never recorded any other songs again.

andy griffith - make yourself comfortable

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Artist	Andy Griffith	Year	1955
Song	Make Yourself Comfortable	Chart	26

Andy Griffith is an American actor, film producer, and director from the late 1950s. He was known for some recent recordings and was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999. His first music success happened in 1955, when his comedy talkshow record "Make Yourself Comfortable", became no.26 hit on the chart and his only chart success to date.

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Artist	Cliffie Stone	Year	1955
Song	The Popcorn Song	Chart	14

Cliffie Stone was an American country artist/music publisher who managed and produced many famous artists such as Tennessee Ernie Ford and Hank Thompson. He also released his own works under various names. His novelty tune "The Popcorn Song" became a Top20 hit in 1955 and earned him a name as a musician. However, he could not repeat that success agin until he died in 1998.

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Artist	Kay Thompson	Year	1956
Song	Eloise	Chart	39

Catherine Louise Fink (aka Kay Thompson) was an American singer/songwriter, and children's book author in the mid of the 20th century. In 1955, she wrote a song about a six-year-old girl character of her book. The funny, child-like song "Eloise" became an unexpected Top40 hit in the early 1956 - followed with TV musical the same year. None of her following attempts ever came close to the one hit.

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Artist	Eddie Lawrence	Year	1956
Song	The Old Philospher	Chart	34

Eddie Lawrence was an American monologist, singer, and TV personality from Brooklyn. He made his name in the music world only once when his singles "The Old Philosopher" became an unexpected Top40 hits in 1956. This nonsensical diague earned him an image of 'Old Philosopher', which he was known for throughout his entertainment career. It was the only hit singles he had ever made in his long career.

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Artist	The Cadets	Year	1956
Song	Stranded in the Jungle	Chart	15

Although they was not the original artist of this song, the Cadets was the one that made this up-tempo novelty tune a big hit in the late 1950s. However, they was unable to follow up with this instant success as they quickly ran out of hits and several original members left the band. The remaining members tried to struggle but they were soon split in 1964.

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Artist	The Jayhawks	Year	1956
Song	Stranded in the Jungle	Chart	18

The Jayhawks was a L.A. doo wop group in the late 50s. They were best known for recording the original version of 1956's novelty hits "Stranded in the Jungle". Their version charted at lower position than the Cadets' - at no.18. Unfortunately, the band could not come up with another hit, and finally dissolved soon after.

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Artist	The Gadabouts	Year	1956
Song	Stranded in the Jungle	Chart	39

The Gadabouts was another doo wop group who briefly gained their name through the cover of the Jayhawks' "Stranded in the Jungle", this time on Mercury Records. However, this version did not become as successful as the Jayhawks' or the Cadets'. They disappeared from the music chart as quickly as they came.