I love One Hit Wonderland because sometimes I'll sing a line while making dinner or somthing and my mom will be like "How the hell do you know that!!?? I thought that song was a dream?"
Legitimately obsessed with this band and their sound, but still really had fun hearing your take. Honestly, nothing, *nothing* sounds like 1986 the way this sounds like 1986. It's like the sound of snorting cocaine off a betamax tape.
SonofMrPeanut The easiest way to find it is to gently whisper the word "tapestry" into your computer speakers with the Wikipedia page for Living in a Box open. The web link will then be visible on your bathroom mirror the next time you take a shower. Edit: this is what I think a joke is. Kill me.
Aw, that would be sad. He's made some pretty great music (in my opinion, anyway). I really enjoy State of the Art, Hearts a mess, Bronte, Eyes Wide Open, and others. Definitely all feels more original than the mess of stuff that's popular nowadays, bleh.
I made a "now he's just somebody that I used to know" joke about him once in a comment and got a triggered response back that that's just his overseas presence and he's big in Australia. Yes, because I care about the billboard charts in Australia 🙄 (which by the nature of a much smaller population, it's not that hard to be on a billboard chart there. It also takes way less sales to reach their version of silver, gold and platinum sales so what's extremely popular there isn't even a drop in the bucket in terms of notoriety here in the States). This said, because Australia isn't really on the music radar for us, unlike the UK now (the 80's rock scene really helped with that and now we can throw a stone at nearly any music chart and hit a British pop star name), it's impressive when an artist from there does catch our eye. But unless lightning can strike twice in the same place for him, he indeed is someone that I used to know. Still love that song, though. (And yes, I could also check out more of his music and I might do that).
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley Todd doesn't strictly do One Hit Wonders, if that makes sense - artists who have had another hit or even a decent following in their own countries have been showcased before, but usually there's a sort of unspoken US obscurity threshold. (He flat refused to do Rage Against The Machine, but took on The Waitresses who have a definite full on second hit.) I think Gotye would probably count under those rules, but it might be too recent for him still - maybe in a couple years time when it's been a decade since "Somebody".
@@isabellamorris7902 Yeah, I've watched almost all of his videos by now and have seen him also cover artists that were just one hit wonders overseas but remained big in their own country. So there's a bit of wiggle room for his series.
@@amanoj318 It's sad to me because I think every other Gotye song I've heard, especially "Eyes Wide Open", is better than "Somebody That I Used To Know".
@@lillianward2810yeah, where a prosecutor and a public defender date, and the nature of their romantic relationship could make or break the case. Basically the romantic subplot of Night Court or Hill Street Blues, but in tacky sitcom form.
I LOVE THE FRIGGIN SOPHISTIPOP THING. Seriously, when you put the prefab sprout on i instantly smiled. My favorite thing ever is the style council, and I'm told that's what they are (that's actually how I found out about the term). Just... Wanted to get that out there. You see, I don't have many people to talk about my taste for pretentious international 80s music around here in brazil.... So there's that!!
Ahh... there's that Yamaha DX7. Haha. It always killed me that back in the 80's that synth was in every band back then, and everyone just used the damn crap presets and never, ever programmed their own sounds. It wasn't hard to program either. All you had to do was read the manual. I learned how to make patches for mine in an afternoon. Those crap, tinny DX7 presets are on so many 80's albums and there's so much they could have do to make them "not crap" and not "tinny" sounding.
There were a LOT of bands that got their one shot at recording in a professional studio, the studio had a DX7, so they jumped on and played it. They didn't have time to learn it.
Well there's a House producer called - and i'm not kidding - Unknown Artist. He usually releases tracks with kinda placeholder codenames like Kcic24, and if you are into more deep, lo-fi and even melancholic electronica his stuff SLAPS
@@walmorcarvalho2512been getting into dance listening to all Dan the Automators stuff, who you should check out if you havent (all his shit is crazy, easiest to follow what all hes been on with his spotify playlist or wikipedia digging) so thanks for this!
"If you want to get a feel for what any era of music was like, don't look at the stuff everyone remembers, take a look at the stuff no one remembers." This is why the Breakfast Club soundtrack has always had a soft place in my heart. Completely unheard of no-name tracks (except the one) that encapsulate the era's music perfectly.
The song "Living in a Box," by the band Living in a Box, from the album Living in a Box, is the type of music V A P O R W A V E was born out of! Seriously you can make a chopped and screwed slow down version of this and it'll fit right in next to like Far Side Virtual or Floral Shoppe
you forgot the music video - living in a box. Soon to be a motion picture - living in a box, and a HBO series living in a box, plus the video game living in a box.
This is the most generic '80s new wave band ever. This sounds like what people make up to put in TV shows or movies that take place in the '80s to signal "look, this is clearly the 1980s, listen to that music." Wow.
Funny enough, this song was in a scene of Black Mirror. The purpose of the scene was to show the characters were in the 80s. I guess it does that job, and nothing else.
So, basically a real version of that song from Bojack Horseman: Generic '80s new wave Beep, bop, beep, bop, beep, bop This is a song from the '80s The decade which it currently is
For whatever reason someone decided to put "How Soon is Now" by The Smiths on the grocery store play list. An already haunting guitar being played over shitty store speakers in the dead of night is NOT what you wanna hear. Legit thought some Silent Hill shit was about to go down.
I love both Level 42 and Lisa Stansfield, super cool to see that there's a common thread between them. Also I can't believe the slander you're throwing out on Living In A Box (the band), that sound is smooth as hell.
The only reason I knew this song existed was because of one of those infomercials for CD compilations containing the "GREATEST HITS OF THE 80'S" that would always play. I think maybe "greatest" was pushing it.
When you reviewed "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn, I had never heard that song in my entire life, but then I started hearing it at least once a week. So help me if I start hearing this one.
"I ammmm living in a box. it'ssss a cardboard BOX. I ammm livvvving in a box. (in a box) I AMMMMM LIVING (living in a box) INNNNN A-A-A box!! (deny your maker) IT'S A CARDBOARRRRD BOX. (bought at uhaul) I AM LIVING IN A BOX (it's a cardboard box) SHHH!
The most amazing thing about this video is finding out they Spandau Ballet were a one hit wonder in the US. They were one if the biggest artists of the 80s in the UK.
Hey Todd, The reason that synth tone was so popular was because of people like Peter Gabriel and the likes using it all the time. It's usually the most famous culprit, the Fairlight CMI III or a variant of it. It's a huge synthesizer that was one of the best ways of using a sampler. Trumpets, pads and clean sounding synths were often made by the CMI because the alternative wasn't as nice sounding yet. You had your Moogs, your Korgs, the Yamaha DX7 stands out as one of the greats, the Juno series by Roland, but 80s musicians, if possible, preferred to use the CMI. One of the famous sound libraries made for the thing was actually Michael Jackson's and you can get an emulator currently that actually has the original and new sound fond collections to use. tl;dr: if a synths sounds clean or if there's doots that don't sound right, 9 out of 10 times, it's a CMI, the sound of the 80s.
This song earwormed itself into my head years ago and HAS. NEVER. LEFT. And it spread to all my friends and loved ones like I was some kind of Box Patient Zero, so that it kept coming back to me 📦
My favorite thing about one hit wonders is that if you listen to the rest of the songs from the same album, it feels like a time capsule to the forgotten past, waiting to be discovered.
Okay, Level 42 had 2 hits, Something About You (#4, 1986) and Lessons in Love (#12 1987). As a guy who grew up in the 80s, I loved these bands. We didn't have great bass in our stereos, but I was a bass junkie. To me, my love for these bands was all about the bass.
9:10 "You're not going to remember it next year, let alone 30 years from now" - Todd. ... 30 Years Later. "Now continuing our '10s night 'Me, Myself and I' by G-Eazy and some hot chick." -Crowd roars.
@@Khenfu_Cake Technically he predicted that you wouldn't remember it. He is the messiah! I only remember it because I hated it, I didn't actually know who made the song.
80's drums, how did anybody think that much compression was a good idea? I love Paul Simon's "Graceland," but it still has that "THUD/click" drum sound.
I heard this song on the show black mirror where, in the episode this song is playing in a club and a guy in the club is trying to flirt with a girl and says "ya know I never thought that this song made any sense" and I thought of your review and laughed
And in 2020 Smooth Radio finally answers the question about what happened to the two other guys! Both "temporarily retired from the music industry." Chrichlow runs a bespoke illumination and lighting installation company. Vere got into the market for video and DVDs for pre-schoolers ("Here Comes A...!" and "Kids Trucks TV") and wrote some songs for ABC's 2016 album.
References Todd made to Metal Gear during his "Living in a Box" review: 0 References Todd made to Sonic the Hedgehog during his "Living in a Box" review: 1
People seem to forget about Vincent Price’s Orphan Powered Death Machine by Vincent Price’s Orphan Powered Death Machine off the album Vincent Price’s Orphan Powered Death Machine.
Sorry Todd, but I just discovered how much I like sophistipop. Maybe viewing it outside the context of 80s superficiality makes it more interesting. Then again, I also like Winger.
Hah! You referenced "Break out" by "Swing Out Sister"! Man, that takes me back. I feel like the local pop stations played a lot of "sophistipop" when I was a kid in the 80's
For some reason this song keeps getting consistent airplay on a local 80s station. Its catchy and bizarre and I love it. But I totally see how this faded into obscurity. It hasn't stood the test of time.
I'll defend this song any day, it's got a good beat, good vocals and it's fun. A lot of that is missing from music today. The 80's are still the best decade for music and always will be.
I'd love to see Todd do an OHW on "Break My Stride" and the career of Matthew Wilder. (Spoilers: one of the most awesome and well-loved Disney songs of the '90s is involved.)
Why, yes, Donny Osmond is involved. (Full story: The local soft-rock station plays "Break My Stride" occasionally, and so I keep thinking about finding out on VH1 that Matthew Wilder was one of the composers for "Mulan." So now I want Todd to do an OHW about it.)
Holy shit I actually thought you were finally reviewing Never Gonna Give You Up in the middle of the review! I was both pleased and disappointed at what followed.
+sam J He a few NUMBER 1 hits. Even with being remembered for one song, it would be a huuggge stretch. And the only reason anyone remembers any of his songs is a meme. This is more "superstar in a dead genre" than one hit wonder, who had one song pop up again. Edit: Might not be a bad April Fools joke.
sugarfrosted I know, but the tagline of the show includes "artists and bands known for only one song" so I'm saying its still possible for him to show up. plus if it was a paid request, todd would have to do it.
They remind me of Go West more than anything. Their big hit was "King of Wishful Thinking" from the Pretty Woman soundtrack, but their earlier songs sound more like this-, especially "We Close Our Eyes" which just missed the top 40 in 1985.
Kind of sounds musically the prototype to Dont Mess by Thompson Twins. Though now I'd love to see this song covered by Wang Chung, New Order and Rod Stewart
It would be interesting if you take a look on at least one of those artists: Laid Back (White Horse, #26) Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Relax, #10) Roachford (Cuddly Toy, #25) Madness (Our House, #7) Nena (99 Luftballons, #2) Baltimora (Tarzan Boy, #13) Taco (Puttin' On the Ritz, #4)
I found and bought both albums by this band and they both had good songs on them. They were yet another short-lived British rock/pop band like Naked Eyes, Climie Fisher, Kajagoogoo, Re-Flex, Johnny Hates Jazz, and Breathe.
I saw the title of the song (or band) and immediately thought of No Doubt's super obscure "before they were famous" debut single, "Trapped In A Box". Believe me, it's a much better song. It's really weird and ska. You guys should check it out. :D
I think I love that loud synth sound specifically for the reason you pointed out: it makes me think of Sega Genesis music. Nostalgia will always win in the end.
My father used to be a DJ and amateur recording technician during the 80's. He also probably has the world's largest 80's music collection. According to him, a lot of sophisti-pop and synthpop bands (he's a huge Pet Shop Boys and Mr. Mister fan and met them both in person :O) saw themselves as basically sort of like avant-garde art installations. There's a lot of similarity between them and Euroelectro acts in that there's not as much emphasis on identity so much as on sound and having a certain vibe. Of course, while the Eurosynth acts didn't mind not being recognized down the road and having short careers, this tended to wrinkle the brows of American synth musicians; you can hear it in Living In A Box's lyrics a bit. Sadly, a large amount of them remain forgotten, because they didn't really strive to differentiate themselves from other synthpop acts. Even my dad admits that he has problems recognizing songs he'd heard before and putting a face to them and even differentiating between two different groups.
You know, those dudes are looking pretty sharp, considering that they're living in a cardboard box. BTW, you forgot to mention the song 'Motörhead' by the band Motörhead on the album Motörhead. But that band turned out to have a little more staying power than Living in a Box ;-)
Living In A Box "Gatecrashing" was the best album ever in late 80s era. And Richard Darbyshire solo album "How Many Angels" (Later re-released as "Love Will Provide") also very good album too :) I also love Mike Francis cover of Living In A Box "Different Air"
Honestly, I LOVE “So The Story Goes” and Todd’s comparison to Chemical Plant Zone has made adore the song so much more Idk I think it’s solid as hell, even better than “Living in a Box” (the song)
What never ceases to amaze me for some of your One Hit Wonder serious, especially this one, is that you managed to find a cover to end the show. Who decides to cover the most obscure song ever? I thought I was the only person who remembered this song.
"Iron Maiden" by the band Iron Maiden, from the album "Iron Maiden," is my favorite song/album/band same-name song.
I prefer the mentioned Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath from Black Sabbath
Can't forget about Iced Earth from Iced Earth by Iced Earth.
Bad Company's Bad Company on Bad Company is my go to for the triple combo.
I happen to really like Motorhead by Motorhead from Motorhead.
I like Lukas Graham by Lukas Graham on the album Lukas Graham.
(I know it doesn't exist, it's just a reference to Todd's previous video.)
i thought their next album should have been called "stacked in a warehouse"
"Living in the Cutout Bin." "Living in Obscurity."
Decaying in the recycling bin
Rotting in the bargain bin
iamaniPod Growing up in a cube.
Stored next to the Ark of the Covenant 😊
I love One Hit Wonderland because sometimes I'll sing a line while making dinner or somthing and my mom will be like "How the hell do you know that!!?? I thought that song was a dream?"
Legitimately obsessed with this band and their sound, but still really had fun hearing your take. Honestly, nothing, *nothing* sounds like 1986 the way this sounds like 1986. It's like the sound of snorting cocaine off a betamax tape.
What shocks me is that a eurobeat song of this calibre WASN'T made by Stock Aitken & Waterman.
“Cocaine off a Betamax” jajajjajajajjajajajajajajjajajaajaja
Snorting it on the Betamax tape off the Betamax rental machine from the mom and pops corner video store next to the liquor store?😂😂
Betamax? More like Laserdisc.
It really shows the power of the internet that you were able to find a cover of this song for the outro
And one that sounds like it was sung with way more enthusiasm at that.
There's actually a small subsection of the internet dedicated to covers of Living in a Box
The contents of which can be printed and stored in a cardboard box.
SonofMrPeanut The easiest way to find it is to gently whisper the word "tapestry" into your computer speakers with the Wikipedia page for Living in a Box open. The web link will then be visible on your bathroom mirror the next time you take a shower.
Edit: this is what I think a joke is. Kill me.
That's a funny joke though.
That awkward moment where I unironically love that blaring synth style...
Go listen to Fake by Alexander O'Neal if you like this 😌👍
@@FIXTREME sounds like JJ's Nasty
Same here. 1987 forever.
Boy, there is no song too obscure to find a cover for your end credits, eh Todd?
Pocket Fluff Productions I was thinking the same thing
I like your profile picture
Pocket Fluff Productions that‘s Bobby Womack!
I think he finds the cover first and that's how he chooses the song.
I imagine finding covers for one hit wonders isn't as hard as you think. They are not obscure by their very nature.
Must be Solid Snake's theme song.
Justin Lafser holy shit I laughed for five minutes straight!
lol
!
Snake? Snake!? SNAAAAAKE!?
Followed up by Man in the 📦
I love how the singer in this band always has a guitar strapped to him, but you never hear the slightest bit of guitar in any of their songs.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who was amused by that.
Thats just routine 80s stuff. Don't let the fact that there's no guitar in the song keep you from looking cool by holding a guitar in the video.
I have a feeling if you continue for another decade we'll be seeing a "Somebody that I used to know - Gotye" One Hit Wonderland.
Aw, that would be sad. He's made some pretty great music (in my opinion, anyway). I really enjoy State of the Art, Hearts a mess, Bronte, Eyes Wide Open, and others. Definitely all feels more original than the mess of stuff that's popular nowadays, bleh.
I made a "now he's just somebody that I used to know" joke about him once in a comment and got a triggered response back that that's just his overseas presence and he's big in Australia. Yes, because I care about the billboard charts in Australia 🙄 (which by the nature of a much smaller population, it's not that hard to be on a billboard chart there. It also takes way less sales to reach their version of silver, gold and platinum sales so what's extremely popular there isn't even a drop in the bucket in terms of notoriety here in the States).
This said, because Australia isn't really on the music radar for us, unlike the UK now (the 80's rock scene really helped with that and now we can throw a stone at nearly any music chart and hit a British pop star name), it's impressive when an artist from there does catch our eye. But unless lightning can strike twice in the same place for him, he indeed is someone that I used to know. Still love that song, though.
(And yes, I could also check out more of his music and I might do that).
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley Todd doesn't strictly do One Hit Wonders, if that makes sense - artists who have had another hit or even a decent following in their own countries have been showcased before, but usually there's a sort of unspoken US obscurity threshold. (He flat refused to do Rage Against The Machine, but took on The Waitresses who have a definite full on second hit.) I think Gotye would probably count under those rules, but it might be too recent for him still - maybe in a couple years time when it's been a decade since "Somebody".
@@isabellamorris7902 Yeah, I've watched almost all of his videos by now and have seen him also cover artists that were just one hit wonders overseas but remained big in their own country. So there's a bit of wiggle room for his series.
@@amanoj318 It's sad to me because I think every other Gotye song I've heard, especially "Eyes Wide Open", is better than "Somebody That I Used To Know".
"Blow the House Down" totally slaps. I'm surprised Todd didn't mention that Brian May from Queen did the guitar solo.
That's a GREAT song.
Todd isn't exactly known for his in-depth research skills lol
_"Everybody everyday tries to skip the scales of justice"_ feels like a lyric from a much more serious song.
“tip” not skip.
Sounds like it should be the theme song of a dated cop show.
@@lillianward2810yeah, where a prosecutor and a public defender date, and the nature of their romantic relationship could make or break the case. Basically the romantic subplot of Night Court or Hill Street Blues, but in tacky sitcom form.
Skip? I always thought it was tip. Which to be honest makes more sense.
I LOVE THE FRIGGIN SOPHISTIPOP THING. Seriously, when you put the prefab sprout on i instantly smiled. My favorite thing ever is the style council, and I'm told that's what they are (that's actually how I found out about the term). Just... Wanted to get that out there. You see, I don't have many people to talk about my taste for pretentious international 80s music around here in brazil.... So there's that!!
Ahh... there's that Yamaha DX7. Haha. It always killed me that back in the 80's that synth was in every band back then, and everyone just used the damn crap presets and never, ever programmed their own sounds. It wasn't hard to program either. All you had to do was read the manual. I learned how to make patches for mine in an afternoon. Those crap, tinny DX7 presets are on so many 80's albums and there's so much they could have do to make them "not crap" and not "tinny" sounding.
Didn't Trent Reznor compose all of Pretty Hate Machine on a Yamaha DX7?
There were a LOT of bands that got their one shot at recording in a professional studio, the studio had a DX7, so they jumped on and played it. They didn't have time to learn it.
Rush also used a DX-7. I think they knew their instruments quite well. Of course, plenty of here today, gone later today bands did too
@@mana_beast_beats1114I thought it was an E-mu Emulator
I want to start a band called "Self Titled" someday. It's a toss-up whether it will release only one album, or never release a self-titled album.
I feel like that's a super group that Dave Grohl would put together just to fuck with people.
My first album would be called "I Liked Their Early Stuff Better"
"Elf Titled" by S
Well there's a House producer called - and i'm not kidding - Unknown Artist. He usually releases tracks with kinda placeholder codenames like Kcic24, and if you are into more deep, lo-fi and even melancholic electronica his stuff SLAPS
@@walmorcarvalho2512been getting into dance listening to all Dan the Automators stuff, who you should check out if you havent (all his shit is crazy, easiest to follow what all hes been on with his spotify playlist or wikipedia digging) so thanks for this!
How dare you! My father was an 80s sophistipop synth!
One thing I like about sophisti-pop is that it offered a more mature, adult alternative to the more manufactured teen bubblegum pop of the 1980s.
"If you want to get a feel for what any era of music was like, don't look at the stuff everyone remembers, take a look at the stuff no one remembers."
This is why the Breakfast Club soundtrack has always had a soft place in my heart. Completely unheard of no-name tracks (except the one) that encapsulate the era's music perfectly.
The song "Living in a Box," by the band Living in a Box, from the album Living in a Box, is the type of music V A P O R W A V E was born out of! Seriously you can make a chopped and screwed slow down version of this and it'll fit right in next to like Far Side Virtual or Floral Shoppe
Davidwash3r3 My thoughts exactly.
Related: Tears For Fears are a e s t h e t i c incarnate.
@@SonofMrPeanut Chuck Person has a rendition of "Woman In Chains" on the Eccojams album.
you forgot the music video - living in a box. Soon to be a motion picture - living in a box, and a HBO series living in a box, plus the video game living in a box.
*puts on "Man in the Box"*
"Iiiiiiiiiiim liviiiiiiiiiing in a box."
Buuuuuuried iiiiin this HIT
This is the most generic '80s new wave band ever. This sounds like what people make up to put in TV shows or movies that take place in the '80s to signal "look, this is clearly the 1980s, listen to that music." Wow.
Funny enough, this song was in a scene of Black Mirror. The purpose of the scene was to show the characters were in the 80s. I guess it does that job, and nothing else.
RettMikhal It would be hilarious if the people that did that episode looked at the comment and got decided to use this song.
So, basically a real version of that song from Bojack Horseman:
Generic '80s new wave
Beep, bop, beep, bop, beep, bop
This is a song from the '80s
The decade which it currently is
Jared Lastname Yup. You nailed it.
Speaking of Black Mirror, I dunno if you've seen the episode "Metalhead" but it would've been hilarious if this band was the payoff moment.
"Hasn't aged well"
This is still like my favorite type of music and I wish it never died
this sounds like 90% of the songs I had to listen to when I worked at a dollar store. in 2011.
Oh god, that must of been hell
For whatever reason someone decided to put "How Soon is Now" by The Smiths on the grocery store play list. An already haunting guitar being played over shitty store speakers in the dead of night is NOT what you wanna hear. Legit thought some Silent Hill shit was about to go down.
@@NEEDbaconwhy does this sound like an episode of Stranger Things?
this sounds like every single phil collins song that he did when he was doing duets with everybody in the 80s.
OLE SammyOLE sounds like a poor mans Go West
@@adamf1980 I was reminded of Go West also.
What a shame considering his career, he's probably my favorite all time drummer.
that unmistakable.. signature..stock aitken and waterman sound😖😖😖
the failed follow-up sounds like something I'd hear at a Rainforest Cafe
I'll stick with Bad Company's "Bad Company" from their debut album Bad Company.
I'll take Iron Maidens "Iron Maiden" from their debut record "Iron Maiden"
While Lukas Graham isn't a song yet, give it time, he'll eventually find a way to make it one.
I'll stick with blink-182's "Blink-182" from their album "blink-182"
I'll go with "Run the Jewels" off the album Run the Jewels by Run the Jewels.
I like their second album, "Run the Jewels" more.
"The Scales of Justice" sounds like the theme to a 90s crime-themed talk show.
I love both Level 42 and Lisa Stansfield, super cool to see that there's a common thread between them. Also I can't believe the slander you're throwing out on Living In A Box (the band), that sound is smooth as hell.
The only reason I knew this song existed was because of one of those infomercials for CD compilations containing the "GREATEST HITS OF THE 80'S" that would always play.
I think maybe "greatest" was pushing it.
"cheapest"
“You’ve heard the best of the 80s, now hear the rest of the 80s!” -if there were truth in advertising
14:00
"and then I'll put that box in another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and then *I'LL SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER!!!"*
When you reviewed "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn, I had never heard that song in my entire life, but then I started hearing it at least once a week.
So help me if I start hearing this one.
I actually heard this song at a grocery store the other day. I was floored.
Random Fact: you can hear this song being played in the background of a movie clip in Todd's Rico Suave episode. It's around the 2:50 mark
NO WAY. That is amazing
It's also on in the background during part of the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror
You'll also hear it briefly in the old Masters of the Universe movie when we meet Courtney Cox's character.
So 80's... no... Disgustingly 80's... no no... Violently 80's.
LegoDork It's gone all the way to... Absolutely 80s!
I'm very disappointed the outro wasn't Man in the Box by Alice in Chains.
OHW always ends with a cover. Pop Song Reviews use songs tangentially related to the subject.
natsfan1137 it's my man in a box! my man in a box, yea-ah-ah
"I ammmm living
in a box.
it'ssss a cardboard
BOX.
I
ammm
livvvving
in a box.
(in a box)
I AMMMMM LIVING
(living in a box)
INNNNN A-A-A box!!
(deny your maker)
IT'S A CARDBOARRRRD BOX.
(bought at uhaul)
I AM LIVING IN A BOX
(it's a cardboard box)
SHHH!
Well, this is One Hit Wonderland so it ends every time with a cover of the artist's one hit by another.
All this time Sophisti-pop has been my favourite genre of music and I didn't even know it had a name! Thanks, Todd!
I first heard this song in GTA Online
its in gta?
+maxinator317 yeah lmao
It's on Non-Stop Pop.
Wilex-Rivi I rarely listen to that radio station, that's why i haven't heard it until this point.
me too
The Style Council were the best of the genre that no one in the US heard of.
Ahh, the Style Council! That band I know the name of because my dad likes the band the singer used to be in
You misspelled Prefab Sprout.
@@walterxbenjamin No he didn't. And yeah, Prefab Sprout is my favorite sophisti-pop act. Paddy McAloon is a real songwriting genius.
Level 42 are the masters of the genre (Todd even mentions them in the video)
@@Project305miami yes and incorrectly states they had one hit in the U.S. (which one hit? #12 Lessons in Love or #7 Something About You?)
The most amazing thing about this video is finding out they Spandau Ballet were a one hit wonder in the US. They were one if the biggest artists of the 80s in the UK.
Hey Todd,
The reason that synth tone was so popular was because of people like Peter Gabriel and the likes using it all the time. It's usually the most famous culprit, the Fairlight CMI III or a variant of it. It's a huge synthesizer that was one of the best ways of using a sampler. Trumpets, pads and clean sounding synths were often made by the CMI because the alternative wasn't as nice sounding yet. You had your Moogs, your Korgs, the Yamaha DX7 stands out as one of the greats, the Juno series by Roland, but 80s musicians, if possible, preferred to use the CMI. One of the famous sound libraries made for the thing was actually Michael Jackson's and you can get an emulator currently that actually has the original and new sound fond collections to use.
tl;dr: if a synths sounds clean or if there's doots that don't sound right, 9 out of 10 times, it's a CMI, the sound of the 80s.
This song earwormed itself into my head years ago and HAS. NEVER. LEFT. And it spread to all my friends and loved ones like I was some kind of Box Patient Zero, so that it kept coming back to me 📦
And here I was thinking he picked this song because of the "'Lukas Graham' by Lukas Graham from their album Lukas Graham" joke from his last review
My favorite thing about one hit wonders is that if you listen to the rest of the songs from the same album, it feels like a time capsule to the forgotten past, waiting to be discovered.
Okay, Level 42 had 2 hits, Something About You (#4, 1986) and Lessons in Love (#12 1987).
As a guy who grew up in the 80s, I loved these bands. We didn't have great bass in our stereos, but I was a bass junkie. To me, my love for these bands was all about the bass.
You must have been excited when Addicted to Bass, All About that Bass and Bassline Junkie were released as singles.
@@Demiglitch 👍
9:10 "You're not going to remember it next year, let alone 30 years from now" - Todd.
...
30 Years Later.
"Now continuing our '10s night 'Me, Myself and I' by G-Eazy and some hot chick."
-Crowd roars.
Checking in from the future. Nope, don't remember it. Guess Toddstradamus didn't strike again for once 😄
@@Khenfu_Cake Technically he predicted that you wouldn't remember it. He is the messiah!
I only remember it because I hated it, I didn't actually know who made the song.
80's drums, how did anybody think that much compression was a good idea? I love Paul Simon's "Graceland," but it still has that "THUD/click" drum sound.
Lots of coke. Not even joking.
Apparently they originate from a Phil Collins "mistake": czcams.com/video/Bxz6jShW-3E/video.html
@Tom Ffrench What about Prince or Genesis?
@@SamAronow Genesis only had the sound on one album, Invisible Touch, and it's because Phil used electronic drums. Everyone in the 80s did.
This song was very well used in Black Mirror
I heard this song on the show black mirror where, in the episode this song is playing in a club and a guy in the club is trying to flirt with a girl and says "ya know I never thought that this song made any sense" and I thought of your review and laughed
The joke about living in a shipping container for $2200 a month hasn't aged a day
Apparently, Frank Zappa called this his favorite song of the year.
But hey Todd, Talk Talk is totally known for "It's My Life". Y'know, that song that made No Doubt even more famous than they already were.
And in 2020 Smooth Radio finally answers the question about what happened to the two other guys! Both "temporarily retired from the music industry." Chrichlow runs a bespoke illumination and lighting installation company. Vere got into the market for video and DVDs for pre-schoolers ("Here Comes A...!" and "Kids Trucks TV") and wrote some songs for ABC's 2016 album.
References Todd made to Metal Gear during his "Living in a Box" review: 0 References Todd made to Sonic the Hedgehog during his "Living in a Box" review: 1
People seem to forget about Vincent Price’s Orphan Powered Death Machine by Vincent Price’s Orphan Powered Death Machine off the album Vincent Price’s Orphan Powered Death Machine.
I wonder if it was really powered by orphans and if Vincent owned it or was it a rental?
I read that as Oprah death machine.
"And you get a death machine! And you get a death machine! Everybody gettin death machines!"
I read your reply as Opeth. What is going on in here?
Sorry Todd, but I just discovered how much I like sophistipop. Maybe viewing it outside the context of 80s superficiality makes it more interesting. Then again, I also like Winger.
Until early 2019 this was the hotline waiting-song from my ISP.
Hah! You referenced "Break out" by "Swing Out Sister"! Man, that takes me back.
I feel like the local pop stations played a lot of "sophistipop" when I was a kid in the 80's
One of the guys is living in a Dodecahedron.
The other guy is living in a Nonagon.
Both have ambitions to live in a hemihilex.
For some reason this song keeps getting consistent airplay on a local 80s station. Its catchy and bizarre and I love it. But I totally see how this faded into obscurity. It hasn't stood the test of time.
I haven't even heard of the song outside of this review, and it's already stuck in my head. Damn it.
Living In A Box
"Living In A Box"
Album: Living In a Box
Studio: Living In a Box
Director: Living In a Box
He needs to do Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo.
Already did it
czcams.com/video/LObLck-8bCc/video.html
I'll defend this song any day, it's got a good beat, good vocals and it's fun. A lot of that is missing from music today. The 80's are still the best decade for music and always will be.
April 2020 we're all living in a box.
I'd love to see Todd do an OHW on "Break My Stride" and the career of Matthew Wilder. (Spoilers: one of the most awesome and well-loved Disney songs of the '90s is involved.)
Donny Osmond?
Why, yes, Donny Osmond is involved.
(Full story: The local soft-rock station plays "Break My Stride" occasionally, and so I keep thinking about finding out on VH1 that Matthew Wilder was one of the composers for "Mulan." So now I want Todd to do an OHW about it.)
Matthew Wilder produced No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom". I'm sure he's doing just fine.
Holy shit I actually thought you were finally reviewing Never Gonna Give You Up in the middle of the review! I was both pleased and disappointed at what followed.
I hope not, because if so, people are idiots for thinking Rick Astley is a One Hit Wonder. He's had a few hits in the U.S.
+Ron Glenn but he's only remembered for one song.
+sam J He a few NUMBER 1 hits. Even with being remembered for one song, it would be a huuggge stretch. And the only reason anyone remembers any of his songs is a meme. This is more "superstar in a dead genre" than one hit
wonder, who had one song pop up again.
Edit: Might not be a bad April Fools joke.
sugarfrosted I know, but the tagline of the show includes "artists and bands known for only one song" so I'm saying its still possible for him to show up. plus if it was a paid request, todd would have to do it.
"That's a flat no, dude" - Todd when getting a paid OHW request for Rage Against The Machine
"Boring!" (Cuts song off)
My hero.
9:22
"EVERY! BODY! EVERYDAY! TRIES TO! TIP THE SCALES OF JUSTIICE!"
*happy synth riff*
Somehow, it ended up on the grand theft auto 5 pop radio sation. Not complaining, I love this shit
Damn you. Room In Your Heart is a damn good song. It is not boring.
This song had a major resurgance thanks to being on the GTA V radio station Non-Stop Pop FM!
Hey I finally found a comment about that. I made one just now about it, that's where I first heard it. Greetings from the future.
They remind me of Go West more than anything. Their big hit was "King of Wishful Thinking" from the Pretty Woman soundtrack, but their earlier songs sound more like this-, especially "We Close Our Eyes" which just missed the top 40 in 1985.
I used to misattribute this song to Go West
Kind of sounds musically the prototype to Dont Mess by Thompson Twins.
Though now I'd love to see this song covered by Wang Chung, New Order and Rod Stewart
It would be interesting if you take a look on at least one of those artists:
Laid Back (White Horse, #26)
Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Relax, #10)
Roachford (Cuddly Toy, #25)
Madness (Our House, #7)
Nena (99 Luftballons, #2)
Baltimora (Tarzan Boy, #13)
Taco (Puttin' On the Ritz, #4)
Good news! You got Nena recently!
I found and bought both albums by this band and they both had good songs on them. They were yet another short-lived British rock/pop band like Naked Eyes, Climie Fisher, Kajagoogoo, Re-Flex, Johnny Hates Jazz, and Breathe.
Not my thing, really. I'll stick with Blackfield by Blackfield off the album "Blackfield".
That's a beautiful song.
Blackfield has the advantage of having Steven Wilson, ergo it's pretty much superior to almost everything.
+Xaios this is very much true
YES! What a beautiful song.
Agreed, agreed.
I named my OC Stand for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure after Living in a Box.
Speaking of one hit wonders and JoJo OC Stands,I once made and named a JoJo OC Stand Buffalo Stance.
I don't know why people think the title is weird. Do any of you remember the Beatles album called the Beatles and the song called the Beatles?
Bad Company
Black Sabbath on album Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
+187Streak just to tie it to the last pop song review, Lukas Graham's album Lukas Graham song Lukas Graham.
There was a Skrillex EP called "My Name Is Skrillex". Self titled albums are a thing, don't ya know.
It's really the band name 'Living in the Box' that's strange to us. Of course we know most bands usually debut self-titled albums.
I started singing this to my cat, but I changed the lyrics to "I'm a-poopin' in a box. I'm a-poopin' in a litter box"
I saw the title of the song (or band) and immediately thought of No Doubt's super obscure "before they were famous" debut single, "Trapped In A Box".
Believe me, it's a much better song. It's really weird and ska. You guys should check it out. :D
I think I love that loud synth sound specifically for the reason you pointed out: it makes me think of Sega Genesis music. Nostalgia will always win in the end.
Is there a 16bit MegaDrive remix of it?
@@whoeverest_the_whateverest Wonder if Yuzoboy did a rendition of it?
*Never Gonna Give You Up plays*
"Hey, stop that!"
I wasn't looking at the screen when that part played, started cracking up.
[insert metal gear joke here]
My father used to be a DJ and amateur recording technician during the 80's. He also probably has the world's largest 80's music collection. According to him, a lot of sophisti-pop and synthpop bands (he's a huge Pet Shop Boys and Mr. Mister fan and met them both in person :O) saw themselves as basically sort of like avant-garde art installations. There's a lot of similarity between them and Euroelectro acts in that there's not as much emphasis on identity so much as on sound and having a certain vibe. Of course, while the Eurosynth acts didn't mind not being recognized down the road and having short careers, this tended to wrinkle the brows of American synth musicians; you can hear it in Living In A Box's lyrics a bit. Sadly, a large amount of them remain forgotten, because they didn't really strive to differentiate themselves from other synthpop acts. Even my dad admits that he has problems recognizing songs he'd heard before and putting a face to them and even differentiating between two different groups.
Ok, this is a good review and it's funny, and I am totally nitpicking but this really bugs me. It's 'Darby-sher', not 'Derby-Shyre.'
And while were at it Britain, it's pronounced "Ore-gan" not "or-o-gon."
+J. “TAco” Badger Dude, I've never heard that pronounced that way, and I'm a brit.
In my history class we always pronounced it Or-e-gon
Also, the 'Derby' in 'Derbyshire' is usually pronounced 'Darby'
+Pixikid I know this song extremely well (haven't heard it in ages tho) and I live in southern Germany. How odd :)
Todd has learned since. I have recently heard him pronounce Gloucestershire perfectly :)
You know, those dudes are looking pretty sharp, considering that they're living in a cardboard box. BTW, you forgot to mention the song 'Motörhead' by the band Motörhead on the album Motörhead. But that band turned out to have a little more staying power than Living in a Box ;-)
Music that remains me of other, better, music.
God, I can't help but love the lead's voice so, so much. That soul, man.
I LOVE this song. Thanks for covering this, Todd!!
My favorite reference to this song is when BBC Radio 1 played it for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary...
next one should be Spin Doctors - two princes
Jaris Dominguez Not a one hit wonder, they also had Little Miss Can't Be Wrong.
Haha he did an entire Trainwreckords on their follow up. It was that bad.
Living In A Box "Gatecrashing" was the best album ever in late 80s era. And Richard Darbyshire solo album "How Many Angels" (Later re-released as "Love Will Provide") also very good album too :)
I also love Mike Francis cover of Living In A Box "Different Air"
I actually love this song, it’s so catchy! Every time I listen to it I end up listening to it six tones in a row
This is The same cathegory like CURIOSITY KILLS THE CAT. Yes, band with that name had some success in The 80s
May dude, you've GOT to do "Walk the Dinosaur" or what ever it's called!! It's Gold Jerry!! GOLD!!
This song is SO Summer Camp 1986. Thanks for the flashbacks of giant crickets. LOL
Honestly, I LOVE “So The Story Goes” and Todd’s comparison to Chemical Plant Zone has made adore the song so much more
Idk I think it’s solid as hell, even better than “Living in a Box” (the song)
What a great song to follow up last review's on Lukas Graham by Lukas Graham on the Lukas Graham album. 👌
Wish Todd had done a review on "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz, that would be good!
It's good for the children!
I don't think they really qualify as one-hit wonders. I mean, they would be a two-hit or three-hit wonder, in my opinion.
I love 'Run the Jewels' by Run the Jewels from the album Run the Jewels
What never ceases to amaze me for some of your One Hit Wonder serious, especially this one, is that you managed to find a cover to end the show. Who decides to cover the most obscure song ever? I thought I was the only person who remembered this song.
This is my favorite one hit wonder ever. Living in a box, living in a cardboard box!