My favourite one album wonders of the 80s

Not counting:
Stump's A Fierce Pancake ('cus I consider Quirk Out an album too), Colourbox for similar reasons, Atmosfear's En Trance (revived as a Sojka solo project in the 90s), things like Bleep, Mr. Partridge, Matt Johnson, Royal House, Nexus 21, Dinosaur L, various Adrian Sherwood/On-U Sound projects - because they're more like straight alternate names/pseudonyms or whatever. I get I've still included things a bit like that in the poll like the Sisterhood but my mind makes the split somewhere.

Honorary mentions:
Medium Medium, Sly Fox, Hollywood Beyond, Drum Theater, Passion Puppets, Wheelz of Steel

Camberwell Now, now and forever, the best

does the Flux record not count? (Uncarved Block)

do new zealand's the crocodiles count as one-album wonders? or did they do a second album?

of these, i've heard virgo, rockpile, and fingers inc.

Dr Calculus !
love love that album.
But theres also Nasty Rox Inc, and World Domination Enterprises.
choices choices.

Y Bhekhirst - Hot in the Airport (1986)

Probably not my lasting favourite but I was obsessed with this one for a while. Hot! In the airport.

It's Fingers Inc. for me.

I was going to say that on my own list I'd include "A Secret Wish" by Propaganda, but apparently they had a second album in 1990, with only one of the same musicians... I had no idea. Wonder whether it's any good.

If you're in confusion, here's the solution... FLM!

The Glove!

Yikes! I know one song ("Teacher Teacher") from one album (Seconds of Pleasure) here.

if you think teacher teacher isn't bad, nick's other standout track from that record "when i write the book" is perhaps even better and a worthy prequel to costello's everyday i write the book. that said i voted for fire engines while knowing i surely listen to tones on tail more frequently.

wouldn't happy nightmare baby count here? glancing at my female post punk playlist i note a few possible candiates like young marble giants (although the weekend album is underrated), girls at our best, mary margaret o'hara, dolly mixture, maximum joy, ac marias, swamp children, mo-dettes, esg (not sure if reunions 20 years later disqualify). shame about the delta 5 lp. pearl harbor and the explosions probably shouldn't count, but that pulsullama mini lp should. there are surely tons of great single album twee/c86 groups but i'm on less familiar ground there. oh and rites of spring (possibly shouldn't count).

just a lot of caveats you'd need to rule out or in on for a list of one album wonders. the first modern lovers album and lauren hill are probably the best answers you could hope for from their respective decades but obviously those singers made loads of other fine albums under different groupings. and artists with one album that's mostly just the singles already released, like nevermind the bollocks.

Oh shit. Young Marble Giants and Weekend are big omissions. The poll is really just 'the ones that came to mind first'.

But I haven't heard the full albums by Flux, the Crocodiles or the other artists mig mentions yet (except ESG but they fall down on the reunion rule as suggested - I kept having to strike artists off the list for this) (I also ruled out Mary Margaret O'Hara because she did a soundtrack album which I haven't heard but afaict is like a fully-fledged second album). Annoyingly I've had that Maximum Joy album going round my head like a ball bearing for a while except I'm usually not at home when I remember I want to listen to it.

I have no idea what to vote for myself, my biggest favs are Swansway, Xavion, Dr Calculus, I'm Talking and Virgo but idk in what order.

oh you're right, i forgot that mmo soundtrack existed. i've never listened to it, will get on that this week!

this is a good poll polls don't need to be comprehensive but it's possible this thread might become a repository for discussion of this topic. nice shoutout of del-byzanteens, one of those records i ripped from youtube back in the day. i think their version of sally go round the roses is wonderful (not on the lp i guess).

I would of course include two milestones of LA pinhead pop, Monitor and my beloved Fibonaccis

haha I was thinking abt Fibonaccis too!

Young Marble Giants was my first thought too. But of these, or of the handful I know, voted Rockpile.

man y'all are missing out on Camberwell Now and the Lifetones album! so good.

Teenage Goth Me is voting for Tones On Tail, but I swear they had more than one album?

Wasn’t that a compilation released in 1986? By which time Mssrs Ash and Haskins were back in Love & Rockets?

there are two comp LPs but only one LP proper

https://www.discogs.com/artist/98173-Tones-On-Tail

Ah, yes - my mistake!

Happy Nightmare Baby is another good call, don't wanna let that one get buried under the fold.

Teenage Goth Me is voting for Tones On Tail, but I swear they had more than one album?

Wasn’t that a compilation released in 1986? By which time Mssrs Ash and Haskins were back in Love & Rockets?

― Etherwave

One album and three EPs iirc.

Night Music was the comp your remembering and that date sounds about right.

My vote as well but that Sisterhood album was also big for me at the time. Not to mention the Glove album.

I'm on track to do a Goth block of albums by the end of this year.

is 'respectable' on f.l.m? if so then that would get my vote.

Missed sleeve answering you.

I can legit say I saw Xavion live. They were the openers for Hall & Oates on the Big Bam Boom tour in late 1984, put on a solid show.

Tones on Tail > The Glove > Rockpile

Camberwell Now for me, although warm glow of local pride seeing the very good I’m Talking get a mention (and have been meaning to revisit Max Q)

Just for "Respectable," Mel & Kim (have the album, remember nothing else).

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

only heard nine of these, this thread is a great reference.

Camberwell Now

sleeve otm. feel like a hack voting for one of the few things i know. skimmed a couple unknowns from this list and it was all promising enough for me to throw my hands up, copy the text into a notepad, and `get to it when i can.`

A few I'd add - Eno/Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Nooten/Brook Sleeps With the Fishes, Rainy Day Rainy Day, The Sisterhood Gift, Ciccone Youth The Whitey Album. Sure, they're all side projects. And Mary Margaret O'Hara nearly qualified.

Gift is on here! def in my top 5.

Eno & Byrne did a second album in the 00s

Oops sorry missed it, and forgot about that other Eno/Byrne, I'm sure I've heard it but have no recollection of anything about it.

Yeah I can call the single “strange overtones” to mind but otherwise I think it was pleasant but forgettable

voted Lifetones

westbury white horse might also enjoy the one album by The Lo Yo Yo, 'Extra Weapons'...

https://staubgold.bandcamp.com/album/extra-weapons

this is between the Glove and World Domination Enterprises for me

I love the Fire Engines' singles but the album isn't as good imo

also like Tones On Tail, Sisterhood, Fingers Inc. and Virgo

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Where's Human Switchboard : Who's Landing In My Hangar?

As it should be.

listening to the xavion album and lenny kravitz must have been taking notes