One Hit Thunder

In this episode, Chris and Matt dive into the excitement of Spotify Wrapped, celebrating the podcast’s impressive 85% growth and its reach across 115 countries. They discuss how 89% of their listeners discovered the show this year, highlighting the importance of engagement in building a global community of music lovers. The duo also shares their personal Wrapped stats, reflecting on their top song...

This week, we’re joined by Jacob Godbey, who’s ready to belt out his go-to karaoke hit, “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder—a song that’s recently found new life (and irony) on TikTok. But as we dive into this unapologetic butt rock ballad, one question keeps coming up: is this the worst song we’ve ever covered? With a storyline that’s practically a love letter to infidelity, “Lips of an Angel” has all t...

In this final installment of THE THUNDRED, Chris and Matt reveal the Top 20 Albums of All Time, closing out their five-part countdown with the most legendary records ever made. Without giving anything away, expect albums packed with unforgettable guitar riffs, raw lyrics that hit straight to the heart, and genre-defining songs that shaped entire eras. From game-changing alt-rock classics to soul-s...

It’s been 10 years since WALK THE MOON released “Shut Up and Dance,” a song that’s become a wedding staple and an unstoppable earworm. But what happens when you dig past the hit? This week, we’re diving into the band’s catalog to see if there’s more to love beyond the infectious, overexposed anthem that had everyone on their feet. Known for their indie roots and die-hard dedication to music, WALK...

THE THUNDRED is back! In this exciting installment, Chris and Matt count down from #40 to #21 of the greatest albums of all time, celebrating records that have left a mark across musical history. From an album that defined a band’s breakup to another that set new standards for experimental production, this episode covers a hip-hop masterpiece made from over 100 samples, a concept album about the h...

This week, we’re joined by Joel Reader to talk about Neneh Cherry’s 1989 hit “Buffalo Stance,” a bold, genre-blending anthem that poses the age-old question, “Who’s that gigolo on the street?” In an era when female hip-hop was just breaking into the mainstream, Neneh brought a fiercely feminist tone that feels more relevant now than ever. Together, Joel, Matt, and I dig into the song’s fearless st...

For 17 weeks, the number one song in America has been "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey, which interpolates the song "Tipsy" by J-Kwon—a track we covered a few years ago with G1 to the Rescue. In honor of that, we are re-releasing the episode! Enjoy! One Hit Thunder is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Our listeners get 30% off your first YE...

In part three of THE THUNDRED, Chris and Matt continue their epic countdown of the Top 100 albums of all time, with rankings based on the Top 20 lists of over 100 contributors. This episode covers albums 60 through 41, diving into a wild variety of genres and eras. From an artist’s leap into a full-blown pop transformation to a massive solo debut, hard-hitting funk, classic rock, hip-hop, and beyo...

This week, Patreon voted, and the choice is Shanice’s 1992 hit “I Love Your Smile”—a song that somehow escaped producer Matt Kelly’s radar! We dig into the early start of Pittsburgh’s own Shanice, whose incredible talent led her to a massive Top 5 single that had everyone “doo-doo-dooing” along. While she had a few follow-up hits, none reached the same iconic status as her breakout track. Join us...

THE THUNDRED continues! In this second episode of the five-part series, hosts Chris Fafalios and Matt Kelly crack into the next set of albums on the top 100 list, covering #80 through #61. Compiled from the votes of over 100 music industry insiders and dedicated listeners, this list spans an impressive array of genres and decades. Chris and Matt share their insights, stories, and friendly debates...

If you're like me, the first time you heard The Champs' "Tequila" was probably when Pee-wee Herman danced on a bar in the 1985 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure. This week’s guest, Tommy Avallone, is a die-hard cinephile and prolific documentary filmmaker. His latest documentary The House From... is currently streaming on Fubo and Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort channel. Since Pee-wee’s house from the ic...

In this supplemental episode to THE THUNDRED, host Chris Fafalios takes the spotlight to explore some fun facts and trivia about the albums ranked #100 through #81 on the definitive countdown of the top 100 albums of all time.  The list so far... #100: The Cranberries Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? #99: Outkast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below #98 Ween Chocolate and Cheese #97 Piebald We...

THE THUNDRED is here! This five-part series kicks off in this episode, where hosts Chris Fafalios and Matt Kelly begin the countdown of the top 100 albums of all time. Compiled from the input of over 100 music industry insiders and passionate listeners, the list spans a diverse range of genres and eras. In this first installment, Chris and Matt dive into albums ranked #100 through #81, sharing the...

Would you believe the novelty song “The Purple People Eater" was a number 1 hit? Did you know that 30 years after its release, a movie was made based on the song? And here's something even crazier: songwriter and vocalist Sheb Wooley recorded a stock audio scream that’s been used in thousands of films and TV shows! It's Halloween at One Hit Thunder, and we're diving into Mr. Wooley’s bizarre and f...

This week, we're joined by Mark Popeney, one half of the new podcast Nevermind the Music. With his background as a music professor, Mark takes us through the strange and often challenging journey of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, who unexpectedly scored an Alternative Radio hit with their Cab Calloway-inspired song "Hell." Though lumped into the '90s swing revival, there was something that made them st...

One of our most prolific podcast guests, Johnny Yetsconish, is back with one of the most iconic rap songs of the '90s: Skee-Lo's 1995 hit single "I Wish." In the thick of gangsta rap, a 19-year-old Skee-Lo took the radio by storm with a G-rated rap song about being a "little bit taller" and dreaming of popularity and success with the ladies. This anthem of a hopeless romantic has left a lasting im...

If you've ever seen an attractive woman appear in a movie or TV show, chances are you're familiar with Yello's iconic song "Oh Yeah." This quirky, experimental band stumbled into international fame thanks to well-placed film features, yet never managed to replicate its success with another hit. This week, since Patreon voted for it, Matt and I ask: did this shockingly prolific group even want anot...

Mike Soboslai is back again with his BIGGEST song yet. Mr. Big's campfire sing-along ballad "To Be With You" was a surprise hit in 1992, especially as the grunge era was taking hold. This infectious tune was dramatically different from the band's usual intricate hard rock style, showcasing a softer side that few saw coming. Known for their technical prowess and complex compositions, Mr. Big's othe...

In this fun-filled episode, hosts Chris and Matt are joined by draft regulars Tony Hartman and Matthew Milligan, along with first-time drafter Johnny Yetsconish, for the highly anticipated 2004 albums fantasy auction draft. The competition heats up as the guys battle it out for the best albums from a year packed with iconic releases by artists like Green Day, The Streets, The Killers, Björk, Brian...

Patreon voted for us to dive into the group Swing Out Sister and their aptly named breakout hit, "Breakout." Written by lead singer Corinne Drewery while recovering from a fractured skull, the song emerged during a stressful period when the band was worried about being dropped from their label. Despite being prolific and never slowing down, they were never able to capture another hit on US radio....

This is a Patreon episode we released almost 2 months ago that we liked so much we wanted to share this on the main feed! Get more conversations like this every single week at www.patreon.com/ohtpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're taking a little turn on the catwalk with special guest PJ Caruso as we dive into the early '90s phenomenon that is Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy." PJ decided it had been too long since we last covered a truly novelty track, and this one tops the charts in that category. It's almost baffling that we have to say this, but if you're listening in the UK, you already know that Right...

It's no secret to long time listeners that Matt is a MASSIVE fan of the New Radicals and their lone album "Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too", so when he heard that the band did a surprise drop of 2 new songs after 25 years he couldn't want to talk about it. Join him and Chris on their immediate reactions to the new songs "Lost Stars" and "Murder on the Dancefloor" Learn more about your ad choices...

We've covered Deion Sanders and Eddie Murphy on the podcast, but there's still a treasure trove of celebrities turned musicians to discuss. However, the case of Bruce Willis is extra strange. A year before Die Hard transformed him from a TV star to a full-blown movie star, he released the album The Return of Bruno, featuring the Top 10 hit "Respect Yourself." This album of mostly cover songs was r...

Matt really let this one slide for no other reason than it's one of his favorite songs, but there's a pretty good chance you don't know "The Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys. In this episode of One Hit Thunder, we dive into this overlooked gem from 1985. Matt discovered the song through a Netflix Christmas movie, while our guest Paul Menotiades heard it through a friend, and for both of them, i...