One Hit Thunder

The DREAM TEAM is back! One Hit Thunder hosts Chris Fafalios and Matt Kelly are joined once again by draft regulars Matthew Milligan and Tony Hartman, this time to each try to get the very best collection of records from the STACKED year of 1996. Each drafter starts with 100 theoretical dollars, and they’ll try to outbid each other on albums like Pinkerton, Evil Empire, Tidal, The Score, Odelay, a...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 265 on 7/7/25)... On this episode, Tracy Bonham sits in to break down her explosive 1996 single "Mother Mother." From her early days as a classical violinist to the raw vocal power that defined her biggest hit, Tracy shares how the song evolved both lyrically and emotionally. She opens up about the recording of her debut album, navigatin...

Not to toot our own horn, but this is our 300th episode of One Hit Thunder, so we HAD to focus on a song about tooting your own horn. It’s unclear if anyone has ever actually referred to masturbating as “tooting their own horn”, but that’s not the point here. The point IS that in 1991, you could be riding in the car with your grandparents and hear “I Touch Myself”, an ode to self-pleasure from Aus...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 266 on 7/14/25)... In this episode, Chris is joined by Fred LeBlanc, the high-energy frontman and drummer of Cowboy Mouth, to break down the story behind their signature song “Jenny Says.” Originally written during Fred’s stint in Dash Rip Rock, the song went through several incarnations before becoming a crowd-commanding anthem and a st...

2025 is in the books, and now it’s time to RANK the last 50 songs that were featured on the show. This time, Chris and Matt are joined by CLASSIC One Hit Thunder guests Matt DiStefano, Johnny Yetsconish, and Jim Logrando to put the songs in order from worst to best. What will come out on top? Tune in to find out! One Hit Thunder is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 262 on 6/9/25)... In this episode, Ian Dench of EMF joins the show to discuss the writing and recording of the band’s explosive 1991 hit, “Unbelievable.” From its instantly recognizable hook to its genre-blending sound, the song became a cultural phenomenon and an enduring stadium anthem. Ian offers a look behind the curtain at the song’...

Modern English’s “I Melt With You” is one of those songs everyone knows, but most people don’t realize how much is packed into its seemingly happy 80s charm. On the surface, it’s a catchy love song, but listen closer and you catch hints of nuclear anxiety and darker undertones that make it surprisingly layered. In this week’s episode, we explore how a band blending punk and new wave turned a modes...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 256 on 5/5/25).... This week, Stacy Jones sits in to share the story behind American Hi-Fi’s 2001 breakout hit, “Flavor of the Weak.” From his early days as Veruca Salt’s touring drummer to stepping into the spotlight as a frontman, Stacy discusses the evolution of his career, the challenges of reinvention, and the lessons he’s learned a...

Feeling optimistic about the new year? We hope so, because we thought it was the perfect time to dive into Timbuk 3’s “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” On the surface, it sounds hopeful, but the lyrics reveal something much darker once you really listen. In this week’s episode, we explore how a married couple with a drum machine managed to break into the Top 20 with the first single f...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 247 on 3/3/25)... This week, Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba sits in to break down the writing and recording of the band's massive 1997 hit, "Tubthumping." He and Chris explore the song’s punk-influenced origins, its anthemic structure, and how its themes of resilience and working-class pub culture resonated worldwide. Danbert shares insi...

In this week’s episode, we dig into NewSong’s “The Christmas Shoes,” a holiday hit that somehow became a cultural phenomenon despite being, frankly, awful. The song relies on emotional manipulation instead of real storytelling, and we still cannot understand how it convinced so many people that it was profound. We take apart the lyrics, talk through the bizarre narrative choices, and then go down...

In this episode, Chris and Matt discuss the new HBO Original Documentary from their Bill Simmons-produced Music Box series. Using the categories from Bill’s very popular The Rewatchables podcast, the guys discuss their favorite parts of this look into the meteoric rise of Counting Crows in the early 90s.  Join our Patreon Buy a Shirt Follow us on Instagram Join our Facebook Group Learn more about...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 288 on 12/15/25)... In the 1981 holiday season, The Waitresses delivered a refreshingly offbeat gift with their single “Christmas Wrapping.” Written by Chris Butler, who openly admitted his dislike for the holidays, the song was pieced together from leftover riffs and lyrics he scribbled down in a taxi on the way to the studio. With Patt...

Doesn’t escaping into the hills to do nothing but write music with your friends sound like the ultimate dream? By the mid-60s, this was a reality for Black Oak Arkansas, a Southern rock band that refined their sound and mastered their instruments while living off the land. Led by charismatic frontman Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, they built a reputation for their wildly entertaining live shows. By early 19...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 224 on 9/16/24)... This week, Mike Edwards sits in to discuss the writing and recording of the 1991 hit single from Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now." The conversation explores the creation and impact of the song, including the inspiration behind it and the cultural context of the time. Mike opens up about the poignant lyrics, highlig...

In 1972, Bill Withers wrote, produced, and performed the #1 hit “Lean on Me,” a timeless single about being there for someone you care about. Fifteen years later, Club Nouveau flawlessly brought the song into the 80s, achieving a modern sound without losing its signature heart and soul. Despite topping the charts and even winning a Grammy for their cover, the group was never able to replicate that...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 137 on 1/9/23)... Glasgow's Del Amitri has had a long and storied career, releasing five albums that reached the Top 10 in the UK and selling over 6 millions albums worldwide. In the United States, it was the 1995 hit single "Roll To Me" that showcased the band to the whole country via pop radio. In this episode, bassist and vocalist Jus...

If you were living in Gainesville, Florida, in the late 90s, Sister Hazel’s “All For You” was probably a hit song to YOU way before it was a hit for the rest of the country. The band had already sold tens of thousands of copies of their album …Somewhere More Familiar when they signed to Universal and re-released it. The album would go platinum, thanks mostly to the one of the catchiest songs of th...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 139 on 1/23/23)... In this episode, Toadies vocalist and guitarist Vaden Todd Lewis discusses the writing, recording, and release of the band's 1994 hit single "Possum Kingdom". The song's eerie lyrical content matched with its unique composition made it stand out in an era of inventive rock music, leading to a long and storied career fo...

In the summer of 1993, an up-and-coming Brooklyn hip-hop trio collaborated with an NBA rookie sensation to create a Bugs Bunny-inspired track that cracked the Top 40. In a world of athletes releasing embarrassing novelty singles, “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock?)” had people far and wide asking if Shaq was as diesel on the mic as he was on the court. It was the undeniable track from FU-Schnickens, ho...

From Chris DeMakes A Podcast (originally released as Episode 68 on 9/13/2021)... Candlebox's 1993 smash hit single "Far Behind" is still in regular rotation on rock radio today. On this episode, lead singer Kevin Martin discusses the writing, recording, release, and legacy of this timeless single. One Hit Thunder is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the nex...

This week, we’re exploring the career and music of The Calling, a band that somehow managed to define the early 2000s with their massive hit “Wherever You Will Go.” Whether it was the song’s appearance in Coyote Ugly or simply the right sound at the right time, The Calling burst onto the scene with one of the biggest songs in the history of Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs chart. But like many rock ban...

What happens when a hairdresser decides to buy a used synthesizer and start a band with his friend and his brother, despite having little musical experience? You get A Flock of Seagulls, a group whose sound (and haircuts) perfectly capture the spirit of the early 80s. The unforgettable music video for “I Ran (So Far Away)” became an MTV staple in the channel’s early days, propelling the band into...

Long before his 1976 hit, Elvin Bishop was already one of the world’s most respected blues guitarists. Everyone from the Grateful Dead to Bo Diddley was eager to collaborate with him, and his work with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band eventually earned him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite his confidence and experience as a world-class musician, Bishop had the humility to recognize...

It’s Halloween, so we thought it would be crazy not to dive into the legendary artist who brought us the lyric “little old lady got mutilated late last night.” That’s right…this week, we’re diving into the life and career of Warren Zevon and his most famous single, 1978’s “Werewolves of London.” A dark sense of humor paired with a songwriting voice all of his own made Zevon a favorite among his co...