The best evidence of Devolution.
New computer, new operating system, new challenges…. same old Monday earworms. The Nest isn’t about to let modern technology interfere with its retro ways, so let’s flash back to the days when windows were still something the cleaning lady wouldn’t do and download another vinyl mp3 that got sent to the recycling bin straight out of the cardboard box cloud we like to call the Dusty Vinyl Archive! DJ Scratchy’s laying down the beat with beeps from her old Commodore 64, while the Sponkies are trying to imagine what life before the internet was actually like. And we promise this won’t be any Cortana karaoke…
At some point in the recent past, the term “one hit wonder” came into our modern lexicon to describe music artists who recorded only one song that attained any degree of success. As regular readers of my music posts likely know, it’s a label I believe is slapped out entirely too liberally by people whose pop music knowledge is on a par with the popularity of their favorite OHW’s tenth best song. No solo artist or band has had this One Hit Wonder label so universally and erroneously applied to them more than that bizarre Ohio quintet that made radiation suits and lampshades a fashion statement, Devo.
Do we look like a OHW novelty act to you?
It is true that Devo is known for only one song, which was their only Top 40 hit and needs absolutely no additional publicity from me other than the play on words I used in the title of this post. It is also true that few bands had more influence on the music of the early 80’s, as well as the music video industry itself that would rise to prominence in the decade. Devo was making music videos for its songs a decade before MTV first put a man on the moon.
DUN, da DUN, da DUN, da DUN!
If you aided and abetted MTV at killing the radio star back in the first few years of its existence, you no doubt saw videos for many other Devo songs other than “Whip It.” That wasn’t even the first single Devo released from its landmark 1980 album Freedom of Choice…. it was this song that I like a hell of a lot better.
“Girl U Want,” like every other pre-“Whip It” Devo release, completely failed to chart on any Billboard list. Yet it is a fantastic mix of new wave and rock that is made even better by the typically fucked up video full of weird shit that is either brilliantly symbolic or just random non sequiturs…
May as well double down on that Slim Fast diet…
And you….. er, u gotta love Devo beating Prince to the Alphabet Street punch by using textspeak to title this song a couple years before The Purple One made it one of his many annoying trademarks…
Hey! Don’t make fun of Prince! I’m his biggest fan!!!
I’ll be back next Monday with a little retro ear candy for your trick or treat bags….
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
omg… the ancestors fo the teletubbies…;O)))) glad it was a one (s)hit wonder … :O)))))))
I think Devo’s music makes slightly more sense than Teletubby music would. Note, I did say slightly…
Very strange group indeed but they get points for “weird” – I can totally remember “Whip It” but even that one gave everyone I knew at the time a headache after a while. Who knew that a food bowl on the head could be a fashion statement – or is it a “de-statement” ?
Pam
I think de-statement is correct since the band was de-everything. Maybe, including, in de-Nile…
No doubt about it…..just look into those VACANT eyes and you will see they are DEVOid of much in the way of talent!
Are we not men. We are Devo.
Who could forget their cover of “Satisfaction,” or “Beautiful World.”
Devo was weird and wonderful and represented a time that I hope people won’t forget in a fog of shoulder pads and bad perms.
“Satisfaction” was the #12 entry in my Cover Song Countdown. Love their version way more than the Stones original…
BTW, if I am remembering correctly….. happy birthday!
Yes, it is October 23. Thank you.
They do look a bit like teletubbies!
I guess that’s another way Devo was ahead of its time! Not to mention predicting the De-evolution of man that was to come with the Teletubbies…
My brother was really into Devo. Me, not quite as much. I did like a few of their songs, though…this one is EASILY my favorite.
Of their songs I’m familiar with, it’s probably the closest thing they have to an actual rock song. I’m a little surprised this wasn’t the one that broke through rather than Whip It,…
“Whip It” had the ol’ “Novelty Song” factor.
ody N biskit…tell dad we said thanx for de ear werm ~~~~~ KNOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 ♥♥
LOL! You aren’t alone, this one’s gotten quite a few thumbs down already…
That was pitiful. I never heard that one before. I think I prefer ‘Whip It’! The tune was catchier. I also think the people in the audience were more vacant-eyed than the band in this video. Wow.
I think everyone involved in the video was probably on a very high dose of something….
I’m really handy with a whip.
You’re gonna poke someone’s eye out with that thing…
Nope, never heard or saw it. Gotta admit, not a favorite even after hearing it, but how can you not love those rubbery legs?
Even if one does not like Devo’s music, it’s hard not to stare in wonder at the music videos they made. They are true works of……. well, art, I guess!
How very deliciously 80s.
Without Devo, there wouldn’t even have been a 1980’s…