ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Living in a Box" by Living in a Box

Spoilers: It's about living in a box.

[@jordangreen9201]

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?"

[@iamimiPod]

i thought their next album should have been called "stacked in a warehouse"

[@crescentfreshbret]

"Living in the Cutout Bin." "Living in Obscurity."

[@VolvagiasBlaze]

Decaying in the recycling bin

[@FIXTREME]

Rotting in the bargain bin

[@deadorpheus8407]

iamaniPod Growing up in a cube.

[@roadwarr]

Stored next to the Ark of the Covenant 😊

[@JumpSonic]

That awkward moment where I unironically love that blaring synth style...

[@FIXTREME]

Go listen to Fake by Alexander O'Neal if you like this 😌👍

[@sashazoprak3253]

@@FIXTREME sounds like JJ's Nasty

[@StuartLynx]

Same here. 1987 forever.

[@atomicdancer]

"Iron Maiden" by the band Iron Maiden, from the album "Iron Maiden," is my favorite song/album/band same-name song.

[@TheEdFather]

I prefer the mentioned Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath from Black Sabbath

[@stokesa3122]

Can't forget about Iced Earth from Iced Earth by Iced Earth.

[@mandalorian_guy]

Bad Company's Bad Company on Bad Company is my go to for the triple combo.

[@Thepoltergiest101]

I happen to really like Motorhead by Motorhead from Motorhead.

[@megano2000]

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.)

[@KattKirsch]

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.

[@FIXTREME]

What shocks me is that a eurobeat song of this calibre WASN'T made by Stock Aitken & Waterman.

[@elihyland4781]

“Cocaine off a Betamax” jajajjajajajjajajajajajajjajajaajaja

[@blackamerican40]

Snorting it on the Betamax tape off the Betamax rental machine from the mom and pops corner video store next to the liquor store?😂😂

[@bezoekers]

Betamax? More like Laserdisc.

[@CaptainHandsome]

It really shows the power of the internet that you were able to find a cover of this song for the outro

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

And one that sounds like it was sung with way more enthusiasm at that.

[@Sigmundfruit]

There's actually a small subsection of the internet dedicated to covers of Living in a Box

[@SonofMrPeanut]

The contents of which can be printed and stored in a cardboard box.

[@Sigmundfruit]

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.

[@Torthrodhel]

That's a funny joke though.

[@stevethepocket]

Boy, there is no song too obscure to find a cover for your end credits, eh Todd?

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

Pocket Fluff Productions I was thinking the same thing

[@Mr__Joe]

I like your profile picture

[@marcusnolte7476]

Pocket Fluff Productions that‘s Bobby Womack!

[@jaspermervin5204]

I think he finds the cover first and that's how he chooses the song.

[@twistershift]

I imagine finding covers for one hit wonders isn't as hard as you think. They are not obscure by their very nature.

[@justinlafser916]

Must be Solid Snake's theme song.

[@carybeweary7209]

Justin Lafser holy shit I laughed for five minutes straight!

[@TeraunceFoaloke]

lol

[@mitchinatr7093]

!

[@dvt1393]

Snake? Snake!? SNAAAAAKE!?

[@DestinyKiller]

Followed up by Man in the 📦

[@justinrector03]

"Blow the House Down" totally slaps. I'm surprised Todd didn't mention that Brian May from Queen did the guitar solo.

[@kabpoetry]

That's a GREAT song.

[@tonystair6818]

Todd isn't exactly known for his in-depth research skills lol

[@artbk]

Now i have a reason to listen to it

[@romulusnr]

"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.

[@Shaymin00000]

How dare you! My father was an 80s sophistipop synth!

[@dw89music73]

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.

[@charliedawson6318]

_"Everybody everyday tries to skip the scales of justice"_ feels like a lyric from a much more serious song.

[@Savannah_Simpson]

“tip” not skip.

[@lillianward2810]

Sounds like it should be the theme song of a dated cop show.

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

@@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.

[@UranusMcVitieFish-yd7oq]

Skip? I always thought it was tip. Which to be honest makes more sense.

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

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.

[@mana_beast_beats1114]

Didn't Trent Reznor compose all of Pretty Hate Machine on a Yamaha DX7?

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

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.

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

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

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

@@mana_beast_beats1114I thought it was an E-mu Emulator

[@ryanjacobson2508]

The Fixx were an exception to that. And I would say their music has held up pretty well.

[@SameNameDifferentGame]

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.

[@RettMikhal]

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.

[@megano2000]

RettMikhal It would be hilarious if the people that did that episode looked at the comment and got decided to use this song.

[@Robbinson98]

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

[@RettMikhal]

Jared Lastname Yup. You nailed it.

[@Torthrodhel]

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.

[@MFChickenFlipper]

*puts on "Man in the Box"* "Iiiiiiiiiiim liviiiiiiiiiing in a box."

[@LifesNeverHumDrum]

Buuuuuuried iiiiin this HIT

[@stevethepocket]

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.

[@NEEDbacon]

I feel like that's a super group that Dave Grohl would put together just to fuck with people.

[@murrfeeling]

My first album would be called "I Liked Their Early Stuff Better"

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

"Elf Titled" by S

[@walmorcarvalho2512]

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

[@Caligula666x]

​@@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!

[@marinapedrinha7946]

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!!

[@crescentfreshbret]

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.

[@Khenfu_Cake]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who was amused by that.

[@Sd12sx23]

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.

[@Chris-yj2di]

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.

[@amanoj318]

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.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

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).

[@isabellamorris7902]

@@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".

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

@@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.

[@TheBrettAbides]

@@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".

[@Davidwash3r3]

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

[@revenantproxy9100]

Davidwash3r3 My thoughts exactly.

[@SonofMrPeanut]

Related: Tears For Fears are a e s t h e t i c incarnate.

[@oculttheexegaming2509]

@@SonofMrPeanut Chuck Person has a rendition of "Woman In Chains" on the Eccojams album.

[@mgabrysSF]

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.

[@Werewolf_Korra]

the failed follow-up sounds like something I'd hear at a Rainforest Cafe

[@masterxak]

this sounds like 90% of the songs I had to listen to when I worked at a dollar store. in 2011.

[@jmckenzie962]

Oh god, that must of been hell

[@NEEDbacon]

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.

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

@@NEEDbaconwhy does this sound like an episode of Stranger Things?

[@AxionZetaOne]

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!!!"*

[@kaydwessie296]

"Hasn't aged well" This is still like my favorite type of music and I wish it never died

[@jessmorgan6732]

"The Scales of Justice" sounds like the theme to a 90s crime-themed talk show.

[@poprox101]

I'll stick with Bad Company's "Bad Company" from their debut album Bad Company.

[@salatgurke30]

I'll take Iron Maidens "Iron Maiden" from their debut record "Iron Maiden"

[@eugenideddis]

While Lukas Graham isn't a song yet, give it time, he'll eventually find a way to make it one.

[@cokemaster3710]

I'll stick with blink-182's "Blink-182" from their album "blink-182"

[@OLTDProductions]

I'll go with "Run the Jewels" off the album Run the Jewels by Run the Jewels.

[@tehberral]

I like their second album, "Run the Jewels" more.

[@m00tzman]

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.

[@zoomosis]

"cheapest"

[@littlekingtrashmouth9219]

“You’ve heard the best of the 80s, now hear the rest of the 80s!” -if there were truth in advertising

[@noelleelizabeth9991]

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.

[@SAM-ru4vx]

this sounds like every single phil collins song that he did when he was doing duets with everybody in the 80s.

[@adamf1980]

OLE SammyOLE sounds like a poor mans Go West

[@DanAvenell]

@@adamf1980 I was reminded of Go West also.

[@Aquatarkus96]

What a shame considering his career, he's probably my favorite all time drummer.

[@_Only_Zuul]

that unmistakable.. signature..stock aitken and waterman sound😖😖😖

[@onemidnightgone]

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.

[@WitchyWhale]

I first heard this song in GTA Online

[@maxinator317]

its in gta?

[@yadayada2798]

+maxinator317 yeah lmao

[@Wilex-Rivi]

It's on Non-Stop Pop.

[@maxinator317]

Wilex-Rivi I rarely listen to that radio station, that's why i haven't heard it until this point.

[@lukacicek5450]

me too

[@TheSonicsean]

I actually heard this song at a grocery store the other day. I was floored.

[@LegoDork]

So 80's... no... Disgustingly 80's... no no... Violently 80's.

[@revenantproxy9100]

LegoDork It's gone all the way to... Absolutely 80s!

[@privatepizza3790]

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

[@evasemmorflleh]

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

[@SpyHunter89]

All this time Sophisti-pop has been my favourite genre of music and I didn't even know it had a name! Thanks, Todd!

[@oobndroobw]

I'm very disappointed the outro wasn't Man in the Box by Alice in Chains.

[@RhythmGameAddict]

OHW always ends with a cover. Pop Song Reviews use songs tangentially related to the subject.

[@gummy6489]

natsfan1137 it's my man in a box! my man in a box, yea-ah-ah

[@ogami1972]

"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!

[@dw89music73]

Well, this is One Hit Wonderland so it ends every time with a cover of the artist's one hit by another.

[@DashingPunkSamurai]

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 📦

[@willshaw2538]

This song was very well used in Black Mirror

[@zaccds]

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

[@isabellamorris7902]

NO WAY. That is amazing

[@marias-i3333]

It's also on in the background during part of the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror

[@lukewright9031]

You'll also hear it briefly in the old Masters of the Universe movie when we meet Courtney Cox's character.

[@PapaVanTwee5]

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.

[@Demiglitch]

You must have been excited when Addicted to Bass, All About that Bass and Bassline Junkie were released as singles.

[@PapaVanTwee5]

@@Demiglitch 👍

[@HangmanOfficialUploads]

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.

[@jenniferbaumgarden9293]

This song is SO Summer Camp 1986. Thanks for the flashbacks of giant crickets. LOL

[@gars129]

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.

[@BoojieBaker]

Not my thing, really. I'll stick with Blackfield by Blackfield off the album "Blackfield".

[@xdearlifex]

That's a beautiful song.

[@Thexaios]

Blackfield has the advantage of having Steven Wilson, ergo it's pretty much superior to almost everything.

[@xdearlifex]

+Xaios this is very much true

[@ashleedawn456]

YES! What a beautiful song.

[@ashleedawn456]

Agreed, agreed.

[@vehementfilms6059]

He needs to do Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo.

[@FIXTREME]

Already did it

[@billslocum9819]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/goDFfZahYp2VecU

[@confusedbystander2898]

Until early 2019 this was the hotline waiting-song from my ISP.

[@lordlacolith]

I haven't even heard of the song outside of this review, and it's already stuck in my head. Damn it.

[@FinalLuigi]

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.

[@daviebananas1735]

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.

[@DanielleWhite]

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.

[@Althea-42]

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]

Checking in from the future. Nope, don't remember it. Guess Toddstradamus didn't strike again for once 😄

[@Demiglitch]

@@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.

[@workingclassrunner]

The Style Council were the best of the genre that no one in the US heard of.

[@isabellamorris7902]

Ahh, the Style Council! That band I know the name of because my dad likes the band the singer used to be in

[@walterxbenjamin]

You misspelled Prefab Sprout.

[@dw89music73]

@@walterxbenjamin No he didn't. And yeah, Prefab Sprout is my favorite sophisti-pop act. Paddy McAloon is a real songwriting genius.

[@Project305miami]

Level 42 are the masters of the genre (Todd even mentions them in the video)

[@laartwork]

@@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?)

[@CooperAATE]

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.

[@theoriginalsache]

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

[@TheSteakJustice]

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.

[@BooDoug187]

I wonder if it was really powered by orphans and if Vincent owned it or was it a rental?

[@nesdork]

I read that as Oprah death machine.

[@BooDoug187]

"And you get a death machine! And you get a death machine! Everybody gettin death machines!"

[@GQSmoos]

I read your reply as Opeth. What is going on in here?

[@JesseKagarise]

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.

[@muticere]

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.

[@whoeverest_the_whateverest]

Is there a 16bit MegaDrive remix of it?

[@oculttheexegaming2509]

@@whoeverest_the_whateverest Wonder if Yuzoboy did a rendition of it?

[@minervadetauro7646]

The weird part is that I never heard the Living in a Box, I actually remember having heard "Scales of justice" on the radio at least once

[@newwavescott]

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.

[@jamesrichie7844]

Apparently, Frank Zappa called this his favorite song of the year.

[@emobuddha]

Todd just fucking Rick Roll'd us!

[@DreFromMaine8472]

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.

[@musicalneptunian]

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.

[@CultureSlice]

I unashamedly still think this is a jam. That synth line is undeniable.

[@Hubajube]

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.

[@AllStarJD]

I used to misattribute this song to Go West

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

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

[@JarisDDP]

next one should be Spin Doctors - two princes

[@turgid_member8717]

Jaris Dominguez Not a one hit wonder, they also had Little Miss Can't Be Wrong.

[@jojoversus1100]

Haha he did an entire Trainwreckords on their follow up. It was that bad.

[@DrNunez-n8i]

Living In A Box "Living In A Box" Album: Living In a Box Studio: Living In a Box Director: Living In a Box

[@Thesynapze]

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

[@izzy1221]

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.

[@rjglennrox714]

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.

[@JenkinsJPEG]

+Ron Glenn but he's only remembered for one song.

[@sugarfrosted2005]

+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.

[@JenkinsJPEG]

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.

[@FalconPain]

"That's a flat no, dude" - Todd when getting a paid OHW request for Rage Against The Machine

[@nordloc]

The drummer is into high-end lighting design now. If you're wandering round Versailles or Ozzy Osbourne's house you might find an Anthony Critchley chandelier.

[@davidroberts4211]

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)

[@nickcagesgoodseed]

Good news! You got Nena recently!

[@someguy7582]

Love how their music videos look like Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel's but with 5% the budget

[@EmpressTiffanyOfBrittany]

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.

[@RyanStorey1231]

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

[@victorgasior]

Don’t forget Big Country From the album Big Country By the band Big Country

[@missnotsocool96]

What a great song to follow up last review's on Lukas Graham by Lukas Graham on the Lukas Graham album. 👌

[@canadmexi]

9:22 "EVERY! BODY! EVERYDAY! TRIES TO! TIP THE SCALES OF JUSTIICE!" *happy synth riff*

[@princesskyrie]

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.)

[@Samalamalamdam]

Donny Osmond?

[@princesskyrie]

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.)

[@kabpoetry]

Matthew Wilder produced No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom". I'm sure he's doing just fine.

[@AguzSuiCaedere]

Music that remains me of other, better, music.

[@r3ggie617]

The quarantine anthem.

[@nickelbacksinger1996]

*Never Gonna Give You Up plays* "Hey, stop that!" I wasn't looking at the screen when that part played, started cracking up.

[@halb23]

Somehow, it ended up on the grand theft auto 5 pop radio sation. Not complaining, I love this shit

[@RetroHoodie25]

driving in los santos listening to this song always hits hard

[@TheMightyPika]

"Boring!" (Cuts song off) My hero.

[@Hum0ng0us]

May dude, you've GOT to do "Walk the Dinosaur" or what ever it's called!! It's Gold Jerry!! GOLD!!

[@bloodprincess800]

God, I can't help but love the lead's voice so, so much. That soul, man.

[@VanaeCavae]

Damn you. Room In Your Heart is a damn good song. It is not boring.

[@lewrl1]

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.'

[@lukejalove1187]

And while were at it Britain, it's pronounced "Ore-gan" not "or-o-gon."

[@VicvicW]

+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

[@Thegeekwiththephysik]

Also, the 'Derby' in 'Derbyshire' is usually pronounced 'Darby'

[@annnee6818]

+Pixikid I know this song extremely well (haven't heard it in ages tho) and I live in southern Germany. How odd :)

[@annnee6818]

Todd has learned since. I have recently heard him pronounce Gloucestershire perfectly :)

[@marcraygun6290]

I can see patruck bateman being a fan.

[@yikes9473]

Wish Todd had done a review on "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz, that would be good!

[@NickSamon]

It's good for the children!

[@oculttheexegaming2509]

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.

[@kidwaryodproduction]

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"

[@DFFfanalltheway]

I named my OC Stand for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure after Living in a Box.

[@anneupfold8577]

Speaking of one hit wonders and JoJo OC Stands,I once made and named a JoJo OC Stand Buffalo Stance.

[@d.m.collins1501]

It's no Big Country's "Big Country" from the album Big Country, that's for sure!

[@ltbq]

I love 'Run the Jewels' by Run the Jewels from the album Run the Jewels

[@TheGreatAtario]

The first I ever heard the term "sophisti-pop" was reading the Wikipedia article for Sade's "Smooth Operator". "Huh", I thought, "fits pretty well."

[@DynamiteLemming]

I actually heard Scales of Justice on a random Spotify radio! How scarily coincidental.

[@drowsytalks]

thanks to you Todd, I am now continually and randomly getting "Scales of Justice" stuck in my head at least once a week

[@manny96p]

The vocalist sounds like Peter Cox from Go West.

[@drengskap]

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 ;-)