» 1960s, Rock » The Wanderer – Dion
The Wanderer – Dion
Editor’s note: “The Wander” is not a one-hit wonder. This article goes way back to the earliest days of this music site, before it was dedicated to celebrating one-hit wonders. Dion is far from a one-hit wonder. He’s a rock ‘n’ roll legend and his legacy is well worth celebrating.
Today’s hit is “The Wanderer.” I have no idea when I last heard the song or why it’s playing between my ears today. But as far as random songs go, it’s really not bad.
“The Wanderer” was recorded by Dion and the Belmonts in 1961 and hit #2 on the Billboard charts. It features that doo-wop sound that was big in the late 50s and early 60s.
You may not know Dion. But had he taken a scheduled plane flight back in 1959, you would. That’s the flight that carried Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. And that’s the flight that went down in a cornfield five minutes after takeoff. Don McClean referred to it as the “day the music died” in his song “American Pie.” Everyone aboard died in the crash. Dion had played that evening on the same bill in Clear Lake, Iowa as the now-legendary Holly, Valens and Bopper. But Dion never made the ill-fated trip because he couldn’t afford the $36 for the flight. I call that dumb luck. But that dumb luck allowed Dion to record and soon release his two biggest hits, “Runaround Sue
You can’t argue with dumb luck. And you can’t argue with a song like “The Wanderer.” A song Rolling Stone Magazine ranked as #239 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Listen to “The Wanderer” by Dion
The Wanderer - DionListen to “Runaround Sue” by Dion
Runaround Sue - Dion
Written by Michael Waterman
I'm an obsessive music collector, cataloger, commenter and trivia nut. Sometimes I'm even a listener. One-hit wonders have always been a guilty pleasure.
Filed under: 1960s, Rock · Tags: 1961, American Pie, Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Dion, Don McClean, Ritchie Valens, The Wanderer
One of my favorite 60′s artists. It probably comes from my Mom playing lots of doo wop as I was growing up. I actually bought a Dion and the Belamonts cd about 6 months ago…
My favorite song by Dion…Tell Me Why
Anthony, thanks for the recommendation on “Tell Me Why.” I’ll add it to my doo wop collection.
Dion was not a one hit wonder or even close. He was a major star for about 5 years and had at least 10 BIG HITS.
He is on the Rolling Stone List of the 100 greatest singers of all time, some where around 35 or 40 if I remember correctly.
Sam,
You are absolutely correct. You’ll notice the editor’s note at the top of the page. Once in a while I’ll write about songs and artists that aren’t one-hit wonders. This is one of those cases. A bit inconsistent, I realize, but this post is more than two years old and it has been all one-hit wonders for more than a year. I hope you’ll keep visiting and thanks for your comment.
Michael