The traveling trick roller skate king (Photo by Jose Castillo) Humans invented the wheel thousands of years ago, but despite having both the wheel and feet for all that time, it took us until the early 18th century to combine the two and invent roller skates. It wasn't until one summer when a Dutchman, whose name has been forgotten by history, longed for the wintry pastime/transportation of ice skates. He strapped some wooden spools to his shoes, presumably stumbled and flailed around for a while, and "skeelers" were born. Decades later, the Belgian inventor John Joseph Merlin became the first recorded creator of skates, though his version had some flaws. He debuted his invention by entering a masquerade ball on skates while playing the violin. Unfortunately, his skates had neither a steering mechanism nor brakes, and he ended his performance -- and presumably his skating career -- by smashing into and destroying a wall-length mirror. Other inventors had a little more luck, but roller skating didn't take off with the public for the next hundred years, possibly due to the fact that all of their designs were virtually unsteerable, difficult to stop, and required tremendous exertion in order to move at all. In 1863, James Plimpton earned the enviable nickname of "Father of Modern Roller Skating" by inventing the quad skates we know today: two sets of wheels mounted on trucks which finally allowed skaters to turn. This, along with the addition of ball bearings in the wheels in 1884, sparked the first worldwide roller skating craze, and soon quad skaters were spinning, jumping, and dancing like their counterparts on ice. Since then, roller skating has come in and out of fashion, with peaks during the 1880s, as a cheap form of entertainment during the Great Depression, and, of course, during the heydey of disco in the 1970s and '80s. In the '90s, inline skates eclipsed quads in popularity -- especially for roller hockey, aggressive skating, and speed skating -- but quads aren't dead yet. Quads are still the skates of choice for artistic skaters, who are every bit as skilled, flamboyant, and competitive as their ice-bound analogues, though their sport doesn't get the Olympic love or TV ratings of ice skating. Quads are also preferred by jam skaters, those agile wheeled dancers whose fluid moves are as much like breakdancing or gymnastics as traditional artistic skating. Jam skating, which evolved from roller disco, has steadily grown in popularity, becoming more visible in recent years due to the films "Roll Bounce" and "ATL." But it may be the recent resurgence of roller derby that gives quad skates the boost to once again reign supreme among roller sports enthusiasts. Roll on, old-school quads! Suggested Sites... Quad Skating Dot Com - images, links, information, and resources for all your roller sports desires. Evolution of the Roller Skate & Skating - a history of roller sports. National Museum of Roller Skating - Lincoln, Nebraska's tribute to wheeled recreation. Glitterskates - an enthusiastic fan site for artistic skating. Finding a Roller Skating Rink - find a rink near you and get rolling!

Directory categories: Roller Skating, Roller Derby, Roller Hockey, Roller Rinks, Inline Skating

Archived under: Dance, Exercise, Hockey, Invention, Mickey Mouse, Performing Arts, Roller Skating, Sports

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"Are we not one-hit wonders?" (Anybody see another hit song?) (Photo by Alterna2) What is it about "One Hit Wonders" that make them just so darn catchy? Most musicians rarely make it to the big time at all, and those that do are usually able to make careers out of it (or at least long enough to reach that elusive #2 hit). But One Hit Wonders are different. They're like the most ephemeral of stars: they shine brightly for a single moment of time, then burn out into oblivion. But if they're lucky, their songs remain for eternity. Inspired by "One Hit Wonder Day" (last week, on September 25th), we asked our fellow Yahoos to share their favorite One Hit Wonder* of all time. (You can find Part One here and Part Two here.) On a side note, many of the below mentioned artists and bands are still recording and performing 10, 20, and in some cases, almost 30 years later -- so props to them for overcoming (or in some cases, embracing) their status as "One Hit Wonders." Mike M.: Wow, there are a LOT of great one hit wonders, but the first one that comes to mind is "Centerfold" by J. Geils Band -- "Na, na, na-na-na-naaa, na, na, na, na-na-na-na-naaaa!" Adam: Easy. "Falco 3" by Falco (it had "Rock Me Amadeus" on it). Wow. I just felt a shiver of embarrassment. Ick. Corinne: The first song I ever loved and still love now is "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo. Adrienne: Peter Godwin's "Images of Heaven" was truly transportive for me in the early 1980s. Brian: Favorite one hit wonder: "Whip It" by Devo. I was always angry my parents never bought me a Devo-hat! JoAnne: "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and I'm not at all ashamed of it. One of the best '80s songs, and one I will bounce around to every time I hear it. Followed very closely by "867-5309 (Jenny)" from Tommy Tutone. Helene L.: My favorite one hit wonder is "My Sharona" by The Knack. I like the guitar riff, the entertaining beat, and the profound philosophy of the lyrics. What bothers me now is the name of the band, "The Knack," because in my native region, a knack is a type of sausage. The parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic, called "My Bologna" is almost as addictive. Dave S.: I was crazy for "Freeze Frame" by The J. Geils Band. It's decades younger than my favorite music of the 1920s, but there was something about that organ riff and their shouting "freeze frame!" that I loved. Sue me. Sarah L.: "I Melt With You" by Modern English. It still gets so much radio airplay (not to mention covers ad nauseum) that few people realize they can't name another song recorded by the same band. Adrianna: There's "The Macarena," does that count? (Editor's Note: Not only does it count, VH1 named "The Macarena" its #1 One Hit Wonder of all time!) (*Please note that "One Hit Wonder" status is as much defined by perception as by actual radio charting status.) Suggested Sites... One Hit Wonder Central - learn about all sorts of One Hit Wonders from the 1950s to the present. Are You a One Hit Wonder? - find out if you are secretly a one hit wonder with this quiz. VH1: The Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s - surely you love one of these.

Directory categories: Music, Rock and Pop, Music Charts, Musical Artists, CDs, Records, and Tapes

Archived under: 1970s, 1980s, Celebrations, Dance, Entertainment, Events, Flops, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, History, In Character, Music, Music History, Musicians, Rock and Roll, Songs

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Those cats are fast as lightning! (Photo by mK B.) What is it about "One Hit Wonders" that make them just so darn catchy? Most musicians rarely make it to the big time at all, and those that do are usually able to make careers out of it (or at least long enough to reach that elusive #2 hit). But One Hit Wonders are different. They're like the most ephemeral of stars: they shine brightly for a single moment of time, then burn out into oblivion. But if they're lucky, their songs remain for eternity. Inspired by "One Hit Wonder Day" (last week, on September 25th), we asked our fellow Yahoos to share their favorite One Hit Wonder* of all time. (You can find Part One here.) On a side note, many of the below mentioned artists and bands are still recording and performing 10, 20, and in some cases, almost 30 years later -- so props to them for overcoming (or in some cases, embracing) their status as "One Hit Wonders." Mitzi: I’ve always liked "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers. Not sure if they qualify as one hit wonders, but I don’t think any of their other songs ever hit the U.S. charts. Cathleen: My favorite one hit wonder record (and sure to stay that way) was Color Me Badd's "C.M.B." Some may call "I Wanna Sex You Up" their only actual "hit," but "I Adore Mi Amor" and "All 4 Love" made it to the Top 10 in my heart. I'm pretty sure they pioneered the use of numerals instead of words in song titles, an innovative and important achievement in the history of pop music. Think of where texting would be today without these four musical geniuses. Cliff: Hanson's "MMMBop." Huw: I can't say I have a favorite one hit wonder, but I'm very entertained by "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" -- a delightfully ESL track by the Spanish duo Baccara. Chris B.: I hope that both "Kung Fu Fighting" and "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right" make your compilation. (Editor's note: They have now!) Jessica J.: My top one hit wonder: "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something. Dave T.: Although not my favorite one hit wonder per se, the one that has etched itself permanently into the album of my memory is Joe Dolce's "Shaddap You Face." It was a novelty record which consisted of an American-born Australian offering such times less lyrics as "Whassamatta you? (Hey!) Gotta no respect? Whaddaya think you do? Why you looka so sad? It's-a not so bad. It's-a nice-a place. Ah, shaddap you face!" All this in a seriously dodgy Italian accent to boot. This is largely memorable because it kept a genuine 80s classic (Ultravox's "Vienna") off of the #1 spot in the U.K. and forever tarnishing Midge Ure's reputation. We'll have our final round of humiliating confessions tomorrow! (*Please note that "One Hit Wonder" status is as much defined by perception as by actual radio charting status.) Suggested Sites... One Hit Wonder Central - learn about all sorts of One Hit Wonders from the 1950s to the present. Are You a One Hit Wonder? - find out if you're secretly a One Hit Wonder with this quiz. VH1: The Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s - surely you love one of these.

Directory categories: Music, Rock and Pop, Music Charts, Musical Artists, CDs, Redcords, and Tapes

Archived under: 1970s, 1980s, Celebrations, Dance, Entertainment, Events, Flops, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, History, In Character, Music, Music History, Musicians, Rock and Roll, Songs

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Do the Hustle! (This is not Andrea.) (Photo by Janine Dupree) What is it about "One Hit Wonders" that make them just so darn catchy? Most musicians rarely make it to the big time at all, and those that do are usually able to make careers out of it (or at least long enough to reach that elusive #2 hit). But One Hit Wonders are different. They're like the most ephemeral of stars: they shine brightly for a single moment of time, then burn out into oblivion. But if they're lucky, their songs remain for eternity. Inspired by "One Hit Wonder Day" (September 25th), we asked our fellow Yahoos to share their favorite One Hit Wonder* of all time. On a side note, many of the below mentioned artists and bands are still recording and performing 10, 20, and in some cases, almost 30 years later -– so props to them for overcoming (or in some cases, embracing) their status as "One Hit Wonders." Andrea S.: The best one-hit wonder of all -– and I say this proudly and with oodles of swing to my hips -– is "The Hustle." When I was a little girl, my parents took disco dancing lessons, and there’s a famous (to our family, anyway) photo of my groove-challenged engineer father attempting to count out the Hustle steps while my three-year-old brother scoots around in his a pair of green feet pajamas. "Do the Hustle!" Laura: My favorite one-hit wonder was Mr. Big's 1989 sentimental instrumental, "To Be With You." As an awkward, swoony, prepubescent 12-year-old, this song seemed to perfectly encapsulate all my cheesy romantic fantasies. Unrequited love! Passion! Heartache! Good times all around. Helene K.: So here is my little French contribution ... can't miss our French one hit wonder (or should I say "le hit?"): "Born to be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez. It's still a number one for any party, wedding, or other events involving dancing, at least in France. Cheesy, easy and yet, it works! Terri: My choices are both from the '80s: "99 Luftballons" by Nena and "Human" by The Human League. More embarrassing revelations on Monday! (*Please note that "One Hit Wonder" status is as much defined by perception as by actual radio charting status.) Suggested Sites... One Hit Wonder Central - learn about all sorts of One Hit Wonders from the 1950s to the present. Are You a One Hit Wonder? - find out if you're secretly a One Hit Wonder with this quiz. VH1: The Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s - surely you love one of these.

Directory categories: Music, Rock and Pop, Music Charts, Musical Artists, CDs, Records, and Tapes

Archived under: 1970s, 1980s, Celebrations, Dance, Entertainment, Events, Flops, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, History, In Character, Music, Music History, Musicians, Rock and Roll, Songs

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Original cover of Michael Jackson's Thriller (Editor's Note: In light of the events of last week, we were reminded of this Spark from 2007.) After more than 15 years as a child star with The Jackson 5 and five successful solo albums, Michael Jackson hit new levels of superstardom in 1982 with "Thriller." 27 years later, Michael's sixth solo album is still an all time record-breaker, with 104 million copies sold worldwide, 80 consecutive weeks in the Billboard Top 10 (including 37 at number one), and seven Grammys. Michael earned top ten hits with seven of the album's nine tracks, including the Paul McCartney duet, "The Girl is Mine," and "Billie Jean," in which he denied allegations of fathering the child of an obsessive fan. "Billie Jean" also introduced the public to Michael's signature "Moonwalk" dance, said to be inspired by mime Marcel Marceau. The "Thriller" single went a (dance) step further with a 14-minute video directed by John Landis and narrated by the spooky voice of Vincent Price. In this horror movie spoof, Jackson turns into a werewolf, threatens to kill his date, and leads a chorus line of dancing zombies covered with grape jelly blood. Many -- especially Filipino prisoners -- cite it as the best music video ever, and there's no denying that both the album and the single made musical HIStory. Suggested Sites... Michael Jackson.com - official site of the late King of Pop. Thriller Videos - the best and the worst of aspiring Michael Jacksons, including performances by those Filipino inmates and Bollywood dancers. A Photographic History of Michael Jackson's Face - the "Thriller" makeup was frightening, but Michael's scariest face was yet to come. Thrill the World - learn how to dance like a zombie, and help break the record for simultaneous worldwide "Thriller" performances at the same time!

Directory categories: Michael Jackson, Rock and Pop Music, The 1980s, Michael Jackson Memorials and Tributes, R&B and Soul Music

Archived under: 1980s, Awards, Dance, Entertainment, Horror Films, Michael Jackson, Music, Music History, Thriller, Videos, Zombies

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