Who knows why an artist scores a hit once but never again. In some cases, the hit makers weren't even recording artists in the first place. Even if you weren't alive when some of these songs enjoyed their five minutes of fame, chances are you've heard them. Sing along as we remember these 12 one-hit wonders*.

*Artists deemed one-hit wonders in the United States based on song positions on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart.

1. "Harper Valley P.T.A." by Jeannie C. Riley (1968)

Better known as a country singer, Jeannie C. Riley became an overnight sensation with "Harper Valley P.T.A.," which topped both the pop and country charts. The song even spawned a variety show hosted by Riley in 1969, as well as a movie (1978) and television show (1981), both starring Barbara Eden.

2. "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum (1969)

Former Boston University coffeehouse musician Norman Greenbaum hit the top of the charts with "Spirit in the Sky." The record, which sold two million copies, soared to number three in the States and all the way to number one in the U.K.

3. "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees (1976)

"Disco Duck," a satirical disco song by deejay Rick Dees, went all the way to number one in 1976. Dees may be a one-hit wonder as a recording artist, but other musical artists hope to gain his attention; he is known around the world for his Weekly Top 40 Countdown radio show. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999 and even earned a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

4. "Don't Give Up on Us Baby" by David Soul (1976)

In 1976, right in the middle of his hit TV show Starsky & Hutch, David Soul, aka "Hutch," traded his tough guy image for that of a sweet-voiced ballad singer and it paid off. "Don't Give Up on Us Baby" shot all the way to number one on U.S. charts. Afterward, he released several more albums that were much more popular in the U.K. than they were in the States. Today, Soul lives in England and works in theater.

5. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone (1977)

Debby Boone, daughter of 1950s icon Pat Boone, spent ten weeks on top of the charts with "You Light Up My Life." Who was she singing about? No mere mortal, it was God, according to Miss Boone. She may be a one-hit wonder on the pop charts, but Debby Boone has enjoyed a successful career as a stage actress and in the music biz with hits in both the country and Christian-music genres.

6. "Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc. (1980)

In 1980, a Minneapolis band named to poke fun at the concept of lip-synching spent four weeks at number one with their hit tune "Funkytown." The group had disbanded by 1983, but a few of the group's members lent their experience to Minneapolis's next big thing -- Prince's band, The Revolution.

On the next page, you will find the remainder of our list of one-hit wonders.