The Power of Failure: A Lesson from One-Hit Wonders

Harnessing Success Through Failure: The Untold Journey of One-Hit Wonders. Dive into the secret story of one-hit wonders, learning from their numerous 'failed' attempts. Embrace the power of failure to orchestrate your own path to success.

The Power of Failure: A Lesson from One-Hit Wonders

One-hit wonders - What do they have in common?

In the realm of music, they’ve all experienced failure. Their journey, punctuated by a single, massive hit song that catapulted them to the pinnacle of charts and helped them taste success. But what happened next? Most of them disappeared, drowned in the noise of the industry. But does that make them losers? Absolutely not!

In fact, they were just like any other artists or creators out there - a compelling embodiment of the human spirit and its quest for success. They probably penned hundreds, if not thousands, of songs. They stumbled, fumbled, scribbled, and possibly discarded even more ideas before they found that elusive melody that resonated with millions.

It is here that the power of learning from failure takes center stage. It might be tempting to dismiss their other work as failures, non-hits, or simply forgotten tunes. However, those discarded drafts, unsung lyrics, and unheard melodies are the unheralded heroes behind the scenes. They form the building blocks that led to the creation of that one legendary tune - the one that you hum unknowingly in the shower.

Wharton professor and author Adam Grant aptly sums it up in his book: "The great ones are great because they produced the most. Total volume of work." The failures, the flops, the forgotten verses - they all contribute to the totality of their craft. Each misstep is, in fact, a step forward. Each failure is a lesson learned. Each forgotten verse is a path not taken, leading eventually to the one that worked.

Glenn Frey of The Eagles (Not a one-hit wonder) shared a story on his journey as a songwriter in the documentary, "The History of The Eagles." He was eager to write his own songs and sought the wisdom of Bob Seger, with whom he worked briefly in the beginning of his career.

Frey, eager to make it as an artist, was thirsty for advice on how to write great songs. Seger's wisdom was direct and simple. He encouraged Frey to write, just write, let the creativity flow, irrespective of the outcome. Naturally, Frey was concerned, voicing, "But what if they're bad?" Seger’s response, "Well, they're gonna be bad, but you just keep writing and keep writing, and eventually, you'll write a good song." This story highlights the power of creating volume. The more you create, the more you will learn, turning tiny failures into eventual success.

Delving deeper into the world of music, Stanford Professor Justin Berg provides intriguing insights on the enigma of one-hit wonders. According to Berg, music is a quintessential creative industry that tends to produce more one-hit wonders than sustained hitmakers. The key to enduring success, he argues, lies in the artist's body of work prior to their first hit. Artists who have amassed a diverse and creative catalog of music before their big break tend to continue churning out hits, while those with less diverse early catalogs often hit a peak and then fade away.

Why is this important for our one-hit wonders? It turns out, those hundreds of songs they wrote, the so-called 'miss cues', 'duds', and 'non-rhyming garbage', can play a critical role in their overall creative journey. By writing and experimenting continuously, artists learn a range of creative tools that can help them adapt and keep up with shifting trends.

As Berg puts it, “When you go from a low level of success to being pumped through the airwaves all over the world, then everything you’ve learned up until that point becomes very important...Artists with more creative portfolios have more options for pulling off this balancing act over time, increasing their odds of sustained success.”

Yet, it's worth noting that the pursuit of a creative portfolio also carries risks. Aspiring musicians face constant tension between building a unique repertoire that supports long-term success and creating more conventional music that is likely to achieve initial success. Nevertheless, this narrative aligns perfectly with our one-hit wonders - it is a continuous journey of experimenting, learning, and persevering, even if the path often seems littered with 'failures'.

So, think about your favorite one-hit wonder and the song that makes your heart dance. Songs like, Tubthumping – Chumbawamba which was rated number-eight of one hit wonder songs of all time by Rolling Stone. Or, Tainted Love by Soft Cell, or Take on Me by A-Ha. Imagine the unseen, untold journey that led to its creation of these hits. Relish the realization that it wasn’t just born out of nowhere. It was a product of endless trial and error, countless failures, and an unyielding spirit.

Weekly Growth Tip: Embrace Your Creative Journey

Reflecting on the narratives of one-hit wonders and the insights shared by Stanford Professor Justin Berg, this week's growth tip invites you to embrace your creative journey in its entirety, don’t shy away from your 'failed' attempts, be it a project at work, a new hobby you're trying to learn, or a relationship you're trying to build.

The crux is this: Creativity and resilience are interconnected. Every 'failure', every idea that didn't quite hit the mark, is part of your learning journey. They build up your creative repertoire, equipping you with a toolbox of experiences and lessons that can better adapt to the ever-shifting trends of life and work.

This week, challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone. Try something new, something different, without fear of failure. Remember, every 'failed' attempt, like those hundreds of unheard songs, is not a setback but a step forward. It broadens your horizon, strengthens your creative muscle, and boosts your resilience. I hope this helps.

If you like this article, follow me on LinkedIn for my weekly growth carousels. Also, comment on your favorite one-hit wonder. For me, it was Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice.