Are (the) Passengers a one hit wonder band?

Are the Passengers a one hit wonder band from the 90s?

In 1995 the newly formed band 'Passengers' featuring international superstar Luciano Pavarotti and members of Irish folk band 'U2' released a superb album named 'Original Soundtracks 1' to worldwide acclaim.  The album featured mega smash hit 'Miss Sarajevo' featuring a sophisticated musical arrangement from members of U2 along side the stunning vocals of Luciano Pavarotti,  which was featured in several films as well as war documentaries.  This song was also played in heavy rotation on the music television network known as MTV (RIP). 

The song was not only an international hit but it also cemented the legacy of the already famous tenor Pavoritti,  as well as elevating the producer of the band,  the relatively unknow Brian Eno.  Also it shined a light on the upcoming folk band hailing from Dublin Ireland by the name of 'U2",  who went on to release multi platnium albums such as 1997's 'POP' and launched them into superstardom with the accompanying POPMART WORLD TOUR of 1997 and 1998. 

While the album was stocked with gorgeous melodies,  soaring anthems,  and space age love songs,  to include the moody and delicate 'Your Blue Room' and stunning 'Slug',  it only had one chart topping hit with the song 'Miss Sarajevo'. 

Sadly,  they musicians disbanded after this brilliant album,  which was rated at 5 1/2 stars by Rolling Stone political magazine.  To celebrate this 30 year anniversary of the brilliant one of a kind album,  we salute the war that inspired the one hit wonder single Miss Sarajevo:


Luciano Pavarotti, Brian Eno, members of Irish folk band u2 - Miss Sarajevo

Did I miss something? Was miss sarajevo a hit?


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Did I miss something? Was miss sarajevo a hit?


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Yes, in Europe

Ah Europe.  I just watched a street urchin ride a shopping cart down the highway behind my house.  Luckily i live high above the fray in my walled estate - surrounded by shit.  But lets stay on topic okay? 

Did I miss something? Was miss sarajevo a hit?


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Got good radio airplay in my neck of the woods. One hit wonder that band. Don’t know what happened to the members still living.

OS1 was made by U2 who are hardly  one hit wonders.

Under 'weaknesses' you put 'eczema'.

I was initially surprised by Codeguy's comment above, but on checking it seems the track wasn't a hit in the US. I guess in 1995 the US market was full-on for grunge and anything outside of that didn't get much of a look-in.

In Ireland I remember the song getting a lot of airplay in the run up to Xmas '95. I was going to say Xmas '95 number one in Ireland, turns out it didn't quite get the top spot. Charted high in a lot of countries, mostly but not all European.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Sarajevo#Weekly_charts

On looking at some Live Aid footage recently, I remembered that Freddie Mercury, during down-time from Queen, had a pretty big hit in the UK and Ireland with 'Barcelona', a duet with the opera singer Montserrat Caballe. I wonder were Passengers inspired to bring an opera singer on board partially from that?

'Ito Okashi' had a bit of a following in Japan

Lots of airplay for Miss Sarajevo in France too. Not sure it charted that well but it certainly got a lot of attention.

I remember going to the biggest store on the Champs Élysées on day of release (Virgin Megastore, now closed). Some staff were wearing a mock up of a nuke hazard suit, neon fluo, written « Passengers » on the back.

Back to the OP, I don’t even consider Passengers as a band, more of a momentary assembly of people put together on a record. Pretty sure many performers on the record didn’t even meet each others.

After the soaring success of Passengers' 'Miss Sarajevo',  the members of Irish folks band U2 got a taste of worldwide success and fame.  Keeping with the idea that soundtracks were good for business,  the rhythm section of the band went on to record the theme to 1996's surprise hit movie 'Mission Impossible' which had an incredible box office run for such a relatively unknown cast.  Meanwhile the other members of the band were secretly plotting world domination with the exploitation of popular music,  pop art,  disco meets rave,  and a stage show which included UFO's, flying fruit, and golden arches. 

After the soaring success of Passengers' 'Miss Sarajevo',  the members of Irish folks band U2 got a taste of worldwide success and fame.  Keeping with the idea that soundtracks were good for business,  the rhythm section of the band went on to record the theme to 1996's surprise hit movie 'Mission Impossible' which had an incredible box office run for such a relatively unknown cast.  Meanwhile the other members of the band were secretly plotting world domination with the exploitation of popular music,  pop art,  disco meets rave,  and a stage show which included UFO's, flying fruit, and golden arches.

I would definitely regard that whole period 94/95/96 - between Zooropa and Pop - as part of U2's imperial phase. They weren't putting out all that much, but what they did put out was nothing to be ashamed of, far from it. It very much was part of the zeitgeist or whatever, they more than held their own against the younger Turks.

It wasn't waiting for nine years to deliver a polished turd that we all secretly or not-so-secretly fear the next album will be.

Some would say U2 were following trends in the 1990s, so Passengers was the vehicle for the members to try something different in a different band.

Miss Sarajevo was their one and only hit and that was a duet.

Some would say U2 were following trends in the 1990s, so Passengers was the vehicle for the members to try something different in a different band.

Miss Sarajevo was their one and only hit and that was a duet.

Miss Sarajevo is a great collab between Brian Eno and Luciano Pavarotti (and feat. Bono). 

Some other musicians might have been involved.