Edwyn Collins, A Girl Like You | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 10^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2026), we highlight “A Girl Like You” by Scottish singer-songwriter Edwyn Collins.

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 10^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2026), we dive into “A Girl Like You”, the one-hit wonder by Edwyn Collins.

Word. In 1995, Scottish singer-songwriter Edwyn Collins (b. 1959) scored the biggest song of his career. “A Girl Like You” is the second track from his third solo album, Gorgeous George.  “Girl” marked Collins’ only charting single on the pop charts.  Yep, he is a one-hit wonder through and through.  The good news is, his only charting song reached the top 40, peaking at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. No, that didn’t make “Girl” the hottest sugar, honey, iced tea on the charts, but, generally, it performed better outside of the United States. Collins composed and produced the worldwide hit.

“A Girl Like You” slaps.  The 1994 alternative pop/rock song features a 1960s-inspired sound. There are vintage, soulful vibes. It’s not Motown, but Motown/soul adjacent. “Girl” is anchored by an electrifying groove.  Beyond the groove, colorful keys, warm vibraphone, fuzzy guitar, and a big, fat bass line add to the ear candy.  Edwyn Collins delivers an expressive, nuanced, and well-rounded vocal.  His tone is delightful, amplified by his charming Scottish accent. The melody is tuneful and hypnotic, while the lyrics are incredibly memorable. “Here you come a-knocking, knocking on my door / And I’ve never met a girl like you before,” he sings in the first verse.  In the second, he adds, “You gave me just a taste, so I want more / Now my hands are bleeding, and my knees are raw.”   The chorus, excerpted earlier, is the crème de la crème.  Beyond those verses and the chorus, there is a pre-chorus (following the second verse), a third verse (“Too many protest singers / Not enough protest songs”), and an outro that is “alright” with Collins and me, too.  A bop and a half, “A Girl Like You” is an unforgettable ‘90s classic that I wish I had written and performed.  Edwyn Collins ate and left no crumbs whatsoever!

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Edwyn Collins » Gorgeous George » Edwyn Collins » 1994

Edwyn Collins, A Girl Like You: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 10 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Edwyn Collins; Alexa Popovich, cottonbro studio, ds rexy, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]

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