Portugal. The Man, Feel It Still | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 9^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful , we highlight “Feel It Still” performed by alternative band, Portugal. The Man.

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.  To be fair, it is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, it’s that ONE hit that earned them recognition. So, in the 9^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful , we dive into “Feel It Still”,  the one hit wonder by Portugal. The Man.

“Can’t keep my hands to myself / Think I’ll dust ‘em off, put ‘em back up on the shelf.” Okay, sure! Alternative bands can rarely tout scoring a top-five pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100.  Portland, Oregon standouts Portugal. The Man earned those bragging rights with “Feel It Still”.  The standout from their 2017 album, Woodstock, peaked at no. 4 on the pop charts.  Easily one of the grooviest, most infectious, and best songs of 2017, it also earned the band the one-hit wonder label.  The facts, or lack of other charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 don’t lie.  Still, if you’re going to only earn one charting single on the pop charts, wouldn’t you want it to be a Grammy-winning, multiplatinum single like “Feel It Still”? Of course, you would!

The chorus is a huge reason for the success of “Feel It Still”:

“Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now  

I been feeling it since 1966, now  

Might be over now, but I feel it still  

Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now  

Let me kick it like it’s 1986, now  

Might be over now, but I feel it still.”    

Ooh, woo, indeed! The production ( John Hill and Asa Taccone) is crisp and clear .  Front man John Gourley delivers sensational, light, airy, and agile high-pitched vocals.  Reminiscing rarely comes off as excellent as it does on “Feel It Still”. Notably, Gourley makes various references throughout the song including politics, rebelliousness, and his daughter (“Got another mouth to feed / Leave it to the babysitter, mama, call the gravedigger”).  One-hit wonder it may be, but it’s an epic one, PERIOD.

Appears in :   

• 100 Best Songs of 2017 
• 13 Songs Where the FEEL is Real (2023)

Portugal. The Man • Woodstock • Atlantic • 2017 

Portugal. The Man, Feel It Still: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 9 (2023) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Julia Larsen, Kurchakto, RDNE Stock project, Victor Terrell from Pexels; Andrew Martin from Pixabay]