"Kiss Him Goodbye," The Nylons (1987)

When the barbershop sound rocked us all!

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Peak: #12 on the Hot 100
Streams: 450,000

Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer enjoys international stardom in a barbershop quartet? Remember how funny that seemed, because there was no way that a barbershop quartet could ever become a pop sensation?

Well, the joke was on us. In 1987, just a few years before Homer joined the Be Sharps, Canadian vocal group The Nylons got all the way to #12 with what’s basically a barbershop cover of the classic “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.” (They called their version simply “Kiss Him Goodbye,” because they were cool.)

And sure, there are drums on this track. It’s not a “pure” barbershop performance, and I’d bet a billion dollars that back in the 80s, there were folks “in the scene” who bristled at the suggestion this song was barbershop. (People who like niche music get very defensive about the boundaries of their chosen genre. Take it from someone who has worked in musical theater for most of his life.) But for the rest of the world, “Kiss Him Goodbye” is just a straw boater away from being performed on the Atlantic City boardwalk during the Hoover administration.

Frankly, I love this record. The Nylons sound great. Check out that extended note one of the guys hollers around the three-minute mark. It’s impressive! So is the rock star growl that another member adds around halfway through. And it’s not just the solo moments: The tight harmonies are fun and flirty, which is saying something. I don’t normally consider “vocal group” music to be all that sexy, but these guys sound like they know what to do when the lights go off. I’m not saying they’re raunchy, mind you. I’m just suggesting they sound like adults who know what’s up.

Sadly, all four of the founding Nylons have died, and even the replacement members decided to disband in 2017. But even though The Nylons are no more, their one big hit certainly primed the pump for Bobby McFerrin’s a cappella takeover in 1988, not to mention the ongoing success of Pentatonix.

Postscript: After I wrote this piece, I mentioned this song to my friend and colleague Sarah D. Bunting. She pointed out that in its original form, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” was the only hit for the band Steam. That means this one song created two one-hit wonders.

Similarly, “Rock On” was the only hit for David Essex back in 1973, and an updated version was also the only hit for Michael Damien in 1989.

Thus, if a pair one-hit wonders have their lone hit with the same song, then the song itself is not a hit wonder. What a delicious conundrum!