Earlier I consigned some groups/singers to Rock-and-Roll Hell, most notably David Gates "of Hell" and Bread, along with Barry Manilow, Mac Davis/Bobby Goldsboro, and Joni Mitchell/Carole King. I wasn't sure about America, or Seals and Crofts, since they did manage to have one tolerable song each. I even let Neil Diamond off easy by sending him to Roll-and-Roll Purgatory, on the strength of a few good early songs.
That was yesterday. Today, no more Mr. Nice Guy. Not only am I ready to cast the marginals into the flames, now they will have some new company: Helen Reddy (she and David Gates will be the King and Queen of Hell), Captain and Tenille, Carpenters, Jim Stafford/Jerry Reed, and, yes, Wings. (I just haven't figured out a way yet to clone Paul, so he can also be in Rock-and-Roll Heaven with the Beatles. For that matter, I should also consider John's dual citizenship, R&R Heaven for the Beatles, R&R Hell for the Plastic Ono Band.)
My criteria for Rock-and-Roll Hell:
1) Multiple (three or more) hits (eliminating such one-or-two-hit wonders as Bobbie Gentry, Vicki Lawrence, Terry Jacks, et al.)
2) All of them bad (or so overwhelmingly so, that the many bad outweigh the one or two good)
ROCK-AND ROLL HELL
America
Captain and Tenille
Carpenters
Mac Davis
Neil Diamond
David Gates and Bread
Bobby Goldsboro
Carole King
Barry Manilow
Joni Mitchell
Helen Reddy
Jerry Reed
Seals and Crofts
Jim Stafford
Wings
Not sure if Melanie (as of "Oh...... I've got a brand new pair of roller skates, you've got a brand new key" fame) would meet the criteria you set forth above. But
that song has GOT to be at the top of my list of "All-Time Worst Songs Ever on the Top 40 List". The scary part is that enough people bought the single to drive it to the top of the Top 40 CHART which is REALLY scary!!!!! Just goes to show you there are an awful lot of people out there with no musical taste ;-).
Could we make room for England Dan and John Ford Coley in your Hell? Just because nobody except you and me and T Minus Four remembers them today is no reason future generations should not learn about the damage they caused to the music industry. And just to make sure they don't attempt a comeback. This will not stand!! Maybe you could toss Rupert Holmes in there too -- "Him, him, him, what's she gonna do about him"