smash hit

smash hit

A huge, widespread success. Usually said of entertainment media, such as books, films, plays, songs, etc. After the smash hit of her first novel, Mary was under a lot of pressure for her second effort to be just as successful. The band had been slowly gaining popularity over the years, but it wasn't until their smash hit in 1987 that they hit the mainstream.
See also: hit, smash
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

smash hit

a play, movie, musical, etc., that is a big success. Her first book was a smash hit. The second was a disaster. A smash hit doesn't always make people rich.
See also: hit, smash
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

smash hit

An outstanding success, as in She was a smash hit in the role of the governess, or His first book was a smash hit but this one isn't doing well. [c. 1920]
See also: hit, smash
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a ˌsmash ˈhit

(informal) (of a record, play or film/movie) very popular and a great success: Still at number one, it’s The Rubber Band, with their smash hit, ‘Love me’. The actress Donna May has been in 15 Broadway smash hits.
See also: hit, smash
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a smash hit
  • all to smash
  • smash
  • make (one) sit up and take notice
  • sit up and take notice
  • sit up and take notice, to (make someone)
  • strike (someone or something) with (something)
  • strike with
  • tricken
  • tricken with
References in periodicals archive
"After its release on Smash Hits, I only had two months to not only become a frontman, but to get a band of session musicians together for my first ever tour."
Managers snap up musician
SMASH HIT: Sarah Barry Williams and her daughter Chariss
Mum's Twilight song becomes an internet hit
SMASH HIT: Some of the public and performers who have helped the Eisteddfod top the 100,000-visitor mark PICTURES: Mark Fraser and Richard Swingler
Tory call for Welsh language boost
With over 200 million albums sold between both bands, and smash hit after smash hit, these two pop sensations have dominated the music scene for over three decades.
WIN TICKETS TO SEE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK & BACKSTREET BOYS; LIVE IN BELFAST'S ODYSSEY ARENA
SMASH hit musical "We Will Rock You" is heading for Liverpool for the first time.
KIND OF MAGIC; Queen show heading for the Empire
actress Amanda Seyfried reckons a sequel to the box office smash hit is unlikely.
Mamma Mia 2? Star says 'probably not'
With Chicago a smash hit and talk of a full-scale revival of the movie musical in the air, the time could not be more ripe for the DVD debut of West Side Story.
Still pretty and witty and gay: a new double-disc DVD release of West Side Story recalls the four gay geniuses who made it happen
The band have been enshrined in Irish folklore for making it to the top 20 of the British charts with their smash hit When You Were Sweet Sixteen which led them to appear on Top of the Pops.
Double dose of Irish music from the Fureys and the Dubs
Back in the 1980s, though, the biggest series to come out of these parts was the smash hit Hill Street Blues and those who were devotees will remember the opening credits having police cars rolling out of the station en route to another job.
Alarm bells ringing on Hill Street Blues Shift; Royal Blue
Nasty in the smash hit spin-off American Idol--was asked about Young's debut album ever getting released in the States, he said, "Unlikely.
Simon and the gay Idols. (the Buzz)
MERSEYSIDE girl band Atomic Kitten collected the prize for Best Single for their smash hit Whole Again at the annual Smash Hits T4 Poll Winners Party.
KITTENS STORM POP AWARDS AS SMASH HIT COLLECTS FRESH ACCOLADE
CALENDAR GIRLS It was a smash hit calendar, then a smash hit film.
CALENDAR GIRLS; THEATRE GUIDE
Disney's smash hit High School Musical returns for a second run from Monday until Saturday.
Musical cast back to school; School isn't quite out for summer yet, as Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR finds out
Tommy Sherlock,19,and 20 year old Andrew Bowness -third year musical theatre students at Liverpool Theatre School -will join the new international tour of the Abba-inspired smash hit Mamma Mia.
Dancing duo to do ABBA tour
Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida takes this trend to its logical conclusion: The superstar songwriting team responsible for both a smash hit movie sound track and Broadway's biggest current success (The Lion King) doles out the tunes they have penned for an in-the-works stage musical and doles them out to every genre of pop performer.
Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida