One Hit Wonders Throughout The Ages: The Songs You Love And The Artists You Never Knew
You know every lyric, dance along when it plays at parties, and yet the name of the artist or band who performed the song eludes you. You're not going insane, it's just a case of the one-hit wonder. After months on heavy rotation on the US charts, radio stations allow that hit to fade into the ether, only to have it live on through oldies stations, top 100 lists, and other nostalgic means of communication.
Some of the biggest hits of the last 50 years came to us courtesy of one-hit wonders and we wanted to celebrate the artists who brought us those classic tunes.
Lemon Pipers: "Green Tamborine"
The Lemon Pipers are a psychedelic band from Oxford Ohio. Prominent only during the 1960's, they are mainly known for their track "Green Tamborine." In 1968, the track reached No. 1 in the United States and has even been credited as the first bubblegum pop chart-topper.
Although the band's career was not a complete flop, "Green Tamborine" is mainly how they got their name, yet it's rare for people to say much about the Lemon Pipers when not talking about that one song. By 1969, the band had dissolved and the members went on to start their own respective careers.
Steam: "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Steam was a pop-rock group in the 1960s that were best known for their number one hit single "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." Although the song was attributed to the band, it was really written by musicians Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer and Paul Leka. After a DJ in Florida first played the track, requests came pouring in over the phone.
After other states began to see its popularity, they too began to play the song which led to its huge popularity. The song reached number one in the United States for two weeks in December of 1969 and is still well-known today. The song is often chanted at sporting events although few people actually know where it comes from.
Shocking Blue: "Venus"
"Venus" was a hit song written by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, and managed to take the number one song in not one but nine countries. The song was released in 1969 as a single from the group's third album Scorpio Dance and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart on February 7, 1970.
The song's music and lyrics were written by Robbie van Leeuwen, the band's lead guitarist, and was sung by Mariska Veres. After the success of the song, it was revisited in 1981 and was sampled as part of the Stars on 45 Medley and continues to be featured in films, television shows, and commercials to this day.
Carl Douglas: "Kung Fu Fighting"
"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song by artists Carl Douglas that was released in 1974, right before the big explosion in popularity in kung fu films. It quickly rose to the tops of the American, Australian, and UK charts as well as reached the tops of the Soul Singles chart.
It received a gold certificate by from the RIAA in 1974 and is regarded as helping to make disco music popular among the masses. it sold over 11 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. Although a song like this may not pass today due to the racial implications, it did just fine back in the day.
Minnie Riperton: "Lovin' You"
"Lovin' You" was a 1975 hit single by R&B singer Minnie Riperton. The massive hit reached No.1 on the Billboard Top 100 on April 15, 1975, as well as reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 3 on the R&B chart. Furthermore, in the United States, Billboard ranked it at the No. 13 song of 1975.
The hit was among one of the first songs to top the charts without the use of percussion and is recognized by Riperton's incredibly high vocals on the bridge, and the chirping of birds throughout the track. To this day, it is still used and referenced throughout popular culture.
Starland Vocal Band: "Afternoon Delight"
The song "Afternoon Delight" was written by Bill Danoff, one of the members of the Starland Vocal Band and was recorded by the entire group. It became a No. 1 United States Hot 100 single on July 10, 1976, and even earned a gold record. The song is known for the groups vocal harmonizing as well as the very suggestive and sensual lyrics.
The track also reached No. 1 in Canada, No. 5 in New Zealand, and #6 in Australia. In 1977, the song received three Grammy nominations and won the Grammy for the Best Arrangement of Voices. In 2010 it was named the 20th sexiest song of all time on Billboard. It also saw a revitalization after being featured in the comedy film Anchorman.
Wild Cherry: "Play That Funky Music"
Written by Rob Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry, "Play That Funky Music" was the first release of the Sweet City record label in 1976. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 18, 1976, and was also the No.1 on the Hot Soul Singles Chart. The single was also certified platinum for shipping out over 2 million records, and even selling 2.5 million in the United States alone.
It was the band's only Top 40 song, yet was named No. 73 of Billboards "All-Time Top 100 Songs" in 2008. The song is still popular and well known today although the band that brought it to life has long been forgotten.
Lipps, Inc: "Funkytown"
Staying with the theme of funk, in 1980, American disco group Lipps, Inc. released their single "Funkytown" for their debut album Mouth to Mouth. "Funkytown" was an incredible success and reached the No.1 spot in 28 countries. It held the record until Madonna's "Hung Up" reached No.1 in 41 countries in 2005.
The track spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 as well as No.1 on the disco chart. The song was also Lipps, Inc. only Top 40 hit. However, even the cover of the song by Pseudo Echo was very successful and it's not unusual to still hear the song today.
Toni Basil: "Mickey"
American singer and choreographer Toni Basil's one hit wonder "Mickey" was originally recorded in 1979 by UK music group Racey under the title "Kitty." However, Basil changed the name to "Mickey" in order to make the song about a man, and therefore more appealing to her audience. After being reissued as "Mickey", the track became a hit in the Uk and reached No.2. and eventually rose to No.1.
When released in North America in 1982, it became the No.1 in the United States and Canada, a year and a half after its original release. The song was named #5 of VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of All Time and also appeared on various other greatest hit lists.
Dexy's Midnight Runners: "Come On Eileen"
"Come On Eileen" was a song by the English band Dexy's Midnight Runners and released in the UK on June 25, 1982. It was a single to their album Too-Rye-Ay and reached No.1 in the United States, and No. 2. The song was written by members Jim Paterson, Kevin Rowland, and Billy Adams though is credited to the entire band.
The song won the Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards, and in 2015, it was voted by the British public as the nation;'s sixth favorite 1980s number one. It was also ranked number 18 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s. It's also not unusual to still hear this song belted out in bars across the United States and the UK.
Bobby McFerrin: "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Chances are, you've probably heard Bobby McFerrin's worldwide 1988 hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy." It was the first a capella track to reach No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for two weeks. The instruments that are heard in the song are all noises made by McFerrin himself, and he even sings in a bit of a faked accent to add to the style of the song.
Since the song's inception, it has been used countless time throughout popular culture and was even used in George H. W. Bush's 1988 U.S. presidential electionrun as his official campaign song.
Right Said Fred: "I'm Too Sexy"
"I'm Too Sexy" was the debut song of the British band Right Said Fred. The song climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and outside of the UK topped the charts in six different countries including Australia, Ireland, and the United States.
Although the group went on to make a No. 1 single in the UK titled "Deeply Dippy," "I'm Too Sexy" still remains their best-known and remembered song of their career. In 2007, the song was voted No. 80 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's and in 2011 was voted No. 2 on VH1's 40 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 90s.
Sir Mix-a-Lot: "Baby Got Back"
"Baby Got Back" is the timeless one-hit wonder by rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot from his album Mack Daddy. Released in 1992, the song received a lot of flack for its very provocative lyrics about women, considering that the entire song is describing his own preference for the female butt. Regardless of the controversy, it still was the second best-selling record of 1992 and sold 2,392,000 physical copies that year.
In 2002, it was ranked No.17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop which is an impressive accomplishment considering its content. The song spent a total of five weeks in the No.1 spot on the US charts.
The Cardigans: "Lovefool"
"Lovefool" was a song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for the band The Cardigans on their album First Band on the Moon in 1996. It was released as the albums single and was the groups first international hit.
It made appearances on six other Billboard charts and in 1997 peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart and was even certified Gold in Australia. After its immediate success, it remained as a one-hit wonder and was featured in films such as Romeo + Juliet and Cruel Intentions. Today, it's a popular song for people who remember it to sing karaoke to.
Aqua: "Barbie Girl"
If you were alive in the late 90s and early 2000s, there's a strong chance that you know every word to the song "Barbie Girl" by the Danish pop group Aqua. Released in 1997, as their third single, the song was influenced by band member Soren Rasted saw an exhibit which featured Barbie Dolls.
The song managed to top the charts worldwide and stayed at No.1 in the UK for three weeks. It also peaked at No.7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1997. It remains Aquas biggest US hit single to date and is by far Aquas most popular piece of music.
Marcy Playground: "Sex and Candy"
Written by John Wozniak, "Sex and Candy" was the breakthrough track for the American alternative band Marcy Playground. Released in 1997, it was their single from their debut self-titled album and is one of the only mentioned songs to come out of the group.
"Sex and Candy" spent 15 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, beating Oasis' Wonderwall, and peaked at No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is without a doubt the bands most popular song ever released and is still played on the radio today. The song even went on to be covered by more notable bands such as Maroon 5.
Crazy Town: "Butterfly"
"Butterfly" is the one-hit wonder by the American rap rock group Crazy Town. The song gained popularity in November of 2000 and was the third single from their debut album The Gift game. The song received worldwide success and reached No.1 in 15 countries.
It was named the 34th Most Awesomely Bad Song Ever by VH1 and was ranked No. 3 on Billboards chart for one-hit wonders of the 2000s. It was by far the biggest success of Crazy Town's career and fans have stuck by the song's side until this day. The band did, however, get booed off the stage at Ozzfest because of the flowery hit.
Phantom Planet: "California"
If you were a fan of the television show The OC while it was still on the air, you should be very familiar with Phantom Planet's song "California." The song was originally released as the single to their second album The Guest in February 2002 and eventually received major attention after becoming the theme song for the hit television show.
The track went on to become a top ten hit in Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Although it didn't have major success on the charts in the United States, it was still a very well-received and known song.
Vanessa Carlton: "A Thousand Miles"
"A Thousand Miles" was the debut single that was written as well as recorded by American pop singer Vanessa Carlton. The song was released as the single for her album Be Not Nobody which dropped in 2002. It was one of the most popular songs of the year and was her most successful song by far to date.
Along with doing well in the United States reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, it also reached No.1 in Australia and received similar attention worldwide. Since 2002, it has been covered by numerous artists and featured in many films and televisions shows.
Gotye: "Somebody That I Used To Know"
In 2012, Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye released his track "Somebody That I Used To Know" featuring singer Kimbra. In Australia, the track won the Triple J Hottest 100 Poll in 2011 and AIRA Awards for song of the year and best video.
It topped the charts in 23 national charts and reached the top 10 in more than 30 countries worldwide. The track sold more than 13 million copies, making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. The song was well-received and was one of the biggest songs of 2012, however, Gotye seemed to fall out of the limelight after the hype off of the song had died.
The Vapors: "Turning Japanese"
Released in 1980 by the by the new wave and power pop group The Vapors, “Turning Japanese” was a breakout hit. The song charted at no. 36 in the United States billboards but reached number 3 in the United Kingdom. The song was also popular in Australia, Japan, Canada, and Ireland.
Although the song’s title is “Turning Japanese,” the song's content focuses primarily on love pictures. The songwriter explains the topic of turning Japanese as turning into something that one might not expect to turn into all of a sudden. The Vapors separated in 1982, just two years after their commercial hit.
The Verve: “Bittersweet Symphony”
The song “Bittersweet Symphony” was released in 1997 by the British alternative rock group The Verve. The song was a hit, and enjoyed commercial success in the United Kingdom reaching the number 2 in the singles chart. The song has been certified gold in the United States and Australia, and Platinum in Britain and Italy.
In 1997, “Bittersweet Symphony” received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. Although it didn’t win, the song has widely been regarded as one of the best songs of all times and is iconic for many because of how much play the video got from MTV upon release.
House of Pain: "Jump Around"
In May of 1992, the Los Angeles based trio House of Pain released their breakout track “Jump Around.” The track reached number three in the United States Billboards and received commercial in the United Kingdom as well, peaking at number eight. The song is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip hop songs of all time, ranking number 61 on VH1’s official list.
Jump Around has been a pop culture hit and has been featured in many movies, ranging from “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Rush Hour,” to “Black Hawk Down.” The group disbanded in 1996 but have since gotten back together off and on. In 2017 they reunited for an anniversary tour.
Baha Men: “Who Let The Dogs Out”
Upon being featured in the children’s movie Rugrats in Paris, the Baha Men enjoyed wide commercial success from their hit song “Who Let The Dogs Out.” “Who Let The Dogs Out” became one of the highest-selling singles of the decade not to reach the number one spot on the charts. First released in July of 2000, the song received a Grammy in 2001 for best dance recording.
The song was originally written for Trinidad and Tobago’s annual carnival celebration. Despite the song's commercial success and appeal, the song has been labeled as one of the most annoying songs ever made by Rolling Stone, earning the number three spot. It’s now stuck in your head. You’re welcome.
Blind Melon: "No Rain"
Most people have heard Blind Melon’s “No Rain,” but the real question is whether they’ve seen the video featuring the adorable little girl dressed as a bee. If they had MTV in the 1990s, they most likely have seen it. “No Rain” was released in 1993 during MTV’s music video dominance, and peaked at number one on the United States rock billboards.
The song has achieved the certification of going multi-platinum. Tragically, in 1995 lead vocalist Shannon Hoon passed away from a fatal overdose thus leading to the disbandment of the group. Today, the band has reformed with a few changes, but has no plans to release a full CD.
Vanilla Ice: “Ice Ice Baby”
Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” has earned the title of becoming the first hip-hop song to top the Billboard’s hot 100. “Ice Ice Baby” has been labeled by music analysts as the song that brought hip-hop to the mainstream. Released in 1989, the song has achieved the certification of platinum in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
anilla Ice (born Robert Matthew Van Winkle) wrote “Ice Ice Baby” when he was only 16. The song is about a weekend with his friend. Fun facts: he dated Madonna for eight months in 1990, and Public Enemy tried to push for him to sign to Def Jam!
MC Hammer: “U Can’t Touch This”
It’s hard to talk about Vanilla Ice without bringing up MC Hammer, especially with his delightful use of the running man dance. Released in the year 1990 on the album “Please Hammer, Don’t hurt em,” “U can’t touch this,” won a Grammy for both best R&B song and best rap solo performance.
The song was the first rap song in history to be nominated for the Grammy of record of the year. Perhaps almost as famous as MC Hammer's song is the video for “U Can’t Touch This.” It features MC hammer using his smooth moves to show why you can't touch him.
Psy: "Gangnam Style"
The influence of the K-pop song "Gangnam Style" by Psy, released in 2012, was massive to the point that president Barrack Obama referenced the video as a sign that people were being swept by Korean Culture. The video for "Gangnam Style" went viral and became the first video on YouTube to reach both one and two billion views.
For five years, it was the most-watched video in the world before losing its status in the summer of 2017. Due to the high number of views, "Gangnam Style" was also acknowledged in 2012 as the most-liked video on YouTube by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Archies: "Sugar Sugar"
Debuting their hit song “Sugar Sugar” in 1969, the virtual band The Archies climbed to the top of the United States's and United Kingdom's charts. It didn’t just climb to the top of the charts, it was the song of the year for 1969 in the United States.
A virtual band is a band that doesn’t actually exist in real life and instead is comprised of animated characters. In this case, that band is Archie and his garage band from The Archie show. The song is classified as bubblegum pop, a genre of music that was popular during the late sixties and early seventies.
Nena: 99 Luft Balloons
“99 Luft Balloons” or “99 Red Balloons” was first released in 1983 by the German band Nena. “99 Luft Balloons” is an antiwar song that tells the story of balloons being mistaken for UFOs by an army official, who then investigates their source.
This leads to the army clearing out the balloons and mistakenly alerting their country's neighbors which causes a 99-year-long war with no victor. The English version “99 Red Balloons” is similar but has a few changes and the destruction that takes place in the original narrative is now nuclear war. The song peaked at number 2 on the billboard hot 100.
Soft Cell: “Tainted Love/Where did our love go”
Soft Cell’s “Tainted love” was a cover of a 1965 song of the same name by Gloria Jones. The song debuted in 1981 in the United Kingdom and then a year later in the United States. The song was the bestselling single in the United Kingdom in 1981 and is still popular today, as it can be heard in the background occasionally during commercials.
Soft Cell is made up of Vocalist Marc Almond and Instrumentalist David Ball. Over the years, the duo split up to try running solo careers, but rejoined in 2000 to begin touring. In 2006, Rihanna sampled Soft Cell’s version of “Tainted Love” for her single "S.O.S."
Mims: “This is Why I’m Hot”
In 2007, Mims topped the United States billboard hot 100 with his single “This is why I’m hot.” The song was certified platinum and appeared on his debut album "Music is My Savior." It is noteworthy that the song jumped from number 32 on the billboard hot 100 to the number 1.
Mims lost both his parents at the young age of 13, and decided to focus on school and his music from then on. After finishing high school, Mims went to community college, but soon dropped out to focus fully on his music career. Not long after, he was topping the charts so luckily for him, it paid off.
Los Del Rio: "Macarena"
No party is complete without this classic. Ranked by some as one of the greatest songs ever recorded, “Macarena” has enjoyed global success and has topped music charts in more than ten different countries. “Macarena” has achieved the status of being certified 4x platinum in the United States and is Billboard's top-ranked Latin and dance song.
The song debuted in 1995 by the Spanish duo Los Del R, compromised of Antonio Monge and Rafael Perdingones. Also, for those who may have been wondering all these years, the song is about a woman named Macarena.
Devo: "Whip it"
As the only song of Devo’s to make an appearance in the billboard hot 100, "Whip It" was an unique, if not an odd, song when it first debuted in 1980. The song is iconic for its tempo, the sound that it introduced, and for its video.
Many praise the originality that the song brought to the table as the primary reason the song attained so much success. Some also believed that the song was made to be a secret boost in support of Jimmy Carter for the 1980 presidential election.
Buster Poindexter: “Hot, Hot, Hot,”
Thinking about traveling to the Caribbean anytime soon? If so, Buster Poindexter’s “Hot, Hot, Hot,” might be a song you would want to add to your playlist. Either Buster’s 1987 cover or the original by Arrow from 1982. If neither of those quite suits you, there is also the Merrymen version from 1983.
The Poindexter version of “Hot Hot Hot” peaked the highest in the United States at number 45 on the Billboard hot 100, and hit 11 on Billboard’s hot dance play chart. Following this release, Buster Poindexter continued to release music under both his stage name and his real name of David Johansen up until 2002.
Tag Team: “Whomp There It Is”
Rising to the number two spot on the Billboard hot 100 in 1993, “Whomp There It Is” brought the energy of a house party to the radios of music listeners everywhere. Tag team was a rap duo consisting of Cecil Glen and Steve Gibson. Their song “Whomp There It Is” achieved 4x Platinum status in the United States.
In 2010, there was a rumor that President Obama could be seen in the music video at around the one minute mark, but in an interview with Tag Team, this rumor was dispelled and the identity of the Obama look-alike was revealed to be a Miami-based rapper.
La Roux: “Bulletproof”
In 2009, La Roux’s “Bulletproof” was dominating the airwaves. Peaking at number 8 on the Billboard’s hot 100 and topping the charts in the United Kingdom, La Roux’s “Bulletproof” achieved the platinum certification in the United States, Australia and Canada. La Roux’s album, led by the hit single “Bulletproof,” won the Grammy for best dance album in 2011.
In 2014, it was revealed that La Roux, the group composing of Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid, were going their separate ways and that now La Roux moving forward would be just Elly Jackson. Jackson has made contributions to both Kanye’s "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and Kanye and Jay-Z’s "Watch the Throne."
Billy Ray Cyrus: “Achy Breaky Heart”
Before there was the superstar that was Miley Cyrus, there was arguable one hit wonder that was Billy Ray Cyrus with his hit single “Achy Breaky Heart.” Released in 1992, Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Achy Breaky Heart,” became his most popular song peaking at number four on the Billboard hot 100 and was one of the first singles to reach triple platinum status in Australia.
The song also had platinum status in the United States and was the number one country song in America for some time too. The video for the song is also credited with popularizing line dancing as well.
The Sugarhill Gang: "Rapper’s Delight"
Credited as being the song that brought hip hop music to the masses, The Sugar Hill Gang’s hit single "Rapper’s Delight" was the first rap song to make top 40 on Billboard’s hot 100. “Rapper’s Delight" was the Sugarhill Gang’s only United States hit, but its importance in music history goes far beyond the scope of what most artists achieve in a lifetime.
Listed as one of NPR’s most important American musical works in the 20th century, "Rapper’s Delight" has been discussed throughout American pop culture and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. What makes all of this even more impressive is that “Rapper’s Delight,” was recorded in only one take.
Daniel Powter: “Bad Day”
In 2005, Canadian music artist Daniel Powter released his smash hit “Bad Day.” It would go on to be performed at least once a season in every singing competition for eternity. “Bad Day” was the first song in the United States to sell 2 million digital copies. This was represented in the song’s absolute dominance of the music charts in both the United States and Europe.
The song achieved platinum status in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and in the United States. As of 2017, Powter was still performing his hit “Bad Day” and is releasing new music. His latest single is called “Delicious.”
