Music Fans List Their 20 Favorite One-Hit Wonders In Honor Of The Holiday

"Do people even understand what "one-hit wonder" means? Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Tate McRae are definitely not one-hit wonders."

Chelsi

• Published in Music
• October 7, 2024

Coined in 1990 by music journalist and critic Steve Rosen, National One Hit Wonder Day is celebrated every September 25th. In his interview with the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library about the event, Rosen said he didn't have a particular reason for picking the date apart from thinking it was "a great way to celebrate my life-changing 40th birthday (or so I thought) by getting it listed in the Chase Calendar of Events for 1990."

So, why did Rosen invent the holiday? He shared that it started when he started taking popular music seriously, particularly rock 'n' roll, and used the Top 40 radio songs as a guide.

"With passing time, I realized some songs that were my favorites when new were by artists who never had another big hit record played on Top 40," Rosen added. His curiosity about what the artists who performed those songs had done further fueled his invention of the one-hit wonder category.

When asked about the qualifications to be a one-hit wonder, Rosen had this to say. "I use a definition that the artist had just one record chart in the Top 40 of Billboard's weekly countdown of the Top 100."

There were some exceptions, said Rosen. "I will break that rule if they had one song that became a huge, iconic hit and then maybe a follow-up that just barely scraped the Top 40, but nobody remembers today."

"Artists who found fame and celebrity despite just having one hit," could also be considered for this category according to Rosen. In honor of the holiday, Pop Crave asked their nearly 2 million X followers to name some artists they think of when they hear One-Hit Wonder, here are some of them.

1. Gotye ft. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know (2011)

2. Haddaway - What Is Love (1993)

3. Las Ketchup - The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) (2002)

4. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart (1990)

5. The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) (1988)

6. Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy (1991)

7. Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1981)

8. Los Del Rio - Macarena (1993)

9. Rebecca Black - Friday (2011)

10. Toni Basil - Mickey (1982)

11. Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...) (1999)

12. Tal Bachman - She's So High (1999)

13. Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky (1969)

14. Daniel Powter - Bad Day (2005)

15. Tommy Tutone - Jenny (867-5309) (1981)

16. Looking Glass - Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) (1972)

17. Young MC - Bust A Move (1989)

18. New Radicals - You Get What You Give (1998)

19. Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life (1977)

20. Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (1982)

The songs named in this list were not unanimously agreed upon. Some were met with a little controversy and contested by the other people in the comments.

"People don't know what the definition of a one-hit wonder is anymore," complained some. Do you agree with the songs on this list?

Chelsi