17/04/2024
Nicole Newton

The best one-hit wonders of all time

While most artists strive for a long and lively career making popular top hits, this isn't the case for everyone. Some musicians go on to have one infamously catchy tune and we call these… one-hit wonders.

From Kajagoogoo's Too Shy to Jojo Siwa's new (and most likely only) hit Karma, we'll be working our way through some of the greatest one-hit wonders of all time. If you don't want Who Let the Dogs Out stuck in your head for the rest of the day, then turn back now! Here are the best one-hit wonders of all time:

In this blog:

The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star

Starting off strong, we've got 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by The Buggles. Released in 1979 by the British new wave/synth-pop group, it topped 16 international music charts including reaching number one on the UK Singles chart. It reached number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first music video shown on MTV in the US.

While the single didn't go on to achieve top 10 status in the US, it's now certified platinum in the UK. The Buggles were unable to release anything quite as catchy and popular, making 'Video Killed the Radio Star' their one-hit wonder.

Soft Cell – Tainted Love

Originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964, British synth-pop duo Soft Cell went on to rework and record their own cover of 'Tainted Love' in 1981 which catapulted the song and Soft Cell to stardom.

It reached number one on the UK Singles chart and was named the best-selling UK single of 1981, however the Official Charts Company recalculated this in 2021 and later gave the title to The Human League for 'Don't You Want Me' instead.

Soft Cell's version of 'Tainted Love' received worldwide recognition and became a major hit in the US, featuring on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 43 weeks and peaking at number 64.

Survivor – Eye of the Tiger

Another '80s one-hit wonder that will immediately make you think of Stallone in a boxing ring is Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger'. Made for 'Rocky III', Survivor released 'Eye of the Tiger' in 1982 after their last two albums tanked and it's safe to say it skyrocketed the band to fame.

The song gained the most traction in the US, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and staying within the top 10 for 15 weeks. It was named the second best-selling single of 1982 in the US and certified platinum, too. It also reached number one on the UK Singles chart for four consecutive weeks and was the UK's third best-selling single in 1982.

Kajagoogoo – Too Shy

While Kajagoogoo had a few notable hits like 'Ooh to Be Ah' and 'Big Apple', nothing quite compares to the success of 'Too Shy'. Released in 1983, it was the first single from the English new wave pop band's debut album and became an immediate hit in the UK.

It topped the UK Singles chart for two weeks and is certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry, while in the US it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up

Next on our list of best one-hit wonders is Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. Released in 1987 as Rick Astley's first single from his debut album, 'Never Gonna Give You Up' became a worldwide hit and even an internet meme.

It was named the best-selling single of 1987 in the UK, topping charts in 25 countries including the UK Singles chart for five weeks. The following year, 'Never Gonna Give You Up' won Best British Single at the BRIT Awards and is now 2x platinum in the UK and 5x platinum in the US.

Rick Astley went on to have a few more top 10 hits so calling this a one-hit wonder is technically incorrect, but the majority of people only really know this rickrolling masterpiece so we're going with it!

The Proclaimers – I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

Another 80s one-hit wonder deserving of a place on our list is 'I'm Gonna Be' from the Scottish duo The Proclaimers. While you'd think that this song was only a hit in the UK, it did surprisingly well over the pond in the US.

Released in 1988 as the lead single of their second album, it reached number 11 on the UK Singles chart upon initial release and is now certified 2x platinum. 'I'm Gonna Be' wasn't released in the US until 1993 after featuring in the film Benny & Joon, where it went on to reach number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Years later in the UK, the single was rerecorded with Peter Kay and Matt Lucas for Comic Relief and did even better than the original, finally hitting the number one spot on the UK Singles chart.

Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby

Moving onto the good old '90s, we've got American rapper Vanilla Ice with his debut single 'Ice Ice Baby'. This song hit number one on both the UK's Singles chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 and is now certified platinum in both countries.

Released in 1990, this painfully catchy song gained huge success across the world. The song samples Queen and David Bowie's hit 'Under Pressure', which put Vanilla Ice under legal pressure (see what we did there?) with a copyright infringement suit for not crediting the sampled song or giving royalties to the artists.

We've not heard much from Vanilla Ice since the release of 'Ice Ice Baby', with most of his other songs flopping on release.

Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy

If we asked you to name three Right Said Fred songs you'd probably struggle, but if we asked you to name one we bet it would be 'I'm Too Sexy', right? This belter was released back in 1991 by the British pop duo as their debut single from their first album.

This song topped the charts in seven countries, including reaching number two on the UK Single chart for six weeks and hitting number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. It's now certified platinum in the US and gold in the UK.

Los Del Rio – Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)

Originally released in 1993 by the Spanish pop duo, Los Del Rio's song 'Macarena' became a global sensation when it was rereleased and remixed by the Bayside Boys in 1995.

Initially, the song reached number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but re-entered the charts a year later to claim number one for 14 weeks. The remix made it to number two on the UK Singles chart and is now platinum in the UK and 4x platinum in the US with over 11,000,000 worldwide sales to date.

Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…)

The last of our '90s one-hit wonder entries is the iconic 'Mambo No. 5'. Released in 1999 by German musician Lou Bega, this is actually a cover of the song originally recorded by Cuban musician Dámaso Pérez Prado.

Lou Bega's 'Mambo No. 5' was a European summer hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles chart and setting a new record in France by staying at number one for 20 weeks. The single climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making 'Mambo No. 5' Lou Bega's only top 40 hit in the US.

Baha Men – Who Let the Dogs Out

Whatever happened to the Baha Men, we hear you ask? It seems they fell victim to their very own one-hit wonder.

In 2000, Bahamian junkanoo band Baha Men released what was to be their first and only hit in the US and UK, 'Who Let the Dogs Out'. It reached number two on the UK Singles chart and made it to the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Although it only reached number two in the UK, 'Who Let the Dogs Out' was named the fourth biggest-selling single of 2000 and was also certified platinum.

Fountains of Wayne – Stacy's Mom

Everyone knows the song 'Stacy's Mom', but do you know any other songs from Fountains of Wayne? We didn't think so… That's because 'Stacy's Mom' was the one and only mainstream hit by the band, making it Fountain of Wayne's one-hit wonder.

Released in 2003 as their first single, it reached number 11 on the UK Singles chart and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. With over 600,000 current sales, it's also certified platinum in the UK.

Daniel Powter – Bad Day

Next on our list of best one-hit wonders is Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter's 'Bad Day'. This 2005 pop song charted top five in more than 10 countries including number one on the UK Singles chart and became the most-played song on European radio – pretty impressive, right?

After the success in Europe, the song was released in the US where it topped the Billboard Hot 100, Pop 100, Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts. It's now certified 3x platinum in the US and 2x platinum in the UK.

Plain White T's – Hey There Delilah

Pop rock band the Plain White T's are up next with their hit 'Hey There Delilah'. Released in 2006 as an EP and released again in 2007 as a single, 'Hey There Delilah' became a sleeper hit for the band, gaining unexpected success in the US and the UK.

It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number two on the UK Singles chart. In the US it is now certified 4x platinum with 4,476,000 sales and 3x platinum in the UK with 1,800,000 sales and streams to date.

Far East Movement – Like A G6

Jumping to 2010, American music group Far East Movement released their lead single from their third studio album which turned out to be a big fat one-hit wonder.

Featuring Dev and The Cataracs, the song was the first single by Asian-American artists to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three non-consecutive weeks. It also topped the UK Hip Hop/R&B chart as well as climbing to number five on the UK Singles chart.

The single is now a certified 4x platinum hit in the US and platinum in the UK.

Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks

American indie pop band Foster the People released their breakthrough hit 'Pumped Up Kicks' in 2010 as their debut single. The lyrics describe the homicidal thoughts of a troubled youth and was intended to raise awareness of gun violence and teen mental illness.

This sleeper hit didn't gain mainstream popularity until 2011, when it was named one of the most popular songs of the year. In the US, 'Pumped Up Kicks' spent eight consecutive weeks at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while it peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles chart.

To date, it's still the band's most successful song and is certified 14x platinum in the US and 3x platinum in the UK.

Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know

In 2011, Australian singer Gotya released 'Somebody That I Used to Know' featuring New Zealand singer Kimbra. The single was a global success and has become both artists' signature song.

It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, receiving multi-platinum status in over 10 countries.

While the song shot Gotye into the limelight, he wasn't able to release another song as popular and has since disappeared from the top mainstream charts.

Psy – Gangnam Style

While Psy certainly isn't a one-hit wonder artist in South Korea, in countries like the US and the UK, he's simply known as the guy who made 'Gangnam Style'… so we're counting it!

Even with the majority of the lyrics in Korean, this K-pop song went globally viral in 2012, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the UK Singles chart.

Thanks to the accompanied music video, 'Gangnam Style' became a trending dance, too. The song topped music charts in more than 30 countries and is now 3x platinum in the UK, 5x platinum in the US and has won several awards including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video.

Silentó – Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)

Another one-hit wonder that started a dance craze is American rapper Silentó's debut single 'Watch Me'. Just like Soulja Boy showed us how to superman with his song 'Crank That', this hit taught an entire generation how to whip and nae nae the house down.

Released in 2015, the song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 spending an impressive six non-consecutive weeks there. In the UK, it made it to number two on the UK Hip Hop/R&B chart.

Jojo Siwa – Karma

Now this song has only been out for a matter of weeks, but we just know it's going to make its way onto every one-hit wonder list in the forseeable future. Jojo Siwa has thrown away her dancing shoes in place of a microphone with her first-ever single 'Karma' and it's a bop (albeit for all the wrong reasons).

It's already at number five on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in the US, while in the UK it sits at number 76 on the Singles chart. The song is also trending on TikTok, partly thanks to its painfully catchy melody and lyrics but also due to some controversy.

That's right – mere weeks into the release of Jojo Siwa's first song and she's already in hot water. An unreleased song titled Karma's a Bitch by Brit Smith has made its way onto TikTok, and it's identical to Siwa's new hit. Confused and a little bit angry, fans have slammed Siwa for claiming to have written 'Karma', when it's now pretty clear she didn't. It's unlikely that this controversy will hinder the song's performance though, and we expect it to continue to rise through the charts.

Only time will tell if 'Karma' ends up as a one-hit wonder, but if we're brutally honest, we can't see a long and fruitful career in the music industry for Jojo Siwa…

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