They’re the songs you can’t get out of your head, no matter how hard you try. Even though you know every word by heart, you can’t remember the name of the band. Some one-hit wonders are a result of passing fads — Rick Dees’ “Disco Duck,” for instance — while others represent careers cut short by untimely death (Blind Melon’s “No Rain”). Most of the time, however, one-hit wonders are bands that hit the top of the charts once but could never recapture the magic.
Cornershop: “Brim Full of Asha”
Simple, catchy and maddeningly repetitive, this is a song that won’t leave your head for days after you hear it.
Four Non Blondes: “What’s Goin’ On”
Little-known fact: Four Non Blondes founding guitarist Shaunna Hall joined George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in 2007.
Derek and the Dominos: “Layla”
It’s a question of definition: “Layla” is credited to Eric Clapton, but it was released by his band Derek and the Dominos — and it was their only hit. What do you think, does “Layla” count?
Right Said Fred: “I’m Too Sexy”
Right Said Fred had another song or two that placed on the dance music charts, but can you name any of them? I think they count. And check out this awesomely cheesy video!
Dee-Lite: “Groove is in the Heart”
I remember this song being passed around as a MIDI file back in the early 90s. Ahh, the early days of music piracy …
Falco: “Rock Me Amadeus”
Falco is the only artist ever to score a #1 hit in the U.S. with a German-language song.
The Vapors: “Turning Japanese”
Rumor has it the song a veiled reference to masturbation, like Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop.”
The Baha Men: “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
The Baha Men are from the Bahamas, and were honored in 2000 with a Grammy Award AND a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for their indelible hit:
The Rembrandts: “I’ll Be There for You”
Insipid pop at its most annoying, this song was, famously, also the theme to Friends. I do, however, like the Rickenbackers they play.
The Kingsmen: “Louie, Louie”
Finally, let’s end with a classic. It’s hard to believe now, but “Louie, Louie” was the subject of an FBI investigation into its supposedly subversive and obscene lyrics. (Ultimately, the investigation didn’t result in any action being taken against the Kingsmen.)
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Falco was more a 2-hit wonder. “Vienna Calling” was in the top 20 in the US. He also did the original version of “Der Kommissar” which didn’t do well although After the Fire’s nearly identical English version did.
posted by CamilleR on 11-16-2009 at 10:41 pm
Personally, I don’t think “Layla” counts.
posted by Megan on 11-16-2009 at 11:11 pm
Fun fact about the “Louie Louie” FBI investigation: in an attempt to discern the “real” lyrics, the feds tried slowing down the track; they had found the singer’s slurred words too difficult to judge. Their final conclusion was that the song was “unintelligible at any speed.” And no, Ralph Nader is not thought to have had a hand in that word choice.
Source: The Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA
posted by ESJ on 11-16-2009 at 11:31 pm
You’re missing “What Is Love” by Haddaway.
Don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me. No more.
posted by holly on 11-16-2009 at 11:40 pm
Right Said Fred is a two hit wonder. Their “Don’t Talk, Just Kiss” was huge in the UK, Canada, and a ton of other countries.
posted by Arcadia on 11-16-2009 at 11:42 pm
I don’t think Layla counts either. It is true that Derek and the Dominos only released one studio album, but that album is also known for being one of the best albums of all time. It is possibly the best album Clapton has ever done, although I like his straight blues albums the best.
posted by dogfriend on 11-17-2009 at 12:18 am
Let’s go back a bit. “In the Year 2525″ by Zaeger and Evans, “One Tin Soldier” by the New Caste, anything by the Cowsills (ok, just kidding about that last one). And, if I recall correctly, Redbone only had one big hit, “Come and Get Your Love”, but I could be wrong on that one.
posted by Harvey on 11-17-2009 at 1:11 am
mmmmbop by hanson,yes millions of screaming 13 year old girls bought the album im sure,but i dont remember ever hearing another song. am i wrong?
posted by chavela on 11-17-2009 at 2:06 am
I’m really surprised that you didn’t pick up on the Derek & the Dominos connection. Eric Clapton was one of the founders and guitarist of the band. So, yes, I’d say it counts.
posted by Emily on 11-17-2009 at 4:13 am
FYI: Nena’s 99 Luftballoons was also in German.
posted by Wooden U. Lykteneau on 11-17-2009 at 7:39 am
Didn’t Nena have a hit with 99 Luftballons? Wasn’t she German?
posted by diane on 11-17-2009 at 8:46 am
Chavela: Hanson actually had a number of hits beyond “Mmmmbop”. (I was 13 or so when they came out, so I was a fan back in the day.) Among them: “Where’s the Love”, “Weird”, and “I Will Come to You”.
How about “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba? I still love that song!
recaptcha: murray who. This reminds me of Murray Head’s “One Night in Bangkok”, which was a little more than just a one-hit wonder: it was also the highest-charting song from a musical (“Chess”) in pop music history.
posted by Krie on 11-17-2009 at 9:42 am
I don’t think this list was meant to be all inclusive (checkout VH1′s 100 greatest one-hit wonders which starts to scratch the surface).
I wouldn’t include 4 Non-blondes since their cover of Led Zeppelin’s Misty Mountain Hop on the Zeppelin tribute album is amazing!
posted by Martin on 11-17-2009 at 10:00 am
The Baha Men are a prominent feature in the Nassau, Bahamas, Hard Rock Cafe …
posted by Matt on 11-17-2009 at 11:01 am
It’s pretty common knowledge that Clapton was the driving force behind Derek and the Dominoes, so I don’t think it should count. Not to mention the incredible slide guitar of Duane Allman on many of the album tracks – between these two I don’t think they should be a one-hit wonder.
I agree though – one of the best albums in rock history. I had the pleasure of seeing Clapton live a couple years ago, and he played the entire album. Even Little Wing.
posted by Bert on 11-17-2009 at 11:07 am
Dee Lite is hardly a 1 hit wonder, they had 6 other songs make it to #1 on the Billboard dance charts in the US
:)
posted by Clotho on 11-17-2009 at 11:16 am
4 non blondes may not have had success after “what’s up” (love that song) but Linda Perry has been successful as a producer and songwriter. Love her… or at least Linda Perry circa 1992.
recaptcha
round-trip romping
posted by sjms on 11-17-2009 at 11:21 am
Cornershop’s “When I Was Born Again for the 7th Time” was one of my favorite albums from the 90s. It might be one of my favorite of all time. And hey, it’s got Allen Ginsberg.
posted by Rachel on 11-17-2009 at 11:31 am
Is that Pauly Shore playing the keys in the Rembrandts video? ;P
posted by CaitlinB on 11-17-2009 at 11:35 am
Did the German version of 99 Luftballoons chart? Or was it the English version, 99 Red Balloons?
posted by James on 11-17-2009 at 12:25 pm
I wake in the morning and I step outiside
And I take a deep breath and i get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
“WHAT’S GOIN’ ON?!?!?!”
Well, I was sleeping, that’s what. Until some dame started screaming next door. Now I’m calling the cops.
PS: Nena is a rock goddess.
posted by Joe Maz on 11-17-2009 at 12:30 pm
“Louie, Louie” is regarded as the unofficial Pacific Northwest theme song by people who live there and nearly became Washingtons’ but missed by one vote.
posted by Anne on 11-17-2009 at 1:21 pm
“Layla” shouldn’t count because of the classic-rock-station popularity of “Bell Bottom Blues”. And Harvy, Redbone also had “The Witch Queen of New Orleans”, which was a top 100 song of 1972.
Loved “One Night in Bangkok”.
posted by Dinosaur on 11-17-2009 at 1:44 pm
Not only have you got don’t talk, just kiss by right said fred, but they also did deeply dippy which another great. baha men did a great song as well called you all dat – check it out, it’s funny!
posted by ben e on 11-17-2009 at 2:16 pm
IIRC, The Rembrandts didn’t even write “their” one hit, and weren’t going to release it on their album until it started getting airplay.
posted by Brachinus on 11-17-2009 at 2:25 pm
The Fat Boy Slim remix of Brimful of Asha is great if you ever get the chance to hear it…
posted by Gwan on 11-17-2009 at 2:27 pm
When I was born for the 7th time is a completely amazing album, not only for Allen Ginsberg, but also for the Punjabi cover of “Norwegian Wood.”
I have always loved that Louie Louie was banned because nobody could understand the lyrics, so they just assumed that the band must be singing something terrible (which they weren’t). A friend pointed out, however, that he thought he could hear an f-bomb being dropped in the background just before the 2nd verse–he told me that he had read that the drummer had dropped his drumsticks and swore.
posted by Fruppi on 11-17-2009 at 2:39 pm
This is hardly a comprehensive list, folks. The battlefield of rock music is littered with the corpses of one-hit wonders. The list is nearly endless.
Although, that being said, it’s unusual to see a list without the poster child of one-hit wonders mentioned. Where’s Men Without Hats and “Safety Dance”?
posted by 8rustystaples on 11-17-2009 at 2:44 pm
I’m with Clotho! I still listen to MANY other Deee-lite songs, but “Groove” is my favorite. (It’s 3 e’s, by the way, not 2!)
posted by Stephanie on 11-17-2009 at 2:49 pm
Men Without Hats?! They’re not a one-hit wonder, either… Pop Goes the World was 80′s-synth-cheese awesome!
posted by Josh on 11-17-2009 at 3:07 pm
AHHHH! LOL–I’ve been wanting to play Deeelite for my daughter, and here it is! Last night, we watched Chinese Acrobats, and then a few snippets of Riverdance. Tonight, it’s Deeelite!
“The chills that you spill…” You have made me very happy once again, Mental Floss!
posted by Helenann on 11-17-2009 at 3:14 pm
99 Red Balloons was played more in the US than Luftballons (1: note only one “o” in German word; 2: I’ll never forget idiot VJ Alan Hunter announcing that Luft in German means “red” – no, dink, it means “air”). Neither was a #1 hit, which is what the Falco (RIP) posting was about. It actually made it to #2 on the Billboard chart, which surprised me, stuck behind Van Halen’s “Jump.” It’s listed as “Luftballons” being the one charting, but I recall MTV and radio playing the English more as time went on.
There was SO MUCH better music going on at the time of Nena’s success…why couldn’t Extrabreit, the Fehlfarben or BAP have had a random hit here? At least Trio broke through a bit.
posted by Jeff in Mpls on 11-17-2009 at 8:20 pm
The German version of “Luftballons” actually charted higher than the English version.
posted by Sara in AL on 11-17-2009 at 9:52 pm
If only the kids at the ‘Kids Choice Awards’ knew what “Who Let The Dogs Out?” was about… XD
Oh, and I HATED “Grove Is In The Heart”- I would much rather have every fingernail ripped off of my hands than listen to that song.
posted by Darla on 11-17-2009 at 10:51 pm
Sorry, meant “Groove” not “Grove”. =B
posted by Darla on 11-17-2009 at 10:55 pm
“two princes” by the spin doctors !
:)
just go ahead, go ahead now…
posted by rai on 11-17-2009 at 11:12 pm
The Rembrandts also had a hit before the “Friends” theme: “Just the Way It Is, Baby” hit #14 in the U.S.
posted by Karen In Japan on 11-18-2009 at 1:14 am
And still no mention of Dexy’s Midnight Runners?
rc: Morton glinted.
posted by Dinosaur on 11-18-2009 at 9:22 am
“Pump Up The Volume” by M.A.R.R.S. (I think I got the name correct.)
posted by Tdave on 11-18-2009 at 10:12 am
“Unbelievable” by EMF
posted by Tdave on 11-18-2009 at 10:27 am
There’s a difference between “one hit wonder” and “I personally can only remember one song by this band off the top of my head”, you know.
posted by Tom on 11-18-2009 at 11:07 am
I know the Rembrandts had at least one other hit before the Friends song. It might have been called rolling up that hill, something like that.
Also the vh1 one hit wonders of the 80s got quite a few wrong. Just because only one of your hits goes to number one doesn’t make you a one hit wonder.
posted by SB on 11-19-2009 at 6:48 pm