The 50 Most Streamed One-Hit Wonders

In 2011, mainstream music listeners were introduced to Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye through his cross-genre chart-topper “Somebody That I Used to Know,” featuring Kimbra. Though he’s released plenty of other music since then, he has fallen short of recreating the magic of that one unforgettable indie breakup ballad. This has inspired many people to make the exact same joke about Gotye’s now being somebody that we used to know.

As a one-hit wonder, however, he’s among the best. UK-based broadband comparison service broadbandchoices.co.uk compiled a list of the 50 most popular one-hit wonder songs based on the 20 most followed one-hit wonder playlists on Spotify. After ranking the hits by number of Spotify streams, “Somebody That I Used to Know” won the unofficial blue ribbon with more than 810 million plays.

You could probably divide the list into three categories: Songs Whose Titles and Artists You Recognize; Songs Whose Titles You Recognize But Whose Artists You Swear You've Never Heard Of; and Song You Don't Recognize By Title or Artist (But Would Definitely Know Them If You Heard Them). For anyone around during the 1990s, “MMMBop” by Hanson—number 31 on the list—likely falls in the first category, and diehard Hanson fans might even claim the band isn’t a one-hit wonder at all.

Unless you’re especially well-versed on the Second British Invasion, you may not remember (or maybe you never knew) the name of the band behind 1982’s “Come on Eileen.” The perennial pub banger, in fourth place, was recorded by Dexys Midnight Runners. Other songs that often fall in that second category include “Macarena” by Los Del Río (46th place) and Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” in 10th place.

See how many one-hit wonders and their hits you recognize in the full list below. And to help jog your memory about all the songs you’d remember after the first few bars, broadbandchoices.co.uk has also created a Spotify playlist with all 50 hits, which you can listen to here.

1. “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
2. “This Girl” by Cookin’ on 3 Burners
3. “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel
4. “Come on Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners
5. “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes
6. “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader
7. “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega
8. “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina & the Waves
9. “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede
10. “Blue (Da Ba Dee) ” by Eiffel 65
11. “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
12. “IAmChino” by Ay Mi Dios
13. “What Is Love” by Haddaway
14. “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter
15. “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
16. “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry
17. “Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)” by Silentó
18. “Escape (Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes
19. “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum
20. “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus
21. “Send Me on My Way” by Rusted Root
22. “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight” by Cutting Crew
23. “(I've Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley
24. “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne
25. “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice
26. “You Only Get What You Give” by New Radicals
27. “99 Luftballons” by Nena
28. “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles
29. “Black Betty” by Ram Jam
30. “My Sharona” by The Knack
31. “MMMBop” by Hanson
32. “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
33. “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls
34. “Breakfast at Tiffany's” by Deep Blue Something
35. “Better Off Alone” by Alice DeeJay
36. “Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass
37. “Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle
38. “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies
39. “She's So High” by Tal Bachman
40. “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry
41. “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
42. “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn
43. “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
44. “Dragostea Din Tei” by O-Zone
45. “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts
46. “Macarena” by Los Del Río
47. “Jordan Belfort” by Wes Walker & Dyl
48. “There She Goes” by The La’s
49. “Bi***” by Meredith Brooks
50. “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest