Quiz: How Fast Can You Identify These One-Hit Wonders?

Ever listened to a famously catchy song without ever knowing anything about the band behind it? There are plenty of songs that instantly remind us of the artists who performed them, but there are also a lot that, when told the band attached to the song, you would reply, "Who?" You might also know of the band because of that one song, but you would not be able to name any of their other tracks.

This type of song, where it becomes much more popular than the performers of it, is called a one-hit wonder. The songs themselves go viral through radio spots, DJs, movies and TV, or social media. But the performers either get forgotten or aren't able to recreate the phenomenon with another song. If you think you know the bands behind one-hit wonders, take the quiz below to see how fast you can identify them:

Did you get them all? What was your time? You can always try again if you want to beat your score, or you can take one of our other quizzes if you need another challenge. To learn more about one-hit wonders, bands, and other music-related topics, check out our entertainment section, or read on!

More Music Quizzes:

Top One-Hit Wonders

In the early 2000s, VH1 ranked its 100 greatest one-hit wonders of all time. The top three? Los Del
Río's "Macarena," Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," and "Come On, Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners. Music tastes have admittedly changed in the 25 years since this list came out, but "Macarena" has held its spot as number one.

"Macarena" was originally released in 1993 by Los Del Río, but it didn't become a hit until late 1995 or early 1996, after it was remixed by the Bayside Boys and an English section was added. The remixed song with accompanying dance swept the globe. Even today, some elementary schools teach the dance in P.E. classes, and high schools convince DJs to play it at each prom or homecoming.

The popularity of "Macarena" has spanned generations, even if Los Del Río never did find fame with their other songs.

More Recent One-Hit Wonders

Since VH1's list of greatest one-hit wonders came out a generation ago, there are plenty more songs that need to be added to the list. Billboard created its own list of the biggest one-hit wonders of the 21st century, and the top three recent hits were Glass Animals' "Heat Waves," Daniel Powter's "Bad Day," and Magic!'s "Rude."

"Bad Day" saw its fame grow in 2006, and "Rude" was playing everywhere in 2014. Billboard's No. 1 song, "Heat Waves," is the most recent of the three, releasing in 2020. When asked about the popularity of "Heat Waves," Glass Animals' lead singer, Dave Bayley, shared that the longing and grief were relatable to many during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. The song has over a billion streams on Spotify and has become Glass Animals' signature song.

You May Also Like: