One-hit wonders in the United States - Definition and Overview

A one-hit wonder is a Top 40 phenomenon, the combination of artist and song that scores big in the music industry with one smash hit, but is unable to repeat the achievement with another hit. The term can refer to the artist, the song, or both together. The following were notable one-hit wonders in the United States.

1950s

• "The Book of Love" by The Monotones
• "Daddy's Home" by Shep and the Limelights
• "Earth Angel" by The Penguins
• "The Flying Saucer, Pts. 1&2" by Buchanan & Goodman
• "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" by Karen Chandler
• "Ivory Tower" by Cathy Carr
• "In the Mood" by Ernie Fields Jr., rock'n'roll version of the classic big band tune
• "Love Is Strange" by Mickey and Sylvia, cosmic convergence
• "Little Space Girl" by Jessie Lee Turner
• "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley
• "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day
• "Sh-Boom" by The Chords, early doo-wop hit
• "Uh-Oh Pts. 1&2" by The Nutty Squirrels
• "Volare" by Domenico Modugno

1960s

• "AlleyCat" by Bent Fabric
• "Alley-Oop" by the Hollywood Argyles and Dante and the Evergreens
• "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush
• "Bend Me Shape Me" by The American Breed
• "The Birds and the Bees" by Jewel Akens
• "Blue Moon" by The Marcels
• "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams
• "Come On Down To My Boat" by Every Mother's Son
• "Cool Jerk" by The Capitols
• "Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead" by The Fifth Estate
• "Do You Love Me" by The Contours
• "Dominique" by The Singing Nun (Jeanine Deckers)
• "Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
• "Friday On My Mind" by The Easybeats
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Hugo Montenegro
• "Get Together" by The Youngbloods
• "The Girl from Ipanema" by Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz
• "Green Tambourine" by Lemon Pipers
• "Hello, Hello" by Sopwith Camel
• "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles & Co.
• "In the Year 2525" by Zager & Evans
• "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock
• "Journey to the Center of the Mind" by The Amboy Dukes
• "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band
• "Let It All Hang Out" by The Hombres
• "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris
• "Midnight in Moscow" by Kenny Ball
• "Mr. Custer" by Larry Verne
• "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius
• "My Boy Lollipop" by Millie Small
• "The Martian Hop" by The Ran-Dells
• "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam
• "Nightmare" by Artificial Flowers
• "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry
• "Pipeline" by The Chantays
• "Ringo" by Lorne Greene
• "Russian Bandstand" by Spencer & Spencer
• "Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades
• "San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair)" by Scott McKenzie
• "Stranger on the Shore" by Mr. Acker Bilk, a British instrumental that hit #1 in mid-1962, a year before the British Invasion
• "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto
• "Sunny" by Bobby Hebb
• "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer, remake of an Eddie Cochran hit from the 50s
• "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen
• "Suspicion" by Terry Stafford
• "Telstar" by The Tornados, the first song by a British group to hit #1
• "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-ha!" by Napoleon XIV
• "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" by Rolf Harris
• "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" by Tiny Tim
• "Washington Square" by The Village Stompers
• "We Ain't Got Nothing Yet" by The Blue Magoos
• "Wheels" by String-a-Long
• "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris
• "Winchester Cathedral" by New Vaudeville Band
• "Yogi" by The Ivy 3

1970s

• "Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band
• "Angel In Your Arms" - Hot
• "Born to Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez
• "Brother Louie" by Stories
• "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" by Middle of the Road
• "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees, still a popular disc jockey
• "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame
• "Emotion" by Samantha Sang
• "Feelings"by Morris Albert
• "A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band, disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
• "Gimme Dat Ding" by Pipkins, includes a bit of early rap
• "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" by Danny O'Keefe
• "Hey There Lonely Girl" by Eddie Holman
• "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede chart topping remake of B.J. Thomas song
• "Hot Child in the City" by Nick Gilder
• "The Hustle" by Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
• "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" by Hillside Singers, also The New Seekers; with slightly different lyrics began life as a Coca Cola commercial.
• "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry
• "Just When I Needed You Most" by Randy Vanwarmer
• "Knock On Wood" by Amii Stewart
• "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas
• "Love Is In the Air" by John Paul Young
• "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton
• "More, More, More" - Andrea True Connection
• "Mr. Jaws" by Dickie Goodman
• "One Tin Soldier (Theme from Billy Jack)" by Coven
• "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
• "Please Come to Boston" by Dave Loggins
• "Pop Muzik" by M
• "The Rapper" by Jaggerz
• "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang
• "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward
• "Rock the Boat" by Hues Corp
• "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks
• "Signs" by Five Man Electrical Band
• "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth
• "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum
• "Telephone Man" by Meri Wilson
• "The Entertainer" by Marvin Hamlisch
• "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor
• "Turn The Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson
• "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day
• "Vehicle" by Ides of March
• "Venus" by Shocking Blue
• "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone, daughter of Pat Boone

1980s

• "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone
• "99 Luftballons" by Nena, nuclear protest song popular in both the German original and English translation ("99 Red Balloons")
• "All-Night Television" by 3-D
• "Believe It or Not! (from the TV-Series "The Greatest American Hero")" by Joey Scarbury
• "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder
• "Cars" by Gary Numan
• "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis
• "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Cry" by Waterfront
• "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot
• "Curly Shuffle" by Jump in the Saddle Band
• "Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Bebop)" by Q-Feel
• "Der Kommissar" by After the Fire (English cover version of a German hit by Falco)
• "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin
• "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc
• "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3
• "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo and Patsy (still a perennial holiday favorite)
• "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau (They had several hits in the UK)
• "Hot Hot Hot" by Buster Poindexter
• "I'll Melt With You" by Modern English
• "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" by Boys Don't Cry
• "I want to be your man" by Roger
• "Into the Night" by Benny Mardones (a one-hit wonder twice, in 1980 and 1989 [1] (http://www.80sxchange.com/bios/benny_mardones.html))
• "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls
• "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene
• "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites
• "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins
• "Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh
• "Miami Vice Theme" by Jan Hammer
• "Mickey" by Toni Basil
• "Never Say Never" by Romeo Void
• "Pac Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia
• "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy
• "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth
• "Pilot of the Airwaves" by Charlie Dore
• "The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex
• "Pump Up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S
• "Puttin' On The Ritz" by Taco
• "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco
• "She's Like The Wind (from Dirty Dancing)" by actor Patrick Swayze
• "Spirit in the Sky" by Doctor & The Medics, song was a two-time one-hit wonder
• "Stop" by Sam Brown
• "St Elmo's Fire" by John Parr
• "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (cover version originally by Gloria Jones)
• "Take Off" by Bob and Doug McKenzie, featuring Geddy Lee of Rush
• "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora
• "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
• "You Look Marvelous" by Billy Crystal
• "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, first song played on MTV
• "Waiting For A Star To Fall" by Boy Meets Girl
• "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves
• "We Are the World" by USA for Africa
• "When I'm With You" by Sheriff (in 1989; had been a hit in their native Canada six years earlier)

1990s

• "6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps
• "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins
• "A Little Bit You, A Little Bit Me" by The Specials
• "Achy, Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus (dance video made it a hit before the record was even released)
• "All Cried Out" by Allure
• "All For You" by Sister Hazel
• "Angeline is Coming Home" by The Badlees
• "Are You Jimmy Ray?" by Jimmy Ray
• "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
• "Baby, I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain (remake of Peter Frampton hit of 1970s)
• "Backwater" by Meat Puppets (a few of their other songs became hits as covers by Nirvana)
• "Barbie Girl" by Aqua
• "Be Careful" by Sparkle
• "Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out)" by Citizen King
• "Birmingham" by Amanda Marshall (she had greater success in Canada than the USA)
• "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve (they had other hits in the UK)
• "Blue Monday" by Orgy (cover of the New Order hit of 1980s)
• "Breakfast At Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something
• "Breed" by Lauren Kristy
• "Brimful of Asha" by Cornershop
• "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle
• "C'mon And Ride It (The Train)" by Quad City DJ's
• "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" by Us3
• "Charm Attack" by Leona Naess
• "Closer To Free" by BoDeans
• "Closing Time" by Semisonic
• "Counting Blue Cars" by Dishwalla
• "Crush" by Jennifer Paige
• "Do You Miss Me" by Jocelyn Enriquez
• "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann
• "Far Behind" by Candlebox
• "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger
• "Flood" by Jars of Clay (only mainstream hit by this prominent contemporary Christian music act)
• "Freak Like Me" by Adina Howard
• "Free" by Ultra Nate
• "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite
• "How Bizarre" by OMC
• "I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis
• "I Think I Want You Back" by Mel B (only solo hit, but had a string of hits as a member of the Spice Girls; has had greater success worldwide than in the USA)
• "I Turn To You" by Mel C (only solo hit, but had a string of hits as a member of the Spice Girls; has had greater success worldwide than in the USA)
• "I Want You" by Mexico 70
• "I Wish" by Skee-Lo
• "I'll Be There For You (Theme From "Friends")" by The Rembrandts (although the band had a modest hit several years earlier with "Just The Way It Is, Baby", the "Friends" Theme was by far their biggest hit)
• "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred
• "If You Could Only See" by Tonic
• "Insensitive" by Jann Arden (she had greater success in Canada than the USA)
• "I've Been Thinking Of You" by London Beat
• "It's Alright It's OK" by Leah Andreone
• "It's Over Now" by Neve
• "Jellyhead" by Crush
• "Jump" by Kris Kross
• "Just Between You & Me" by dc Talk
• "Kiss The Rain" by Billie Myers
• "LA Song" by Beth Hart
• "Laid" by James
• "Legend Of A Cowgirl" by Imani Coppola
• "Life In Mono" by Mono
• "Life Is A Highway" by Tom Cochrane (he had greater success in Canada than the USA)
• "Look At Me" by Geri Halliwell (only solo hit, but had a string of hits as a member of the Spice Girls; has had greater success worldwide than in the USA)
• "Low" by Cracker
• "Love You Down" by INOJ
• "Lucas with the Lid Off" by Lucas
• "Macarena" by Los Del Río
• "Mambo Number 5" by Lou Bega
• "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies (they had greater success in Canada than the USA)
• "Missing" (remix) by Everything But The Girl
• "More And More" by Captain Hollywood Project
• "Mouth" by Merril Bainbridge
• "My Boo" by Ghostown DJ's
• "Naked Eye" by Luscious Jackson
• "Never Ever" by All Saints
• "Ooh, Ahh...Just A Little Bit" by Gina G
• "Rico Suave" by Gerardo
• "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones
• "Roll To Me" by Del Amitri
• "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum
• "Saturday Night" by Whigfield
• "Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry
• "Sex And Candy" by Marcy Playground
• "She's So High" by Tal Bachman
• "Silence" by Delerium
• "Slam" by Onyx
• "Stay" by Shakespear's Sister
• "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb (she had a few AC hits, but Stay was the only mainstream hit)
• "Steal My Kisses" by Ben Harper
• "Steal My Sunshine" by Len (they had several hits in Canada)
• "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand" by Primitive Radio Gods
• "Sugar Cane" by Space Monkeys
• "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin
• "The Freshmen" by Verve Pipe
• "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• "The Mummers' Dance" by Loreena McKennitt
• "The Way" by Fastball
• "There She Goes" by The La's
• "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
• "U Who" by Camus
• "Unbelievable" by EMF (they had greater success in England than the USA)
• "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai (they had greater success in England than the USA)
• "What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes
• "Whoomp... There It Is" by Tag Team
• "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree (she had greater success in England than the USA)
• "Your Love Gets Sweeter" by Finley Quaye
• "Your Loving Arms" by Billie Ray Martin
• "Your Woman" by White Town
• "Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies

2000s

• "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" by Nine Days
• "Amazing" by Josh Kelley
• "Angel" by Amanda Perez
• "Around the World (La La La La La)" by ATC
• "Because I Got High" by Afroman
• "Bliss" by Alice Peacock
• "Bounce" by Sarah Connor
• "Breathe In" by Frou Frou
• "Castles in the Sky" by Ian Van Dahl
• "Crazy for This Girl" by Evan & Jaron
• "Dance with Me" by Debelah Morgan
• "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas
• "Everything U R" by Lindsay Pagano
• "F.U.R.B." by Frankee
• "Fly Away From Here (Graduation Day)" by Dropline
• "For All Time" by Soluna
• "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon
• "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" by Blu Cantrell
• "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe (only mainstream hit by this CCM act)
• "I Do!" by Toya (had a few urban hits, but only one top 40 hit)
• "I See Right Through to You" by DJ Encore
• "I Think God Can Explain" by Splender
• "I Wanna Be Bad" by Willa Ford
• "If I Could Go!" by Angie Martinez
• "I'll Fly with You" by GiGi D'Agostino
• "It Feels So Good" by Sonique
• "Just a Little Girl" by Amy Studt
• "Ladies" by Sarai
• "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" by Modjo
• "Let Me Love You" by Da Buzz
• "Life's a Bitch" by Shooter
• "Like Wow" by Leslie Carter
• "Look at Us" by Sarina Paris
• "My Neck, My Back" by Khia (only top 40 hit, but had a few urban hits)
• "No One's Gonna Change You" by Reina
• "Oops (Oh My)" by Tweet
• "Rapture" by IIO
• "Sparkle" by Rubyhorse
• "The Ketchup Song" by Las Ketchup
• "Tell Me (What's Goin' On)" by Smilez & Southstar
• "United States of Whatever" by Liam Lynch
• "Wasting My Time" by Default
• "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men
• "Woke Up This Morning" by A3 (theme song to The Sopranos; released in late '99, but became a hit in '00)

See also

• One-hit wonder
• One-hit wonders in Canada
• One-hit wonders in the UK

External links

• VH1's one hit wonder tv special (http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/the_greatest/one_hit_wonders/)