8 Classic One-Hit Wonders

Music has been around since the dawn of time. As a society, we love to come together to dance and jam out to music at all kinds of events from birthday parties to church sermons. Many of us have our favorite bands that give us several hit singles from lots of albums. However, there are some musicians that no matter what they do, will only have one major hit single. These are known as one-hit wonders.

For us, a one-hit wonder is an act who reached their peak of popularity with a high-charting song, but then saw their popularity wane away after not being able to produce another hit song again. We fell in love with these musicians because their song gave us a reason to dance. However, the artist was not able to produce these great results again. These bands and artists are never forgotten due to us being able to identify them from their one famous song. Here are our top eight favorites.

The “Macarena” is a Spanish dance song about a woman of the same name. It became an international hit in 1995 and continues to be a popular dance song at weddings, parties and sporting events. One of the most iconic examples of 1990s dance music, it was ranked the "#1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time" by VH1 in 2002. The dance that goes along with it has been memorized by people all over the world. Los del Rio went on to release a total of six albums total, but nothing gained the success that their song “Macarena” did.

"What is Love” – Haddaway

The song “What is Love” has become a top hit across the world, reaching number two in the United Kingdom and Germany and number one in 13 other countries. The song is recognizable by its refrain "What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me...no more." The song experienced a revival as the song from the Saturday Night Live "Roxbury Guys" sketches (later expanded into a movie called A Night at the Roxbury), where two brothers (played by Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell) frequently went to dance clubs with a third person (including actors such as Sylvester Stallone and Jim Carrey). Haddaway almost gained worldwide attention again for his song “Life” however it just didn’t stick.

"Sugar, Sugar" is a song written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim. It was originally recorded by the Archies, a band formed by a group of fictional teenagers in the television cartoon series The Archie Show. It reached number one in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1969 and remained there for four weeks. It later went on to become the 1969 number-one single of the year. Since, it has been used in a number of TV shows, movies, and commercials. Records of the song were even placed in cereal boxes by the company Post Cereal.

"I'm Too Sexy" – Right Said Fred

"I'm Too Sexy" is the debut song by British group Right Said Fred. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, "I'm Too Sexy" topped the charts in six countries, including Australia, Ireland, and the United States. In 2011, it was voted No. 2 on VH1's 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s. Since, the song has been adapted and remade by several bands, and has been used in movies, commercials and TV shows alike. Despite such a popular hit, the band never made a song that gained as much attention again.

"Who Let the Dogs Out?" – Baha Men

"Who Let the Dogs Out?" is a song performed by the Bahamian group Baha Men, released as a single on July 26, 2000. The song became the band's first hit in the United Kingdom and the United States, and it gained popularity after appearing in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and its soundtrack album. The track went on to win the Grammy for Best Dance Recording on the 2001 Grammy Awards. Today, you are almost certain to hear the song as your local sporting events. It has been used in baseball, football, and hockey stadiums everywhere. Sadly, the group never made a top song again and their popularity was short-lived.

“Kung Fu Fighting” – Carl Douglas

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song by Carl Douglas and it was released as a single in 1974. It eventually went on to sell eleven million records worldwide,[2][6] making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. "Kung Fu Fighting" was rated number 100 in VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, and number 1 in the UK Channel 4's Top 10 One Hit Wonders list in 2000. In pop culture, this song has been used almost everywhere from the 2008 movie “Kung Fu Panda” to a 2016 commercial for Scotts Lawn Care. It will continue to remain a top song in years to come.

"Video Killed the Radio Star” was released by the British group the Buggles in 1979. The track topped sixteen international music charts, including the official singles charts of the group's home country of the UK. The song’s music video was a huge success, and is well-remembered as being the first music video shown on MTV in the United States in 1981. The song has received several critical accolades, such as being ranked number 40 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s. It has been covered by many recording artists and will continue to be a hit in the future.

"Mickey" is a 1981 song recorded by American singer and choreographer Toni Basil on her debut album Word of Mouth. The single scored number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week and number two in the UK Singles Chart. The song was Basil's only Top 40 success and it was named #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of All Time. The hit has been remixed several times, and appears in movies like “Bring it On” and “A Few Best Men.” Walt Disney Productions even released a cover of this song, altered to fit their well-known characters Minnie and Mickey Mouse.