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For Sale Mar 30, 2026 at 3:45 AM

Greatest One Hit Wonder Ever

Posted by Lufstra

Im curious as to who you guys think is the best one hit wonder of all time. Personally, I think that Spacehog is the best one hit wonder for "In the meantime", might be a top 100 song all time in my opinion, but the rest of their stuff never even came close to it. So I wanna hear from you guys, whats the best song from a one hit wonder in your opinion?
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Glinth Mar 30, 2026 +26
The greatest one hit wonder of all time was Tony Burrows.  Who was he?  Well ... He was the lead singer for White Plains, which hit #13 with their one hit, "My Baby Loves Lovin'" He was the lead singer for Edison Lighthouse, which hit #5 with their one hit,  "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" He was the lead singer for Brotherhood of Man, which hit #13 with their one hit, "United We Stand" He was the lead singer for The Pipkins, which hit #9 with their one hit, "Gimme Dat Ding" He was the lead singer for The First Class, which hit #4 with their one hit, "Beach Baby" This gives Tony Burrows the distinction of being a five-time one hit wonder.
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TakerFoxx Mar 30, 2026 +2
Todd in the Shadows?
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natguy2016 Mar 30, 2026 +17
“The Macarena.” Catchy ear worm and a killer hook. “The Macarena” also had its own dance. 50,000 people did “The Macarena at Yankee Stadium in 1996. The song became pop culture.
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WeirdRadiant2470 Mar 30, 2026 +10
"Brandy" by The Looking Glass. Monster hit, one and done.
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stratdog25 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Fantastic song. Also shower up in a Marvel movie, and likely has the distinction of being the only yacht rock-era tune without Michael McDonald.
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JiveChicken00 Mar 30, 2026 +5
Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum. That song is everywhere.
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
In most countries yes, it's quite a good answer. But in Canada Canned Ham reached number 26 thought.
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stainz169 Mar 30, 2026 +3
How Bizarre - OMC
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
World wide yes. In their home country New Zealand they got 3 more hits: Right On (11), On the Run (30) and Land Of Plenty (4).
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_bobby_tables_ Mar 30, 2026 +7
My Sharona by The Knack. It was a HUGE hit. Their only one.
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TeamKitsune Mar 30, 2026 +2
They did die quickly. I was booking a club back then. Talked about a date with their agent when they were hot. Feels like only a few months later I had to turn down a Doug Feiger (Knack singer) solo project.
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Gay_Giraffe_1773 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Incorrect. "Good Girls Don't". #1 in Canada, #11 in the US
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_bobby_tables_ Mar 30, 2026 +1
Hmm. Don't remember it. I wonder if it was a B-side on a 45. Any others my boomer brain forgot?
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Gay_Giraffe_1773 Mar 30, 2026 +2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Girls_Don%27t https://youtu.be/Sc4l5EpCMEc?si=dvpijpR9FSYPFmvl
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
Yep, and Baby Talks Dirty to 13 in Canada and 38 in the US. In Spain that single was their second hit (19). In Canada they scored a fourth Top 40 hit with Rocket O' Love in 1990, got to number 30.
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ReallyGlycon Mar 30, 2026 +1
I am pretty sure all of their songs were about sex or s*** women.
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Dorsai56 Mar 30, 2026 +6
"Green Eyed Lady" - Sugarloaf "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image "Brandy" - Looking Glass
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larsonmars Mar 30, 2026 +3
Sugarloaf also did “Don’t Call Us (We’ll Call You)”. Made it to #9 on the Billboard 100.
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ReallyGlycon Mar 30, 2026 +1
Blues Image failed because they had a super nondescript name and everyone thought they were Grandfunk Railroad.
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makograves Mar 30, 2026 +6
The Wonders: that thing you do
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iAMbatman77 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters!
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IsThistheWord Mar 30, 2026 +1
It's such a shame they broke up so soon after their rise to fame.
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ReallyGlycon Mar 30, 2026 +1
What is an "Oneder"?
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AdvancedHat7630 Mar 30, 2026 +9
Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen. It was so popular it was often incorrectly attributed to much bigger bands. Also a damn good song.
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DanDantheModMan Mar 30, 2026 +9
Very USA centric comment. Dexys had several hits in Europe before they released the album that Come on was included. Highly recommend their first album, “Searching for the young soul rebels” Absolutely brilliant and completely different to their second.
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mattverso Mar 30, 2026 +3
Geno > Come On Eileen anyway
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PenIsBroken Mar 30, 2026 +2
Jackie Wilson Said == Geno
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AdvancedHat7630 Mar 30, 2026 -13
Fair, but I think the demographic on Listnook is not heavily skewed toward Europeans who were alive and self-aware in the early 1980s. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll give this album a shot.
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DeathByBamboo Mar 30, 2026 -6
Every time one of these threads comes up someone feels the need to make this point. We can only have the opinion of our own perspective, and if someone says "what in your opinion is the best one hit wonder song," it's going to be "very centric" to that person's perspective.
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Peeterwetwipe Mar 30, 2026 +5
“One hit wonder” is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of actual verifiable record.
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +2
True, mostly it's have they reached a main charts, mostly within a top 40 spot. Sometimes do it with a certain extra rule. Like did it only reached the main charts in certain country(s) (like for example only counting the charts from the UK, Germany, Australia and the US), or when only the follow-up single reached the top 40 between 30-40, they d******* that sometimes as a 'real' hit. Or a rule like outside their homecountry, where they seen as a One-Hit Wonder because of their only hit outside of their base.
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polarpies Mar 30, 2026 +4
Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye. Loved by many, launched Kimbra’s career and then homie just dipped and continued with his lesser known indie band.
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StatisticianLevel796 Mar 30, 2026 +1
You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
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jeweynougat Mar 30, 2026 +2
I like Baby Got Back and I cannot lie.
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nutznboltsguy Mar 30, 2026 +3
Wicked Game - Chris Isaac
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colorado_sunlight Mar 30, 2026 +1
That hurts. He has such great music, and so many great albums! And exactly one world hugging song that anyone besides me has heard of 😢
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026
He scored his first Top 40 hit with Blue Hotel in France (his only top 40 hit there), upon re-release after Wicked Game it became a hit in countries like Germany and The UK. Lie to Me was a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands while Can't Do a Thing (to Stop Me) was UK top 40 hit. Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing went to number 9 in Australia (Wicked Game got to number 15 there) and Somebody's Crying and Let Me Down Easy where also top 40 hits in New Zealand.
0
Specialist-Basis8218 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Paper lace
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Spaghetti_Nudes Mar 30, 2026 +1
Baby got back obviously
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Polonius_N_Drag Mar 30, 2026 +2
Posse on Broadway is equally good
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VegasRoy Mar 30, 2026 +1
“Driver’s Seat” - Sniff ‘n’ the Tears
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
That's a funny one, it was not even a really big hit. Only few countries where it entered the main Top 40. It the UK it got stuck on number 42 even. The song only reached a top 10 spot in the Netherlands, twice even. In 1991 it was re-released because of a commercial used it, hit the number one spot that time. Even in Germany it became a hit, got to 32. In the Netherlands to also got a second hit, One Love got to 38.
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Dismal_Parking_9563 Mar 30, 2026 +1
I'll go with that one NP
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relaxok Mar 30, 2026 +1
Nu Shooz - “I Can’t Wait” When In Rome - “The Promise”
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
Nu Shooz had another Top 40 hit with Point of No Return (28 in the US, 18 in New Zealand and 24 in Germany for example). When In Rome is correct, they also released not many singles over the years, so changes of hitting to charts are then lower. :-)
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tanzd Mar 30, 2026 +1
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
It's their biggest hit overall for sure. But their first Top 40 hit was called Sex (I'm a ...), it got number 4 in Canada, 18 in New Zealand and 19 in Finland. The first US and Australian top 40 hit was No More Words (23). In New Zealand it got to number 5. "Dancing in Berlin was another hit in Australia and New Zealand. The follow-up single of Take My Breath Away was Like Flames and that the Top 40 in quite a few countries and You Don't Know was a bit of lesser hit, but still reached a top 40 spot in Belgium, the UK and Ireland.
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kinetik Mar 30, 2026 +1
[Goodbye Horses](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_DVS_303kQ&list=RDX_DVS_303kQ&start_radio=1&pp=ygUOZ29vZGJ5ZSBob3JzZXOgBwE%3D) - Q Lazzarus
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karma_dumpster Mar 30, 2026 +1
According to university research (or a list from VH1 uploaded to a university page), it's the Macarena by Los Del Rio, followed by Tainted Love by Soft Cell: https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/~dtompkin/music/list/Best14.html Some of the artists on that list genuinely don't deserve to be on there though.
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
A lot of them where far from one hit Wonders, even in the US. Vanilla Ice first hit was Play That Funky Music for example, that got to number 4 in the US main charts! Or band called A-Ha off course, Spandau Ballet had two other Top 40 hits in the US with Gold and Only When You Leave, outside the US many more, just like A-Ha. Soft Cell may have only reached the US main charts with that song, but in the UK alone they have 11 other songs that reached the Top 40, with quite a few top 5 hits. Nena has many hits outside the US, in Germany off course she and the band where huge, she is still a household name their with many and many hits. Their first hit Nur geträumt was also a big hit in Belgium (11) and The Netherlands (7). Faith No More biggest hit was Easy, it was a top 10 hit in quite a few countries. Their first Top 40 hit in the UK was From Out of Nowhere (23), the follow-up single Epic reached 25 there. Before Easy (number 3 in the UK) Midlife Crisis was their biggest hit in the UK, charted at number 10. Just a few examples how weird that list is.
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karma_dumpster Mar 30, 2026 +1
Yeah agree. Twisted Sister and Sinead O'Connor are somehow on there, which is well bizarre.
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OriginalTelevision99 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Chesney Hawkes
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wherearethezombies Mar 30, 2026 +1
Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin was a pretty big one
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NachoPichu Mar 30, 2026 +1
“Because I got High” by Afroman
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SmokyBarnable01 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Something in the Air: Thunderclap Newman.
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UseMoreHops Mar 30, 2026 +1
OMC - How bizarre [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2oC99e\_xPY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2oC99e_xPY)
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Guitar_Mayhem Mar 30, 2026 -2
"In a Big Country" - Big Country either that or "I Ran (So Far Away)" - A Flock of Seagulls or "Take on Me" - a-ha
-2
Gay_Giraffe_1773 Mar 30, 2026 +10
"Space Age Love Song" would like a word
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PenIsBroken Mar 30, 2026 +1
Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) was UK top 10 too.
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EvilTodd1970 Mar 30, 2026 +5
A Flock of Seagulls had two other top-ten hits. “The More You Live, The More You Love” at #3 (the same as “I Ran”) and “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” at #10. Big Country had three other songs crack the US Mainstream Top 40, including “Look Away” at #5.
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Guitar_Mayhem Mar 30, 2026 -4
Don't we define one-hit wonders based on US Top 40? Obviously, artists can have other songs chart in other countries, but US being the largest market for music is the main decider for if something is a hit or not. Take Tom Cochrane for example, TONS of hits in Canada, but US? Just a one for "Life is a Highway"... and unfortunately no, "Lunatic Fringe" doesn't count as it JUST MISSED top 40.
-4
EvilTodd1970 Mar 30, 2026 +2
I think that is the typical definition of a “hit” song, and that’s what I cited in both cases.
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LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +6
A-ha are far from a one-hit-wonder band. The Sun Always Shines On T.V. was even a top 40 hit in the US. Outside the US they even have way more hits.
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azad_ninja Mar 30, 2026 -3
![gif](giphy|g7GKcSzwQfugw)
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EvilTodd1970 Mar 30, 2026 +8
He had six additional top-40 hits, including another #1 with “Together Forever.”
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einarfridgeirs Mar 30, 2026 +1
Its funny how a lot of artists that were big in their day, but only one of their songs has the kind of legs to be known decades later erroneously get get "one hit wonder" tag these days.
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astrobagel Mar 30, 2026 +3
He’s not.
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Raven586 Mar 30, 2026
Smokie - Living next door to Alice. "Alice, Alice who the f*** is Alice" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxl29cazXiE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxl29cazXiE)
0
LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +1
Who The F*** is Alice was by the Dutch singer Peter Koelewijn as Gompie, released in 1995. Peter Koelewijn first hit was in 1960 with Kom van dat dak af, a Rock a Roll-song BTW.
1
Mountain___Goat Mar 30, 2026
Grateful Dead
0
abracadabrabeef Mar 30, 2026
Aztec Camera - somewhere in my heart
0
LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +2
It was not their only top 40 hit in the UK, first top 40 hit for them was called Oblivious (18) followed by All I Need Is Everything (36). Then How Men Are (25), Somewhere in My Heart (3) and Working in a Goldmine (31)They where also top 40 hits in Ireland. Only Good Morning Britain (19) was not a hit in Ireland. In the US best single succes was The Crying Scene, it got to number 3 in the alternative charts.
2
fatbongo Mar 30, 2026
Tub thumping Chumbawumba
0
LynnButterfly Mar 30, 2026 +2
Well Amnesia got to number 10 in the UK, 7 in Canada, 12 in Italy, 9 in Estonia, 31 in Iceland and 34 in Australia. In the UK Top of the World (Olé, Olé, Olé) was also a top 40 hit.
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fatbongo Mar 30, 2026 +2
Really? NGL I only know them for that one song so fair play
2
the_answer_is_RUSH Mar 30, 2026 -6
Take on Me is the best one hit wonder of all time. P
-6
Gay_Giraffe_1773 Mar 30, 2026 +12
Not A-Ha'a only hit. "The Sun Always Shines On TV" was a huge international hit and made it to #20 in the US.
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beshizzle Mar 30, 2026 -6
Ah Ha -Take on Me
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KoosGoose Mar 30, 2026 -12
Michael Jackson - Thriller Sold like 5 million copies. Everybody’s heard of it. Made quite a splash overseas in the UK.
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