The Greatest One-Hit Wonders of 1993-2004

A one-hit wonder is a strange thing. It is simultaneously an achievement and a tragedy — an artist creates a song that millions of people love, that becomes embedded in the cultural memory, and then never manages to do it again. The era from 1993 to 2004 produced some of the most memorable one-hit wonders in music history, songs that still get played at parties, at sporting events, and in supermarkets decades later. Here are the greatest.

Chumbawamba — "Tubthumping" (1997)

Chumbawamba were actually a long-running anarchist collective from Leeds who had been making politically charged music for years before "Tubthumping" turned them into accidental pop stars. The song's "I get knocked down, but I get up again" chorus was a drunken singalong anthem that became inescapable in the fall of 1997. It spent two weeks at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was used in countless sporting contexts. The band's actual discography — spanning punk, electronic, folk, and agitprop — was far more interesting than their hit suggested, but "Tubthumping" was the only song anyone cared about.

Harvey Danger — "Flagpole Sitta" (1997)

An anxious, neurotic alt-rock track about paranoia and alienation, "Flagpole Sitta" captured the late-nineties zeitgeist perfectly. The opening line — "I had visions, I was in them, I was looking into the mirror" — drew you in immediately. The song appeared in the British TV show Peep Show years later, giving it a second life, but Harvey Danger never had another hit. They continued making well-regarded music that virtually no one heard.

New Radicals — "You Get What You Give" (1998)

Gregg Alexander wrote one of the most euphoric pop-rock songs of the nineties and then essentially disappeared. "You Get What You Give" was sunshine in song form — a blast of optimism and energy that felt like driving with the windows down on a perfect day. The track's bridge, which randomly took shots at various celebrities, generated controversy and free publicity. Alexander disbanded New Radicals after just one album, preferring to work behind the scenes as a songwriter. The song has endured as a feel-good classic.

Len — "Steal My Sunshine" (1999)

Built around a sample from Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More," "Steal My Sunshine" was a breezy, slacker-pop anthem that captured the lazy optimism of the late nineties. The brother-sister duo of Marc and Sharon Costanzo delivered it with a casual charm that made the song feel like an overheard conversation at a pool party. It peaked at nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a nostalgia trigger for anyone who was alive in the summer of 1999.

Lou Bega — "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...)" (1999)

A German singer sampling a 1949 Perez Prado mambo and listing women's names over it should not have worked, but "Mambo No. 5" was one of the most infectious songs of 1999. It topped charts in virtually every country and was played at every wedding reception, office party, and sporting event for the next several years. Lou Bega released follow-up material that absolutely no one remembers.

Baha Men — "Who Let the Dogs Out" (2000)

Possibly the most divisive one-hit wonder ever. "Who Let the Dogs Out" was a Bahamian junkanoo track that became a worldwide phenomenon after being adopted as a sports anthem. The song was everywhere during the 2000 Summer Olympics and MLB season. Some people found it irresistibly fun; others found it grounds for justifiable homicide. Either way, no one has ever asked the Baha Men for a second song.

Crazy Town — "Butterfly" (2000)

Built around a sample from Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Pretty Little Ditty," "Butterfly" was a rap-rock love song that spent two weeks at number one. It was smoother and more melodic than most nu-metal, which helped it cross over to pop audiences. Crazy Town's second album was a commercial disaster, and the band became the textbook example of a nu-metal one-hit wonder.

Wheatus — "Teenage Dirtbag" (2000)

Brendan B. Brown's ode to high school alienation became an international hit thanks to its inclusion in the film Loser. "Her name is Noel, I have a dream about her" — the song's nerdy, vulnerable narrator resonated with teenagers who felt like outsiders. "Teenage Dirtbag" reached number two in the UK and has enjoyed periodic revivals ever since. Wheatus continued making music but never came close to matching their debut single's success.

Daniel Powter — "Bad Day" (2005 — Just Outside Our Era)

Technically just outside our 1993-2004 window, but worth a mention because "Bad Day" was used as the elimination song on American Idol and became unavoidable. Daniel Powter's piano-pop ballad spent five weeks at number one. His follow-up singles were so anonymous that most people assume "Bad Day" was performed by a different artist entirely.

Honorable Mentions

• Semisonic — "Closing Time" (1998): Dan Wilson's bar-closing anthem that was actually about the birth of his daughter.
• Fastball — "The Way" (1998): A dreamy road-trip song inspired by a real news story about an elderly couple who disappeared.
• Right Said Fred — "I'm Too Sexy" (1991/carried into 1993): The novelty hit that would not die.
• Fountains of Wayne — "Stacy's Mom" (2003): A power-pop gem about a teenager's crush on a friend's mother.
• The Darkness — "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (2003): Falsetto-driven glam rock revivalism that was either brilliant or absurd, depending on your tolerance.

The Common Thread

What most of these songs share is an irresistible hook paired with a specific, memorable concept. A one-hit wonder succeeds because it captures a feeling or an idea so perfectly that everyone responds to it. The tragedy — if it is a tragedy — is that the artist could not bottle that lightning twice. But perhaps there is something to be said for having one perfect song that millions of people love, rather than a career of competent obscurity. These artists gave the world something joyful, and that is worth celebrating.