Artist↕ | Song↕ | Year↕ | Genre↕ | Peak Chart Position↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soft Cell | Tainted Love | 1981 | Synth-Pop | #8 US / #1 UK | Spent 43 weeks on the Hot 100, a record at the time |
A-ha | Take On Me | 1985 | Synth-Pop | #1 US | Pencil-sketch animation music video became iconic |
Dexys Midnight Runners | Come On Eileen | 1982 | Celtic Soul | #1 US / #1 UK | Best-selling single in the UK in 1982 |
Toni Basil | Mickey | 1981 | Pop | #1 US | Cheerleader-themed video became an MTV staple |
Lipps Inc | Funkytown | 1980 | Disco/Funk | #1 US | Last great disco hit, sampled endlessly |
Tommy Tutone | 867-5309/Jenny | 1981 | Power Pop | #4 US | Phone number became the most dialed in America |
Nena | 99 Luftballons | 1983 | New Wave | #2 US / #1 Germany | Cold War protest song sung entirely in German |
Carl Douglas | Kung Fu Fighting | 1974 | Disco | #1 US / #1 UK | Recorded in 10 minutes, sold 11 million copies |
Chumbawamba | Tubthumping | 1997 | Alternative Rock | #6 US / #2 UK | Anarchist band's ironic anthem became a sports staple |
Right Said Fred | I'm Too Sexy | 1991 | Eurodance | #1 US / #2 UK | Tongue-in-cheek novelty hit about male vanity |
Dexy's Midnight Runners | Come On Eileen | 1982 | Celtic Soul | #1 US | Wedding DJ staple for 40+ years |
Chesney Hawkes | The One and Only | 1991 | Pop Rock | #1 UK | Title became an ironic joke about his one-hit status |
Baha Men | Who Let the Dogs Out | 2000 | Junkanoo | #40 US / #2 UK | Became a sports arena anthem worldwide |
Harvey Danger | Flagpole Sitta | 1997 | Alternative Rock | #57 US | I'm not sick but I'm not well became a 90s anthem |
Cornershop | Brimful of Asha | 1997 | Indie Pop | #1 UK | Norman Cook remix turned it into a global hit |
Los del Rio | Macarena | 1995 | Latin Pop | #1 US | 14 weeks at #1, defined 90s dance culture |
Vanilla Ice | Ice Ice Baby | 1990 | Hip-Hop | #1 US | First hip-hop single to top the Billboard Hot 100 |
Dead or Alive | You Spin Me Round | 1985 | Hi-NRG | #11 US / #1 UK | First Stock Aitken Waterman production to reach #1 |
Len | Steal My Sunshine | 1999 | Pop | #9 US | Quintessential late-90s summer one-hit wonder |
New Radicals | You Get What You Give | 1998 | Power Pop | #36 US | Called out Courtney Love and Hanson in the lyrics |
Ini Kamoze | Here Comes the Hotstepper | 1994 | Dancehall | #1 US | Featured in the Pret-a-Porter movie soundtrack |
The Buggles | Video Killed the Radio Star | 1979 | New Wave | #40 US / #1 UK | First music video ever played on MTV |
Gerardo | Rico Suave | 1991 | Latin Hip-Hop | #7 US | Bilingual hip-hop novelty hit of the early 90s |
Blind Melon | No Rain | 1992 | Alternative Rock | #20 US | Bee girl music video became iconic on MTV |
Marcy Playground | Sex and Candy | 1997 | Alternative Rock | #8 US | Lazy, drawled delivery defined late-90s alt-rock |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the One Hit Wonders list ranked?
The Greatest One-Hit Wonders list is ranked by community votes. Every visitor can pick one option over another in head-to-head matchups, and the running totals determine the order you see. No editors or algorithms — just real people voting.
How many entries are in this One Hit Wonders dataset?
This dataset contains 25 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the One Hit Wonders data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 25-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in Music
Best-Selling Singles of All Time
The best-selling singles in history.
Songs That Broke the Internet
Gangnam Style, Old Town Road, Baby Shark — the songs that went viral and became inescapable cultural moments.
Iconic Songs
30 songs that transcended their era to become timeless cultural touchstones across every genre.
K-Pop Groups
20 of the biggest K-Pop groups from the genre's global breakthrough, spanning generations from pioneers to fourth-gen icons.
Music Bands & Groups
Notable music bands and groups from around the world, sourced from MusicBrainz.
American Music Artists
Notable music artists from the United States.
Electronic & DJ Artists
20 of the most influential electronic music producers and DJs spanning house, trance, dubstep, and future bass.
Best-Selling Girl Groups
Best-selling girl groups of all time.
Nigerian Music Artists
Notable music artists from Nigeria — Afrobeats, Afropop, highlife.
French Music Artists
Notable music artists from France — chanson, electronic, pop.
Reggae & Dancehall Artists
15 of the most influential reggae and dancehall artists from roots reggae pioneers to modern dancehall stars.
Global Music Festivals
Global Music Festivals