7 One-Hit Wonders That Kept Us Wondering

These artists rose to fame with their hit records before falling from the charts and disappearing into obscurity.

Written by

Taheerah Abdul-Rahmaan

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Despite dreams of holding fame as long as they could hold a note, these music artists graced the American stage for one act, and one act only. They rode high on the charts, smiling from atop the gold-plated wings of their hit record, before falling from the pages of Billboard magazine and hitting rock…bottom? Turn up the music while grooving to this list of one-hit wonders that covers dance, Hip-Hop, light rock, and everything “MMMBop.”

Bittersweet Legality: “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” is the lead single off Urban Hymns, the third album by English alternative rock band The Verve. The song, with its moving violin accompaniment, crested at number twelve on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, and received a Grammy nomination in 1999. Legal challenges ensued, as the court ruled the song over-sampled the Andrew Oldham Orchestra recording of the Rolling Stones’ 1965 song, “The Last Time.” Ultimately, The Verve’s original songwriting was credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones), as well as Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft, and the band received no royalties for sales of the single. After the popular song fell from the charts, The Verve were left with a symphony—and a tutorial of American legality—that was, indeed, bittersweet.

Romantically Heavy Breathing: “True” by Spandau Ballet

Formed in London in the late 1970s, Spandau Ballet enjoyed success in Europe before breaking into the American pop charts with their international hit “True.” This 1983 slow-pop love ballad climbed to number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Spandau Ballet’s biggest hit to date. Despite subsequent albums and an appearance at the widely-popular Live Aid concert in 1985, the band experienced growing pains musically and professionally, splitting in 1989. To this day, Spandau Ballet is best known for the airy, breathless delivery of “True.” Ironically, despite the single’s success, it wasn’t weighty enough to anchor the band to the American pop charts.

Five Seconds of Fame: “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega

Although originally composed in 1945 by Pérez Prado, “Mambo No. 5” was reintroduced by German artist Lou Bega in 1999 as “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…).” The song, with its driving horns and lively rhythm, became the best-selling single in Australia in 1999, set a record in France for staying at number one for twenty weeks, and ultimately reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. Despite the popularity of Bega’s first album, A Little Bit of Mambo, and its lead single, subsequent releases failed to match his initial success, making it safe to say Lou Bega’s fifteen minutes of fame ended with “Mambo No. 5.”

Vulnerable Masculinity: “What Is Love” by Haddaway

Nestor Alexander Haddaway’s breakthrough single, “What Is Love”, climbed European pop charts before reaching number eleven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The declarative chorus and heart-pounding beat became the anthem of heartbroken romantics, eventually selling over 2.5 million singles worldwide by 1994. Although he continued a successful European career, Haddaway received a resurgence of popularity in the U.S. by comedic form, thanks to the popular Saturday Night Live skits performed by Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan, and the subsequent film A Night at the Roxbury. Despite the film’s success and Haddaway’s staple status in Eurodance music, his long-standing absence on American charts has his fans no longer asking “what is love?”, but “where is Haddaway?”

YouTube Sensation: “Crank That” by Soulja Boy

In 2007, a 16-year-old rapper posted a how-to dance video on YouTube. After thousands of views, Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” caught the attention of Interscope Records and became the lead single on his debut album souljaboytellem.com, eventually reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song inspired countless spin-off dances and video spoofs, even garnering a Grammy nomination for best new rap song in 2008. Despite a string of digital downloads and several ventures in merchandising, Soulja Boy has yet to find his way back to the music charts, leaving his one-time “Crank That” fans waiting while he attempts to crank another hit.

Unfathomable Falsetto: “Take On Me” by A-ha

Aided by a revolutionary pencil-animated video, the infectious single “Take On Me” reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1985. Formed in Oslo, Norway, in 1982, the band A-ha found American pop success with the release of their 1985 album, Hunting High and Low. Despite another well-received single on the U.S. charts and huge international success that resulted in over 60 million album sales, musicians Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen, and Pål Waaktaar are best known for “Take On Me,” the one song that still leaves fans reveling within an “aha” moment.

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Bobs and Bops: “MMMBop” by Hanson

Oklahoma brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson signed to Mercury Records off the strength of one infectious song. Charged with the frenzy over “MMMBop,” their 1997 album, Middle of Nowhere, sold some 10 million copies worldwide and earned the group three Grammy nominations in 1998. The brothers were catapulted into superstardom, their lives detailed in teen magazines, books, and documentaries. Unfortunately, the high would not last long. Label changes and creative differences led to a series of underfunded projects and underperforming albums, causing many fans to wonder how the boys behind “MMMBop” could turn into a musical flop.

Taheerah Abdul-Rahmaan