A one-hit wonder is “an individual or group with only one success, such as a hit song,” so says Dictionary.com. But so often people use the term incorrectly.
You may think a-ha had only one hit in the United States (they had many elsewhere), but the follow-up single to its No. 1 debut “Take On Me,” in fact, cracked the Top 20. It was called “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.” Remember it? A-ha fans do.
Now it’s time to dispel these one-hit-wonder myths. These folks weren’t famous overnight and then never heard of again; they actually had one or more Top 40 hits, in addition to their one big hit:
(You can follow along with our playlist at Spotify, or click on the player at the bottom of the page.)
Wireless & Streaming Audio .. Shop Now »
Onkyo C-7030 Compact Disc Player »
A-HA
The big hit – Take On Me (1985)
The other hit – The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (1985)
ALL SAINTS
The big hit – Never Ever (1998)
The other hit – I Know Where It’s At (1998)
ALLURE
The big hit – All Cried Out (1997)
The other hit – Head Over Heels (1997)
AQUA
The big hit – Barbie Girl (1997)
The other hit – Lollipop (Candy Man) (1997)
ARCADIA
The big hit – Election Day (1985)
The other hit – Goodbye Is Forever (1986)
BAD ENGLISH
The big hit – When I See You Smile (1989)
The other hits – Price of Love (1989), Possession (1990)
LEN BARRY
The big hit – 1-2-3 (1965)
The other hit – Like a Baby (1966)
DANIEL BEDINGFIELD
The big hit – Gotta Get Thru This (2002)
The other hit – If You’re Not the One (2003)
BELLAMY BROTHERS
The big hit – Let Your Love Flow (1976)
The other hit – If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me (1979)
BLUE SWEDE
The big hit – Hooked On a Feeling (1974)
The other hit – Never My Love (1974)
BOY MEETS GIRL
The big hit – Waiting For a Star to Fall (1988)
The other hit – Oh Girl (1985)
NENEH CHERRY
The big hit – Buffalo Stance (189)
The other hit – Kisses on the Wind (1989)
CUTTING CREW
The big hit – (I Just) Died In Your Arms (1987)
The other hit – I’ve Been in Love Before (1987)
EMF
The big hit – Unbelievable (1991)
The other hit – Lies (1991)
FASTBALL
The big hit – The Way (1998)
The other hit – Out of My Head (1999)
FOXY
The big hit – Get Off (1979)
The other hit – Hot Number (1979)
GERARDO
The big hit – Rico Suave (1991)
The other hit – We Want the Funk (1991)
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA
The big hit – Torn (1998)
The other hit – Wishing I Was There (1998)