In this article we are going to list the 20 biggest one-hit-wonders. Click to skip ahead and jump to the 10 biggest one hit wonders. As the famous saying goes, music is the food of the soul. Not only food though, music is also a large part of almost every culture. It is often an integral part of their identity. It serves as a tool to unite people. In an age where globalization is constantly bringing the world closer today, music provides people something to talk about, to bond over. Whether it be music tours of large festivals, people have always found a way to enjoy the tunes with company. From culture to nationalism, music has a way of expressing every core identity. It has been also used as a tool for political activism, promoting solidarity under a common cause.
We as humans have the constant urge to express ourselves and music provides a platform for it. That platform has grown so much that we have a whole industry for the art. The music industry is one of the most, if not the most, dominant industries in entertainment. It emerged almost a century ago and has become a big part of a country’s economy. It provides sustenance to a considerable chunk of society and has become a major source of revenue for governments. Apart from employing artists and creators, the industry provides all sorts of employment in all fields.
This is part of managing and distributing music on large levels. Three of the giants in the industry are Universal Music Group (UMGP), Sony Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:SNY) and Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG). They are in charge of music recordings and videos as well as their distribution. Each of these labels have a glittering catalogue of universally acclaimed artists. Universal Music Group, the leader in terms of revenue has the likes of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna amongst others on its roster. The label is owned by Vivendi and Tencent . The record label accumulates a revenue of approximately 7 billion USD. Sony Entertainment Inc., is a close second. The label has Mariah Carey, Shakira, Britney Spears and the Queen Bee Beyoncé herself as part of its artists. The third world music giant, Warner Music boasts a catalogue including Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Charlie XCX, Camilla Cabello and Jason Derulo. Its parent company is Access Industries. A combined revenue generated by the three music giants is equal to approximately 18 Million USD per year! Safe to say, they contribute to a large part of the economy.
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Another large money making sub industry in the music department is the streaming platform clan. YouTube to Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) to Apple Music (NASDAQ: AAPL), each has an importance of its own and earn just as much, and sometimes more than the aforementioned record labels. While music for YouTube is just part of the services and different entertainment options it provides, Spotify and Apple Music deal largely in music.
While mainstream artists and music are certainly what come to mind when you think about the music industry, another phenomenon of entertainment are the one hit wonders. The songs are categorized when a fairly unknown or unpopular artist or group releases a song which amasses fame and tops music charts but the subsequent projects of the artist or group fail to replicate that fame. Hence the name one hit wonders. History has seen many such tracks by a myriad of artists from The Weather Girl’s Its Raining Men to James Blunt’s love Ballad You’re Beautiful, the category is filled with these fun, sometimes annoying ear bugs. Here we have a list of the 20 biggest one hit wonders in the music industry. We have ranked them by the number of weeks they stayed on Top 40 chart, compiled from the Billboard 100. The data has been collected from listings in the Billboard 100, Wall Street and USA Today.
20. “One More Try”
Starting off our list is One More Try by Timmy Torres, known by his stage name Timmy T. The song was released in 1991 and topped the charts from January of that year to May! It spent a total of 16 weeks as no. 1. He released a total of two albums, Time After Time which served his chart topping single and All for Love. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 6.5 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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19. “Maniac”
From the 1983 film, Flash dance, Maniac is a song by Michael Sembello. Most of its popularity is probably thanks to the film but the song topped the charts and stayed there for 16 weeks! The song went ahead to be nominated for an Academy award and a Golden Globe but sadly didn’t win. Music ran in the family as both of his brothers were also in the industry. But sadly, none of his future projects came even close to the fame of Maniac. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 74 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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18. “I’m Too Sexy”
The first band to top the charts after the Beatles, Right Said Fred’s single “I’m too Sexy” reigned the charts for a total of 17 weeks. Part of the Album Up, the single was released in 1991. Although the band hasn’t come even close to the fame of their debut single, they have writing credits of some pretty big projects, including Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do. That is a fairly big accomplishment. I’m Too Sexy’s video on YouTube has garnered about 23 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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17. “More than Words”
Released in 1991, More Than Words topped the charts for 17 weeks. The song was performed by Extreme which is a duo comprised of Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt. The band though primarily a rock group, changed tempo and made this one a ballad. The single was nominated at both the Grammys and the American Music Awards in 1992. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 513 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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16. “Mickey”
An integral part of Pop Culture with the iconic line “Hey Mickey, you so fine”, Mickey was recorded by Toni Basil. The song is part of her album Word of Mouth and was released in 1981. It remained on tope for 17 weeks, from Oct, 1982 to Feb, 1983. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 7 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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15. “This Is Why I’m Hot”
Shawn Mims, known by his stage name “Mims” released the song in 2007. It topped the charts in March of the same year and remained there for 18 weeks! When none of his other work received the same praise and appreciation, the singer returned to Silicon Valley and worked on an app called RecordGram. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 17 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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14. “Butterfly”
Butterfly remained on the charts for 18 weeks. The song was recorded by the band Crazy Town in 2000. The song was written by the lead singer of the band, Seth Binzer, also known as Shifty Shellshock. Interestingly, the song only made it to the charts a year later than it was released as it was deemed to be inappropriate for children. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 136 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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13. “Informer”
Released in 1992 by Darrin Kenneth O’Brien, more commonly known as Snow, Informer spent 19 weeks on the charts. The Canadian reggae rapper also made it into the Guinness Book of World Records with his acclaimed single. As his later work in the industry failed to duplicate previous results, the singer retreated from the spot light and instead devoted himself to helping charities. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 15 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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12. “Laffy Taffy”
Recorded by Down for Life, commonly abbreviated to D4L, the sing was released in 2005. It stayed on the chart for 20 weeks! Fun fact, the song was first released as a ringtone. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 58 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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11. “Here Comes the Hotstepper”
Spending an impressive 23 weeks on the charts, we have Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze. The reggae artist released the song in 1994. While it was different from his regular style of music, the song did incredibly well and proved that a change in sound was necessary. Its video on YouTube has garnered about 24 Million views as of Dec 2020.
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Disclosure: No position. 20 biggest one hit wonders is originally published at Insider Monkey.
