I am consistently annoyed by lists of supposed one-hit wonders. Inevitably, there are acts that are definitely NOT one-hit wonders. Some of the most glaring examples I’ve seen in different articles are Survivor (“Eye of the Tiger” #1, “Burning Heart” #2, top ten hits with “The Search Is Over,” “High on You,” and “Is This Love”), Toto (“Africa” #1, “Rosanna” #2, top tens with “Hold the Line” and “I Won’t Hold You Back”), and Sugarloaf (top ten hits with “Green-Eyed Lady” and “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You”). There are also a couple of acts who certainly are best known for certain songs, but did have other hits. Aha (“Take on Me” #1, “The Sun Always Shines on TV” top 20) and The Knack (“My Sharona” #1, “Good Girls Don’t” #11) are the first two that come to mind.
It begs the question – how does one even definte a “hit”? For the purposes of this post, the focus is exclusively on the U.S. Billboard pop charts from 1890 to present. One could argue that a true one-hit wonder has only graced the Hot 100 once. However, this post will focus on acts which have only hit the top 40 once since songs lower than that arguably didn’t achieve familiarity with a general audience.
This leaves more than 2400 eligible songs with some definite surprises. Jimi Hendrix, Carl Perkins, Lou Reed (all on this list), and Dr. John (“Right Place Wrong Time”), Grateful Dead (“Touch of Grey”), Public Enemy (“Give It Up”), Roxy Music (“Love Is the Drug”), Rush (“New World Man”), The Small Faces (“Itchycoo Park”), and Frank Zappa (“Valley Girl”) only had one top 40 hit each despite the legendary status which got them inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Other acts like Beck; Oasis; and T-Rex (all on this list); along with Garth Brooks (“Lost in You”); Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill”); Emerson, Lake & Palmer (“From the Beginning”); Lefty Frizzell (“I Want to Be with You Always”); Merle Haggard (“If We Make It Through December”); Iggy Pop (“Candy”); Method Man (“I'll Be There for You / You're All I Need to Get By”); Shinedown (“Second Chance”); Weezer (“Beverly Hills”); The White Stripes (“Icky Thump”); and Warren Zevon (“Werewolves of London”) have plenty of success, but multiple chart hits on the top 40 eluded them.
Finally, there are some acts who have plenty of chart experience yet still qualify as one-hit wonders. For example, U.S.A. for Africa (“We Are the World”) and Band Aid (“Do They Know It’s Christmas?”) were one-time collaborations of multiple artists with plenty of chart experience. There are also artists like Bill Medley (“I’ve Had the Time of My Life”) who had plenty of chart experience as part of the Righteous Brothers, but had never charted as a solo act.
If a song is marked with an asterisk (*), that indicates that the song is the only top 40 hit for the lead act, but that the supporting act has other top 40 hits.
Check other lists based on charts, sales, and airplay here.
1. Mark Ronson “Uptown Funk!” (with Bruno Mars, #1, 2014) *
2. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (#1, 1990)
3. Luis Fonsi “Despacito” (with Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber, 2017, #1) *
4. Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” (#1, 2011)
5. Gnarls Barkley “Crazy” (#2, 2006)
6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” (#20, 1968)
7. Los Del Rio “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” (#1, 1995)
8. Oasis “Wonderwall” (#8, 1995)
9. Coleman Hawkins “Body and Soul” (#13, 1940)
10. USA for Africa “We Are the World” (#1, 1985)
11. Soft Cell “Tainted Love” (#8, 1981)
12. The Verve “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (#12, 1997)
13. Dexy’s Midnight Runners “Come on Eileen” (#1, 1983)
14. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” (#6, 1956)
15. Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (#1, 1977)
16. The Penguins “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” (#8, 1954)
17. Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky” (#2, 2013)
18. Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes” (#2, 1956)
19. Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (#7, 1966)
20. Lipps Inc. “Funkytown” (#1, 1980)
21. Frankie Goes to Hollywood “Relax” (#10, 1983)
22. Lou Reed “Walk on the Wild Side” (#16, 1972)
23. Beck “Loser” (#10, 1993)
24. Wild Cherry “Play That Funky Music” (#1, 1976)
25. The Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” (#36, 1979)
26. Amy Winehouse “Rehab” (#9, 2006)
27. James Blunt “You’re Beautiful” (#1, 2004)
28. Band Aid “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (#13, 1984)
29. Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun” (#1, 1974)
30. Knickerbocker Quartet “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile” (#1, 1917)
31. Daniel Powter “Bad Day” (#1, 2005)
32. Domenico Modugno “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue)” (#1, 1958)
33. Sir Mix-A-Lot “Baby Got Back” (#1, 1992)
34. Harry Simeone Chorale “The Little Drummer Boy” (#13, 1958)
35. Cee-Lo Green “Fuck You (aka “Forget You”)” (#2, 2010)
36. The Chords “Sh-Boom” (#5, 1954)
37. Bill Medley “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” (with Jennifer Warnes, #1, 1987) *
38. Lee Ann Womack & the Sons of the Desert “I Hope You Dance” (#14, 2000)
39. Big Joe Turner “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (#22, 1954)
40. Free “All Right Now” (#4, 1970)
41. Snow Patrol “Chasing Cars” (#5, 2006)
42. Magic! “Rude” (#1, 2013)
43. The Lumineers “Ho Hey” (#3, 2012)
44. Dave Brubeck Quartet “Take Five” (#25, 1959)
45. T-Rex “Get It On (Bang a Gong)” (#10, 1971)
46. Lou Bega “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” (#3, 1999)
47. Walter Huston “September Song” (#12, 1939)
48. Don Azpiazu & Arturo Machin “The Peanut Vendor (El Manicero” (#1, 1930)
49. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps “Be-Bop-A-Lula” (#7, 1956)
50. Van McCoy “The Hustle” (#1, 1975)
51. Jimmy Boyd “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (#1, 1952)
52. OMI “Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)” (#1, 2014)
53. Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (#19, 1968)
54. Anton Karas “The Third Man Theme” (#1, 1950)
55. Mungo Jerry “In the Summertime” (#3, 1970)
56. Passenger “Let Her Go” (#5, 2012)
57. Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting” (#1, 1974)
58. Regina Belle “A Whole New World” (with Peabo Bryson, #1, 1992) *
59. Hoobastank “The Reason” (#2, 2003)
60. M.I.A. “Paper Planes” (#4, 2007)
61. House of Pain “Jump Around” (#3, 1992)
62. Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” (#3, 1985)
63. The Contours “Do You Love Me” (#3, 1962)
64. Chumbawamba “Tubthumping” (#6, 1997)
65. Silentó “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” (#3, 2015)
66. Donna Lewis “I Love You Always Forever” (#2, 1996)
67. Mott the Hoople “All the Young Dudes” (1972)
68. Hozier “Take Me to Church” (#2, 2013)
69. Devo “Whip It” (#14, 1980)
70. Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (#1, 1988)
71. Ed Gallagher & Al Shean “Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean” (#1, 1922)
72. Midnight Oil “Beds Are Burning” (#17, 1987)
73. Gorillaz “Feel Good Inc.” (with De La Soul, #14, 2005) *
74. Sonny James “Young Love” (#1, 1956)
75. Jeannie C. Riley “Harper Valley P.T.A.” (#1, 1968)
76. The Tornadoes “Telstar” (#1, 1962)
77. Paul Mauriat “Love Is Blue” (#1, 1967)
78. Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star” (#40, 1981)
79. Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks” (#3, 2010)
80. Sammi Smith “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (#8, 1971)
81. U.S. Naval Academy Band “Anchors Aweigh” (#13, 1906)
82. Everything But the Girl “Missing (Todd Terry Remix)” (#2, 1995)
83. Deee-Lite “Groove Is in the Heart” (#4, 1990)
84. Tag Team “Whoomp! (There It Is)” (#2, 1993)
85. Mahalia Jackson “Move on Up a Little Higher” (#21, 1948)
86. Bill Hayes “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (#1, 1955)
87. Tones and I “Dance Monkey” (#4, 2019)
88. Thomas Bott “Love’s Old Sweet Song” (#1, 1892)
89. Mr. Acker Bilk “Stranger on the Shore” (#1, 1961)
90. Zager & Evans “In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)” (#1, 1969)
91. Lynn Anderson “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” (#3, 1970)
92. Walk the Moon “Shut Up and Dance” (#4, 2014)
93. Bill Snyder “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” (#3, 1950)
94. The Youngbloods “Get Together” (#5, 1967)
95. Nena “99 Red Balloons” (#2, 1983)
96. Anita Ward “Ring My Bell” (#1, 1979)
97. Thin Lizzy “The Boys Are Back in Town” (#12, 1976)
98. 24K Goldn with Iann Dior “Mood” (#1, 2020)
99. Big Four Quartet “Goodbye Dolly Gray” (#1, 1901)
100. Glass Animals “Heat Waves” (#1, 2020)
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First posted 9/8/2019; last updated 10/22/2022.
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