One-hit wonders of the 1990s
One-hit wonders occupy a unique and emotional place in our collective memory, transporting us to a specific time and era of popular music. You may have never learned the artists' names or followed them on tour—these weren't necessarily singers and bands that released hit after hit—but you suddenly find yourself singing every word even if you haven't heard the song in years.
The 1990s was a particularly fertile time for one-hit wonders across genres—including the lovesick ballad of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" or the infectious horns of "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega, which nearly led to Stephen King's divorce, as the horror author revealed in 2023.
The '90s were a more volatile period in music than people may realize or remember. From the sudden lightning of grunge that all but extinguished the dominance of '80s hair metal to the rise of hip-hop and rap, which inextricably found their way into mainstream radio, popular music looked very different at the dawn of the millennium than it did at the beginning of the decade. And along the way, a wide array of one-and-done hits dominated airwaves and continue to find heavy rotation on today's radio stations and curated playlists. As of 2024, some of those tracks have even been co-opted by political movements, such as Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping" and Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby." No matter where or how you hear these songs, though, their staying power continues to impress.
To revisit some of the greatest flash-in-the-pan hits of the decade, Stacker compiled a list of one-hit wonders from the 1990s using Billboard chart data and music industry news from the time. Don't miss our Spotify playlist featuring the forthcoming tracks.
