Top 10 Songs by One Hit Wonders You've Never Heard Of

WatchMojo

One hit wonders? Not exactly. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for tracks by one-hit wonders that may not have received the same amount of attention as their claim to fame but are still good.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for tracks by one hit wonders

00:09that may not have received the same amount of attention as their claim to fame, but are

00:13still good.

00:20Number 10.

00:21Mike Oldfield's single, Tubular Bells.

00:23Mike Oldfield.

00:25Mike Oldfield's Moonlight Shadow was one of his most digestible tunes, hitting number

00:30one across several European countries.

00:40Although his debut single, Mike Oldfield's single, Tubular Bells, was a hit in the United

00:45States and is known for its use in the film The Exorcist, it didn't have the level of

00:50international success as Moonlight Shadow.

01:02The full-length experimental piece features several different sections with various instruments

01:07from pianos to electric guitars.

01:10It transcends both genre and mood, creating a genuinely unique experience that takes the

01:15listener on an audio journey.

01:28The album containing this piece was a big hit in the UK, but the full song unfortunately

01:33still remains largely unknown to the public.

01:45Number 9.

01:46Drop Dead Gorgeous, Republica.

01:48Striking the perfect intersection between rock and roll and club music, Republica quickly

01:53carved out a niche for themselves.

02:01Their first single, Ready To Go, became internationally known after being remixed in 1996, becoming

02:07an anthem for young women everywhere.

02:10They put the band on the map, but the rest of their releases didn't make the same impact.

02:22Drop Dead Gorgeous had all the makings of another hit, with brighter production and

02:26an undeniably catchy hook that's nearly impossible not to sing along to.

02:37Although it performed very well in the UK, elsewhere it struggled commercially compared

02:42to their initial release.

02:44While it may not be widely recognized, it still perfectly encapsulates the era, making

02:49it well worth a listen now.

02:58Number 8.

02:59Most people I know think that I'm crazy, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs.

03:04He may be a one-hit wonder to the United States, but in Australia, he's a rock legend.

03:09In the 1970s, Billy Thorpe found success with Children of the Sun.

03:20The epic number was well-received in the United States, making it to number 41 on the Billboard

03:25Hot 100, and that's pretty much all Americans know about him.

03:29But his band, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, dominated Down Under, with Most People I Know

03:35Think That I'm Crazy becoming successful domestically.

03:46It wasn't able to find an international audience, causing his eventual solo work to take center

03:51stage.

04:00While it may not have broken records, it's still a timeless release, and between the

04:04heartfelt lyrics and classic sound, it's clear to see why.

04:16Number 7.

04:17Ziploc – Lit For an instant, it captured the voice of

04:21a generation.

04:22Lit's My Own Worst Enemy became a near-instant classic following its release in 1999.

04:33Its punk elements and relatable message caused it to resonate with millions.

04:37The song's reach was so immense that it completely overshadowed every other release of theirs,

04:43including their follow-up single, Ziploc.

04:54Like their debut, it had a guitar-driven instrumental and deep lyrics.

05:05Despite following a similar formula, it only saw a fraction of the success.

05:10Still, its infectious refrain has made it an anthem in its own right, even if it's

05:14only to a few people.

05:16While it may have faded to the background, it's still a quintessential piece within

05:20their discography and pop-punk as a whole.

05:29Number 6.

05:30Someday We'll Know – New Radicals Many one-hit wonders of the 1990s helped to

05:35define the sound of the decade.

05:37New Radicals is the ultimate example with You Get What You Give, becoming a generational

05:43bop that's still recognized as one of the best of its era.

05:52While they were on track to having a booming career, the group broke up just before the

05:57release of their second single, giving it essentially no chance of seeing similar success.

06:09Someday We'll Know was the opposite of their initial release both lyrically and sonically.

06:20It shows how versatile they were as a group with the ability to pull off both anthems

06:25and ballads.

06:26While it unfortunately came and went without much fanfare, it's still a reminder of what

06:30could have been.

06:38Number 5.

06:39Breakaway – Toni Baszle Most people today know her for her infectiously

06:44cheery cover of The Races' Mickey, which became a vital part of pop culture that's

06:49still referenced to this day.

06:58However that wasn't Toni Baszle's only contribution to the arts.

07:09Her first release, Breakaway, is credited as being one of the precursors to the modern

07:14day music video, despite it not making any waves upon release.

07:18It was featured in a short film of the same name, consisting of her performance alongside

07:22various groundbreaking editing techniques.

07:32The song itself is vastly different from her follow-up hit, showing off her impressive

07:36vocals over a classic 60's sound.

07:46It shows that a track doesn't have to go number one to still have a cultural impact.

07:52Number 4.

07:53Living in the Plastic Age – The Buggles The Buggles' video-killed-the-radio star

07:59helped put MTV on the map.

08:07It had the perfect combination of pristine production and timely lyrics, creating a piece

08:12that helped usher in a more visual era of music.

08:16But it wasn't their only number to comment on the state of society at the time.

08:25Their following release, Living in the Plastic Age, was biting commentary on the culture

08:30of the 70's, calling out how business-oriented and artificial it was.

08:42Unfortunately, it didn't have the same reach as their debut, causing it to fade to

08:46the background.

08:48Despite the message still being eerily applicable to today's day and age, it remains criminally

08:52underrated.

09:01Number 3.

09:02Slide Away – The Verve Bittersweet Symphony was more than just a hit,

09:07it was a cultural phenomenon.

09:18The orchestra-sampled instrumental and emotional lyrics helped it stand out in the best way

09:23possible, creating a bop that's still appreciated today.

09:26It quickly became The Verve's signature piece, causing other releases to be overshadowed

09:31as a result.

09:39While not reaching the same level of regard, Slide Away is the perfect representation of

09:44their original vibe.

09:52It has a more traditionally grunge instrumental, capturing the sonic landscape of the early

09:571990's and laying the foundation for their eventual success.

10:02The two songs demonstrate their evolution as a group both musically and commercially,

10:06serving as proof that an act can completely switch up their sound and still reach unprecedented

10:11levels of success.

10:22Number 2.

10:23Eyes Wide Open – Godier His mainstream career came and went in the

10:27blink of an eye, but that doesn't make the rest of his discography any less impressive.

10:40Somebody That I Used To Know helped define the early 2010's despite sounding unlike

10:45other bestsellers at the time.

10:47The sheer success of the piece eventually caused Godier to pull away from the music

10:51industry entirely, leaving the rest of his catalogue severely underappreciated.

11:01Eyes Wide Open is merely a glimpse into his musical genius, it's essentially the opposite

11:06of his biggest hits, with much brighter production and higher, more ambitious vocals.

11:19It exemplifies his versatility as an artist and had the potential to be big, but unlike

11:24its more melancholy follow-up, barely touched the charts.

11:44Number 1.

11:45Movies – Alien Ant Farm Their biggest release may have been a cover

11:49of an already legendary song, but they still managed to make it their own.

11:57Alien Ant Farm's hard rock rendition of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal went on

12:01to become their signature piece, eclipsing their own original works.

12:06Movies was the band's first single, detailing the struggle of moving on from a break-up.

12:17It was a solid debut and it made some noise, but not as much as it deserved.

12:22They even tried releasing it again following their sudden rise with Smooth Criminal, but

12:26even then, its success was modest.

12:33Had they not released the cover, then it might have stood on its own.

12:37But unfortunately, it remains as forgotten as the rest of their original discography.

12:47Which overlooked song by a one-hit wonder do you think deserved to be a hit?

12:51Let us know in the comments below.

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