To be a one-hit wonder is to accept that your one big song is about as far as you’ll get in your career. It’s a bittersweet thing. That being said, there are quite a few one-hit wonders that should have been way bigger than they were. And we think it’s a good time as any to celebrate them.
1. Sinead O’Connor
Yes, it’s really wild to think that someone as larger-than-life as Sinead O’Connor was a one-hit wonder. However, when we look at the charts, she really only had one big international hit: her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”.
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That 1990 song was a no. 1 hit across the board. Her follow-up single “The Emperor’s New Clothes” barely made it to no. 60 in the US. That’s not to say that O’Connor didn’t enjoy a long and fruitful career in her native Ireland and the UK, but she never quite climbed the US charts again. She definitely should have been bigger on this side of the pond, controversies and all.
2. The Proclaimers
Out of all the one-hit wonders who should have been bigger on our humble list, The Proclaimers are a bit confusing. They’re still quite active today, but none of their singles released after 1988’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” charted in the US.
It doesn’t make much sense, considering this Scottish pop-rock outfit has penned a few stellar hits in the last few decades. “I’m On My Way”, “King Of The Road”, and “Let’s Get Married” are all amazing songs.
3. Norman Greenbaum
Norman Greenbaum penned one of few well-aged and definitive songs of the 1970s, “Spirit In The Sky”. It’s an amazing multi-genre song that hits so well decades later. Greenbaum’s one of the best-selling one-hit wonders of all time, and it’s wild to think that he never scored another hit after that 1969 chart-breaker. We’re a fan of “Canned Ham”, in particular.
4. Musical Youth
There are a few one-hit wonders in reggae that should have been bigger back in the day, and Musical Youth is at the top of the list. Even non-fans of reggae know the chorus of “Pass The Dutchie” by heart.
Thankfully, this feel-good reggae and R&B outfit is still together today, but they never enjoyed as big of a hit as “Pass The Dutchie”. “Youth Of Today” did well that same year, but it was pretty far from a Top 10 hit.
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