There are plenty of rock one-hit wonders out there that are only known for one particular song. But what about the two-hit wonders in rock that made it pretty far with a handful of tracks? Let’s take a look at just a few of our favorites!
1. Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is best known for the 1992 hit “Everything About You” and “Cat’s In The Cradle” from 1993. This outfit teetered between hard rock and the 1990s’ particular brand of alternative rock. And they did a fine job at balancing between those two labels.
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Fun fact: This alt-metal outfit’s name is a direct reference to the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd.
2. ? And The Mysterians
These rock two-hit wonders are known best for their 1966 no. 1 hit “96 Tears” and the 1967 hit “I Need Somebody”, which made it to no. 22 on the US charts.
? And The Mysterians were garage rock icons who managed to find some success with their unique proto-punk tunes, but they were simply too ahead of their time. Songs like “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” and “Do Something To Me” charted a bit, but not nearly as high as their two biggest songs.
3. Quiet Riot
You probably remember Quiet Riot from their chart-topping 1983 hit “Cum On Feel The Noize”. They also had some success with the 1983 hit “Band Your Head (Mental Health)”.
This is your typical cheesy, sleazy heavy metal glam band from the 1980s, and we’re not entirely surprised that they had a couple of hits make it far… and nothing else. Though, “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” almost made it to the Top 50.
4. Cutting Crew
You almost definitely have heard Cutting Crew before. They’re best known for the no. 1 1986 hit “(I Just) Died In Your Arms”, plus “I’ve Been In Love Before” from 1987, which made it to no. 9 on the charts.
This new wave outfit was more or less trapped in a sea of similar acts, and they couldn’t quite capitalize on their success with a third Top 30 hit in the US again.
5. Tesla
You might recognize these rock two-hit wonders from the no. 8 hit “Signs” from 1991, as well as “Love Song” from 1989.
Tesla was (and is) quite a charming hard rock outfit, and they’re still around today. Sadly, though, the Sacramento-based band never had another Top 40 song on the US Hot 100 chart again. Though, they consistently charted on the US Mainstream Rock chart well into the 2000s.
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