Some bands stay at the top of the charts for decades, changing their style and sound. But there are also those beloved one-hit wonders who make their mark with one unforgettable song and then fade away. These are the best one-hit wonders of the 90s!
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You might be surprised to learn that some of your favorite songs from the ’90s were actually one-hit wonders. Can you think of another hit song by any of these artists? We doubt it! Enjoy these nostalgic tunes that never get old in our playlist with the best 90s One-Hit Wonders.
What Makes a One-Hit Wonder?
One-hit wonders are songs or artists with only one big hit. More specifically, the song in question must be the only song in the artist’s music catalog that has appeared in the Top 40 or the Billboard Hot 100.
One-hit wonders are often catchy and easy to remember because they are designed to be radio-friendly and played repeatedly.
This makes them stick in your head and make you want to sing along. In addition, one-hit wonders tend to be nostalgic, frequently surprising, and fun to listen to.
The One-Hit Wonder List
Let’s look at the list, highlight the top 5 one-hit wonders, and discover some fun facts about them. Here we go!
5. “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts (1995)
You probably know the song “I’ll Be There For You.” But did you know that it was initially written for the Friends theme song and was only 45 seconds long? After the show became popular, the producers returned to the Rembrandts and asked them to expand it into a full song, the catchy three-minute version we all know and love today.
4. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue Something (1993)
You probably didn’t know that the song was actually inspired by the Audrey Hepburn movie “Roman Holiday,” but the band didn’t think “Roman Holiday” was such a catchy title! Luckily, they chose “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” instead, which became a hit on the charts.
3. “Save Tonight” by Eagle Eye Cherry (1997)
Did you know that Eagle-Eye Cherry isn’t just some random artist who came out of nowhere with a single smash hit? In fact, he comes from a pretty musical family. His half-sister is the iconic singer Neneh Cherry, known for her hit “Buffalo Stance.” So music seems to be in his blood!
2. “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” by Lou Bega (1999)
Despite the song’s infectious Latin vibes and Lou Bega’s smooth delivery, he’s not actually Latino! Believe it or not, Lou Bega is German. His musical inspiration came from digging through old mambo records, and he captured the sound perfectly, even though his heritage wasn’t directly tied to the genre.
1. “Torn” by Nathalie Imbruglia (1997)
Nathalie Imbruglia’s beautiful song “Torn”. But did you know that while the song made Natalie a star, it was actually a cover?
The original version was written and performed by an American alternative rock band called Ednaswap in 1995. Although their version did not reach the same level of worldwide fame, Natalie’s haunting rendition is more recognizable today.
Other Playlists You May Like
Complete list of One Hit Wonders of the 90s
| # | Song - Artist | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torn - Natalie Imbruglia | 1997 |
| 2 | Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...) - Lou Bega | 1999 |
| 3 | Save Tonight - Eagle-Eye Cherry | 1997 |
| 4 | Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something | 1995 |
| 5 | I'll Be There for You (Theme from "Friends') - The Rembrandts | 1994 |
| 6 | Jump Around - House Of Pain | 1992 |
| 7 | Summer Girls - LFO | 1999 |
| 8 | Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve | 1997 |
| 9 | Jump - Kris Kross | 1992 |
| 10 | How Bizarre - OMC | 1996 |
| 11 | The Freshmen - The Verve Pipe | 1996 |
| 12 | Possum Kingdom - Toadies | 1995 |
| 13 | Your Woman - White Town | 1997 |
| 14 | In the Meantime - Spacehog | 1995 |
| 15 | Brick - Ben Folds Five | 1997 |
| 16 | Cannonball - The Breeders | 1993 |
| 17 | Connected - Stereo MC's | 1988 |
| 18 | Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand - Primitive Radio Gods | 1996 |
| 19 | What Is Love - Haddaway | 1993 |
| 20 | Closing Time - Semisonic | 1998 |
| 21 | No Rain - Blind Melon | 1992 |
| 22 | Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger | 1997 |
| 23 | Just a Friend - Biz Markie | 1988 |
| 24 | Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinéad O'Connor | 1990 |
| 25 | Mentirosa - Mellow Man Ace | 1995 |
| 26 | Knockin' Boots - Candyman | 1991 |
| 27 | Groove Is in the Heart - Deee-Lite | 1990 |
| 28 | Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane | 1991 |
| 29 | Unbelievable - EMF | 1991 |
| 30 | I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred | 1991 |
| 31 | Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus | 1992 |
| 32 | I Got A Man - Positive K | 1998 |
| 33 | Ditty - Paperboy | 1991 |
| 34 | Whoot - There It Is | 1997 |
| 35 | I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers | 1988 |
| 36 | What's Up? - 4 Non Blondes | 1993 |
| 37 | Back in the Day - Ahmad Lewis | 1994 |
| 38 | I Wish - Skee-Lo | 1995 |
| 39 | I Know - Dionne Farris | 1991 |
| 40 | Missing - Everything But The Girl | 1994 |
| 41 | 5 o'clock - Nonchalant | 1992 |
| 42 | Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me Your Thoughts On God) - Dishwalla | 1995 |
| 43 | Hay - Crucial Conflict | 1996 |
| 44 | Lovefool - The Cardigans | 1996 |
| 45 | Barbie Girl - Aqua | 1997 |
| 46 | Criminal - Fiona Apple | 1996 |
| 47 | Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin | 1996 |
| 48 | Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground | 1997 |
| 49 | My Own Worst Enemy - Lit | 1999 |
| 50 | No Pigeons - Sporty Thievz | 1999 |
| 51 | She's so High - Tal Bachman | 1994 |
| 52 | Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice | 1990 |
| 53 | There She Goes - The La's | 1988 |
| 54 | The Sign - Ace of Base | 1994 |
| 55 | Runaway Train - Soul Asylum | 1989 |
| 56 | Epic - Faith No More | 1989 |
| 57 | Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill | 1993 |
| 58 | I Touch Myself - Divinyls | 1990 |
| 59 | MMMBop - Single Version - Hanson | 1997 |
| 60 | Good Vibrations - Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch | 1991 |
| 61 | Black Velvet - Alannah Myles | 1989 |
| 62 | Return of the Mack - Mark Morrison | 1996 |
| 63 | The Rhythm of the Night - Corona | 1993 |
| 64 | Firestarter - The Prodigy | 1996 |
| 65 | Informer - Snow | 1992 |
| 66 | Fade Into You - Mazzy Star | 1993 |
| 67 | More Than Words - Extreme | 1990 |
| 68 | Seether - Veruca Salt | 1994 |
| 69 | A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins | 1994 |
| 70 | Pepper - Butthole Surfers | 1989 |
| 71 | Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb | 1994 |
| 72 | Crush - Jennifer Paige | 1998 |
| 73 | Right Here Right Now - Jesus Jones | 1993 |
| 74 | Regulate - Warren G | 1994 |
| 75 | Macarena - Los Del Rio | 1995 |
| 76 | Show Me Love - Robin S | 1993 |
| 77 | Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer | 1998 |
| 78 | The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | 1997 |
| 79 | I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis | 1998 |
| 80 | Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three | 1998 |
| 81 | Don't Wanna Fall in Love - Jane Child | 1990 |
| 82 | Finally - CeCe Peniston | 1991 |
| 83 | You Gotta Be - Des'ree | 1994 |
| 84 | Little Black Backpack - Stroke 9 | 1999 |
| 85 | Good - Better Than Ezra | 1995 |
| 86 | Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out) - Citizen King | 2000 |
| 87 | We like to Party! (The Vengabus) - Vengaboys | 1997 |
| 88 | C'est La Vie - B*Witched | 1998 |
| 89 | To Be With You - Mr. Big | 1991 |
| 90 | How Do You Talk To An Angel? - The Heights | 1998 |
| 91 | Sell Out - Reel Big Fish | 1997 |
| 92 | Connection - Elastica | 1995 |
| 93 | Freak Like Me - Adina Howard | 1995 |
| 94 | Two Princes - Spin Doctors | 1993 |
| 95 | This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan | 1995 |
| 96 | Tubthumping - Chumbawamba | 1997 |
| 97 | Touch It - Monifah | 1998 |
| 98 | Short Dick Man - 20 Fingers | 1993 |
| 99 | MMMBop - Hanson | 1997 |
| 100 | Bitch - Meredith Brooks | 1997 |
| 101 | Lemon Tree - Fools Garden | 1995 |
| 102 | Time After Time - INOJ | 1988 |
| 103 | What Do I Have to Do? - Stabbing Westward | 1994 |
| 104 | Get Here - Oleta Adams | 1982 |
| 105 | How Do I Live - From "Con Air" - Trisha Yearwood | 1997 |
| 106 | Novocaine For The Soul - Eels | 1996 |
| 107 | Always And Forever - Whistle | 1991 |
| 108 | Bad Boys (Theme from COPS) - Inner Circle | 1987 |
| 109 | Walking in Memphis - Marc Cohn | 1991 |
| 110 | I Wanna Be Rich - Calloway | 1991 |
| 111 | Baby - I Love Your Way | 1990 |
| 112 | Loser - Beck | 1994 |
| 113 | Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle | 1997 |
| 114 | Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic | 1989 |
| 115 | Ballad of Jane - Re-Recorded - L.A. Guns | 1994 |
| 116 | Would I Lie To You? - Charles & Eddie | 1990 |
| 117 | Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe | 1990 |
| 118 | Whoomp! There It Is - Tag Team | 1993 |
| 119 | You Get What You Give - New Radicals | 1998 |
| 120 | Here Comes the Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze | 1994 |
| 121 | Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men | 2000 |
| 122 | One Of Us - Joan Osborne | 1995 |
| 123 | Butterfly - Crazy Town | 1999 |
| 124 | Cotton Eye Joe - Rednex | 1995 |
| 125 | Closing Time - Semisonic | 1998 |
| 126 | Take a Picture - Filter | 1999 |
| 127 | Far Behind - Candlebox | 1993 |
| 128 | The Way - Fastball | 1998 |
| 129 | Brimful of Asha - Cornershop | 1997 |
| 130 | Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65 | 1999 |
| 131 | Connected - Stereo MC's | 1988 |
| 132 | The Bad Touch - Bloodhound Gang | 1999 |
| 133 | Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies | 1993 |
| 134 | Ready to Go - Republica | 1997 |
| 135 | Mrs. Robinson - The Lemonheads | 1992 |
| 136 | Come on Eileen - Save Ferris | 1996 |
| 137 | Alright - Supergrass | 1995 |
| 138 | Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon | 1999 |
| 139 | Blue Monday - Orgy | 1998 |
| 140 | Steal My Sunshine - LEN | 1999 |
| 141 | Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot | 1992 |
| 142 | Sleeping Satellite - Tasmin Archer | 1992 |
| 143 | 7 Seconds (feat. Neneh Cherry) - Youssou N'Dour | 1994 |
| 144 | Simarik - Tarkan | 1997 |
Haven’t had enough of one-hit wonders yet? Check out our list of one-hit wonders from the 1980s!
Spotify Playlist
YouTube Music Video’s
Final thoughts
This was our selection of what we consider to be the greatest one-hit wonders of the 1990s. There are undoubtedly more than our Top One-Hit Wonders list, but these are the best.
Do you disagree, or would you like to add an absolute 90s stunner to our list? Let us know in the comments section or via our social networks. We love to hear your opinion! Bye bye!
Frequently Asked Questions
A few contenders for the title of “greatest one-hit wonder,” although there are many more: Los Del Rio with Macarena, Vanilla Ice with “Ice Ice Baby,” and A-ha with “Take On Me.”
