I Was Wondering When I Would See You Again
One catchy song is all it takes to launch a musician's career and create a lasting cultural impact. Sometimes, a song is so huge it makes it hard for a musical act to replicate the monster success.
We looked at the sales figures, streams, downloads, views, media appearances, chart positions and more to determine which one-hit wonders qualify as the most successful of all time.
"Rico Suave" by Gerardo (1990): When it debuted, this song hit #2 on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles — but later nabbed a spot on "Worst of" lists. Despite some mixed reviews, Gerardo undoubtedly created a Casanova for a new generation.
"Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" by Silentó (2015): Silentó's debut single spent six non-consecutive weeks near the top of Billboard's Hot 100, reached more than 2 million sales in a few months and went 6X Certified Platinum in the U.S.
"Lately" by Divine (1998): Divine, an American R&B girl group, released only one album in 1998 before disbanding in 2000. Nonetheless, singers Kia Thornton, Nikki Bratcher and Tonia Tash made a mark with their platinum hit.
"What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes (1993): The 4 Non Blondes' second single snagged the top spot in 11 countries as well as #2 in Australia and the U.K. Now, it's 2X Certified Platinum in five countries and the star of a He-Man-themed YouTube meme.
"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia (1997): Imbruglia's Grammy-nominated cover of "Torn" reached #1 in half a dozen countries when it launched. In her native Australia, the song is the most-played radio tune. Each day, roughly 75 perfect skies end up torn.
"Harlem Shake" by Baauer (2013): Hailed as "the biggest viral sensation since PSY's 'Gangnam Style,'" this song claimed the #1 spot in the U.S. for five consecutive weeks and went 2X Platinum. Thanks to Baauer, Billboard started factoring video streams into its equation.
"Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba (1997): This hit from everyone's favorite anarchist punk band has sold more than 880,000 copies in the U.K. alone and topped the charts in half a dozen countries. It even spent a whopping 31 weeks on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 list.
"Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega (1999): Bega's cover held the #1 spot in Australia for eight weeks, going 4X Certified Platinum Down Under. Additionally, it topped almost every chart in continental Europe and set a record for longest #1 song in France (20 weeks).
"Take on Me" by A-ha (1985): It took A-ha several tries to get the song right, but the innovative music video, which blended live-action clips with animated ones, was an instant success. This led to an impressive 27 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 in the U.S.
"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter (2005): This song remained #1 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 for 19 weeks in the U.S., eventually going 3X Certified Platinum. It also became the first song in the U.S. to sell 2 million digital copies.
"La Bamba" by Los Lobos (1987): Many bands have recorded this Mexican folk song, but the Los Lobos version is the most successful rendition, thanks in part to the 1987 film La Bamba. This track reached #1 in 10 countries and went 2X Certified Platinum in the U.S.
"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum (1969): From 1969 to 1970, the song sold 2 million copies, making it certified Gold. Although the psychedelic rock anthem didn't reach #1 in the U.S., it did claim the top spot in five countries.
"99 Luftballoons" by Nena (1984): Inspired by the red balloons that rained down at a Rolling Stones concert, this next hit made it to #1 in 12 countries. The English version snagged one Platinum and one Gold certification, while the German version has four Gold certifications to its name.
"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice (1990): Believe it or not, "Ice Ice Baby" clinching the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 marks the first time a hip-hop single did so in the U.S. The Certified Platinum song heavily samples the Queen and David Bowie hit "Under Pressure," which led to some legal trouble.
"Who Let the Dogs Out?" by Baha Men (2000): Although this song peaked at just #21 on Billboard's Top 40 in the U.S., the Certified Platinum hit still made waves in the promotional material for Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (1998) and as the New York Mets' anthem during their 2000 World Series bid.
"Mickey" by Toni Basil (1982): Following a reissue a year after its initial release, this tune hit #1 in Australia, Canada and the U.S. and went Certified Platinum in all three countries. The track has since been sampled by the likes of Run-DMC and Madonna.
"I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred (1991): This hit topped the charts in six countries and went Certified Platinum in the U.S. and Australia. The divisive earworm has made several of VH1's "Greatest" lists — but Blender dubbed it one of the worst songs ever written.
"Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners (1982): Although this tune was the band's second #1 song in the U.K., it was their first #1 hit in the U.S. and half a dozen other countries. In the U.K. alone, the 2X Certified Platinum hit sold more than 1.33 million copies.
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (1982): This re-recording of an underappreciated Gloria Jones song from the '70s just needed Soft Cell's '80s influence to break into the Top 40. In the end, it spent a record-breaking 43 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100.
"Gangnam Style" by PSY (2012): Not only did this become the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views, but it's also the most-liked YouTube video with 16 million thumbs up. After reaching #1 in more than 30 countries, "Gangnam Style" went 10X Certified Platinum in Australia.
"Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth (1982): This reggae-style hit reached #1 in six countries and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Music icons such as Missy Elliott, A Tribe Called Quest and The Black Eyed Peas have since sampled or reused the song.
"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie (1967): This counterculture anthem reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 and helped smooth things over with locals in Monterey, California, who were concerned about the hippies descending on their town for the now-historic pop music festival.
"Barbie Girl" by Aqua (1997): The bubblegum pop hit reached #1 in the U.K. and Australia for three weeks and hit #7 in the U.S. It also earned a lawsuit from Mattel — how fantastic!
"Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot (1992): Initially banned by MTV for its lyrics, this song went on to earn Sir Mix-a-Lot a Grammy in '93. Nicki Minaj famously samples the hit in "Anaconda."
"My Sharona" by The Knack (1979): In addition to holding onto the Hot 100 #1 spot for six weeks, this new wave hit nabbed #1 on Billboard's Year-End chart. It's also the debut single that Certified Gold the fastest, edging out the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
"Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies (1969): Recorded by The Archies, a "virtual band" composed of the Archie Comics characters, this 1969 hit sold 1 million copies in four months and held the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 for four weeks.
"Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team (1993): Although it peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100, this song stayed in the Top 10 for 24 weeks and has sold more than 4 million copies.
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor (1982): Thanks to the massive exposure this tune received from Rocky III (1982), it remained #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, went 2X Certified Platinum in the U.S. and earned Survivor a Grammy.
"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra (2012): As one of the bestselling digital singles of all time, the song went 11X Certified Platinum in Australia and 8X Certified Platinum in the U.S. — and won two Grammys.
"Macarena" by Los Del Rio (1996): Although the Flamenco duo's song reached #1 in Spain initially, the "Bayside Boys Remix" helped it claim #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for a whopping 14 weeks. Until 2010, it held the record for remaining in the Hot 100 for 60 weeks.
Source: https://www.ask.com/entertainment/top-one-hit-wonders-slimfeed?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740004%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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