3 Addicting One-Hit Wonders From the 2010s

Ah, one-hit wonders. Love them or hate them, you can’t live without them. Also, would you want to? After all, a select number of one-hit wonders are considered some of the greatest songs of all time. With all that in mind, every decade and era of music has been blessed with these industry staples. And even though they are great for the fans, they are certainly not all that great for the artists’ legacies.

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Thanks to the common occurrence of the one-hit wonder, it’s hard to pinpoint the most popular one-hit wonder of all time. Frankly, one could argue that it’s impossible. That being said, we’ll help you narrow down your search by giving you three of the best one-hit wonders from the 2010s!

“Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye

As good as he could have been, Gotye was in one ear and out the other. However, he will always be remembered as an iconic one-hit wonder thanks to his monster song “Somebody That I Used To Know”. Released in 2011, Gotye’s single had one of the most remarkable chart runs in music history.

In addition to gracing the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, the single also reached no. 1 in more than 23 US-based charts. Furthermore, the song was a no. 1 hit in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Even though Gotye’s musical career did not pop off following this song, he is still surely living glamorously thanks to this hit single.

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen

Contrary to the cringeness associated with this song, Carly Rae Jepsen did live rent-free in the minds of the masses. Released in 2012, Jepsen’s giant hit “Call Me Maybe” became one of the most popular songs of the 21st century.

Following its 2012 release, Jepsen’s smash hit reached the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Consequently, the single became the best-selling song in the world in 2012 and peaked at no. 1 in 18 other countries. As annoying as this song might be to some people, the numbers don’t lie. And as a result, Carly Rae Jepsen is one of the most famous one-hit wonders of all time, not just the 2010s.

“Ex’s & Oh’s” by Elle King

Despite “Ex’s & Oh’s” not reaching no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song existed as a major 2015 hit. Specifically, Elle King‘s single peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and graced the no. 1 spot on the Alternative Songs chart. Additionally, the song also reached the Top 10 in Australia, Austria, and New Zealand.

The song appeared on 36 different charts, received a Grammy nomination, and went platinum in the United States. King might have gone on to become a one-hit wonder, but she partially ruled the music industry in 2015.

Photo via MTV EMA’s 2012 Show per Getty Images