3 Edgy One-Hit Wonders From the 2000s

Most of the time, when you think of one-hit wonders, silly songs come to mind about safety dances, viral dance phenomenons, and feeling too sexy for the catwalk. But sometimes the tracks are less novelties and more edgy. Sometimes they can offer real perspective.

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Here below, we wanted to explore three examples of just that from the 2000s. A trio of tracks that rocketed up the charts in ways their composers couldn’t quite follow up but also showed some bite and grit. Indeed, these are three edgy one-hit wonders from the 2000s.

[RELATED: 3 One-Hit Wonders That Dominated the Airwaves in the 1990s]

“Rehab” by Amy Winehouse from Back to Black (2006)

This was a giant single when it was released in 2006, hitting No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Today, it’s remembered as a sad track because Amy Winehouse famously died young (she’s part of the dubious 27 Club) due to drug and alcohol addiction. But when the song dropped, it was rare to have such a powerful-voiced singer sing so explicitly about rehab, addiction, and escape. It made people instantly get on her side and also had people pulling for her recovery. In the end, it didn’t work out for the British-born vocalist. But thankfully her album Back to Black remains for fans to listen to.

“Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus from Wheatus (2000)

This track, which made the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and the UK Singles charts, is still showing up in commercials today (see: Airbnb). In a way, it’s a simple love song put to punk rock guitar music. But it’s also filled with edge, cusses, and a hook that pierces your brain with its sharpness. We’ve all somehow thought about the term “teenage dirtbag” but Wheatus put the idea to self-depricating melody in a way that seemed both obvious and new.

“Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley from St. Elsewhere (2006)

Have you ever felt like you were going mad? Well this track sums that feeling up perhaps better than any other from the decade. Sung by the incomparable CeeLo Green and produced by the prolific Danger Mouse, “Crazy” seemed to be on the radio, in department stores, and on your favorite iPod playlists throughout the first decade of the new millennium. And in just three minutes, the duo of Gnarls Barkley reflected back the public consciousness with this cerebral, vivid, and entertaining offering. It’s still a classic today.

Photo by Mark Holloway/Redferns