3 Modern One-Hit Wonders You Probably Thought Were Older

One-hit wonders often, in part, get their fame from being very much of their era. Think of any one-hit wonder songs from the 80s, for example. They all ooze that 80s, glittery, synthy quality. However, sometimes, a one-hit wonder will really not sound like the era it’s actually from at all. Let’s look at a few one-hit wonders that have a vintage kind of sound, at least to my ear!

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“Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn And John

Surprisingly, at least to me, this Peter Bjorn And John track came out in 2006 as part of the band’s third album, Writer’s Block. The Swedish trio enjoyed a little bit of success in Europe in the years that followed this song’s release, but “Young Folks” remains their only global hit and their only song to hit the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and Alternative Airplay charts.

Some might disagree with me on this one, but I originally thought this song came out in the late 1990s. Anyone who experienced the indie sleaze craze of the early aughts might balk at that, though this song technically predates indie sleaze. Regardless, I think there’s something about this song’s production that sounds like good underground European indie-pop from 1995 or so. Am I crazy? Maybe! It’s a good song, either way.

“Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet

Ah, Jet. I know very well that this song came out in 2003, because when I first heard it, I could absolutely not get enough of it. I really do wish that this Australian rock outfit had blown up on a larger scale, because they knew how to do garage rock revival right. So right, that in my opinion, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” sounds like it came out in the 1990s. It has that early 90s indie rock sound, but somehow, the song didn’t sound dated when it was released in 2003. 

Jet has continued to enjoy success in their native Australia. However, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” is their only Top 30 US hit.

“This Head I Hold” by Electric Guest

Every time I’ve ever heard this song, I thought it was an early 2000s song. It has that early aughts proto-indie sleaze vibe to it, and even the synth chords that play midway through the song have that ethereal quality that was popular at the turn of the millennium.

Surprisingly, though, this entry on our list of one-hit wonders was released in 2012. The song comes from Electric Guest’s debut record Mondo. The song ended up being one of the best-selling songs in France that year, and the band hit the charts across Europe. They even made it to No. 30 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. Sadly, this indie pop outfit never made it to the charts in such a way again.

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