I’m a big fan of the following one-hit wonders from the 1990s. Sadly, they aren’t often mentioned on lists about other memorable and catchy one-hit wonders from the turn of the century. I think that’s enormously unfair; the following three songs are still absolute bops in the 2020s. Let’s take a look!
Videos by American Songwriter
“Your Woman” by White Town
British-Indian singer and music producer White Town made it big in 1997 with his hit song, “Your Woman”. Even if you weren’t in the UK at the time, this song was absolutely everywhere. In fact, it made it to the Top 10 across Europe, topped the UK charts, and made it to No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.
I really feel like White Town deserved a better chance on the charts. Sadly, his follow-up single “Undressed” was his only additional song to chart, and it peaked at No. 57 in the UK. Though, that doesn’t bother him much, apparently.
“To be a professional musician and to be entertaining people twenty years after my biggest hit, I feel like I’m the luckiest person alive,” White Town said in 2020. “Just to have one song that connects with people, most musicians dream their entire lives of having that.”
“In The Meantime” by Spacehog
Remember Spacehog? This alt-rock outfit earned some pretty hefty charting success with the 1996 song, “In The Meantime”. That song peaked at No. 32 on the Hot 100 and No. 29 in the UK, among other charts. It also topped the US Mainstream Rock chart.
Spacehog continued to chart in the UK for a couple of years and put out a few additional singles that made it to the Mainstream Rock chart. Sadly, they never made it to the Hot 100 again. However, they’re still together today, so there’s still time!
“Banditos” by The Refreshments
The alternative roots rock outfit got together back in 1992 and hit the charts with their debut single, “Banditos”. That song made it to No. 14 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and also did well in Australia and Canada. Sadly, that was the only song by The Refreshments to make it to the Top 40 in the US (and anywhere, for that matter).
Oddly enough, “Banditos” is not the song I think of when I think of these one-hit wonders from the 1990s. I usually think of the song “Yahoos And Triangles”, which did not chart at all, but was made famous by becoming the theme song of the animated sitcom King Of The Hill. I’m sure plenty of 90s kids would agree with me there.
Photo by Steve Eichner/Getty Images
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