3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1960s That Were Somehow No. 1 Hits

When you think of a one-hit wonder, most of the time, you think of a flash-in-the-pan. You think of an artist who barely scratched the Billboard Hot 100. Maybe they wrote a novelty song and the world took pity on them, right?

But here below, we wanted to dive into something different. We wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that surprised the world. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1960s that were somehow No. 1 hits.

“96 Tears” by ? And The Mysterians from ’96 Tears’ (1966)

This 1966 song from the oddly named ? And The Mysterians featured some buzzy guitars and some echoing organs. Well, around the mid-1960s, maybe that was enough! Many music fans at the time were eager to expand their minds, see some other new type of consciousness. Well, ? And The Mysterians stepped in and offered some musical insight. Their track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and even today you can still hear it pop up in TV ads and on movie soundtracks.

“In The Year 2525” by Zager And Evans from ‘2525 (Exordium & Terminus)’ (1969)

This 1969 offering from Zager And Evans was one of those novelty songs that got music fans’ attention in the late 1960s. But this tune didn’t just scratch the surface of the Billboard Hot 100. No, it rocketed all the way to the top, hitting the No. 1 spot. Back in the day, there was a swelling interest in the future—where was humanity going, what would cars and TV dinners look like? With those questions on their minds (and as America touched down on the face of the moon), Zager And Evans were singing about the year 2525.

“Green Tambourine” by The Lemon Pipers from ‘Green Tambourine‘ (1968)

Who can be sure why this tune hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100? But we think it has something to do with The Beatles. Back in the day, the Liverpool, England-born band was experimenting in all kinds of ways in their music. And other groups followed suit, including The Lemon Pipers. Indeed, this single was one of the first psychedelic hits. It also sums up that late-era 1960s vibe. One where mind expansion was en vogue.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images