A song is supposed to be unique. A song should have a perspective, a point of view, something to say. At the end of the day, a song should offer a singular vision. Well, these songs below certainly do. Indeed, these tunes aren’t like anything else. No songs before or after them have ever come close. That’s just a fact. These are three one-hit wonders from the 1990s no one else on Earth could have written.
“The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground from ‘Sex Packets’ (1990)
Just take a look at the song title above for a moment. We’ll wait… Could you have thought of that one in a million years? No, us either. But that’s just one of the many examples of why the late Shock G of Digital Underground remains one of the most unique and innovative artists in hip-hop music history. From his fake nose to his cartoonish voice, Shock G knew how to stand out in a crowd. (Fun fact: Tupac Shakur was one of his former backup dancers!) Indeed, Digital Underground’s 1990 track “The Humpty Dance” is excellent and unlike anything else.
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“Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice from ‘To The Extreme’ (1990)
If there was an “unlike anyone else” Hall of Fame, then Vanilla Ice would have to be inducted on the first ballot. The rapper from the early 1990s wrote, recorded, and released one of the most famous songs of all time. But the only trouble is that the track is famous today both for its talent and its unintentional comedy. People like to snicker at Vanilla Ice as much as they like to bob their heads at his unique artistry. Well, either way, this tune hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains totally singular.
“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” by Crash Test Dummies from ‘God Shuffled His Feet’ (1993)
If you were a record executive in the mid-1990s and a band came into your office with an idea for a song with a chorus that was just humming, what would your instinct be? We would have thrown them out, too! Well, somehow the Canadian-born band known as The Crash Test Dummies won out, and their tune “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” with the simple humming chorus made it out into the world. It also became a hit in 1993. Amazing! No other band has a similar history.
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More The List
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AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – JULY 18: Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performs live on stage at Paradiso on July 18, 1993 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. -
American singer and actress Madonna filming the video for her song 'Papa Don't Preach' in New York City, 1986. The video is being directed by James Foley. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images) -
Guitarists and singers Andy Powell (left) and Ted Turner performing with British rock group Wishbone Ash at a Chritmas concert at Alexandra Palace, London, 22nd December 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
Photo by Stanley Bielecki/ASP/Getty Images -
th September 1976: British rock group Queen at Les Ambassadeurs, where they were presented with silver, gold and platinum discs for sales in excess of one million of their hit single 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The band are, from left to right, John Deacon, Freddie Mercury (Frederick Bulsara, 1946 – 1991), Roger Taylor and Brian May. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) -
Badfinger performs at Pasadena Civic Auditorium Pasadena, CA 1972; Various Locations; Mark Sullivan 70's Rock Archive (Photo by Mark Sullivan/Contour by Getty Images)
