The 1990s were by far my favorite era for music. There was something for everyone, from pop to alt-rock to electronica and everything in between. And with the 1990s came plenty of one-hit wonders that scored some big success with just one song before fading away from the mainstream charts in the US. I think that’s unfair, mainly because the albums those hits came from feature tons of great music that deserved to chart well on the singles charts as well. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?
Faith No More
Alternative metal outfit Faith No More found some serious success with the 1990 rap metal single, “Epic”. It was a big breakthrough for the band and peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Sadly, the band never made it to the Top 40 on that chart again. And I think that’s pretty wild, considering how good the whole of the album The Real Thing is. Especially the three additional singles that Faith No More put out that barely charted. It’s a really funky and unique alternative metal and rap album, and one that I revisit often.
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The Breeders
This one-hit wonder always baffles me. This alternative rock outfit, fronted by Kim Dea,l is on a totally different level. And they were a breath of fresh air in the 1990s when grunge had taken over the airwaves. I’m not surprised that “Cannonball” from 1993 ended up being their claim to fame, as it was quite the unique (and addictive) piece of work during that era. And yet, “Cannonball” didn’t even make it to the Top 40 of the Hot 100 (it peaked at No. 44), and none of the two other singles from Last Splash made it to the chart. This is such a fun album, and I really think it deserved more love back in the day.
Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba is one of my favorite one-hit wonders from the 1990s, and I truly believe this anarcho-punk band should not have been considered a one-hit wonder. Tons of songs by this British group are just as good as “Tubthumping”, and many of those songs can be found on the album Tubthumper. While this outfit isn’t exactly a one-hit wonder in the UK, “Tupthumping” was their only charting hit in the US, where it peaked at No. 6 in 1997. Tubthumper features a ton of great songs, from “Amnesia” to “Drip, Drip, Drip”, among others.
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