3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1990s That Were Somehow No. 1 Hits

It’s a big deal when an artist releases a No. 1 song. It can be cause for much celebration. But it can also be a cause for scratching your head. You might wonder, “How did THAT person make it to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100?”

Well, that’s just what we wanted to look into below. We wanted to highlight three tunes from back in the day that, perhaps surprisingly, landed at the top spot. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1990s that were somehow No. 1 hits.

“Unbelievable” by EMF from ‘Schubert Dip’ (1991)

Sometimes all you need is the right couple of words sung in the right way to get yourself a No. 1 hit. When you get right down to it, that was the formula for “Unbelievable” by EMF. If you’ve ever heard the 1991 track, it likely sticks in your head like glue. But if we were to ask you what the lyrics were, you’d likely only be able to recite back two words. You’re unbelievable! Well, good job, EMF! Two words garnered the band the No. 1 spot!

“I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred from ‘Up’ (1992)

Back in the early 1990s, this song was shocking. You have to remember—we were still decades away from Cardi B and Megan THEE Stallion shaking their posteriors. We were decades away from Miley Cyrus sticking out her tongue and twerking on stage. In 1992, we were a much different musical society. And then Right Said Fred came along and started singing about sexy things left and right. Goodness help you if this song came on and you were around your parents. You’d be blushing the rest of the day! And yet, this tune saw lots of success, getting all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot from ‘Mack Daddy’ (1992)

Speaking of shocking songs that could make you blush back in the 1990s, this tune from the Seattle-born rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot raised a lot of eyebrows and got a lot of cheeks flush (no pun intended). In it, the lyricist talks about, well, big butts! Today, the tune is one of the most popular at karaoke bars, and it remains a mainstay in television commercials. But back when it was released? It had lots of people giggling. And Mix rode those snickers all the way to No. 1!

Photo by Manfred Schmid/Redferns