3 One-Hit Wonders From the 2000s That Could Have Had a Long Career in the Industry

One-hit wonders are often not hard to sniff out. Most of the time, one can point out a one-hit wonder from a mile away due to the overt trendiness and timely opportunism embedded in the style of the musician’s aesthetic and music. However, what about the one-hit wonders who didn’t have this? What happened, and why weren’t they around longer? Who’s to say, but here are three one-hit wonders from the 2000s that we believe could have had a long and fruitful future in the industry.

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Wheatus

Wheatus‘ claim to fame is their 2000 single, “Teenage Dirtbag”, as it peaked at No. 1 in several countries, but failed to make it on the Hot 100. Even though it never made it on the Hot 100, the song has an enduring legacy, and as a result, we believe the band had the makings to be more than a one-hit wonder.

Was Wheatus very aligned with the fads of the 2000s? Yes, but if you listen to their songs “Lemonade”, “Hey, Mr. Brown”, and “Sunshine”, you might realize these guys had the capacity to change with the times. Wheatus is still pumping out music, so hey, maybe they will do just that, we think they can.

Crazy Town

You might disagree strongly with this take, as Crazy Town‘s one and only hit, “Butterfly”, used a sample from The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Pretty Little Ditty”, but we believe Crazy Town had enough gas in the tank to go for a while. As mentioned, “Butterfly” is the song that put this punk-fusion band in the one-hit wonder category, given that it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Around the success of “Butterfly” bands such as Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, Crazy Town started to gain some more notoriety, which makes us wonder why Crazy Town didn’t. Again, there is no definitive answer, but per the roaring success of this song and songs adjacent to it, it is a bit confusing, don’t you think?

The Calling

Creed, Daughtry, Nickelback, and 3 Doors Down all have a decorated legacy, so why doesn’t The Calling? Externally, some factors prevented a long career for The Calling, but musically, they had all the goods, and the song that proves it is their No. 5 hit, “Wherever You Will Go”.

If you aren’t a fan of late 1990s and early 2000s rock, then it might be hard to differentiate The Calling from any of the bands we mentioned above; that is just how similar they sound. That being so, we think these guys could have gained quite a foothold in the business.

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