3 One-Hit Wonders From the 2000s That Found Success More Than a Year After They Were Released

Sometimes it can take a while for a song to find its audience. Of course, there are plenty of reasons why that might be the case. For instance, not every great songwriter has a great PR team. Also, sometimes a song can be way ahead of its time. Whatever the reason—it can take a minute. Here below, we wanted to highlight three tracks from earlier this century that took their time to find the limelight. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 2000s that found success more than a year after release.

“Because I Got High” by Afroman from ‘Because I Got High’ (2000)

After his recent patriotic success in court, Afroman may not be an official one-hit wonder anymore. But while we wait for a formal ruling from the judges, let’s dive into the song from earlier this century that made him famous in dorm rooms all over the country. Indeed, before he was making headlines, the rapper Afroman was just making songs for himself and his friends. He released the ode to cannabis quietly on June 20, 2000. But soon “Because I Got High” took on a life of its own, earning him a Grammy nomination. In between, the track peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 13 on September 8, 20001. That’s quite the journey!

“Jerk It Out” by Caesars from ‘Love For The Streets’ (2002)

Originally, this funky rock song was released in 2002. Back then, the group was still known as Caesars Palace. But it took a re-release several years later for the world to come around and enjoy this propellant track. Indeed, it was 2005 when “Jerk It Out” rose up the charts in both the US and UK, becoming part of the mainstream pastiche. Today, it’s a song we’ve all heard a million times, whether in the background at some restaurant or in the soundtrack to a modern movie or video game.

“Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s from ‘All That We Needed’ (2005)

This pretty, acoustic-driven song was originally released in 2005 on the Plain White T’s LP, All That We Needed. But like “Jerk It Out”, it took a re-release for the track to really find its audience. The band shared the song again as a single in 2007, and that’s when it finally took off, earning Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of 2007. That’s the power of sticking to your dream!

Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic