In my opinion, the 90s had the best run of memorable and catchy one-hit wonders. And quite a few of the bands and musicians that produced those solitary hits should have enjoyed more than one Top 40 hit, too. The following three groups are great examples of one-hit wonders that really should have been bigger. Especially when you consider how memorable their respective claims to fame are. Let’s take a look at a few one-hit wonders from the 90s that need to make a comeback ASAP!
Videos by American Songwriter
“Jump Around” by House Of Pain (1992)
Few songs from the early 1990s era of hip-hop are as memorable and danceable as “Jump Around” by House Of Pain. This 1992 song was a bop back then and is still a bop today. I could easily see a resurgence of this style of hip-hop happening soon. And it could be spearheaded by a House Of Pain reunion. Though, the last time House Of Pain got back together was way back in 2017.
“Jump Around” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Unfortunately, the group never scored another Top 40 hit on that chart.
“Counting Blue Cars” by Dishwalla (1996)
Alternative rock had a great run in the 90s, and there were so many different microgenres under alternative rock that thrived during that decade. I’m a big fan of the song “Counting Blue Cars” by Dishwalla, and I think that this band could totally make it to the top of the charts again today. Dishwalla are still together, thankfully, but they haven’t released any new material since the 2022 EP, Alive.
“Counting Blue Cars” peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100, and sadly, the band has yet to hit that coveted chart again.
“The Way” by Fastball (1998)
How about another alternative rock example of one-hit wonders from the 90s? “The Way” by Fastball was a pretty big hit back in 1998, even though the story behind the song is pretty tragic. Frontman Tony Scalzo was inspired to write the song after hearing about the 1997 disappearance of an elderly couple from Texas who were found dead at the bottom of a ravine. And that kind of poignant songwriting, I think, could do well in the modern age. Fastball is still kicking today, they released an album in 2024, and they definitely deserve more charting success nowadays.
“The Way” technically didn’t make it to the Hot 100 chart, but it did make it to No. 5 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. I included them on this list because “The Way” was their only Top 30 song across the board, including multiple charts in the US, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the UK.
Photo by Barry King/WireImage











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