3 One-Hit Wonders No One May Come Close to Replicating Ever Again

One-hit wonder songs are usually a little far out there. Something about letting the dogs out, or safety dances, or “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (whatever that means). But there are odd songs and then there are songs no one maybe could come close to replicating ever again. Either they are too strange or just too of a certain time, but whatever the reason these songs won’t ever be copied.

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Indeed, here below, we wanted to explore three songs that are so unique they will always remain so. These are three one-hit wonders that no one may come close to replicating ever again.

[RELATED: 3 One-Hit Wonders from the 1970s Fans Can’t Stop Singing to]

“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” by Crash Test Dummies from God Shuffled His Feet (1993)

While on the face of it, this song, which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, seems like a simple acoustic-driven number featuring three little stories. What this song really is a perfect storm. With a singing voice like a maple tree, lead vocalist Brad Roberts was a phenomenon when this track came out in the early 1990s. And a chorus that is just humming? And it actually sounds good and catchy and perfect? There is no way such a simple, weird, even almost cartoonish song like this will ever be at the center of culture again. On it, Roberts croons,

Once there was this kid who
Got into an accident and couldn’t come to school
But when he finally came back
His hair had turned from black into bright white
He said that it was from when
The cars had smashed so hard

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm

“Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco from Falco 3 (1985)

This song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite being almost entirely in German. The only discernible English words are Rock Me Amadeus, save for a few other random lyrics. But thanks to its bold synths, staccato delivery, and its silly yet perfect chorus about the Austrian composer, this song became a hit. There is never going to be anything like this song ever again! Sings Falco,

Er war Superstar
Er war populär
Er war so exaltiert
Because er hatte Flair
Er war ein Virtuose
War ‘n Rockidol
Und alles rief
„Come and rock me Amadeus“

Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus, Amadeus, oh, oh, oh Amadeus
Come and rock me, Amadeus

“Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas from Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great Love Songs (1974)

We probably don’t need to say this. But a disco song about people kung fu fighting will never be replicated. Not only can some argue there is some cultural insensitivity going on here (at least by today’s standards), but the song itself is just so weird. Not so weird that it exists but weird that it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. But hey, that’s the shifts of culture for you! Indeed, Carl Douglas sings on this classic,

Everybody was Kung Fu fighting
Those cats were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening
But they fought with expert timing

There were funky China men from funky Chinatown
They were chopping them up, they were chopping them down
It’s an ancient Chinese art, and everybody knew their part
From a feint into a slip and a kicking from the hip

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns