3 One-Hit Wonders That Anyone Who Was Young in the 90s Will Remember

If you were young in the 1990s, you remember these one-hit wonders. They were likely big parts of your childhood, scoring your best memories. These songs did wonders for their artists, but they struggled to overcome their popularity. Revisit these 1990s one-hit wonders for a dose of nostalgia and perhaps more awareness of who was behind them.

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[RELATED: 3 Pop-Punk One-Hit Wonders From the 2000s That Still Make Us Smile]

“Tubthumping” — Chumbawamba

Almost everyone—whether they were born in the 90s or not—will know the anthemic chant behind Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping.” The chorus kicks off with “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” inviting anyone who is listening to join in with the band.

This 90s one-hit wonder became a staple in bars around the world, known for bringing strangers together. If you were young in this era, odds are you remember screaming along to this iconic chorus with your friends, feeling like the whole world was ahead of you.

“Steal My Sunshine” —  Len

Summer in the late 90s can be summed up by Len’s “Steal My Sunshine.” This track was the Canadian band’s only international hit, firmly setting them in one-hit-wonder territory. This song is unstoppably buoyant and endlessly catchy. There was no circumstance in which this song wasn’t going to do well.

The band didn’t see this song’s potential, though. According to frontman Marc Costanzo, the song “was supposed to annoy people, but suddenly we were rock stars. It was really amazing, but fame freaks you out. When people used to come up to me in the street, I thought they were trying to fight me! But they just wanted to tell me how much they loved my song.”

“Mambo No. 5” — Lou Bega

You don’t have to be a 90s kid to know “Mambo No. 5,” but it was an integral part of the growing-up experience for anyone who was young in the late 90s. This Latin pop track took the world by storm, becoming a dance floor staple. Even today, this song can excite huge crowds. That’s a lot of endurance for a one-hit wonder.

This song is a quintessential one-hit wonder. It was everywhere, but the artist behind the hit isn’t all that well-known. More people could sing you this song word for word than could tell you anything about Lou Bega. All they know is that he delivered a song that refuses to go out of style.

(Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns)