3 One-Hit Wonders That Are Actually Very Profound

When we think of one-hit wonder songs, often those tracks that are silly or goofy or very much of a time come to mind. Weird disco songs, strange 1980s pop hits—that sort of thing. But while not every one-hit wonder falls into this category, that remains the predominant association. Still, there are a few songs that can be called one-hit wonders that are actually very profound.

Videos by American Songwriter

Here below, we wanted to explore three examples of just that. Let’s dive into a trio of songs that make you think, reflect, and even re-imagine what life can be! Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders that are actually very clever, profound, and intelligent.

“99 Luftballons” by Nena from ‘Nena’ (1983)

The origin story of this song is mind-blowing. Back in the early 80s when the world was still suffering the impact of the Cold War, Nena guitarist Carlo Karges was at a Rolling Stones concert when he saw balloons being released into the crowd. He saw them move toward the sky and wondered what it would be like if they floated over from West Berlin to the more isolated and government-controlled East Berlin. Before the Berlin Wall was felled, it was this German song, which hit no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, about peace and connection that made the world think.

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve from ‘Urban Hymns’ (1997)

The term “bittersweet symphony” is such a lovely way to think about life. There is so much to enjoy about life, from trees and flowers to good food and love, but there is also a bitterness about it. Death, pain, suffering, injustice—those are hard pills to swallow. And the British-born band The Verve sums it all about bluntly and beautifully in this track, which samples a snippet from a Rolling Stones song. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” hit no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was first released. With lovely music and a catchy lyric, the song gets in your psyche with ease.

“Barbie Girl” by Aqua from ‘Aquarium’ (1997)

On the face of it, this song might not seem like it’s a thought-provoking work of art or a profound example of one-hit wonders. It seems a lot like its subject: superficial and pop-oriented. But when you get down to the lyrics, the band Aqua isn’t exactly celebrating the famous doll Barbie. Rather, they are poking fun at the figure, which has helped mold little girls’ sense of self, for better or worse, for decades. Is life in plastic actually, in fact, fantastic? Of course not. And that’s the message Aqua is playing with on this tune, which hit no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Photo by Roger Sargent/Shutterstock