As all one-hit wonders come to find the hard way, scoring a monumentally successful single can be a double-edged sword, and these artists behind some of the most popular cuts in the 1990s and 2000s are certainly no exception to this paradoxical reality. On the one hand, a hit is a hit. On the other hand, it can be disheartening and challenging to get out from under the shadow of a career-defining single in a world that prioritizes commodity and familiarity.
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Earning the relatively unlucky title of “one-hit wonder” means that no matter how vast someone’s musical catalogue becomes, the vast majority of the public will remember them for a single track. We’d argue that these bands from the 1990s and 2000s deserve far more love for the rest of their discography than they’ve received.
Aqua
Ask someone if they know who Aqua is, and there’s a 50/50 chance you’ll get a no. But ask someone if they’re at least vaguely familiar with the song “Barbie Girl,” chances are you’re going to get a yes. The 1997 ode to a life in plastic, it’s fantastic, is far and away the most recognizable track in the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group’s discography.
But frankly, the entire album that “Barbie Girl” was on, Aquarium, is full of boppy bangers. Aqua’s 1997 debut featured other great cuts like “My Oh My” and “Lollipop (Candyman).” They even had slow, thoughtful ballads like “Turn Back Time,” proving their range went far beyond their incredibly catchy one-hit wonder.
Jet
Australian rock band Jet’s best-selling single is “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” from their 2003 album, Get Born. The straightforward rock ‘n’ roller landed multiple popular video game soundtrack slots on Madden 2004, Guitar Hero: On Tour, and Rock Band shortly thereafter. Jet enjoyed slightly milder success for other tracks like “Rollover DJ.” But their status as a one-hit wonder is a shame, considering how great of an album Get Born is from start to finish.
If the general public were to remember Jet for any one song, we’d argue that “Cold Hard B****,” “Get What You Need,” or the slow burner “Look What You’ve Done” are just as deserving of a spot as their 2000s one-hit wonder, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.”
Fiona Apple
Despite her prolific and varied musical career, Fiona Apple’s musical legacy is largely dominated by her 1997 hit track, “Criminal.” Apple released the iconic song as her third single from her debut, Tidal. While she would maintain a prolific and varied musical career in the following years, none of her music reached the same level of ubiquity and chart-topping success as the Grammy Award-winning “Criminal.”
However, to pigeonhole Fiona Apple as a 1990s and 2000s one-hit wonder would be to ignore a treasure trove of other tracks, including the title track and “O’Sailor” from her 2005 record, Extraordinary Machine. Her home-recorded Fetch the Bolt Cutters from 2020 also includes multiple bangers, including “Under the Table” and “Shameika.”
Franz Ferdinand
Wrapping up our list of 1990s and 2000s one-hit wonders is Franz Ferdinand, a Scottish rock band that landed their biggest single with “Take Me Out” from their eponymous 2004 debut. Although the song peaked at a humble No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100, it performed much better on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, topping out at No. 3. The song and its corresponding music video dominated the rock and alternative airways in the mid-2000s, but the Scottish band has far more deserving hits than that track alone.
We’d argue that “Do You Want To” from You Could Have It So Much Better and “No You Girls” from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand have just as much driving alt-rock power and groove.
Photo by Tim Roney/Getty Images
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