Sometimes, one-hit wonders are so good that they’re straight-up electrifying. The following solitary hits will get your blood pumping just a few seconds in, and that’s quite impressive, considering some of these tunes are quite old. Let’s take a look! I bet you won’t be able to sit still.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot
While the lyrics of “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot haven’t aged terribly well, this song is still a classic that people still love to dance to today. After all, it is an ode to butts everywhere. I doubt you’ll be able to avoid shaking it once this song comes on.
Sadly for Sir Mix-A-Lot, this song was his only chart-topping hit. Not so sadly for Sir Mix-A-Lot, he made millions off of this song through the years.
“It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
Nothing just sounds like the late 1980s or early 1990s quite like “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. It’s a gorgeous example of what hip-hop artists were doing during this era, especially in terms of sample curation.
This song was the duo’s debut single, and it made it to No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Unfortunately, the group failed to score a Top 40 hit again. Though, “Joy And Pain” is a killer song in my opinion.
“Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell
No, this is not a Michael Jackson song. While MJ does contribute vocals to this tune, “Somebody’s Watching Me” was actually released by the singer Rockwell. The chorus of this song is absolutely addictive and almost spooky in a way. This tune is one of the most inventive synth-funk tracks to come out of the 1980s, too. Despite releasing a few solid tunes, Rockwell failed to hit the Top 30 on the Hot 100 again.
“What Is Love” by Haddaway
I still love this electrifying example of one-hit wonders by Haddaway, and I was an infant when it was first released. The vibe of this Eurodance classic is impeccable, and it almost sounds like it belongs in the 1980s rather than the 1990s. Still, that doesn’t mean this track was stale. It’s a delightful, danceable jam that peaked at No. 1 in multiple countries.
Haddaway deserved better. But unfortunately, this song was his only Top 40 hit in the US. He enjoyed quite a successful career in Europe, though.
Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images
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