4 One-Hit Wonders From the 1990s That Should Have Led to Bigger Hits

The music industry and the Billboard charts are fickle things. So many one-hit wonders, particularly from the 1990s, dished out fantastic songs that should have charted higher than they did. And yet, each of them only managed one major Top 40 hit. When it comes to the following one-hit wonders from the 1990s, these bands and musicians absolutely deserved higher chart placements with their follow-up tunes. Let’s take a look!

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“Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor

Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor was a protest singer before a pop star, something she often reiterated in interviews. “Nothing Compares 2 U” from 1990 was her massive international hit that made it to No. 1 across the board. Her follow-up works were similarly beautiful, from “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to “Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home”. And yet, she never had another Top 40 hit in the US after “Nothing Compares 2 U”. This is likely due to her controversial performance and protest of the Catholic Church just a couple of years later in 1992 during Saturday Night Live. Thankfully, in retrospect, more people outside of Ireland are starting to realize the late great icon’s musical talents in her later works.

“Epic” by Faith No More

Faith No More was one of the OG rap/alternative metal outfits of the 1990s. The genre would kick off in a major way after they released their sole major hit, “Epic”, in 1990. For some reason, “Epic” would be the band’s only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This is strange to me, as songs like “Midlife Crisis” from 1992 and “Easy” from 1993 were pretty big hits elsewhere. Maybe Faith No More was just a little too ahead of their time for US listeners.

“Stay” by Shakespears Sister

I really do not understand how Shakespears Sister didn’t make it big as a pop duo. They were great, an excellent mix of gothic and alternative rock. They were also appealing to international audiences, as Siobhan Fahey was from Ireland and Marcella Detroit was from the US. And yet, “Stay” from 1992 was their only Top 40 hit in the United States. Though, the duo did fairly well in the UK through the rest of the 1990s. Still, the follow-up single “I Don’t Care” was good enough to at least make it to the Top 40 in the US, but it stalled at No. 55 on the Hot 100.

“Cannonball” by The Breeders

The Breeders were, in my opinion, one of the absolute best alternative rock bands of the 1990s. Kim Deal really shone as the frontwoman of her own band, and the group’s first two albums in the 90s were absolutely incredible. Sadly, The Breeders make it to our list of 1990s one-hit wonders because “Cannonball” from 1993 was their only song to make it to the Hot 100 chart. I just don’t get it. “Divine Hammer” and “Saints” were killer tunes, too!

Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns