Often, one-hit wonders being one-hit wonders is fair. Even really good musicians can only pump out one hit, and many are happy to be known for any hit at all. That being said, plenty of one-hit wonders out there, especially from the 90s, released follow-up tracks that I believe should have charted way higher than they did. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?
Eagle-Eye Cherry
Eagle-Eye Cherry was a very successful post-grunge musician in the 90s. Originally from Sweden, he made waves in America and the UK with his hit 1997 single “Save Tonight”. That song was his debut single, and it peaked at No. 5 in the US.
Videos by American Songwriter
What’s wild to me is Eagle-Eye Cherry never charted in the US again. I can’t fathom why. “Falling In Love” from 1998 and “Are You Still Having Fun?” from 2000 were mega-hits in Europe. The 2018 tune “Streets Of You” is stunning, and it didn’t chart whatsoever.
Natalie Imbruglia
No song on this list screams “90s” to me quite like “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia. I could talk all day about how stupid it was that she didn’t become the next big thing in 90s pop music. Her career didn’t really kick off the way that it should have. “Torn” topped the international charts in 1997, but Imbruglia failed to reach the Top 40 in the United States.
That’s pretty silly to me, because plenty of her follow-up songs were bops. “Big Mistake” and “Wishing I Was There” are great songs. “Beauty On The Fire” from 2002 is also a gorgeous later-career song, too.
Dog Eat Dog
If you’re American, you might not be totally familiar with the funcore group Dog Eat Dog. Which is interesting, considering they’re from New Jersey. These 90s one-hit wonders are a rare example of an American band making it big (albeit briefly) in Europe. The band hit the top of the UK charts back in 1995 when Jam-Master Jay remixed their song “No Fronts”. The remix also did well in Germany and the Netherlands.
That remix is killer, but their 1996 song “Isms” deserves way more love than it got. And for some reason, it didn’t even make it to the Top 40 in the UK.
Blind Melon
Blind Melon is best known for their 1993 song “No Rain”. It certainly makes sense why. At a time when alternative rock was all about grunge, Blind Melon opted to put together tunes that weaved between psychedelic and folk elements. “No Rain” is certainly one of their finest, and it deserved to hit No. 20 on the Hot 100 chart.
Still, the band had great follow-up songs, one of which was the tune “I Wonder”. It was released immediately after “No Rain” and didn’t chart at all. I just don’t get it.
Photo by Niels van Iperen/Getty Images
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.