One-hit wonders shine bright and burn out fast. Not many of them became quite so memorable that they defined genres and eras alike. These four hits, however, make it to almost every list of top songs from those respective genres. And for good reason, too. Let’s look at just a few one-hit wonders who defined genres with their only hits!
1. “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
When one thinks of new wave or synth-pop, one often thinks of this solitary hit by Soft Cell. “Tainted Love” has been covered quite a bit through the years, but nothing shines quite as bright as Soft Cell’s synthy, glittery version. Fun fact: This hit song was originally put together by Ed Cobb for Gloria Jones in 1964.
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2. “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc.
Few one-hit wonders defined genres years after that genre’s heyday, but Lipps Inc. defined disco for a hot minute with “Funkytown” in 1980. This disco-funk hit was a no. 1 hit across the board when it was first released. Sadly, Lipps Inc. struggled to capitalize on the hit, and their follow-up single “Rock It” only made it to no. 64 on the Hot 100 chart.
3. “Unbelievable” by EMF
Few songs sound like the 1990s era of pop-oriented dance rock (or even alternative rock) quite like the 1990 hit “Unbelievable” by EMF. Some wouldn’t consider EMF to be one-hit wonders, as the band had quite a few hits in their native UK throughout the 1990s. However, “Unbelievable” was their only Top 10 hit on the US Hot 100 chart. “Lies” from 1991 only made it to no. 18 in the US.
4. “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence
This song has been covered by everyone from Reba McEntire to Tanya Tucker, but there’s really nothing like the OG. Vicki Lawrence makes our list of one-hit wonders who defined genres with her country pop hit from 1972, “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia”.
This Southern Gothic ballad was penned by Bobby Russell in the 1970s and recorded by his wife at the time, Vicki Lawrence. Few country songs are quite as memorable as this one. Unfortunately for Lawrence, it was her only hit. “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” made it to no. 1 on the Hot 100 chart, but only two of her subsequent singles managed to make it to the bottom tier of that very chart.
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