4 One-Hit Wonders That Became Famous Worldwide

One-hit wonders are almost always memorable, but not every one of those solitary hits makes it to the top of the charts in a majority of countries tracked by Billboard. Some, though, manage to dominate popular music globally in a way that other musicians could only dream of. Let’s dive into a few one-hit wonders that were hits worldwide, rather than just in the United States.

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1. “Venus” by Shocking Blue

This addicting little Dutch country rock tune made it to no. 1 on the US Hot 100 chart back in 1969, as well as charts across the globe. “Venus” was a pretty sudden and massive success for the band Shocking Blue. 

The band did enjoy success with other songs, especially in their native Netherlands and other parts of Europe. In the US, though, they never had a Top 40 hit again.

2. “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas

Who doesn’t remember this catchy ode to martial arts? “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas was released in 1974 and became a massive international hit. It was a no. 1 chart-topper across the board, from the US to the UK to Germany to Australia and beyond.

Unfortunately for Douglas, none of his subsequent singles had as much staying power as “Kung Fu Fighting”. He did not have another Top 40 hit in the US again.

3. “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba

“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba is a lot of people’s favorite one-hit wonder, and for good reason. This delightful dance-rock hit is incredibly memorable and also served as a fun drinking song in the band’s native UK for a while. The track reached no. 6 on the US Hot 100 and no. 1 in countries like Scotland, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Canada, and more. 

Outside of “Tubthumping”, Chumbawamba never charted in the US again. Their subsequent singles only marginally charted in the UK, Australia, and Canada.

4. “You Spin Me Round” by Dead Or Alive

Even if you weren’t alive in the 1980s, you can probably sing the chorus to this song from memory. “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)” is one of the most memorable synth-pop one-hit wonders to come out of the mid-1980s, and it’s by far Dead Or Alive’s most famous worldwide hit.

Unfortunately for the English pop outfit, none of their subsequent releases topped the charts internationally like “You Spin Me Round” did. “Lover Come Back To Me” did pretty well the following year, but not nearly as well as “You Spin Me Round”.

Photo by Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

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