There were so many one-hit wonders to come out of the 90s, and it’s honestly quite surprising that a few of them didn’t make it big with at least one more hit. If you were a 90s kid, you probably listened to at least a couple of these four one-hit wonders on your Walkman while waiting for the bus! (Don’t worry. I’m old, too.)
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1. “Barbie Girl” by Aqua
Few one-hit wonders from the 90s have the staying power that this 1997 hit by Aqua has. “Barbie Girl” is a timeless bubblegum dance-pop song that was absolutely everywhere when it first came out.
This addictive song made it to no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and ranked even higher on countless other charts across the US and Europe. Aqua is eternal, but they never had a Top 10 hit in the US again. Though, they enjoyed quite a fruitful career in Europe for a few years.
2. “Crush” by Jennifer Paige
Remember this jam from 1998? If you were a kid with a crush, you probably listened to this one on repeat while daydreaming about someone you like-liked.
“Crush” by Jennifer Paige wasn’t meant to last, though, as is the case with teen pop songs. “Crush” was a no. 3 hit for Paige on the Hot 100, but she didn’t deliver another hit that made it to that chart after “Crush” was released.
3. “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia could have easily become the next it-girl of the 90s. We’re not sure what happened there. She’s pretty, can sing, knows her way around a pop song… Sometimes, the music industry is just unforgiving.
At least we have the 1997 hit “Torn” to enjoy decades later. “Torn” is technically a cover, but Imbruglia’s version topped numerous charts in Europe and North America in the 90s. Sadly, she didn’t release a Top 50 single in the US again.
4. “We Like To Party” by Vengaboys
No matter your age or even if you were alive in 1998 when this Eurodance song was released, you probably at least recognize the repeated line “We like to party!”
This hit from Vengaboys made it to no. 26 on the Hot 100. However, the Dutch group struggled to climb the US charts after “We Like To Party” was released, and they never scored a Top 30 song on the Hot 100 again. Though, they did very well in Europe for quite a few years.
Photo by Steve Granitz Archive 1/WireImage
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