One-hit wonders have a habit of getting very old, very fast. It’s not necessarily the song or artist’s fault, either. Often, when one-hit wonders get big, their songs are overplayed to death on the radio. However, some songs are just so good that you’ll never get sick of them. Let’s look at four examples of one-hit wonders that you’ll probably never get sick of! I know I sure won’t.
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“Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
This one’s a classic. And I really never get sick of it when I hear it. That says a lot, considering the song is over 40 years old at this point. “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners is a delightful Celtic pop tune, and it’s still wild to me that it is considered the Irish outfit’s only notable hit.
“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum
That neat little space between the 1960s and 1970s resulted in some really good music. After the climax of the late-1960s psychedelia movement, bands were caught between protest songs, new pop evolutions, and the onset of another era of genre-pushing rock music.
“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum is one of the best songs to come out of that turning point. I’d be bold enough to say that it’s the only song out there that reminds me of both the 60s and 70s simultaneously. Greenbaum deserved a better chance with his subsequent releases, honestly.
“Cars” by Gary Numan
Nothing says “new wave” quite like Gary Numan. Despite being such a well-known legend today, Numan is technically a one-hit wonder, specifically for the 1979 hit “Cars”.
It’s a pioneering new wave track, and the whole of The Pleasure Principle is one of the greatest synth-pop records ever released. Few one-hit wonder singles make me want to revisit an entire album quite like “Cars” does.
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
You could play this song in a room full of Gen X and Millennials, and every single person there would start singing along. It’s one of the greatest one-hit wonders out there that you’ll never get sick of.
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba was released back in 1997 and is the British rock outfit’s biggest smash hit. It’s become a bit of a standard pub/bar song that drunkards love to sing along to. But, when sober, it’s still a gorgeous and uplifting song. We can all get through it and get back up again.
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