The appeal of one-hit wonders is that they managed to make it big, albeit with just one song. Those solitary hits are usually quite good. However, sometimes, those singular hits are good for a short while before they become straight-up annoying. Let’s look at just a few examples of one-hit wonders that I really can’t listen to anymore.
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“Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice
“Ice Ice Baby” was an enormous hit back in 1990. The hip-hop track is unarguably catchy, likely helped by the fact that it boasts the bassline from “Under Pressure” from Queen and David Bowie. Vanilla Ice got in a bit of trouble for that. Either way, this song is really overplayed, and I never find myself seeking it out for my own enjoyment.
“Friday” by Rebecca Black
“Friday” hit the internet like a ton of bricks back in 2011. It was then-14-year-old Rebecca Black’s debut single. Even though it was a chart-topping success, Black was met with substantial backlash for the song and was even bullied for it. It’s a shame. I won’t say this song is good; however, I won’t listen to it because it just bums me out to think of how cruel the internet was to Black when she was just a kid. Her new work is killer, though.
“Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
I have to hand it to Billy Ray Cyrus. When he released his one-hit wonder “Achy Breaky Heart” back in 1992, he almost single-handedly brought back the line-dancing craze. Outside of that? I really can’t praise this song. It’s been overplayed to death, and there is much better country music out there from the 90s worth listening to.
“Axel F” by Crazy Frog
Remember Crazy Frog? This bizarre CFI creature from Sweden took over the charts with it’s rendition of “Axel F”, a song best known by its inclusion in Beverly Hills Cop. The Crazy Frog version is notably more electronic and pop-leaning. And honestly, it’s as annoying today as it was back in 2005. I know it’s a novelty song, but I can’t find much to enjoy about this tune, other than a little bit of nostalgia.
Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns
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