Plenty of one-hit wonders out there have gotten famous for one particular song, and that particular song isn’t even their best work. Let’s look at a few examples of what I’m talking about here.
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Rebecca Black (Best Song: “Sugar Water Cyanide”)
Back in the 2010s, when she was just a teen, Rebecca Black went viral for the song “Friday”. Despite the insane amount of hate the song got on the internet at the time in 2011, Black’s hit pop song made it to the Billboard Hot 100, the Heatseekers chart, the UK Singles chart, and beyond.
Black makes very different music nowadays. It makes sense, considering she was still a kid when “Friday” hit the airwaves. Now, she makes electronic hyperpop music. I personally can’t stop listening to “Sugar Water Cyanide”, and I think that Black deserves another chance to shine in the music industry. Imagine if you were defined by what you did when you were 14 years old?
Sinead O’Connor (Best Song: “Mandinka”)
Sinead O’Connor is known for her reimagining of the Prince hit “Nothing Compares 2 U”. It was a no. 1 hit across the board back in 1990, and it topped the US Hot 100 chart for a while. It’s a beautiful rendition of the song, but I don’t think it’s O’Connor’s finest work.
Rather, I’m a big fan of “Mandinka” from her album The Lion And The Cobra. This gorgeous song came out a few years before O’Connor topped the charts, and it’s a really stunning, fierce work. The lyrics will make you think, and her delivery during the chorus is insane.
Siouxsie And The Banshees (Best Song: “Hong Kong Garden”)
Yep, it’s technically true. Goth icons Siouxsie And The Banshees are technically one-hit wonders for their song “Kiss Them For Me”. While the band was far from a one-hit wonder in their native UK, “Kiss Them For Me” was their only song to reach the Top 10 on both the US Dance charts and the US Alternative charts. It was also their only song to make it to the Top 40 of the Hot 100 chart.
Honestly, I think this one is far from the band’s best song. I think “Hong Kong Garden” takes the cake in this regard. “Hong Kong Garden” was Siouxsie And The Banshees’ very first single, released way back in 1978. The song is ahead of its time, and a fine introduction to one of the most unique acts in British music.
The Breeders (Best Song: “Divine Hammer”)
The Breeders would be considered one-hit wonders for their hit “Cannonball”, which is their only song to make it to the Hot 100 chart. But I don’t think that’s the best song they’ve ever released.
Rather, I think this iconic alt-rock band’s best song is “Divine Hammer” from Last Splash. It’s a notably horny song, like many of the other tracks from that album. But on a musical level, it is The Breeders’ most melodic and dreamy pop song. I’m shocked that this track barely charted on the US Alternative Airplay chart back in 1993.
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