4 One-Hit Wonders With the Best Hooks in Music History

One-hit wonders usually make it to the top of the charts because they boast some of the best hooks you’ll find in pop music. It’s a shame these artists never got as big of a hit later in their respective careers. But one can’t deny that these four tracks are incredibly catchy, even decades after they were released. Let’s take a look!

1. “Take On Me” by A-Ha

Americans likely know A-Ha as one-hit wonders. However, Europeans might be inclined to disagree with that. “Take On Me” was the Norwegian outfit’s only claim to US charting fame, but they enjoyed a pretty nice career in Europe for a while. 

“Take On Me” is such a memorable new wave tune. That extremely catchy riff and hook will get stuck in your head for days after just one listen.

2. “Macarena” by Los Del Rio

Love it or hate it, there’s a reason why “Macarena” by Los Del Rio has become a DJ staple at weddings, birthdays, and virtually any other gathering of people for decades since its release in 1993. 

This iconic dance-along tune (particularly the Bayside Boys mix) hit no. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it came out, but the Spanish pop outfit never enjoyed quite as much international success again. Though, the band is still technically together today.

3. “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners

This is the one-hit wonder of one-hit wonders with the best hooks. “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners was a hit back in 1982, and it has aged pretty well through the years. You can thank that iconic pop-rock hook for the song’s longevity. Who knew that a song about personifying Catholic repression could be such a jam?

4. “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba

Nothing sums up the musical atmosphere of the late 1990s quite like “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba. Not only is that hook and chorus absolutely addicting, but the song as a whole just seems to scratch a particular itch in the collective brain of humanity. 

It’s a song about getting super drunk, but it’s hard to not take the lyrics of “Tubthumping” to heart when you’re feeling down. “I get knocked down / But I get up again / You’re never gonna keep me down” probably got a few people through some very hard days in 1997.

Photo by Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

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