5 One-Hit Wonders From the 21st Century That You Probably Forgot About

One-hit wonders come and go, but there’s something about the music from the early 21st century that has managed to stick around. The early millennium tunes that graced the airwaves seem to keep coming back in style in the 2020s, including more than a few one-hit wonders. Let’s take a look at a few songs that I think deserve a comeback, as many listeners have since forgotten about them.

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“Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn And John

Remember Peter, Bjorn And John? If any band defined the “blog rock” explosion of the mid-2000s, it was this little Swedish group. Released in 2006, “Young Folks” was a dreamy and addictive tune that everyone was listening to and writing about. It’s a marker of its time, and it has more or less aged well. Sadly, though, Pepet, Bjorn And John never had as big of an international hit again. Twee had its time and place, it seems.

“Jerk It Out” by Caesars

I bet you totally forgot about this other Swedish rock band. Caesars, better known as Caesars Palace back in the day, made it to the charts with “Jerk It Out”. You might remember the music video for this song featuring a pretty glaring advertisement for the then-revolutionary iPod Shuffle.

“Lips Of An Angel” by Hinder

Remember this 2006 hit? Hinder proved that the power ballad wasn’t dead with “Lips Of An Angel”. This rock tune made it all the way to No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart, and I can certainly see why. However, I still got beef with this dude for telling his ex that his girlfriend was in the next room, and he wished she were her.

“Girl Next Door” by Saving Jane

By the time the 2000s rolled around, the golden age of the indie female singer/songwriter had changed dramatically. Gone were the Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple days, and in came the pop starlets and rock band frontwomen of the new millennium. Saving Jane, led by Marti Dodson, managed to keep that 90s vibe with their music, and their solitary hit “Girl Next Door” was a balm for the soul.

“Handlebars” by Flobots

I remember being obsessed with these one-hit wonders when I was a teenager. Released in 2005, Flobots’ sole claim to fame, “Handlebars”, was a sign of what was to come from the early-to-mid 2000s era of alternative hip hop. Flobots as a collective was really good, and I wish more of their songs outside of “Handlebars” became hits.

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