5 One-Hit Wonders That Are Perfect for a Road Trip

Got a road trip in the works? Need a solid playlist to keep the party happy? While your road trip playlist should be catered to your own favorite songs and overall taste, there are a few one-hit wonders out there that have the perfect vibe for a road trip. Let’s take a look at a few examples!

1. “Seasons In The Sun” by Terry Jacks

This summer road trip-friendly tune was released in 1973 and is actually a cover of a 1961 song by Jacques Brel. Jacks’ version is a glittering, delightful product of his time with pop and soft rock elements that are sure to lift up your road trip party’s collective mood.

“Seasons In The Sun” was a no. 1 hit for Jacks on the Hot 100 chart. While he enjoyed quite a few hits through the 1970s in his native Canada, he never enjoyed a Top 10 hit in the US again.

2. “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners

One-hit wonders that are perfect for a road trip playlist should be easy to sing along with. Naturally, “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners is one of the most fun songs to belt out while on the road.

This fun blue-eyed soul hit was a no. 1 hit on the Hot 100 in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, Dexys Midnight Runners struggled to capitalize on it and failed to release a single that charted as well again.

3. “Who Let The Dogs Out?” by Baha Men

If you’ve got a bunch of millennials in your car, this is the road trip track to add to the mix. Whether you find this song addicting or grating, you can’t deny that “Who Let The Dogs Out?” by Baha Men was one of the definitive dance tracks of the year 2000. Baha Men never had as big of a hit again, but they’re still together today.

4. “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister

As mentioned earlier, one-hit wonders (and songs in general) that make road trip playlist additions are usually very easy to sing along with. With that in mind, we just can’t leave out the 1984 hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister. Whether you love glam metal or not, this one is fun to belt out. 

While their follow-up single “I Wanna Rock” did pretty well on the international charts, they never had a Top 30 hit in the US again after “We’re Not Gonna Take It”.

5. “Cars” by Gary Numan

Is this one a bit on the nose? Who cares! “Cars” by Gary Numan is one of the best one-hit wonders for a road trip because it’s all about cars. While new wave fans of Numan in the UK would scoff at describing him as a one-hit wonder, we included him on this list because he never had a Top 10 hit in the United States after “Cars” was released in 1979.

Photo by Pete Still/Redferns

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