The List

5 One-Hit Wonders That Are Still Party Anthems Today

Got a party coming up? Need to put together a good throwback playlist that is packed with party anthems? Why not add a few dance party one-hit wonders to the mix? Weโ€™re still groovinโ€™ to these five one-hit wonders, years after they were first released. Letโ€™s take a look!

1. โ€œBaby Got Backโ€ by Sir Mix-A-Lot

Ah, the one true classic. This dirty rap song about butts isnโ€™t exactly the most politically correct song on this list, but itโ€™s just campy and lighthearted enough to be a guilty pleasure today. 

Videos by American Songwriter

โ€œBaby Got Backโ€ by Sir Mix-A-Lot was released in 1992 and made it to no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. Unfortunately, the iconic rapper behind the ode to derrieres barely hit the chart again in subsequent releases.

2. โ€œYou Spin Me Round (Like A Record)โ€ by Dead Or Alive

One-hit wonders that are perfect for party playlists often come from the 1980s new wave era. โ€œYou Spin Me Round (Like A Record)โ€ by Dead Or Alive is no exception. 

This 1984 synth-pop hit peaked at no. 11 on the Hot 100, and itโ€™s still a mainstay at dance clubs and on party playlists alike. Dead Or Alive, sadly, couldnโ€™t quite capitalize on the songโ€™s success and didnโ€™t enjoy as much fame in the US again. However, they did enjoy quite a fruitful career in their native UK.

3. โ€œMambo No. 5โ€ by Lou Bega

Love it or hate it, โ€œMambo No. 5โ€ by Lou Bega has made it to virtually every party playlist in the last couple of decades for a reason. This delightful little mambo hit made it to no. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1999 and charted to no. 1 globally. None of Begaโ€™s subsequent singles charted nearly as high again.

4. โ€œButterflyโ€ by Crazy Town

Why not add a little nu metal into the mix? โ€œButterflyโ€ by Crazy Town goes hard, and itโ€™s one of those one-hit wonders that just seems to hit on party playlists. 

This rap-rock tune from 2000 was definitely a product of its time and made it to no. 1 on the Hot 100 that year. Despite the huge success of โ€œButterflyโ€, Crazy Town never made it to the US Hot 100 again.

5. โ€œItโ€™s Raining Menโ€ by The Weather Girls

Ah, what an anthem! โ€œItโ€™s Raining Menโ€ by The Weather Girls was a smashing success back in 1982 and made it to no. 46 on the Hot 100 and no. 1 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. The Weather Girls deserved way more success, but they unfortunately never scored as big of a hit again.

Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.