5 One-Hit Wonders That Secretly Have Brilliant Lyrics

One-hit wonders have their day in the sun, but they’re not always recognized for just how smart they really are. Here are five one-hit wonders that you probably didn’t realize are secretly clever.

“The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades” by Timbuk 3

Even though the plot of this 1986 hit is relatively simple, a student singing about his grades, the cleverness truly lies in its title. I mean, come on, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades?” That’s a lyrical gem if I’ve ever heard one.

“Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles

This Buggles hit is full of technology references that will make you smile. The line “we can’t rewind, we’ve gone too far” is particularly clever, considering the whole song is about new forms of media taking over more traditional ones.

“You Get What You Give” by New Radicals

With this song, New Radicals proves that you can have a song that includes both a chorus that’s easy to remember and sing along to and verses that are equally quippy in measure.

Some standout references from the bridge are: health insurance, rip-off lying, the FDA, big bankers buying, fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson, and of course, that Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love line. This song calls out popular culture incessantly, all while having a strong core message. There aren’t many songs that can pull that off.

“Sex And Candy” by Marcy Playground

In “Sex And Candy”, Marcy Playground uses descriptive imagery to paint this picture of an attractive woman.

“And then there she was / In platform double suede / Yeah, there she was / Like disco lemonade, yeah.“

John Wozniak, the lead singer who wrote the song, once told Shawna Ortega:  “…I don’t know… When I was writing these songs, I wasn’t high. But it sounds like I was high.”

“Unbelievable” by EMF

This quirky dance-rock song did numbers in 1990, the year it went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song complains about somebody who often seems to contradict themselves in their actions, a theme that’s made evident in the lyrics:

“You burden me with your questions / You’d have me tell no lies / You’re always asking what it’s all about / But don’t listen to my replies / You say to me I don’t talk enough / But when I do I’m a fool.”

This one is smart but disguises itself with a catchy beat.

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