The 1990s birthed some incredible music, but the teen culture hits that came out of that era don’t get as much love as they deserve. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at a few one-hit wonders from the 1990s that shaped teen culture in a big way!
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1. “Barbie Girl” by Aqua
Out of all the 1990s one-hit wonders on this list, the 1997 bubblegum pop track “Barbie Girl” by Aqua is by far the most difficult song to get out of one’s head. This Danish-Norwegian dance-pop outfit became legendary in the 1990s with this solitary hit, and it was particularly popular among teens.
Despite “Barbie Girl” making it to no. 7 on the US Hot 100, they never had another Top 20 hit in the US again.
2. “What I Really Meant To Say” by Cyndi Thomson
Cyndi Thomson made it big in 2001 with her country hit “What I Really Meant To Say”. She was set to become the next big idol among teenage country fans.
However, Thomson left the music world behind the following year. She tried to make a comeback around 2006, but nothing she produced had the staying power of “What I Really Meant To Say”.
3. “Crush” by Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Page had a killer set of pipes, and her vocal style and teen pop vibe resonated with youths in 1998. Her debut single “Crush” topped the charts globally and reached no. 3 in the United States. Unfortunately for Page, she never released as big of a hit again. I’m personally a bit bummed that she’s considered one of many one-hit wonders of the 1990s.
4. “I Try” by Macy Gray
90s kids likely remember Macy Gray from the song “I’m In Between”, which was the theme song to the Nickelodeon series As Told By Ginger. Despite being such a unique vocalist, Macy Gray technically only had one major hit: “I Try” from 1999. The neo-soul hit made it to no. 5 on the US Hot 100. Gray hasn’t charted on the Hot 100 since.
5. “Loser” by Beck
One of the more relatable one-hit wonders from 1990s, any 90s kid who ever felt like they didn’t fit in likely vibed with this Beck classic. Despite his fame, Beck technically never had as big of a hit again after “Loser” in 1993.
“Loser” made it to no. 10 on the Hot 100, but he has not released a single that cracked the Top 60 in the US since.
Photo by Gudmund Thai, Courtesy of Live Nation
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