5 One-Hit Wonders That Were Better Than They Had Any Right To Be

Most one-hit wonders shine bright and then fade into obscurity quite fast. Other one-hit wonders, though, were better than they had any right to be. Between taboo lyrics and era-specific cheesiness, these five one-hit wonders shouldn’t have become such catchy songs, yet they did extremely well on the charts anyway. Let’s take a look!

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1. “Groove Is In The Heart” by Deee-Lite

Dance outfit Deee-Lite decided to release a disco classic decades after disco was more or less done with. Surprisingly, a lot of people were into it. “Groove Is In The Heart” made it to no. 4 on the US Hot 100 chart and no. 1 on several different US-based dance charts and international charts.

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

Between their wacky glam metal antics and their vulgar lyrics that garnered a bit of controversy, Twisted Sister is one of those one-hit wonders that were better than they had any right to be. Their timeless classic, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, took over the charts back in 1984. The song made it to no. 21 on the Hot 100 chart and even peaked at no. 2 in New Zealand.

3. “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry

Listen, I get it. It’s a cheesy song with cheesy lyrics. But one can’t deny that Wild Cherry’s 1976 funk-rock tune “Play That Funky Music” (as well as the Vanilla Ice version, which also became a one-hit wonder) is an irresistible earworm. The song peaked at no. 1 on the Hot 100 back in the day, among a number of other US charts.

4. “I Melt With You” by Modern English

This hit 1982 chart was yet another high-charting new wave hit of its time. What earns “I Melt With You” by Modern English a spot on our list of one-hit wonders that are better than they have any right to be is this song’s ability to still resonate with listeners decades later. Few new wave and post-punk tracks from that era are burned into mainstream consciousness quite like this single. “I Melt With You” peaked at no. 7 on the US Rock Albums & Top Tracks chart.

5. “Hot Child In The City” by Nick Gilder

If you don’t really listen to the lyrics, this power pop-rock track is a jam from the late 1970s that will get stuck in your head forever. The melody is better than it had any right to be, considering the song’s very controversial lyrics. While some see “Hot Child In The City” by Nick Gilder as an ode to abused runaways that Gilder saw in Los Angeles, others find the song to be a glorification of child prostitution. Despite being such a controversial tune, “Hot Child In The City” made it to no. 1 on the US Hot 100 chart.

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