One thing is for sure when it comes to the sonic creatures known as one-hit wonders. More often than not, they are sticky, catchy, and memorable. By nature, they have to be. In order for a song to rise up above the plethora of other tracks out in the world, it has to be singular and special. And when it comes to one-hit wonders that generally means catchy.
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Here below, we wanted to explore this fact. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonder songs that once you hear them, you’ll never forget how to sing along to them.
[RELATED: 3 Two-Hit Wonder, Foreign-Born Bands that Ruled the 1970s]
“Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men from Who Let the Dogs Out (2000)
This song, which cracked the Billboard Top 40, gave the world the chorus that seemingly won’t ever die. Who Let the Dogs Out—who, who, who, who, who? Anytime anyone literally lets a dog out, someone can’t help but sing this boisterous chorus. It’s also a refrain used in movies, television shows, commercials, and sports games. It will be the year 5025 and people will still be singing about who let those pesky dogs out. Indeed, on the track the Baha Men offer,
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out?
Well, the party was nice, the party was pumpin’
Heya, yippie yi yo
And everybody havin’ a ball
Huh, huh, yippie yi yo
I tell the fellas start the name callin’
Yippie yi yo
And the girls respond to the call
I heard a woman shout out
“Mickey” by Toni Basil from Word of Mouth (1982)
This song is perhaps the epitome of catchy. In fact, it was highlighted as such in the famous 1990s movie Wayne’s World. Not only are the lyrics and delivery almost impossible to get out of your head once you hear them on a given day, but you want to do the hand claps to go along with the bombastic percussion, too! Toni Basil hit the nail on the head when she released this single on her 1982 LP, Word of Mouth. And on the tune, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, she sings,
Oh Mickey, you’re so fine
You’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey, hey Mickey
Oh Mickey, you’re so fine
You’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Mickey
Hey Mickey
You’ve been around all night and that’s a little long
You think you’ve got the right, but I think you’ve got it wrong
Why can’t you say goodnight? So you can take me home Mickey?
“Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix a Lot from Mack Daddy (1992)
Once you hear the opening lyric—I like big butts and I can not lie—you cannot unhear it. But that is what the Seattle rapper Sir Mix a Lot intended. His hit single, which earned him the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as a Grammy Award in the early 1990s, is both memorable and socially important. As Mix says, the song was a—ahem—backdoor way to get people to think of other body types. Not just stick-figure supermodels but those who are curvy, too. All that wrapped in a package about celebrating the cheekier side of life! And on the famous rap tune, Mix offers,
I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can’t deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull up tough
‘Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she’s wearing
I’m hooked and I can’t stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna get with you
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that butt you got makes me so horny
Photo by Suzi Pratt/FilmMagic
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