Want to get your next house party started? Put on a one-hit wonder playlist and watch the people go mad for the nostalgia, goofiness, and just plain fun. Then pass the bowls of chips around and watch your party kick off with great success. Yes, one-hit wonders are a perfect ice breaker because we all have our favorite one.
Videos by American Songwriter
Here below, we wanted to explore three one-hit wonders from the United States that are perfect for kicking off a party. Whether it’s the 4th of July or just a random Saturday night, these local luminaries will do your next get-together good.
[RELATED: 3 Two-Hit Wonder, Foreign-Born Bands that Ruled the 1970s]
“It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock from It Takes Two (1988)
Want people to sing along at the top of their lungs? Put this Top-40 song on and watch your friends belt along with the chorus from the New York City group. An old-school hip-hop track, this tune gets people moving and gets them remembering their favorite dance songs from their childhood. It’s high-energy and fills a room with sound. So even if your party is sputtering, this song can fill the void and get folks hopping. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood listening to this one. And on it Rob Base raps,
I wanna rock right now
I’m Rob Base and I came to get down
I’m not internationally known
But I’m known to rock the microphone
Because I get stoopid, I mean outrageous
Stay away from me if you’re contagious
‘Cause I’m the winner, no, I’m not the loser
To be an M.C. is what I choose ‘a
Ladies love me, girls adore me
I mean even the ones who never saw me
Like the way that I rhyme at a show
The reason why, man, I don’t know
So let’s go, ’cause
“Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc. from Mouth to Mouth (1980)
A guaranteed groove shaker. Who doesn’t want to go to a place called Funkytown? And what if it’s in your living room? With big and bright electric guitars and vocals to match, this simple disco song from the Minneapolis-born group is a crowd-pleaser and a party starter. And some songs were just born to lip-sync to. Not only will your guests be grooving but they will be mouthing along with the refrain as if their lives depended on it! Pretending to sing along to the words from this No. 1 single like,
Gotta make a move to a town that’s right for me
Town to keep me movin’
Keep me groovin’ with some energy
Well, I talk about it, talk about it
Talk about it, talk about it
Talk about, talk about
Talk about movin’
“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry from Wild Cherry (1976)
A song born of a request. When this rock band was playing only a certain type of music at a club, one of the patrons turned to them and asked if they could play something funky. Well, that not only turned into a new set but also a new hit single. This song, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, has since become the perfect party track. It is self-depricating and fun and it also has a great beat. It’s funny, people will laugh, and they’ll sing along with the Ohio-born band, too, belting out,
Hey, once I was a boogie singer
Playin’ in a rock-and-roll band
I never had no problems
Burnin’ down the one-night stands
And everything around me
Got to start to feelin’ so low
And I decided quickly
Yes, I did
To disco down and check out the show
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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