Got a party coming up? Need to put together a good throwback playlist that is packed with party anthems? Why not add a few dance party one-hit wonders to the mix? We’re still groovin’ to these five one-hit wonders, years after they were first released. Let’s take a look!
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1. “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot
Ah, the one true classic. This dirty rap song about butts isn’t exactly the most politically correct song on this list, but it’s just campy and lighthearted enough to be a guilty pleasure today.
“Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot was released in 1992 and made it to no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. Unfortunately, the iconic rapper behind the ode to derrieres barely hit the chart again in subsequent releases.
2. “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)” by Dead Or Alive
One-hit wonders that are perfect for party playlists often come from the 1980s new wave era. “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)” by Dead Or Alive is no exception.
This 1984 synth-pop hit peaked at no. 11 on the Hot 100, and it’s still a mainstay at dance clubs and on party playlists alike. Dead Or Alive, sadly, couldn’t quite capitalize on the song’s success and didn’t enjoy as much fame in the US again. However, they did enjoy quite a fruitful career in their native UK.
3. “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega
Love it or hate it, “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega has made it to virtually every party playlist in the last couple of decades for a reason. This delightful little mambo hit made it to no. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1999 and charted to no. 1 globally. None of Bega’s subsequent singles charted nearly as high again.
4. “Butterfly” by Crazy Town
Why not add a little nu metal into the mix? “Butterfly” by Crazy Town goes hard, and it’s one of those one-hit wonders that just seems to hit on party playlists.
This rap-rock tune from 2000 was definitely a product of its time and made it to no. 1 on the Hot 100 that year. Despite the huge success of “Butterfly”, Crazy Town never made it to the US Hot 100 again.
5. “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls
Ah, what an anthem! “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls was a smashing success back in 1982 and made it to no. 46 on the Hot 100 and no. 1 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. The Weather Girls deserved way more success, but they unfortunately never scored as big of a hit again.
Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
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