3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1990s That Still Sound Fresh Today

Sometimes, one-hit wonders really didn’t deserve to only make it big on the charts with one hit. The following three one-hit wonders sounded fresh in the 1990s, and they still sound fresh today. Plenty of their other songs were bangers, but they just couldn’t get a grip on the charts. Let’s celebrate a few old-school hits, shall we?

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“Unbelievable” by EMF

This song really does capture the sound of the early 1990s. It’s a very alternative rock song, with some dance-rock elements and a killer melody that makes it all the more memorable. “Unbelievable” was released by the British outfit EMF back in 1990, and it was an almost immediate hit. Not bad for a debut single!

Sadly, though, EMF struggled to maintain movement on the international charts. After “Unbelievable” hit No. 3 in the UK, the band continued to pop out charting hits in their native country. However, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the band never had a Top 10 hit on that chart again.

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve is one of my personal favorite Britpop tunes from the late 1990s. Released in 1997, this song was a pretty big charting hit for the group. In the years since its release, too, the song has blown up on social media platforms like TikTok.

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart, and did even better in the UK. Like EMF, The Verve wouldn’t be considered one-hit wonders in their native country, as they continued to chart there. However, the band would never make it to the Hot 100 chart again.

“How Bizarre” by OMC

This hip-hop-leaning pop track was a real gem in 1995. “How Bizarre” by OMC was a standout release for the New Zealand music group, and it’s still a go-to track for any summertime playlist.

I think “How Bizarre” is more than worthy of a list of one-hit wonders from the 1990s that still sound fresh today. Sadly, though, the group struggled to pump out more super-fresh hits. “How Bizarre” hit No. 4 on the US Radio Songs charts, and OMC never charted in the United States again. They did enjoy a few additional hits in their native country, though.

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