3 Rock Artists From the 1990s Who Disappeared After One Hit

Does anyone else miss the 1990s? It was such a killer time for music, especially rock music in all of its turn-of-the-millennium evolutions. Lots of big names got famous during that decade and remain famous today. Others, unfortunately, made it big with one hit before disappearing from the Billboard Hot 100 chart entirely. When it comes to the following three rock bands and artists who disappeared after the 1990s, I just don’t think that’s fair. Especially considering that they didn’t actually disappear, and their post-90s tunes are actually fantastic. Let’s give them some love, shall we?

Videos by American Songwriter

Semisonic

Semisonic had a big hit on their hands with the 1998 alt-rock ballad, “Closing Time”. That Grammy-nominated track was a Top 20 hit across the board, reaching No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart and No. 11 on the Radio Songs chart in the US. But after that song dropped, they did not make it to the Radio Songs chart again. And by the start of the 2000s, Semisonic had faded away from the charts, almost entirely. In 2001, the band went on a hiatus. But, fortunately for fans, the band reunited in 2017 and dropped the EP You’re Not Alone in 2020. The title track of that song was their first charting single in nearly two decades, peaking at No. 14 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

Chumbawamba

I’m still firm on my belief that Chumbawamba was the best anarcho-punk band of the 1990s. And they remain one of the most underrated rock bands of the era, honestly. But back in 1997, Chumbawamba scored a surprising mainstream hit with “Tubthumping”, an ode to fighting adversity that still remains a pub classic today. “Tupthumping” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it would be the band’s only song to chart in the US. Though, across the pond, this band didn’t “disappear” from the charts until the end of 1998. Chumbawamba would break up officially in 2012.

Candlebox

Candlebox is still around today, but this grunge and hard rock outfit initially broke up in 2000. Before then, the group scored a big hit with the song “Far Behind” in 1994, which peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100. After that, the band never appeared on the coveted chart again, though they continued to enjoy Top 40 success on the Mainstream Rock chart for several years. Some might believe these rock artists from the 1990s disappeared, but they’re actually still going strong today. Their most recent release is the 2023 album The Long Goodbye.

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images