Country music, like other genres, has plenty of one-hit wonders who only reached No. 1 once in their career. However, the “one-hit wonder” label carries some stigma. When most hear it, they think of an artist who releases a huge single before fading from the public eye and making no further contributions to their respective genre. There are plenty of artists who had only one hit but never really faded away or stopped contributing to the genre.
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Are the country artists below technically one-hit wonders? Yes. They all only released one single that reached the top of the Hot Country Songs chart. However, they deserve more respect than being lumped in with flash-in-the-pan artists or those who leaned on a gimmick to get a hit single.
[RELATED: 4 One-Hit Wonders Who Left a Mark on Country Music]
1. Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare reached No. 1 on the country chart for the first and only time in 1974 with “Marie Laveau.” However, he is closer to a country legend than a one-hit wonder. He helped put up-and-coming songwriters like Tom T. Hall and Kris Kristofferson on the map. Additionally, he was one of the first country artists to produce their own albums. This creative freedom helped plant the seeds of the Outlaw Country movement.
2. Flatt & Scruggs
Flatt & Scruggs are an iconic bluegrass duo. However, as far as the country charts are concerned, they’re one-hit wonders. They topped the chart in the early 1960s with “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies. However, they contributed so much more to roots music than their singular No. 1. For instance, Earl Scruggs changed how generations of musicians approached the banjo with his innovative and lightning-fast three-finger picking style.
3. Jessi Colter
Jessi Colter topped the country chart in 1975 with “I’m Not Lisa.” However, any longtime country fan knows that she’s much more than a one-hit wonder. She was one of the few women to rise to prominence during the Outlaw Country movement of the 1970s. She released several timeless tunes, including “It’s Morning (And I Still Love You),” “What’s Happened to Blue Eyes,” and her duets with her husband, Waylon Jennings. Moreover, Colter is still active. Her most recent album, Edge of Forever, dropped in 2023.
4. Mary Chapin Carpenter
Anyone who listened to country radio in the 1990s knows that Mary Chapin Carpenter deserves so much better than being called a one-hit wonder. Sure, she scored her first and only No. 1 with “Shut Up and Kiss Me” in 1994. But the depth and quality of her catalog is nothing short of impressive. “I Feel Lucky,” “Passionate Kisses,” “Down at the Twist and Shout,” and “House of Cards” are quintessential ’90s bangers. Earlier this year, she released Personal History, a folk-leaning record on which she wrote all of the songs. It was a fantastic release that proved she has plenty left in the tank.
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