The Catchiest One-Hit Wonders of the 2000s

Most one-hit wonders make it big because they managed to create one song that is the catchiest among their contemporaries. At least, that’s the case for the following four songs from the early aughts. These one-hit wonders will definitely get stuck in your head for the rest of the day, so proceed with caution!

Videos by American Songwriter

“Shake It” by Metro Station

“Shake It” by Metro Station was quite the earworm back in 2008. Released during the particularly mainstream revival era of emo and neon pop music, “Shake It” was the band’s very first charting single. It even peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Their follow-up single, “Seventeen Forever”, also did decently well across the board. Sadly, for some reason, the band never charted again. They’ve broken up and reunited several times since then, but called it quits (likely for good) in 2020.

“Handlebars” by Flobots

I have to admit, when I was researching entries for this list, I came across this song and got pummeled in the face with a fistful of nostalgia. This indie rap-rock tune from experimental hip hop band Flobots was quite a big hit back in 2008. It peaked at No. 37 on the Hot 100 chart, and made it all the way to No. 3 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. 

Despite their debut single becoming such a hit, the band would never make it to the Hot 100 again. 

“Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley

This song’s ascension to fame was, for lack of a better word, crazy. Gnarls Barkley is made up of CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse, and they only released two albums in the 2000s, despite still technically being together today. “Crazy” was a single from their debut album, and it peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart. 

The song was a Top 5 hit across the board. After that release, though, they would fail to chart nearly as well again.

“Bad Day” by Daniel Powter

If you’ve had a bad day, listening to this song will either make you feel seen, or it’ll drive you nuts once it gets stuck in your head. 

This pop tune from Daniel Powter is one of the catchiest one-hit wonders of the 2000s, and it’s wild to me that Powter didn’t make it bigger in the US. “Bad Day” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and ranked similarly well elsewhere. Despite topping the chart, Powter hasn’t had a song reach the Hot 100 since.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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