Harry Chapin was an American folk singer, master storyteller, and tireless humanitarian whose place on this list is very much about measurement, not judgement. Across the 1970s he built a devoted following with narrative songs and epic ballads like "Taxi", and he gave a remarkable share of his concerts to charity, work for which he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
But streaming concentrates his audience around one song. "Cat's in the Cradle", released in 1974, is a quietly devastating folk-pop story of a father and son who never quite find time for each other, and it has become his signature, a staple of radio and a cultural shorthand for parental regret.
On streaming, "Cat's in the Cradle" sits near 206 million plays, while his next most-streamed track, "Taxi", trails at around 14 million. That sends the ratio above 14, far past our 5.0 line.
So by our strict, numbers-only measure, Harry Chapin registers as a certified one-hit wonder, and we flag the caveat firmly. This was a gifted storyteller and a genuinely good man with a deep catalogue. It is only that one perfect, heartbreaking song has gathered the streaming crowd far ahead of the rest of his work.