Pale Saints were a British band from Leeds, part of the early-1990s shoegaze and dream-pop scene that grew up around the 4AD label, and their place on this list is a matter of measurement rather than judgement. Admired by fans of the genre, they built a respected catalogue of swirling, ethereal guitar music.
But streaming gathers around one song. "Kinky Love", a cover featured on their 1992 album In Ribbons, is a dreamy, melodic standout sung by Meriel Barham, and it has become their most-streamed track by a clear margin, reaching beyond their cult following.
On streaming, "Kinky Love" sits near 39 million plays, while their next most-streamed track trails at around seven million. That puts the ratio above 5, over our line.
So by our strict, numbers-only measure, Pale Saints register as a certified one-hit wonder, and we flag the caveat firmly. This is a respected shoegaze band with a deep, admired catalogue. It is only that one gauzy, melodic song reached a wider audience than the rest of their atmospheric work, and on streams it now stands well ahead.