Steve Forbert is an American singer-songwriter from Mississippi who, in his early days, was hailed by some as a "new Dylan" for his literate, heartfelt folk-rock. His place on this list is a matter of measurement: he has a long, respected catalogue and a devoted following, but his streaming audience gathers around one song.
That song is "Romeo's Tune", released in 1979, a warm, rolling piece of folk-rock with an irresistible piano hook, and it became his biggest hit, reaching the US top twenty and remaining his signature.
On streaming, "Romeo's Tune" sits near 55 million plays, while his next most-streamed track trails at around three million. That sends the ratio above 17, far past our 5.0 line.
By our measure Steve Forbert is a certified one-hit wonder, with the caveat that he is a respected, prolific songwriter with a deep catalogue. It is simply that one warm, piano-driven folk-rock song reached the wider public far beyond the rest of his work, and on streams it stands far ahead of everything else he recorded across a long career. Its rolling piano hook and easy warmth have kept it a quiet radio favourite for decades, far better known than the "new Dylan" tag once hung on its maker.