One Hit Wonders of the 90s
94 artists
The 1990s were a golden age for the one-hit wonder. As MTV peaked and CD singles ruled the charts, an unusually wide range of acts could ride a single song to global fame: Eurodance imports, britpop outliers, jangly alt-rock breakouts, breezy hip-hop crossovers, and novelty dance crazes all crammed onto the same hot-100. Streaming has frozen that landscape in place. Sort the certified 90s artists by our ratio and the pattern repeats: one impossibly catchy single that everyone of a certain age can still recite, followed by a long, silent tail.
The Goo Goo Dolls
"Iris"
7.7x ratio
alternative rock · United States · 1998
ONE HIT WONDERCoolio
"Gangsta's Paradise"
44.0x ratio
hip hop · United States · Male · 1995
ONE HIT WONDERThe Verve
"Bitter Sweet Symphony - Radio Edit"
6.2x ratio
alternative rock · United Kingdom · 1997
ONE HIT WONDERSpice Girls
"Wannabe"
6.2x ratio
dance-pop · United Kingdom · 1996
ONE HIT WONDER4 Non Blondes
"What's Up?"
71.6x ratio
pop rock · United States · 1993
ONE HIT WONDERSixpence None The Richer
"Kiss Me"
7.9x ratio
pop rock · United States · 1998
ONE HIT WONDERHaddaway
"What Is Love - 12" Mix"
22.1x ratio
eurodance · Germany · Male · 1992
ONE HIT WONDERMazzy Star
"Fade Into You"
11.0x ratio
dream pop · United States · 1994
ONE HIT WONDERNatalie Imbruglia
"Torn"
37.3x ratio
pop · Australia · Female · 1998
ONE HIT WONDERbôa
"Duvet"
5.7x ratio
1998
ONE HIT WONDERBlackstreet
"No Diggity"
9.1x ratio
contemporary r&b · United States · 1996
ONE HIT WONDERLou Bega
"Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)"
41.4x ratio
latin pop · Germany · Male · 1999
ONE HIT WONDEREiffel 65
"Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Luis Rodriguez Remix"
13.5x ratio
europop · Italy · 1998
ONE HIT WONDERHouse of Pain
"Jump Around"
32.4x ratio
hip hop · United States · 1992
ONE HIT WONDERAlice Deejay
"Better Off Alone"
13.7x ratio
eurodance · Netherlands · 1999
ONE HIT WONDERNew Radicals
"You Get What You Give"
12.4x ratio
pop rock · United States · 1998
ONE HIT WONDERAqua
"Barbie Girl"
5.3x ratio
europop · Denmark · 1997
ONE HIT WONDEREagle-Eye Cherry
"Save Tonight"
33.2x ratio
alternative rock · Sweden · Male · 1997
ONE HIT WONDERLuniz
"I Got 5 On It"
176.5x ratio
hip hop · United States · 1995
ONE HIT WONDERMark Morrison
"Return Of The Mack - Seeb Remix"
28.4x ratio
1996
ONE HIT WONDERNate Dogg
"Regulate - J. Period Remix"
8.6x ratio
g-funk · United States · Male · 1994
ONE HIT WONDERBlind Melon
"No Rain"
6.0x ratio
alternative rock · United States · 1992
ONE HIT WONDERDarude
"Sandstorm"
11.2x ratio
trance · Finland · Male · 1999
ONE HIT WONDERBeck
"Loser"
7.3x ratio
Germany · Male · 1994