Top 10 90s One Hit Wonders: Where Are They Now?

Ironically for a song called “What’s Up?”, those words are never spoken in the song. 4 Non Blondes found a bit of success in the release of their second single in 1992. Topping out at #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band disappeared into oblivion making fans wonder, “What’s up with that?” Lead singer Linda Perry went on to write and produce music for other artists. Shaunna Hall went on to tour with George Clinton while Roger Rocha formed a new group called the Goldenhearts. Their bass player, Christa Hillhouse, left the music business entirely and went on to become a graphic artist.

Like many one-hit wonders, you’ve probably never heard of Len. This Canadian duo featured brother and sister pair Marc and Sharon Costanzo, who released the earworm filled “Steal My Sunshine” in 1999. The song made the rounds on Canadian and American radio and even earned the group a Juno nomination. Despite the popularity of the track, the band failed to break out into any real mainstream success beyond their one hit. That didn't stop them from making more music. They released another album in 2005 before breaking up in 2008, and then reformed to release “It's Easy If You Try” in 2012. The two have since parted ways as Sharon now lives in the UK while Marc works as a producer.

Fun fact: The song “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was actually inspired by the Audrey Hepburn movie “Roman Holiday,” but they didn’t like that as a song name. Good thing too because when it hit the airwaves in 1995, it took off like a rocket. Reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was the only hit song for the group. Unable to reproduce its success, the band ran into some legal difficulties around both the song, and their record label. They did eventually release another album in 2001 before taking a long hiatus. They’ve since released a new EP in 2015 which was made available via digital downloads.

Imagine sitting in a coffee house and striking up a conversation with a fellow patron, only to find out they are God. Such was the subject of Joan Osborne’s “One of Us,” released in 1995 on her debut album “Relish.” A massive hit for Osborne charting #1 in several countries, and helped earn her three Grammy nominations. Since then, she hasn’t stopped making and producing music. Having released 10 albums since, she’s performed at the Grand Ole Opry, produced several albums for The Holmes Brothers, and continues to collaborate and perform on a regular basis. Nothing has been able to surpass “Relish,” but that doesn’t mean the past years haven’t been accomplished ones.

If there’s one thing we can say with absolute certainty, it’s that no one could have predicted a song about skimpy underwear would be such a huge hit. And much like many of the other artists on this list, Sisqó’s big hit was not the end of his career at all. Having already been a part of Dru Hill since their beginning, Sisqó continued to perform and release music with them, along with his own solo projects. He also branched out into acting appearing in shows like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Legends of Tomorrow.”

Thanks to an English-language remix of their original 1993 Spanish-language release, this 1996 tune has become a staple of many “one-hit wonder” lists around the globe. Having spent 14 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song, and the accompanying dance, cemented itself into the minds of all Generation X’ers. Los del Río’s current discography shows several additional albums released with alternate versions of “Macarena,” but that’s certainly not the limit of their musical footprint. They’ve released additional Latin music as recently as 2018, and even opened an Airbnb hosting guests where they were inspired to write their music.

Often compared to Oasis, The Verve had already gone through a breakup, three EPs, and two full albums before striking gold. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” was the first single from their third album “Urban Hymns” and it certainly struck a chord with listeners. Having hit #2 in the UK in 1997, the band went on tour but conflicts within the group found them calling it quits two years later. Various solo projects were launched in the early aughts, only to find the band back together in 2007. That too was short-lived as they parted ways again in 2009. The former members are still active musicians through various other projects.

Early the mid-90s, a group from down under found their catchy dance track transforming their musical careers. They were the first New Zealand band to hit #1 on a US Billboard chart and managed to sustain that success in their home country. But as quickly as it ignited, their career took a bizarre turn in 1998. Pauly Fuemana, the face of OMC, got into a legal dispute with his producer, Alan Jansson, regarding royalties from their music. It wasn’t until 2005 that they reunited with a new single. Sadly however, Fuemana died on January 31st, 2010 after losing a battle to a nerve disease similar to Multiple sclerosis.

Who would have ever thought singing about butts would become such a huge hit? The infamous song dropped in 1992 going double platinum, and earning a Grammy in 1993 for Best Rap Solo Performance. Although that may have seemed like the pinnacle of Mix-a-Lot’s career, he’s kept fairly busy in the years since. He released three additional albums between 1994 and 2003 and has continued to perform and release singles in the years since. He’s also served as a producer on several other projects, hosted a radio show for two years, and had a few stints in television. Oh, and who could forget his role as spokesperson for “Cards Against Humanity.”

One of the unfortunate side effects of being labeled a “one-hit wonder” is how the average person will never know the bigger story behind an artist. Chumbawamba were together for 15 years before they got “knocked down” with their infamous single “Tubthumping.” Formed in 1982, they had released eight albums before “Tubthumper” put them into an international spotlight. And yet even after such a huge success, they continued to rally for their causes, and released another eight albums before calling it quits in 2012. Since then, band members have continued on in other musical projects such as Interrobang?!, and even the independent film company Dandy Films.