Top 10 One Hit Wonders That Got Popular Again

#10: “Ice Ice Baby” (1990)

Vanilla Ice

Though Vanilla Ice struggled to replicate the success of his biggest hit, “Ice Ice Baby”, that doesn’t mean that the song’s popularity ever truly waned. As a staple on radio playlists and DJ setlists, it retains its dancefloor-filling qualities all these years later. The fact that the song is cited as one of the clearest and most notorious examples of plagiarism in pop music history certainly brought it some infamy. That infamy definitely kept it in rotation deep into the 2010s and 2020s, both as a case study on the subject of musical rip-offs and as a good ol’ slice of hip hop nostalgia.

#9: “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” (1984)

Dead or Alive

Few songs evoke the spirit of the 80s quite like Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). It melds disco and synth-pop together with an unmistakably new wave flavour and it was no surprise that it became a massive hit. It never truly faded into obscurity over the years, but the fact that singer Pete Burns became a reality TV star in the 2000s didn’t hurt. When rapper Flo Rida heavily interpolated its chorus for his 2009 hit “Right Round”, it introduced an entirely new generation to the original.

#8: “Pop Muzik” (1979)

M

Few songs forecasted the style and tone of the 1980s quite like M’s 1979 smash hit “Pop Muzik”. It contained all of the hallmarks that would define synthesiser-driven new wave for the next few years and it reached number-one in several countries around the world. Though it was remembered fondly in the following decade, the song received a huge boost when Irish rockers U2 remixed it for the 1997 PopMart tour. The band released their version of the song as a single and used it as an intro for all of their European dates. It by no means surpassed the initial splash of the original, but it certainly turned more than a few people’s attention its way.

#7: “Tubthumping” (1997)

Chumbawamba

It’s funny how a lot of the most famous songs that become staples at sports events were never actually intended for that purpose. “Seven Nation Army”, “Sweet Caroline”, “Smoke On the Water”, all examples of songs that happened to become synonymous with rowdy crowds. Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” is another example of this phenomenon in effect. The song became a way bigger hit than this anarcho-band could’ve ever imagined, earning them global recognition. The fact that it maintained relevance all these years later was likely just as surprising. “Tubthumping” slowly became a quintessential chant for rowdy partiers all across the world - the ultimate pub-anthem, if you will.

#6: “Save Tonight” (1997)

Eagle-Eye Cherry

When Swedish musician Eagle-Eye Cherry hit the big-time with his 1997 classic “Save Tonight”, little did he know that the song would be as popular as ever decades later. Few songs are as widely covered at open mics as this one. Plus, with the emergence of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram musicians, you won’t need to scroll too far before hearing the latest take on this one. “Save Tonight” is arguably even more unavoidable now than it was when it initially came out. No 90s nostalgia playlist would be complete without this one right in the thick of the mix.

#5: “Electric Avenue” (1983)

Eddy Grant

There have been reggae artists who cracked the global mainstream with more consistency and even more overall critical acclaim than Eddy Grant. However, few, if any, managed to craft a pop song that is quite as much fun as “Electric Avenue”. Written in reference to Electric Avenue in London during the 1981 Brixton riot, its success was inevitable. What was a bit more surprising was its resurgence in 2001 thanks to a remix from Peter Black, known as the "Ringbang Remix". All of a sudden, the nearly twenty-year-old track was back on the radio, reaching number-five on the UK Singles Chart.

#4: “Hooked On A Feeling” (1973)

Blue Swede

Though it was covered by many other artists, the Mark James-penned “Hooked On A Feeling” soared to the top of the charts in 1974 when it was recorded by Swedish band Blue Swede. It had a slow crawl to the number-one spot after its 1973 release, but that was nothing compared to the resurgence that followed. A full forty years later, after featuring on the soundtrack to “Guardians of the Galaxy”, it was thrust right back into the spotlight. That soundtrack album was a nostalgia-fest that turned many young listeners onto music they would otherwise never hear. “Hooked On A Feeling” was undoubtedly the breakout song of the entire collection.

#3: “Walking On Sunshine” (1985)

Katrina and the Waves

A song like “Walking On Sunshine” is so catchy and universally appealing that its continuing appeal should’ve been expected. It was already a big success when it came out, but it has since gone on to become one of music’s definitive summer songs. From its inclusion in modern-day Spotify playlists to the legions of companies lining up to use it to advertise products, it has very clearly outgrown the band that originally released it. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a song that captures pure, uplifting energy more perfectly than this one.

#2: “Take On Me” (1985)

A-ha

Some songs are just never going to go out of style. A-ha’s “Take On Me” is a classic example of a track that stands tall on its own merits, but can also be reinterpreted in any genre effectively. As part of the long list of endlessly reimagined and reworked songs, “Take On Me” is still getting makeovers to this day. Known as a challenging number for vocalists who want to take a shot at its infamous high notes, we’ve heard slow versions, fast versions, metal versions, jazz versions, and everything in between. Even its iconic music video is still blowing people's minds daily thanks to its accessibility on YouTube. All these years later, the song remains one of pop’s crowning achievements.

#1: “Come On Eileen” (1982)

Dexys Midnight Runners

The folksy sing-a-long nature of Dexys Midnight Runners’ signature song “Come On Eileen” just never stopped being fun. It was a huge seller for the band when it first came out, but after the turn of the century, it arguably became even more unavoidable. In the 2000s and 2010s, it felt perfectly at home in a sea of indie-folk and alt-pop music, making multiple appearances on movie soundtracks. To this day, the song is guaranteed to be a floor-filler at parties, and its memorable bridge and build-up are designed for a joyous congregation of people to sing in unison.

But what’s your own personal favourite one-hit wonder of all-time? Let us know in the comments below.