Top 10 One Hit Wonders Who Actually Had Better Songs

#10: Fountains of Wayne

Becoming immortalised in pop music history for a novelty song like “Stacy’s Mom” is a double-edged sword. For one thing, it ensured that the band Fountains of Wayne remained a recognisable name all these years later. On the flip-side, though, it ended up putting them in a box that they probably don’t deserve to be in. Their larger discography contains some widely adored power-pop and alt-rock songwriting, music that will never be heard by most who know their biggest hit. The wit and immediacy needed to craft a song like “Stacy’s Mom” are sprinkled all over their back catalogue, packed with strong melodies and concise song structure.

#9: Alien Ant Farm

Covering a Michael Jackson song is always going to be a tough task, especially in genres that lie far off on the spectrum of music from the King of Pop’s placement. For alt-metal heroes Alien Ant Farm, even though their take on “Smooth Criminal” was a huge success, they don’t usually get credit for the rest of their material. Ask any Alien Ant Farm fan for a crash course on the band, and you may just end up getting surprised by their strong songwriting, underrated instrumental chops, and super catchy choruses. They get lumped into the ‘nu-metal’ category, but in reality, there is a lot more happening here than “Smooth Criminal” lets on.

#8: Harvey Danger

While most bands will never come close to achieving just one hit single, some who do end up resenting the success and labelling that comes with it. For Seattle alternative-rockers, Harvey Danger, they seemed uncomfortable with their status as a one-hit wonder after the release of their track “Flagpole Sitta”. They ended up doing their best to distance themselves from that song and the overall sound that bred it, expanding their approach in a way that arguably made them more interesting and eclectic. Their fans would argue that their major hit barely scratches the surface of what Harvey Danger were capable of, a sentiment we’re sure the band themselves agree with.

#7: New Radicals

It sometimes feels odd to put bands who have released only one album in the same one-hit-wonder category as those who struggled for years and years with only a single breakthrough. The New Radicals released their sole studio album, “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too”, in 1998 to high praise from fans and critics alike. The lead single “You Get What You Give” was, of course, the major hit, but most people would agree that the album is packed with quality material. Unfortunately, bandleader Gregg Alexander decided to end the band shortly after, pivoting into writing and producing for other artists - a role he has had great success in. Still, this leaves this group as one of modern music’s biggest ‘what ifs’.

#6: Norman Greenbaum

Best known for the psychedelic rock gem that is “Spirit in the Sky”, Norman Greenbaum has unfairly been lumped into the ‘one hit wonder’ category over the years. As the story goes, he wrote his most famous song in just fifteen minutes, unaware of the fact that it would go on to define his legacy. In reality, though, Greenbaum’s work as the leader of Dr West's Medicine Show and Junk Band and his other solo work is far more interesting and eccentric than many realise. He largely retired from music shortly after to concentrate on dairy farming, although he did return as a manager and promoter in the 1980s.

#5: The La’s

The pursuit of perfection is a dangerous thing in art, and while nobody can argue that The La’s and their singer Lee Mavers were special, that pursuit would end up being their undoing. “There She Goes” is regarded as a perfect slice of acoustic pop magic, but most don’t realise that their entire debut album is a truly strong release. This band were already well on their way to greatness, but Mavers’ unwavering perfectionism left them to toil away at endless re-recordings and lineup changes while their momentum slowly died. His attitude towards the music industry eventually soured, and to this day, The La’s debut is the only album he ever recorded.

#4: Chumbawamba

There’s no other way to say it, there is a huge mismatch between the general public’s perception of Chumbawamba and their actual identity as artists. Known almost exclusively for their super-moshable hit “Tubthumping”, the band were almost caught off guard by its success. In reality, they had their roots firmly based in anarcho-punk, writing politically charged anthems that showed no signs of conformity to the mainstream world. As soon as they did achieve that surprising breakthrough, they retreated further into their shell, doubling down on their core aim as a group. It seemed as though the irony of “Tubthumping” is still utterly lost on some people.

#3: A Flock of Seagulls

While many remember A Flock of Seagulls mainly for their major hit “I Ran (So Far Away)”, to boil them down to just one standout moment is to miss the bigger picture. They did indeed have a string of relatively successful releases, but in the grand scheme of things, one song stood above all others. Upon closer inspection, however, there’s quite a lot to enjoy here, and despite the electronic arrangements, they were a formidable live act. The band made major strides within the new wave and synth pop genres, anticipating the dream-pop and ambient-pop hybrids that would eventually break through.

#2: Rupert Holmes

As soon as Rupert Holmes wrote and released “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”, he would inevitably be linked to it for the rest of his life. For as much as the track is a timeless favourite, the larger picture of Holmes’ work is arguably just as interesting. A masterful storyteller at his core, he had a knack for creating concise little tales through his music. While the music itself is always at the front and centre, Holmes’ music often has more in common with a novella than anything his contemporaries were putting out. Plot twists, psychological nuance, and surprisingly deep character studies are the name of the game for Rupert Holmes, making him an underrated gem of his era.

#1: The Proclaimers

Although primarily known for a track that has become something of a novelty song, Scottish icons The Proclaimers have far more depth to them than most realise. Sure, their breakout single “Letter From America” was a hit at home, but “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” became something much bigger. In reality, the band’s catalogue is way more varied and colourful than you might expect - melding genres and lyrical themes - all packed with that unmistakably Scottish identity. Initially an acoustic duo, they eventually branched off into a rockier sound - taking influence from punk, country, and folk. Even if “500 Miles” gets them a large portion of their ticket sales, those who do attend a Proclaimers show often end up getting surprised.

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