The debate over the greatest one-hit wonders of all time has been a topic of discussion for years, with certain favorites consistently coming up.
Music enthusiasts are known for their passionate arguments, and this debate is no exception.
Fans often staunchly defend their favorite artists, dismissing opposing opinions outright or declaring certain artists as objectively bad.
While there is no definitive answer to these debates, that hasn’t stopped music fans from diving into the topic of the best one-hit wonder ever.
There is something uniquely captivating about a one-hit wonder.
These musicians often enter our lives with a single memorable song that lingers in our minds, only to seemingly disappear from the public eye afterward.
The recent surge in this debate was triggered by what was reportedly ‘national one-hit wonder day’.
Although the legitimacy of such a day might be questionable, it has nonetheless ignited a lively online conversation about which song truly deserves the one-hit wonder title.
One tweet that fueled the debate stated: “Happy National One-Hit Wonder Day!
“What is one of your favorite one-hit wonders? I’ll start: ‘Come on Eileen’.”
This tweet could arguably settle the debate, as ‘Come on Eileen’ is an iconic song, and many would struggle to name another track by Dexys Midnight Runners.
Replies to the tweet suggested other one-hit wonders, such as ‘I’m Too Sexy’ by Right Said Fred and “If you want to be technical, Dream Theater’s ‘Pull Me Under’.”
“Despite having an amazing catalogue of songs, ‘Pull Me Under’ was their only hit AND it was during the height of Grunge.”
Another discussion thread under Pop Crave began with the mention of Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’.
This song stands out in terms of streams, having garnered over 1.8 billion streams on Spotify and 2.3 billion views on YouTube.
Another user responded with envy, sharing a picture of PSY, whose ‘Gangnam Style’ boasts 5.2 billion views on YouTube, though he has “only” 500 million views for his other works.
Some called Carly Rae Jepsen a one-hit wonder for ‘Call Me Maybe’, but her fans were quick to politely disagree.
The same was said for Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’, while Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ was also mentioned.
Regardless of individual opinions, it’s clear that consensus on the greatest one-hit wonder is unlikely to be reached.