Top 10 Music Artists that are Called One Hit Wonders but Aren't

1. Rick Astley

   

   Richard Paul "Rick" Astley was born on February 6, 1966 in Newton‑le‑Willows, U.K. He is a British singer and songwriter who later became known for the internet meme phenomenon Rickrolling. Before that, he began his music career in a church choir and several local bands and gained popularity in the late... read more

   He is called a "one-hit wonder" because some people only know one (Never Gonna Give You Up) or two songs by him and the Rickrolling meme. While some, including me, like his music beyond just the meme and song (e.g., Cry for Help). He has 5 Top 10 hits in the US while he has 8 Top 10 hits in the UK.

   He is good. He shouldn't be known for only two songs.

   Actually, Rick had two great hits: Never Gonna Give You Up and Together Forever.

2. A-ha

   

   A-ha is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen, and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy. They are best known for their hit single Take On Me, which became a global success.

   While they had two Top 40 hits (one that is #1) in the US, they were more successful in the UK and Norway. They had 8 Top 10 hits in the UK and 19 Top 10 hits in Norway, becoming one of the most successful bands in Norway.

   They had two hits and a James Bond theme.

3. Blur

   

   Blur is an English rock band formed in London in 1988. The group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James, and drummer Dave Rowntree. They were a leading force in the Britpop movement and achieved massive international success with their 1997 hit Song 2.

   "Song 2" is the band's breakthrough song in the US, but I feel that Blur's self-titled album, which includes "Song 2," is the band's real breakthrough in the US music market. Not to forget, another song on Blur's self-titled album, "Beetlebum," went to number 1 in the UK music charts, whereas "Song 2" didn't top any music charts worldwide.

   Blur didn't have any Top 40 hits in the US but are known for their song "Song 2," which became their signature song. They had 12 Top 10 hits in the UK.

   Anyone who thinks they only know "Song 2" by them probably also knows "Girls & Boys" at the very least.

4. Survivor

   

   Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978 by Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan. The band found major success in the 1980s, especially with its 1982 hit Eye of the Tiger. The song, featured in Rocky III, spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

   Survivor is often seen as a one-hit wonder due to their platinum-certified "Eye of the Tiger" in 1982, which spent 6 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. The band managed to have several other major hits, perhaps most notably "I Can't Hold Back," which reached #13 and spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Rock Tracks, and "Burning Heart," which peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 and was ranked by Billboard as the second-biggest song of 1985. They had a total of 8 US pop Top 40 hits between 1981 and 1988.

   They had five Top 10 hits in the US.

5. Nirvana

   

   Nirvana was an American grunge band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. The band consisted of Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar), Krist Novoselic (bass), and Dave Grohl (drums), who joined in 1990. Nirvana disbanded following Cobain's death by suicide in 1994.... read more

   There are so many more great Nirvana songs beyond the overhyped Smells Like Teen Spirit. Expand your horizons before calling yourself a Nirvana fan.

   I cannot believe some people think of them as one-hit wonders. They are one of the greatest bands of all time even though they had two Top 40 hits in the US and six Top 40 hits in the UK.

   Come As You Are, Heart-Shaped Box, Lithium, and In Bloom were also popular Nirvana songs, not just Smells Like Teen Spirit. Yes, there are Toptenners and others who said Teen Spirit is the only popular Nirvana song and have said that Nirvana is famous for that one song.

6. Europe

   

   Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby, Sweden, in 1979 under the name Force. The founding members included vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. They gained international fame in the 1980s with hits such as The Final Countdown.

7. Psy

   

   Park Jae-sang (Korean: 박재상, born December 31, 1977), better known by his stage name Psy, stylized as PSY, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, record producer, and rapper.

   Known domestically for his humorous music videos and performances and internationally for his hit single "Gangnam Style,... read more

8. Carly Rae Jepsen

   

   Carly Rae Jepsen is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Mission, British Columbia, who later became based in Los Angeles. She's best known for her hit single "Call Me Maybe," which became an international chart-topper in 2012.... read more

   Three albums, a fourth one soon.

   Before Call Me Maybe, she had these songs:

   Sunshine on My Shoulders, Tug of War, Bucket, and Sour Candy.

9. Aqua

   

   Aqua is a Danish-Norwegian Eurodance group best known for its 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl." The group formed in 1995 and achieved international success during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its debut album, Aquarium, sold 14 million copies worldwide and included other hits such as "Doctor... read more

   They got one top ten hit in the US and five top ten hits in the UK. Despite only getting one top ten hit in the US, they have at least four top 40 hits there. In the UK, they have more hits with 7 UK top 40s. The UK even started early with "My Oh My" being a big hit.

   They got 0 number ones in the US, but the UK got a fair share with 3 number ones. In Scandinavia or any other part of Europe besides the old Soviet countries, they are definitely not a one-hit wonder. They had many hits in Europe. In 2011, Aqua changed their style and released their first single under "Meglomania," "How R U Doin?". In Ukraine, Aqua weren't really big stars. They were just "foreigner music," and this was their first taste of the Aqua craze there. Then, they just faded out of popularity.

   I love Aqua.

10. MC Hammer

    

    Stanley Kirk Burrell, born on March 30, 1962, and known professionally as MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper, dancer, and record producer. He found major commercial success from the late 1980s through the early 1990s.... read more

    Guys, he had like six, if not more, big hits.

    U Can't Touch This

    Pray

    Too Legit to Quit

    Turn This Mutha Out

    Here Comes the Hammer

    Let's Get It Started

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Charli XCX

    

    Charlotte Emma Aitchison, better known by her stage name Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Her best-known songs include Boom Clap and her featured appearance on Iggy Azalea's hit single Fancy, while her 2024 album Brat produced singles such as Apple and Von Dutch. She is also known for... read more

12. ?

    Iggy Azalea

    

    Amethyst Amelia Kelly, born June 7, 1990, and known professionally as Iggy Azalea, is an Australian former rapper, songwriter, and model. She gained international recognition with Work and her hit Fancy, featuring Charli XCX. Azalea released several studio albums and mixtapes before retiring from music... read more

The Contenders

13. Hozier

    

    Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, known mononymously as Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame in 2013 with his debut single Take Me to Church, which became a global hit. Hozier has since released three critically acclaimed studio albums and is known for his soulful voice and poetic... read more

    Although Take Me to Church was his only hit single, Someone New was a mild success, and his second album, Wasteland, Baby!, topped the charts in the US and Ireland.

    Especially after "Too Sweet" was released.

14. Smash Mouth

    

    Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, originally consisting of Steve Harwell, Kevin Coleman, Greg Camp, and Paul De Lisle. Their first major hit, Walkin' on the Sun, was released in 1997.... read more

15. Falco

    

    Johann "Hans" Hölzel, better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian singer, songwriter, and rapper. He gained international fame with his hit single "Rock Me Amadeus," which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Falco was known for blending pop, rock, and rap... read more

16. Men at Work

    

    Men at Work are an Australian rock and pop band formed in Melbourne in 1979. The group is best known for the international hits "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now?" They won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983.

17. Kim Wilde

    

    Kim Wilde, born Kim Smith, is an English pop singer, author, DJ, and television presenter. She made her debut in 1981 with the single "Kids in America," which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. Wilde found success internationally and became one of the most recognizable faces of 1980s pop music.... read more

    Please do not call her a one-hit wonder. Although she is known for "Kids in America," "Cambodia," and the US No. 1 remake "Keep Me Hangin' On," she is not a one-hit wonder.

    She was successful in the UK compared to the US. Examples of her other songs include "You Came," "Chequered Love," "Never Trust a Stranger," and "Another Step (Closer to You)."

18. Pharrell Williams

    

    Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, born April 5, 1973, known professionally as Pharrell, is an American singer, rapper, and record producer. Williams and Chad Hugo formed the record production duo the Neptunes, known for producing hip-hop, R&B, and pop music. He is also the lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D... read more

    "Happy"

    "Drop It Like It's Hot" with Snoop Dogg

    Guest vocals on "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar

    "LEMON" with N.E.R.D., Drake, and Rihanna

    As well as being that guy who makes the soundtrack for every good movie.

    Pharrell is not a one-hit wonder. Just no.

19. Village People

    

20. Soulja Boy

    

    DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy Tell 'Em or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper and record producer. In September 2007, his debut single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" peaked at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. The single... read more

21. Iron Maiden

    

    Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Their most critically acclaimed period is widely considered to be from 1983 to 1989, during which they released landmark albums such as Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere... read more

    Hang on, they might have had many singles and got high in the charts but have only had one #1 in the charts. Well, in the UK, no number ones in the USA or Canada.

22. The Verve

    

    The Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan in 1990. The founding members were lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong joined the band later in the band's history.... read more

    "The Drugs Don't Work" reached #1 on the UK charts, while "Bittersweet Symphony" didn't.

    The Verve are not one-hit wonders! Ever heard of Britpop? Yeah, I thought so.

    Lucky Man was popular too, wasn't it?

23. Pixies

    

    The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. The group disbanded in 1993 but reunited in 2004. The current lineup includes founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering, along with bassist Emma Richardson, who replaced Paz Lenchantin in... read more

    Here Comes Your Man was pretty big.

24. Jane's Addiction

    

    Jane's Addiction was an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consisted of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Chris Chaney. They were considered pioneers of the alternative rock movement of the early 1990s.

25. Silento

    

    Richard Lamar Hawk, better known by his stage name Silentó, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He was born on January 23, 1998, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is best known for his debut single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," which reached number three on the Billboard... read more

26. The Animals

    

    The Animals are a 1960s English rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade. They became known for their gritty, blues-influenced sound and hits like House of the Rising Sun and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. The band was part of the British Invasion of the United States... read more

    Most people only know them for "House of the Rising Sun," but they released many other great songs. "Don't Let Me Be Down," "Boom Boom," "It's My Life," "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," and plenty of others.

27. Adam Lambert

    

    Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, and stage actor. He rose to prominence as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol in 2009. Since then, he has sold over 2.5 million albums and five million singles worldwide.