Friday Riffs: What’s your favorite ’90s one-hit wonder?
Since this is sort of a return-to-the-‘90s weekend, with Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms and others playing tonight’s “Summerland” concert at Chastain; Richard Marx offering his hits with a string section on Saturday at The Fred; and Barenaked Ladies, Blues Traveler and others coming to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Monday, it seemed like a good week to pay homage to our favorite one-hit wonders from the decade that brought us Nirvana AND MC Hammer.
There are plenty of artists who could have made this list, like Lit, who is also on the “Summerland” bill. Or others, such as Ben Folds Five, Shawn Colvin, Sinead O’Connor and Marc Cohn. In the case of the former, well, they’re getting enough attention this weekend. And the latter acts still have thriving careers, despite a regular chart presence.
So here are 10 of my favorites – and just choosing 10 took much more time than really necessary.
Weigh in below with some of your picks from the decade of flannel and frivolity.
Len, “Steal My Sunshine” – At the height of this song’s popularity, I remember a former co-working saying, “This just SOUNDS like a one-hit wonder.” How right he was. But I continue to be swayed by the song’s awesome sample of the Andrea True Connection.
The Verve, “Bitter Sweet Symphony” – These sublime Brits had more than a dozen hits in their homeland but this hypnotic thing of beauty represented their only U.S. chart appearance.
Soup Dragons, “Divine Thing” – If you have SiriusXM, chances are you’ve heard this one recently since it’s a favorite on the “’90s on 9” channel. If you aren’t familiar with the Scots’ bluesy pop tune, get listening.
Sunscreem, “Love U More” – I’ll admit that my husband gets the credit (or blame) for, a few years ago, re-introducing me to this sumptuous dance-pop song from the British trio that specializes in house/techno music. Glad he did.
Edwyn Collins, “A Girl Like You” – So Collins sounds like a creepy David Bowie. That only makes the song more mesmerizing.
Chumbawumba, “Tubthumping” – Earlier this week, the British dance-punk-pop outfit announced its demise after 30 years. And no one cared. R.I.P. to the band that provided one of the all-time best drinking songs.
Billie Myers, “Kiss the Rain” – Hopes were high that the emotive Myers would be a career artist given her immediate vocal presence. Her follow-up, “Tell Me,” made an occasional radio appearance and in 2010 Myers hit the dance charts with “Wonderful,” but who really remembers her outside of “Rain”?
Ghost Town DJs, “My Boo” – Jermaine Dupri crafted the Miami bass sound for this hip-hop-lite crew. I just remember it as a song synonymous with summer.
New Radicals, “You Get What You Give” – Name-checking Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson sure seemed cool at the time, didn’t it? But who couldn’t love a band that counted Danielle Brisebois among its members?
Michael Penn, “No Myth” – What a hoot to watch Penn with wife Aimee Mann on their joint tours and listen to Mann tease him about being “Romeo in black jeans.”
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119 comments Add your comment
Nonia
July 13th, 2012
6:12 am
money (That’s What I Want)-by The Flying Lizards……..
A classic indeed!
Ice Man
July 13th, 2012
6:19 am
ICE ICE BABY
Sluggo
July 13th, 2012
6:22 am
I’d Die without you – PM Dawn
90s rock!
July 13th, 2012
7:08 am
Meat Puppets- Backwater
dirty
July 13th, 2012
7:16 am
If we are talking ione hit wonders you have got to include the Four Non Blondes
NJ
July 13th, 2012
7:24 am
Wicked Game by Chris Isaak, 500 Miles by the Proclaimers, and The Crash Test Dummies’ Mmm Mmm Mmm
Already misses the '90's
July 13th, 2012
7:31 am
Amen on Crash Test Dummies. Honorable mention goes to Tarzan and Jane by Toy Box, and the Macarena.
christy girl
July 13th, 2012
7:35 am
bitch,meridith brooks
Buford Sowega
July 13th, 2012
7:47 am
Dammit. That sample used in “Don’t You Steal My Sunshine” is now looping endlessly in my head. I remember when it hit the radio it stayed stuck in my head for weeks. Oh well–maybe for a blessed little while it will take the place of all the songs my four year old has brought into my world. I dare you to get the new My Little Pony theme song to quit your mental play list. Dammit.
Totally 90s
July 13th, 2012
7:50 am
Cumbersome – Seven Mary Three… Sex & Candy – Marcy Playground… Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something… Inside Out – Eve6
Ricochet
July 13th, 2012
7:50 am
I love music and, even though I’m old, enjoy most genres (hip hop, techno-pop and rap being exceptions). Guess that is why I sort of tuned out most of the tripe that was spewing from the radio in the 1990s. Notable exceptions for me: No Myth (M. Penn), I’ve Got A Lot To Learn About Love (The Storm). The rest pretty much sucked. Now, for those of you old enough to remember, comparte the ONe Hit Wonders of, say, The 90s with The 70s. No comparison. Even the bad songs were better then.
RipVanWinkle
July 13th, 2012
7:56 am
Must have been asleep when most of these people came out. Here is VH1 top 90’s One Hit Wonders..now these I remember!
13. Cotton Eye Joe – Red-Nex
12. The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
11. You Get What You Give – New Radicals
11. One Of Us – Joan Osborne
9. Jump Around – House Of Pain
8. Barely Breathing – Duncan Sheik
7. Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
6. Closing Time – Semisonic
5. Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
4. Macarena – Los Del Rio
3. Rico Suave – Gerardo
2. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
1. Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Drew
July 13th, 2012
8:03 am
The New Radicals were an intriguing mystery, breaking up with a Top Ten single and a hit album on the charts… but given the number of references to cocaine there are on that album, perhaps it’s not THAT big a mystery. Gregg Alexander is a talented songwriter and producer who continues to pop up behind the scenes, most famously with the Michele Branch/Carlos Santana song “The Game of Love” which could’ve fit seamlessly onto that one New Radicals album.
Class of '98
July 13th, 2012
8:05 am
The greatest one hit wonder of all time, not just the 1990’s, is “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. I thought everybody knew that.
FCM
July 13th, 2012
8:10 am
Blind Melon’s “No Rain”…..although I understand they had great success outside the US.
Wondering
July 13th, 2012
8:23 am
I’m with RipVanWinkle here – not even close on these top 10
Pam
July 13th, 2012
8:24 am
The 90’s was truly the worst decade for music. But a few that haven’t been mentioned stand out.
Calloway – I Wanna Be Rich
Sinead O’Conner – Nothing Compares 2 U
Tag Team – Whoomp There It Is
Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Lou Bega – Mambo #5
Haddaway – What Is Love
Marc Cohn – Walking In Memphis
FM Fats
July 13th, 2012
8:26 am
Cantaloop by US3 comes to mind. Love the Andrea True reference. She tried country in the mid-70’s before she had the disco hit. One of her band members was Larry Campbell, who went on to play in Bob Dylan’s band in the late 90’s.
Sid Vicious
July 13th, 2012
8:26 am
MMMBop – by Hanson is without a doubt the best single, one hit wonder etc etc that there was in the 90’s…I play that song at the right times still to these days…And this is coming from a guy who thinks Rush, the Beatles & the Sex Pistols are the best ever…
Fred ™
July 13th, 2012
8:35 am
Whoomp there it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-FPimCmbX8
Patriot
July 13th, 2012
8:40 am
The article, the responses and current playlists support the hypothesis that there STILL has been no decent music since 1982.
Patriot
July 13th, 2012
8:41 am
The Macarena was kind of catchy, though.
Fred ™
July 13th, 2012
8:42 am
Patriot
July 13th, 2012
8:40 am
The article, the responses and current playlists support the hypothesis that there STILL has been no decent music since 1982.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here’s your sign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ZkdHImCuQ
richard whiskey
July 13th, 2012
8:45 am
right said fred and i’m to sexy,remember al bundy singing that on married with children
TB
July 13th, 2012
8:45 am
Just got Paid – Johnny Kemp
Dennis
July 13th, 2012
8:47 am
Aqua – Barbie Girl – forever a song of the summer…
TB
July 13th, 2012
8:47 am
Sorry – I know that was the 80’s, but I like it…
CoachPaulJ'smanboobs
July 13th, 2012
8:55 am
Georgia Tech! One hit wonder in the 90’s!!! wheeeee
TT
July 13th, 2012
8:57 am
Everything About You – Ugly Kid Joe – 1992. That one hit wonder was an anthem for the early 90’s.
Tay
July 13th, 2012
9:02 am
Return of the Mack-Mark Morrison…you lied to me!
Patrick
July 13th, 2012
9:11 am
Probably my #1 90s One-Hit Wonder (at least in the U.S.) would have to be O.M.C.’s “How Bizarre”.
Jimm
July 13th, 2012
9:20 am
Um. Closing Time by Semisonic?
Kitster
July 13th, 2012
9:24 am
Dee-Lite – Groove is in the Heart
Snow – Informer
SWV – Right Here
EMF – Unbelievable
Four of my favorite 90’s One Hit Wonders.
Dano
July 13th, 2012
9:27 am
Hmmm easy selection here……Love Spreads by the Stone Roses. What an incredible song, even though they were so wasted at Music Midtown they started and stopped the song about 4 times before giving up. Honorable Mention is Unbelievable by EMF – that tune just puts you in a good mood.
just me
July 13th, 2012
9:30 am
Lisa Loeb – Stay
just me
July 13th, 2012
9:31 am
Kitster…. SWV had plenty of hits.
Need Some New Faces
July 13th, 2012
9:32 am
Tubthumping for sure.
JeffK
July 13th, 2012
9:37 am
I remember some idiot DJ saying that the New Radicals would be the new coming of the Rolling Stones…whoops! They SUCKED!!
dave grohl
July 13th, 2012
9:37 am
the wallflowers-one headlight,
Dis Tub B a Thumpin
July 13th, 2012
9:42 am
Tubthumping – Chumbawamba: One of my favorites, and the most underrated inspirational song to come out of the 90’s (IMO). I don’t understand why some many people put it down. It is on permanent rotation in my play list. And it’s lyrics, “I get knocked down, I get up again”, have helped me through many a tough day.
Ain't That the Truth, Ruth
July 13th, 2012
9:44 am
Lisa Loeb. One-hit-Goliath. And by the way, proofreading is always nice–even in this age of diminishing newspaper budgets.
LJF1
July 13th, 2012
9:45 am
Right Said Fred – Too Sexy
Bizmarkie – Just a Friend
Gerardo – Rico Suave
4 Non Blondes – What’s up
Cardigans – Love Fool
Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart
House of Pain – Jump Around
Sophie B Hawkins – Damn I wish I was your lover
Onyx – Slam
Calloway – I wanna be rich
Divinyls – Touch Myself
Marcy Playground – Sex & Candy
Mike
July 13th, 2012
9:48 am
SWV?? Definitely not one hit wonders. They had three multi-platinum albums and just released a new album in April. Hell, “Weak” hit the #1 spot on the pop charts and the R&B charts.
Mary
July 13th, 2012
9:54 am
Oh man, now I’m gonna spend my lunch downloading way too many songs from iTunes.
Me Again
July 13th, 2012
9:56 am
“Here’s Where the Story Ends” from the Sundays and the incomparable Harriett Wheeler
Val
July 13th, 2012
9:56 am
Got to add Savage Garden-Truly Madly Deeply best song ever!
DevilDogOz
July 13th, 2012
10:01 am
Thanks to everyone who contributed but it’s Jane Child ‘Dont Wanna Fall in Love’ (actually 1989). Sitting here in Afghanistan clicking on these and flashing back…..
Contessa
July 13th, 2012
10:06 am
“Monsters and Angels” by Voice of the Beehive.
Tomahawkin
July 13th, 2012
10:16 am
Thanks Everyone for Taking Kristen to School
SWV was the most Underrated Female R&B Group of All Time
Tomahawkin
July 13th, 2012
10:22 am
Quad City DJ’s
“Come On Ride That Train!
That Song was Sooo Good it had to be Done Twice in DJ Taz’s “That’s Right” Remix
That old School DJ Tazz Still Goes Hard!