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This is a special sub-page for all of the predictions for future One Hit Wonderland episodes.

Note that these lists reflect artists who charted on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in the US, where the majority of Todd's audience hails from. Some artists & groups listed here may have had considerable success outside the US or on genre-specific charts, and have even built up cult followings beyond their one hit (including confirmed acts like Yello, Dexys Midnight Runners, and Midnight Oil). For bands & artists with considerable genre-specific chart success and/or a particularly large cult following (such as Modest Mouse), Todd most likely won't review them on OHW. Some bands & artists listed as one-hit wonders, especially in the "Very False" category, are often considered as such in the more general sense: "an artist or band whom your average person would only recognize one song from".

For Todd to consider a song for One Hit Wonderland, the song in question should be at least ten years old; however, Todd tends to prefer songs which have a music video associated with them (generally songs made from the latter half of the 70s forward), since finding usable videos for older songs and artists is difficult if not outright impossible, particularly for the "Before the Hit" and "The Failed Follow-up" segments.

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    True One Hit Wonders 
Artists who only had one Top 40 hit on the Hot 100, and their other work either did not chart or charted below the Top 40; artists who only charted in the top 40 of the airplay chart due to the lack of a physical single release in the 1990s are also included in this category.

  • "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited: The duo were more popular on many European pop charts; however, they had a few additional hits on the US dance charts. Their most famous song in Europe is "No Limit". While the song also had a vocal remake, it’s the original instrumental version (known as the “Orchestral Mix”) that everyone remembers.
  • “Short Dick Man” by 20 Fingers feat. Gillette: It charted as a clean version called “Short, Short Man”, which obscured much of the explicit lyrical content.
  • "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)" by 3LW: A girl group from the early 2000s that eventually morphed into The Cheetah Girls. Former member Kiely Williams infamously attempted a solo career that went immediately up in flames, due to the enormous controversy of her debut single "Spectacular".
  • "Anything" by 3T: Another major example of musical nepotism (they're nephews of Michael Jackson and were signed to his label MJJ Productions). They had multiple hits overseas, but this was their only charting single at home.
  • "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes: He's mentioned on Twitter and in his FAQ that he hates this song, to the point that he may never review it, but you know he's going to give in one day, since ranting for 15-20 minutes about songs he hates pays the bills. Perhaps Todd will be a bit kinder towards this band considering Linda Perry's contribution to music outside this band.
  • "Wobble Wobble" by 504 Boyz: A supergroup fronted by Master P and featuring various of his labelmates from No Limit Records.
  • "How Long" by Ace: Hinted at in the "Funkytown" episode, due to Lipps Inc. covering the song.
  • "Get Here" by Oleta Adams: Another victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse; the original was by Brenda Russell (see "Somewhat False").
  • "Because I Got High" by Afroman
  • "Der Kommissar" by After The Fire: A victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse, the original was from Falco; speaking of whom, the cover version was briefly mentioned in his review of "Rock Me Amadeus".
  • "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors
  • An American Idol megasode, where he marathons a whole bunch of people on the show who either had only one top 40 hit or are remembered for only one (like David Cook, Kris Allen, Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice, Josh Gracin, Mario Vazquez, Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin, David Archuleta, Blake Lewis, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips, and Lauren Alaina).
  • "The Boys of Summer" by The Ataris: Similar to Alien Ant Farm, they are a pop punk/alternative rock group whose only big hit was a cover of a Top 10 song from the 1980s, with the original from Eagles frontman Don Henley. Like Alien Ant Farm, Todd likely won't have much good to say about the band.
  • "Boston" by Augustana
  • "Naturally Stoned" by The Avant-Garde: Just barely makes the cut-off at exactly #40. One half of the duo, Chuck Woolery, is better known as a game show host, most famously as the original host of Wheel of Fortune, Love Connection, and Scrabble.
  • "Sugar Hill" by AZ: Though he's probably most famous for his part on Nas' "Life's a Bitch", he managed to score a real hit of his own a year later, ironically outperforming the vast majority of Nas' own Hot 100 singles. AZ is often considered to be one of the most underrated rappers in history, so he's an ideal choice to cover.
  • "Harlem Shake" by Baauer: This went viral, but the rest of his output has seen next to no success on the charts. Todd has shown dislike to the song having named it a dishonorable mention in his Worst Hits Songs of 2013 list stating that he didn't get it or the meme.
  • "The Way I Live" by Baby Boy da Prince
  • "She's So High" by Tal Bachman: Mentioned during the Nine Days review. A staple of minivan rock. Bachman is the son of Randy Bachman, the lead guitarist of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
  • "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora: This was the only song of the popular Italo Disco movement of the 1980s to become a real hit in America. Its "Tarzan howl" hook is also notable for being an Ur-Example of the Millennial Whoop in popular music. It briefly re-charted in 1993 upon its appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. The song gaining new popularity as the entrance theme for Jungle Boy of All Elite Wrestling also means it's relevant.
  • "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
  • "Back Here" by BBMak: A British Boy Band who was never really able to break out in any country, not even their own. Expect Todd to say they didn't deserve better, since he highlighted them as an example of why teen pop singers who play instruments are always worse than those who don't in his review of "What Do You Mean?" and "Stitches".
  • "Iko Iko" by The Belle Stars: A cover of the '60s song by the Dixie Cups, popularized by the movie Rain Man. They also recorded "Sign of the Times", which was a huge hit in their native UK during the early '80s but only reached #75 in America, although it's better remembered now. The band itself is notable for its large, all-female lineup and distinct blend of new wave and pop-dance.
  • "In a Big Country" by Big Country; if this does get covered, expect at least some acknowledgement of the drummer's stint replacing Warren Caan of Ultravox on their Creator Killer album U-Vox, which is otherwise a bit too UK-centric to make for an easy Trainwreckords episode.
  • "Still Not a Player" by Big Pun: The acclaimed late rapper had only one notable pop hit.
  • "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops)" by Blu Cantrell: "Breathe", released two years later, was a hit in Europe, but not in her home country.
  • "Hate Me" by Blue October: They have had far more success on genre-specific charts, but never had another top 40 hit on the Hot 100.
  • "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt: Hinted at in the "Lullaby" one-hit wonder review. While this single was his only one to reach the top spot on the Billboard charts in the United States, "Goodbye My Lover" did chart in the top ten worldwide. Todd almost reviewed it as a joke for a Patreon request, then backpedaled and did "Turning Japanese" instead. He could still do it, but it seems like this will only be as a last resort if he runs out of ideas at some point.
  • "Never Scared" by Bonecrusher, featuring Killer Mike and T.I.: Peaked at #26 on the Top 100 in 2003.
  • "Rivers of Babylon" by Boney M.: The band were more successful outside of the USA. Expect Todd to point out that, thanks to a internet meme, many of his viewers are more familiar with the song's "failed" follow-up, "Rasputin", making them "one-hit wonders whose hit has changed", similar to The Waitresses. (Also perhaps that the band's creator, Frank Farian, later went on to create Milli Vanilli, even beginning his practice of hiring band members mainly as a front for studio musicians with Boney M.)
  • "1985" by Bowling for Soup: Expect Todd to reiterate that the song is a cover of a song by SR-71, who had already been covered on the show for "Right Now". The group preformed the theme song for Phineas and Ferb, and frontman Jaret Reddick had a recurring role as Danny, the frontman for the in-show band Love Händel. Reddick is also the voice for Chuck E. Cheese's eponymous mascot since 2012.
  • "That's What Love Can Do" by Boy Krazy: A true anomaly on the American pop charts in 1993, when manufactured bubblegum was quickly falling out of style and R&B groups like TLC, SWV, and En Vogue were taking over. Despite being one of the last major hits by 1980s super-producers Stock Aitken Waterman, the most famous version of the song was stylistically a harbinger of the late '90s/early 2000s TRL pop movement and was even sampled on "We Can Work It Out", a non-album track by S Club 7.
  • "Blackout" by Breathe Carolina: They were popular on the pop-punk scene but never had another hit.
  • "One Toke Over the Line" by Brewer & Shipley
  • "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians: Expect Todd to mention the fact that Brickell is the wife of Paul Simon.
  • "Save Your Kisses for Me" by the second incarnation of Brotherhood of Man: Todd already covered the band's first incarnation as one of the five one-hit wonder bands fronted by Tony Burrows, saying that the second incarnation "became a bunch of ABBA rip-offs" after they won Eurovision with this song. It charted at #27 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the US easy listening chart. A cover by '70s country star Margo Smith reached #10 on the country chart.
  • "Hey! Baby" by Bruce Channel: This song was highly influential to The Beatles, who started using the harmonica in their songs after touring with the track's harmonica player Delbert McClinton, who became a one-hit wonder himself nineteen years later with "Giving It Up for Your Love". A cover version was a big European hit for DJ Ötzi in 2001, but he too became a one-hit wonder. The chorus of this song is a popular football chant in Europe, and was adapted into a pro wrestling chant for female WWE star Bayley.
  • "Pac Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia: Todd mentioned the song in his review of "Tubthumping", fearing that he may end up covering a novelty act after covering a more serious one-hit wonder, which indeed happened, albeit with Elmo and Patsy's "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer". Except him to mention the song they did for Wreck-It Ralph at some point. note 
  • "I Wanna be Rich" by Calloway: An offshoot of previous one-hit wonder group Midnight Star. Called "Milli Vanilli with talent".
  • "Far Behind" by Candlebox: They had far more success on rock radio charts, but only this one pop hit.
  • "Knockin' Boots" by Candyman: Inevitably, Todd would have to mention the Luke Bryan song of the same name, which he put #9 on his Worst of 2019 list.
  • "Second Round K.O." by Canibus
  • "Gigolo" by Nick Cannon: The actor and husband of Mariah Carey is not exactly known for his music career.
  • "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities: It made Todd's honorable mentions for the Best of 2013, and mentioned had the follow up "Kangaroo Court" charted, it would've made the list proper for that year.
  • "More and More" by Captain Hollywood Project
  • "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)" by Aaron Carter: If Todd reviews this, he'll almost certainly bring up his more successful older brother Nick.
  • "Cashin' Out" by Ca$h Out
  • "Me & U" by Cassie: She is probably better known for being the former girlfriend of Sean Combs than for her music career. Similar to Alexandra Stan below, if Todd covers this, the "Did she ever do anything else?" section will likely take an unnerving turn, as Cassie would accuse Combs of rape and sexual assault in 2023 (a lawsuit which would be dropped almost immediately).
  • "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene: In 1977, she had three songs (including this one) that barely scraped the bottom of the Top 100. Then in 1982, a rerelease reached #3. Since then, her only song to chart only reached #46. Expect Todd to dislike the song — it's a White Chick With Piano with a questionable message. He'd also have a lot of fun with the failed followup, "Used to Be," a duet with Stevie Wonder that has even worse lyrics.
  • "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" by Jane Child: A Canadian pop star of the early '90s with a very unusual sense of fashion — spiky hair, ankle-length braids, and a nose chain. She never had another hit even in her home country.
  • "Sh-Boom" by The Chords: It's notable for being one of the first doo-wop songs to become a smash hit and is also one of the many contenders for the title of first rock and roll song. However, at the time, it was commercially overshadowed by the more conventional version by white Canadian boyband the Crew Cuts, and the group never had another hit in spite of their influence. Decades later, it was featured prominently in Pixar's Cars franchise. Surprisingly, the Crew Cuts version hasn't faded with time like Pat Boone's whitewashed covers have, in large part thanks to its use in film and television.
  • "Under the Milky Way" by The Church: They were cult favorites in their native Australia, but this was their only hit a hit in the U.S. This song was also featured in Donnie Darko.
  • "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)" by Citizen King. Exptect Todd to compare this song to Sublime or mention its appearance in Malcolm in the Middle.
  • "Too Close" by Alex Clare: Also known as the Internet Explorer 9 commercial song. Todd gave it a dishonorable mention in his Worst of 2012 video where he called it "garbage".
  • "Just the Girl" by The Click Five: Todd mentioned them in his review of "Tonight, Tonight" and later in his "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" review, calling the group a throwaway act, meaning he's not likely to cover them.
  • "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane: Peaked at #6 in 1992. For a lot of people, particularly Zoomers, the Rascal Flatts cover is the better-known version due to its appearance in Cars; however, that version was never officially released as a single.
  • "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins: He was originally the frontman of early '80s post-punk band Orange Juice, but this became an unlikely international solo smash for him years later. It eventually reached America thanks to its appearance in the movie Empire Records. Expect Todd to compare this song to Iggy Pop.
  • "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin: The surprise winner of Record of the Year in the 1998 Grammys.
  • "Fascinated" by Company B: A Girl Group managed by Ish Ledesma, himself a member of both a one-hit wonder group (OXO) and a Two-Hit Wonder group (Foxy).
  • "Joey" by Concrete Blonde
  • "Do You Love Me" by The Contours: The band also had several songs chart under the Top 40, and the song also remains well known for being in Dirty Dancing.
  • "Legend of a Cowgirl" by Imani Coppola: One of the more unique hits of the late 90's, which spins a sample of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" into a bubblegummy alternative rap song with a country twist. Ten years later, she was one half of the duo Little Jackie, which achieved some minor success in the UK. If Todd covers her, expect a few comparisons to Lil Nas X, another black musician who released a genre-defying rap single with a country aesthetic. (Of course, "Old Town Road" was astronomically more successful than "Legend of a Cowgirl")
  • "Breathless" by The Corrs: Despite their popularity in their native Ireland, this was the family band's only hit across the pond.
  • "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five: One of the first Psychedelic Rock hits.
  • "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies: They had greater success in their native Canada.
  • "Rock Yo Hips" by Crime Mob: The beat for "Knuck if You Buck" was used in the 2016 dance hit "Juju on That Beat", which Todd thoroughly trashed as the worst Vine song ever.
  • "Mr. Vain" by Culture Beat: Hit #1 in 13 countries. Despite being a German group, it was fronted by a British female singer and an American rapper. The group's founder and producer, Torsten Fenslau, died in a car accident a few months after the group's second album Serenity was released. Todd often plays a clip of this song whenever he discusses '90s Eurodance music, so there's a good chance he'll cover this one someday.
  • "Collide" by Howie Day: One of the original "White Guy With Acoustic Guitar" songs. Todd's "frenemy" Morgan Wallen auditioned for The Voice with this song.
  • "New Age Girl" by Deadeye Dick: It's best known for appearing on the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack. The song's original master was never released for digital download or streaming since the band's record label went bankrupt in 1999, leading the band to release a 2003 rerecording of the song in 2021.
  • "Drop It Low" by Ester Dean: While a hughely successful songwriter, this was the only hit she had herself.
  • "Walk Away (Remember Me)" by Paula DeAnda: Her appearance on The Voice in 2014 would certainly be a talking point.
  • "Goodbye" by Kristinia DeBarge: She is the daughter of James DeBarge of the popular '80s family band DeBarge, and was a contestant on American Juniors, the American Idol spinoff mentioned in the S Club 7 episode. A rare case of a one-hit wonder whose only hit is based upon another one-hit wonder song ("Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam).
  • "Wasting My Time" by Default: The group were much more popular in Canada and did about as well as Saving Abel on the rock charts.
  • "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay: They had a few other hits in Europe, but not the U.S. Expect Todd to bring up its sample on David Guetta's "Play Hard" if he discusses it.
  • "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something: It was #1 on his top 10 songs about mediocre romance. He can revisit it in its own episode.
  • "Whine Up" by Kat DeLuna: Best known as the theme song to WWE's 2007 Summer Slam event.
  • "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree: Her later single "Life" was a Top 10 hit basically everywhere but the US.
  • "Listen to Your Heart" by DHT: Another victim of the "cover as first hit curse", the original was from Roxette.
  • "Sausolito Summernight" by Diesel: One of very few Dutch acts to ever chart in the U.S.
  • "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" by Digable Planets
  • "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas
  • "Counting Blue Cars" by Dishwalla: Hinted in his "Flood" review along with "One of Us" by Joan Osborne.
  • "Heaven" by DJ Sammy: Pretty much identical circumstances to DHT.
  • "Ice Cream Paint Job" by Dorrough: Briefly discussed during his review of Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow".
  • "The Captain of Her Heart" by Double: Like Yello, they're Swiss.
  • "Lean like a Cholo" by Down AKA Kilo
  • "Mercy" by Duffy: Came from Britain and pushed "retro-soul" around the same time as Adele started. But whereas Adele became one of the biggest pop stars in the world (although a few years later), Duffy disappeared. Todd would say she definitely deserved better! The very unfortunate circumstances behind her disappearance from the limelight might not make her an ideal talking point for OHW however.
  • "Jeans On" by Lord David Dundas: Although mosty an actor, he had one hit that was popularized though a jeans commercial.
  • "Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry: The son of jazz trumepter Don Cherry, step-brother of singer and rapper Neneh Cherry, and step-uncle of modern day pop star Mabel.
  • "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon: He hinted about visiting Eamon again after putting the song on in his "Worst of 2004" list.
  • "Friday on My Mind" by the Easybeats: They were a much bigger success in their native Australia. Guitarist George Young is the older brother of the Young brothers from AC/DC.
  • "American Boy" by Estelle: Her role as Garnet on Steven Universe would certainly be a talking point.
  • "What It's Like" by Everlast: Todd previously covered him on the show as a member of House of Pain.
  • "I Will Love Again" by Lara Fabian
  • "Stay With Me" by Faces: Their frontman Rod Stewart is, without question, anything but a one-hit wonder. However, he does have one Top 40 hit ("(I Know) I'm Losing You") that is credited to "Rod Stewart with Faces", so it depends on whether Todd counts it as their other hit.
  • "1234" by Feist: Hit the top 10 in the U.S. after being poularized in an iPod Nano ommercial.
  • "Take a Picture" by Filter: "Hey Man, Nice Shot" was more representative of the band's sound (and the only other song they're really known for); however, "Take a Picture" is the song they are better remembered for in the mainstream. Also, frontman Richard Patrick was a former touring guitarist for the more well known and popular Nine Inch Nails.
  • "How Can I Ease the Pain" by Lisa Fischer
  • "Signs" by Five Man Electrical Band: It was covered by Tesla twenty years later, though only the original has endured in the public consciousness.
  • "Ooh Child" by The Five Stairsteps: They had sixteen entires on the Hot 100 and yet only one top 40 hit.
  • "Handlebars" by Flobots
  • “All Around Me” by Flyleaf
  • "Hocus Pocus" by Focus: The band's follow up, "Silvia", hit number 89 on Billboard and is largely forgotten today.
  • "Lemon Tree" by Fools Garden
  • "I Wanna Be Bad" by Willa Ford: Considering its subject matter, his commentary would probably focus primarily on why teen pop as a whole was declining at the time of its release in 2001.
  • "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne: Todd mentioned the group in his retrospect of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)", calling the band one of the more respectable power-pop groups, so he would likely say that they deserved better if he reviews them.
  • "Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti & Spearhead: A cult reggae musician who only had one mainstream hit.
  • "Total Eclipse of The Heart" by Nicki French: Another victim of the cover as first hit curse; the original was from Bonnie Tyler.
  • "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel: The band were more successful on the alternative and mainstream rock charts. "Falls on Me" actually got more pop radio play but peaked lower. One can only speculate that Todd loathes this song.
  • "For You I Will (Confidence)" by Teddy Geiger: One of the few notable transgender musicians to have chart success. She released only one other single (which failed to reach the Hot 100). As hinted in the review of "Stitches" and "What Do You Mean?" (the former was cowritten by Geiger), Todd DOES NOT have very nice things to say about her. Because of the circumstances, this could be a good review to bring in Alina Morton from his Song vs. Song podcast as a special guest.
  • "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by The Georgia Satellites: The group did have a handful of hits on the Mainstream Rock chart.
  • "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJ's: Another rare case where the artist only released one single in their entire career. If Todd ever covers it, expect him to mention its Revival by Commercialization in 2016 due to the Running Man Challenge on Vine (an app which Todd heavily disliked when it was producing hits).
  • "Hot Child in the City" by Nick Gilder: Was the lead singer of the band Sweeney Todd, who were not one-hit wonders in Canada.
  • "Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit" by Gina G: One of the very few Eurovision songs to have crossed over into the Hot 100, and Todd does watch the show every year.
  • "Call to the Heart" by Giuffria: Best known as the band David Glen Eisley (the singer on "Sweet Victory") was originally a part of.
  • "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley: Cee Lo Green is a rather interesting case in terms of being a one-hit wonder. Technically, Cee Lo himself is not a one-hit wonder (although he only had one hit as a lead and the other a featured spot); however, his four hits came from three different acts. Brian Burton, on the other hand, has only gone top 40 as part of this duo.
  • "Chinese Food" by Alison Gold: Like "Friday", it's an Ark Music Factory song that featured a young girl and went viral for its... questionable quality. Todd may be reluctant to cover this one because Alison Gold was so young at the time and it's likely an Old Shame for her at this point. While he has claimed on Twitter that she made the song bad on purpose to become the next Rebecca Black, which might kill most of the sympathy he could've had for her, it can also be argued that the blame should be put on Ark Music Factory — even if Alison herself did think making intentionally bad songs was a great idea, the adults at Ark should've stopped her from embarrassing herself with bad songs she'd likely regret in the future (the fact that we haven't heard anything from her for years suggests that she does indeed regret them). If Todd does make a video on her, expect him to bash the infamous "Shush Up" music video, which sexualized the still-preteen Alison and generated so much backlash for it that Alison never released anything else and Wilson's career never recovered.
  • "Hood Figga" by Gorilla Zoe
  • "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye ft. Kimbra: Even though Todd already reviewed the song, it made #6 on his Best of 2012 list, and Todd felt that Gotye deserved better in the States. Gotye is possibly the ultimate one-hit wonder of the entire 2010s, having scored the biggest hit of 2012 but pretty much nothing after that; Kimbra didn't fare any better.
  • "Babylon" by David Gray
  • "I Try" by Macy Gray: She's notable for voicing Seeiah in SSX Tricky.
  • "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum: The song is similar to Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" in that its lyrics are about Christianity, even though the singer is Jewish. If Todd covers this song, he'll likely talk about how religion was a major theme in rock music at the time, despite the perceived irreligiousity of the counterculture movement.
  • "Miami Vice Theme" by Jan Hammer: The last true instrumental to be a #1 hit.
  • "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris: This Jimmy Webb-penned single is one of the most ruthlessly mocked songs in rock history, particularly due to its use of a cake melting in the rain as a metaphor for lost love. The track would later be covered by Donna Summer as a Disco classic and parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Jurassic Park". Modern audiences may recognize Richard Harris as the actor for Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies, before Michael Gambon replaced him following his death in 2002.
  • "The One and Only" by Chesney Hawkes: The song was featured in the British movie Buddy's Song, which Hawkes starred in. The song is mostly forgotten in America today, but it was a #1 hit in its home country, where Hawkes is remembered as an early '90s teen heartthrob (though the song is generally played at '80s nostalgia festivals, due to its musical style). The song is also notable for being written by Nik Kershaw, who was an extremely popular new wave artist in Britain during the mid-'80s who never scratched the top 40 in the US. Todd played this song during the end credits of his Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 1991 video.
  • "I Loved Her First" by Heartland
  • "How Do You Talk to an Angel" by The Heights: The theme song to the short-lived TV series of the same name about a Fake Band. They never released another single. Jamie Walters, who starred in the show and sang lead on the song, had a hit on his own with 1995's "Hold On", but it's nowhere near as remembered.
  • "Here (In Your Arms)" by Hellogoodbye
  • "Born To Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez: This European disco singer topped charts worldwide with this 1979 smash, but never had another hit anywhere.
  • "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgs: A Casablanca-inspired soft rock song from 1982. "Just Another Day in Paradise" did well on adult contemporary and still appears on oldies stations, but it just missed at #46.
  • "Stars Are Blind" by Paris Hilton: If Todd does review her, he'll likely not have kind words for her, given that she is only famous for being a celebutante.
  • "About Us" by Brooke Hogan: Todd might not have kind words to say about this song, considering that Brooke is the daughter of retired WWE superstar Hulk Hogan.
  • "Another Dumb Blonde" by Hoku
  • "The Reason" by Hoobastank: Todd already discussed the song in his "Worst of 2004" retrospect; however, he stated that Hoobastank wasn't a bad band, albeit Incubus wannabes. Also, Hoobastank also had a few other hits on the alternative charts, but their overall body of work is less known than Incubus's or even Jimmy Eat World's. In addition, expect Todd to not have nice words about a certain elephant in the room on one of their other songs from the same album.
  • "Popcorn" by Hot Butter: Generally regarded as the first Synth-Pop song to become a hit, released way back in 1972, before the genre fully coalesced in the latter half of the decade. This song is actually an example of the "cover as a first hit" curse, as the original by Gershon Kingsley came out in 1969.
  • "I Like That" by Houston: A suicide attempt during his first and only tour led to his early retirement.
  • "Pop, Lock & Drop It" by Huey: He was killed in a drive-by in 2020.
  • "A Bay Bay" by Hurricane Chris: Hurricane Chris' second degree murder charge will likely be a talking point
  • "Vehicle" by The Ides of March
  • "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak: Another song that got big after appearing in a film starring Nicolas Cage—the David Lynch-directed Wild at Heart.
  • "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks: A translation of a song in French by Jacques Brel. One of Todd's least favorite songs ever, according to his FAQ.
  • "Pray for You" by Jaron & the Long Road to Love
  • "Chain Hang Low" by Jibbs
  • "Heartbeat" by Don Johnson: Like Eddie Murphy, Don Johnson tried to capitalize on his popularity by adding a singing career. He had one other minor hit duet with Barbra Streisand, but not much more other than that.
  • "Who Dat" by JT Money: Money did have another minor hit as a featured artist.
  • "Mama Used to Say" by Junior: Like Billy Ocean and Mark Morrison, he was a rare example of a black British R&B singer crossing over to the United States. His most notable work outside of his big solo hit is working with Kim Wilde, including a featuring credit on her 1987 UK hit, "Another Step (Closer to You)".
  • "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo: In the "Take On Me" review, he states that the song and the band were terrible, and the only thing they had going for them was stupid hair.
  • "Here Comes The Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze
  • "Dangerous" by Kardinal Offishall: Helped mainly by a guest artist hook from Akon, this Canadian rapper managed to reach #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 but never charted again. Even in his home country, this was his only top ten hit (although “BodyBounce”, also featuring Akon, still gets recurrent airplay there).
  • "Brokenhearted" by Karmin: One of the first artists to be popularized through YouTube. Todd had this as a dishonorable mention for 2012, calling them a Katy Perry wannabe, but there's a bit more to them than just that. The duo took a break in 2017 to focus on another project, making it unlikely that they'll ever get a second hit. If he decides to cover them, Todd may bring up the poorly-received Saturday Night Live performance that was blamed for killing their career.
  • "Better Than You" by Lisa Keith
  • "Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest
  • "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" by The Kings: A double A-side single that fuses both songs together with a segue. A Sophomore Slump that cumulated into getting cut by their label within a year prevented any further success in the mainstream spotlight.
  • "Drank in My Cup" by Kirko Bangz: He hasn't even reached the rap charts since, let alone the Hot 100. The Rap Critic already reviewed it, but that didn't stop Todd from reviewing "Ridin'".
  • "Come With Me Now" by KONGOS: This was their only track to chart on the Hot 100, and it only reached #31. When it comes to their other songs, only three of them have achieved decent positions on the Alternative and Rock charts, and that's about it.
  • "Alive" by Krewella
  • "Bulletproof" by La Roux: The preceding single, "In for the Kill", reached #1 on the US Dance charts, and was featured prominently in trailers for Bayonetta and Dredd.
  • "What's Left of Me" by Nick Lachey: Despite the success of 98 Degrees, his solo career didn't go nearly as well.
  • "Constant Craving" by k.d. lang: She had more success on the alternative charts and in her native Canada.
  • "Pictures of You" by The Last Goodnight
  • "People Are Still Having Sex" by LaTour: A novelty dance song by a full-time radio disc jockey, similar to Rick Dees' "Disco Duck". It was released as a charity single for AIDS research. The controversially subversive spoken word lyrics, plus LaTour's unique resumé could make for a lot of interesting OHW material.
  • "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence: Even though it reached #1 on the Hot 100 in 1973, the 1991 version by country superstar Reba McEntire is better known today. Vicki Lawrence did have a second hit on the adult contemporary charts with "He Did with Me". For many people, she is best known as Thelma Mae "Mama" Harper, who she first played on The Carol Burnett Show in the 70s and its later spinoff Mama's Family.
  • "Cigarettes will Kill You" by Ben Lee
  • "Steal My Sunshine" by Len: It's most notable for sampling "More, More, More" by Andrea True Connection, themselves a one hit wonder.
  • "Pure" by The Lightning Seeds
  • "Prayer in C" by Lilly Wood and the Prick: This 2010 song got a new lease on life in 2014 after DJ Robin Schulz remixed it.
  • "The NeverEnding Story" by Limahl: The lead singer of fellow one-hit wonder group Kajagoogoo recorded this song, which is the theme to the movie of the same name. If Todd's 2019 OHWs weren't filled with Patreon request backlog, he could have done an episode on this while it experienced revived popularity from soundtracking a crucial moment of the third season of Stranger Things. He may instead do both Kajagoogoo and this song in one episode.
  • "Elusive Butterfly" by Bob Linde
  • "Amazing" by Alex Lloyd
  • "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys: They were often compared to Santana thanks to their guitar sound. Todd also played this as the piano intro for his Worst of 2004 list.
  • "Cruel To Be Kind" by Nick Lowe: One of the definitive songs of the late '70s pub rock movement, a softer alternative to the scrappier, anti-authority first wave of punk rock.
  • "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)" by Lumidee: The song is infamous for using the same beat as Sean Paul's "Get Busy" and Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go", both of which became hits shortly before this one came out. Lumidee had one more song in 2007 that just missed the top 40, a cover of "She's Like the Wind" where she's rapping instead of singing, while the sung parts are done by Tony Sunshine (which Todd used as the end stinger for his review of "The Time (Dirty Bit)", which interpolated another song from that film's soundtrack).
  • "I Got 5 on It" by Luniz
  • "Naked Eye" by Luscious Jackson: "Citysong" and "Ladyfingers" made the alternative airplay chart, but neither song comes close in widespread popularity to the sole top 40 hit they latched on the Hot 100.
  • "Got to be Real" by Cheryl Lynn
  • "Turn Me On" by Kevin Lyttle
  • "Pop Muzik" by M: Notable for being one of the very first Synth-Pop hits after the genre's solidification in the late 70's, predating even "Cars" by Gary Numan.
  • "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.: Though she was a big deal when she first came out and had faint glimmers of critical acclaim, nothing she ever did critically or commercially even comes close. In addition, Todd hinted at disliking her (along with Joanna Newsom) in the "Alejandro" review. However, her feature on Travis Scott's "Franchise" might disqualify her depending on how her career continues.
  • "Pump up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S: An absolutely literal example, this being the only single they released.
  • "Rude" by Magic!: This provides an example of the ultimate way to be a one-hit wonder: this #1 hit was their only song to chart at all in the US, although frontman Nasri Atweh has had more success as a songwriter. However, Todd has already reviewed this song, so it's unlikely to get an OHW episode.
  • "Sex & Candy" by Marcy Playground
  • "If I Could Go" by Angie Martinez: She had other hits as a featured credit, but only this as a lead.
  • "In My House" by Mary Jane Girls
  • "Shackles (Praise You)" by MaryMary
  • "King Without A Crown (Live from Stubb's)" by Matisyahu: An Orthodox Jewish reggae singer. "One Day" (featuring Akon) scraped the bottom of the pop chart four years later, but its Hot 100 run was less impressive.
  • "Stereo Love" by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina: This DJ/singer duo from Romania scored a Sleeper Hit in the United States over the course of 2009-2011, eventually peaking at #16. The song also was a #1 hit in 12 countries, and on the US and UK dance charts. Like "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes", it resurged on TikTok in The New '20s. Maya's name is also a big elephant in the room.
  • "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars: While Bruno Mars is not a one-hit wonder at all, nor is Travie McCoy's group Gym Class Heroes, Travie is as a soloist. Todd accused this song of ripping off Sublime in the Worst of 2010 list.
  • "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden and Whitehead
  • "Shake It" by Metro Station: Best known for being the band with Miley Cyrus' brother in it (Oh, and Mitchel Musso's brother too).
  • "Children" by Robert Miles: One of the first trance songs to become big, this was his only Top 40 hit in America, although his other track "One and One" with Maria Nayler peaked at #54. If Todd covers this song, expect him to bring up how Tyga sampled it for his song about dating Kylie Jenner.
  • "Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance
  • "Eres tú" by Mocedades: This competed at Eurovision 1973, a year before ABBA's "Waterloo", but it still wasn't the first Eurovision song to cross over to the US. That honor goes to...
  • "Nel blu, dipinto di blu (Volare)" by Domenico Modugno: It was Billboard's very first year-end #1 in 1958, and also won record and song of the year at the first Grammy Awards, despite not winning Eurovision. Modugno is very well-respected in his native Italy.
  • "Chanté's Got A Man" by Chanté Moore
  • "King of Spain" by Moxy Früvous: Their only number one hit in their native Canada. The United States didn't really want much with this comedy folk act. Post-breakup, Jian Ghomeshi was best known as being the host and co-creator of the pop culture magazine program Q on CBC Radio; however, sexual abuse allegations in 2014 effectively made Ghomeshi an unperson in Canadian pop culture, despite being acquitted of said crimes two years later.
  • "Coco Jamboo" by Mr. President: Because of the band's name this could be fitting for an election season. Expect Todd to call them the poor man's Ace of Base if he ever covers them.
  • "Waves" by Mr. Probz: Like "Prayer in C", this got the Schulz treatment.
  • "Gotta Tell You" by Samantha Mumba: She's notable in that she's an Irish pop singer. Her other song to chart in America was "Baby Come On Over (This Is Our Night)", which did well on pop radio but underperformed on the Hot 100.
  • "Popsicles and Icicles" by The Murmaids
  • "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth: One of the first boy bands. They had another top 10 hit in their native UK with "Never Gonna Give You Up" (expect Todd to make the obligatory Rick Astley joke), but it wasn't a hit anywhere else. Similar to Kate Bush below, this song also saw a Revival by Commercialization after being used in Stranger Things.
  • "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa" by Napoleon XIV: If Todd covers this song, expect him to devote a good amount of discussion to its B-Side, "!aaaH-aH ,yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT", which is literally just the song played in reverse. Said B-side wound up on Wikipedia's list of music considered the worst.
  • "Po' Folks" by Nappy Roots
  • "New Soul" by Yael Naim: Like "1234" above, it entered the top 10 after being featured in an ad for an Apple product (in this case, the MacBook Air). Naim also voiced a one-shot character in an episode of The Simpsons.
  • "Goin' Crazy" by Natalie
  • "Makin' It" by David Naughton: An actor turned singer with only one song to his name.
  • "Am I Wrong" by Nico and Vinz
  • "Move Ya Body" by Nina Sky: They were featured on a top 20 N.O.R.E. song, but since it wasn't their hit, it doesn't count.
  • "Stumblin' In" by Chris Norman & Suzi Quatro: Chris Norman had a second top 40 hit with Smokie ("Living Next Door to Alice"), making him a double one-hit wonder. Both Smokie and Suzi Quatro weremore successful overseas than they were in the US.
  • "Fantasy" by Aldo Nova: This was one of the first American hits that embraced the Big '80s aesthetic full-on, complete with a lengthy intro, shredding guitar riffs, loud synthesizers, and flamboyant vocals. Todd has stated he considers 1982 the first true year of the '80s, so like Toni Basil, expect an episode on Aldo Nova to focus heavily on how MTV was just starting to massively influence the pop charts at the time.
  • "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)" by O.A.R.: It reached #36, but "Love & Memories" reached #30 on the alternative charts. They have both a pop hit & a rock hit; either would be acceptable.
  • "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day: He wrote a few hits for other artists, such as Helen Reddy's 1974 chart-topper "Angie Baby", before scoring this #1 hit of his own.
  • "What You Got" by Colby O'Donis: He's probably best-known for his appearance in Lady Gaga's "Just Dance", but since it wasn't his hit and did nothing to help his career, it doesn't count.
  • "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show: The 2013 version by Darius Rucker may be better known today.
  • "Cheerleader" by Omi: This topped multiple charts, including the Hot 100. Its follow-up "Hula Hoop" got a tepid response and didn't even make the Hot 100. None of his subsequent singles have charted anywhere since.
  • "According to You" by Orianthi: She was Michael Jackson's backing guitarist on auditions for his ill-fated This is It Tour. It's notable for being one of the very last "real" rock songs to become a major hit after the movement's 55 years of cultural significance.
  • "One of Us" by Joan Osborne: Hinted at in the "Flood" review along with "Counting Blue Cars" by Dishwalla.
  • "Tonight Is the Night" by Outasight
  • "Crush" by Jennifer Paige
  • "Let Her Go" by Passenger: While this reached #5, he hasn't had another big hit anywhere. The rest of his singles didn't even chart in the US. Todd has named this the #10 worst hit of 2013 and compared it to other White Guy With Acoustic Guitar songs.
  • "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Ann Peebles: This was a hit for both herself in 1973 and disco group Eruption in 1978. Todd may look at both versions, while also mentioning Missy Elliott sampling this song on "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".
  • "No Myth" by Michael Penn: The older brother of Sean Penn.
  • "Angel" by Amanda Perez: This song is notable for sounding extremely similar to Mariah Carey’s big comeback hit "We Belong Together", which it predates by two years.
  • "California" by Phantom Planet: This song is perhaps best known for being used as the theme song for "The O.C.", a teen drama series that aired on Fox in the mid 2000s.
  • "Magic" by Pilot: While they had a number one hit in the UK with "January", this was their only top ten hit in the US and the band members would have bigger success with their producer Alan Parsons in his band, The Alan Parsons Project. Younger viewers from the US may know it as the basis for the Ozempic jingle, or from Selena Gomez's cover from the official soundtrack to Wizards of Waverly Place.
  • "Duffle Bag Boy" by Playaz Circle: The presence of a pre-fame 2 Chainz in the duo would certainly be a major talking point.
  • "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter: Perhaps the ultimate one-hit wonder: while this became the #1 song of 2006, Daniel Powter's other singles have not charted at all on the US Top 100. Todd briefly touched on it in his "Drive By" review saying it was terrible, so he might go more into it.
  • "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" by Primitive Radio Gods: This song is another victim of Billboard's rule regarding non-physical singles in the 1990s.
  • "Liar" by Profyle
  • "Kryptonite (I'm on It)" by Purple Ribbon All-Stars
  • "Black Betty" by Ram Jam: Another victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse; the original (by Lead Belly) predates their version by almost 40 years.
  • "The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex: Another ‘80s British new wave one-hit wonder, whose sole hit is notable for its grim meta perspective of the music industry. It was recently featured on the soundtrack to Atomic Blonde.
  • "Love Like Woe" by The Ready Set: Briefly mentioned in the "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" review.
  • "Nobody Knows" by Tony Rich: His follow up, "Like a Woman", barely missed the cutoff at #41. The cover by the late Kevin Sharp topped the Country Charts.
  • "Throw Some D's" by Rich Boy
  • "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley: First woman to top the Country Charts and Hot 100 with the same song.
  • "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton: A soul singer who died before she could have a second hit. It's well known for her use of the whistle register. Todd even used a clip of the song in the "Grenade" review. Riperton is also the mother of famous comedian Maya Rudolph.
  • "Me and my Broken Heart" by Rixton: Its sampling of "Lonely No More" is bound to be mentioned. Expect Todd to say that they did not deserve better, as he made this song an honorable mention on the Worst Hits of 2014 list and had the following to say about the band: "You don't know who these guys are, but you should probably hate them more than you do."
  • "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson: This song became a hit once more in the '90s when covered by Gloria Estefan. Towards the end of her life, Robinson lent her voice to one of the songs featured in the 4Kids dub of Pokémon.
  • "U.O.E.N.O." by Rocko featuring Future and Rick Ross: While this was Rocko's only hit, Todd likely won't cover this one, not only because its featured artists are not one-hit-wonders, but the song's most infamous part (Rick Ross' verse about drugging a girl and taking her to his home, which was seen as condoning Date Rape) wasn't even from Rocko.
  • "Tempted to Touch" by Rupee
  • "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto: Mentioned in the "Like a G6" episode, this song (originally known as "上を向いて歩こう"note ) reached #1 in the US despite being sung entirely in Japanese. It was covered by fellow one-hit wonders 4 P.M. in the 90s and two-hit wonder group A Taste of Honey in the early 80s. In his commentary for the "Like a G6" episode, Todd has stated he found the song okay.
  • “Emotion” by Samantha Sang
  • "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" by Juelz Santana: Santana had a few hits as a featured artist, most (in)famously Chris Brown's Breakthrough Hit "Run It!", but this was his only major success by himself.
  • "Addicted" by Saving Abel: The band had five Top 10 Mainstream Rock singles, but never came close to having another pop hit. Unlike acts like Shinedown or Seether, who remain successful on rock radio, Saving Abel has fallen into almost complete obscurity. Todd mentioned in his FAQs that he thinks this band (along with Hinder) are worse than Nickelback, so expect him to absolutely not think they deserved better.
  • "Girl Next Door" by Saving Jane: The song's premise is notably almost identical to that of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me", which it predates by three years.
  • "The Warrior" by Scandal: Notably, this band is barely a true one-hit wonder because they had not one, but two follow up singles that peaked at #41. Frontwoman Patty Smyth eventually had one smash solo hit in 1992, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough", a duet with Don Henley, that went to #2, eclipsing this song's peak of #7 (athlough Smyth had some songs that scraped the bottom of the top 40.)
  • "Believe It or Not" (the theme to The Greatest American Hero) by Joey Scarbury: Briefly mentioned in the Van Halen Trainwreckords episode as one of Mike Post's most notable works.
  • "3 Strange Days" by School of Fish
  • "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade
  • "Dey Know" by Shawty Lo: Similar to Everlast above, he's another act who was already covered on the show as part of a group (this case being D4L).
  • "Barely Breathing" by Duncan Sheik: It's one of the earliest examples of "Minivan Rock", a term Todd coined to describe the type of alternative music that dominated the pop landscape in the late '90s and early 2000s.
  • "When I'm With You" by Sheriff: This hit #1 four years after the band broke up. After a failed attempt to reform the band, the only members who were interested ended up forming Alias, who became a Two-Hit Wonder.
  • "Venus" by Shocking Blue: While the original version did top the Hot 100, the 1986 cover by Bananarama may be the better known version to younger audiences. They're also known for the song "Love Buzz", because of it being Covered Up by Nirvana.
  • "Party Like a Rockstar" by Shop Boyz
  • "Corona and Lime" by Shwayze
  • "Haunted House" by Jumpin' Gene Simmons: It's barely remembered whatsoever today, but it was a sizable hit in 1964, and Todd could easily revive the annual Spooktacular episode of One Hit Wonderland with it. No, the performer has nothing to do with the member of KISS, although the latter reportedly took his stage name from him.
  • "All For You" by Sister Hazel
  • "Let's Go All The Way" by Sly Fox: Peaked at #7 on the Billboard for this short-lived group as their sole hit.
  • "Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie: They were much more successful in their native UK.
  • "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears: They only had one major hit in both the US and even their native UK though they had a minor hit in the Netherlands.
  • "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. Although the band had more recognizable hits in the United Kingdom, as well a few songs that charted in the Alternative and Adult Alternative charts, "Chasing Cars" is their only crossover hit that made into the Top 40.
  • "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell: Another victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse, at least in the States; Soft Cell was more successful in their native UK.
  • "It Feels So Good" by Sonique
  • "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul: Best known as Hutch from Starsky & Hutch.
  • "In the Meantime" by Spacehog: They had a few other minor rock hits, most notably "Mungo City", but this was their only real crossover hit and the only song that's really well-remembered.
  • "No Pigeons" by Sporty Thievz: Released as a response song to TLC's chart-topping "No Scrubs". Todd already talked about it in the Song vs. Song podcast, but he could examine it in greater depth.
  • "I'm Awesome" by Spose: Canadian audiences may recognize the song as the Real Song Theme Tune of the CBC sitcom Mr. D; his Cracked article on his experiences with the music industry would certainly be a talking point.
  • "Mr. Saxobeat" by Alexandra Stan: Todd played a brief clip of this song's video during his Best of 2011 list as an example of that year's saxophone trend, but he didn't discuss it in depth. Like Mr. Big and Scatman John, Stan is a great example of Big in Japan, but she's also one of the biggest pop stars in her native Romania. Todd might feel uncomfortable covering her career, as she successfully sued her producer for assault and released a song about it, a la Kesha's "Praying".
  • "Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band: Todd already discussed the song in his "Worst of 1976" retrospect, calling it his #1 worst hit song of the year, so a more in-depth review of the band is more likely now that he already covered "Disco Duck". However, 5 years before "Afternoon Delight", Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert co-wrote John Denver's first Top 10 hit song, "Take Me Home, Country Roads".
  • "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam: A huge staple at sporting events to this day.
  • "My Maria" by B. W. Stevenson: The 1996 cover by Brooks & Dunn topped the country charts.
  • "Knock on Wood" by Amii Stewart: She had other hits in Europe, but only this one in the states.
  • "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang: Despite releasing the first rap hit in history, this group failed to establish a long-lasting career afterwards. If the song does get covered, expect a good amount of discussion about the legal dispute surrounding its sampling of "Good Times" by Chic as well as the Values Dissonance of a verse that involves seducing Lois Lane by calling Superman homophobic insults.
  • "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau: An artist who had a big European hit with "China in Your Hand", but that song flopped in the U.S.
  • "Puttin' On the Ritz" by Taco: A Young Frankenstein reference is probably inevitable. Additionally, Todd mentioned this in the Alien Ant Farm episode as a notable example of the "cover as a first hit" curse, along with Orgy and Pseudo Echo. If Todd covers the song, expect plenty of discussion over the use of blackface in its music video and the controversy it caused. That said, the nature of it may be too touchy of a subject for him to want to cover.
  • "All the Things She Said" by t.A.T.u.: The song became popular due to the novelty of Russian lesbians, once that wore off so did the success, at least in the U.S. Mentioned during Todd's overview of Trevor Horn's production portfolio in the "Video Killed the Radio Star" episode.
  • "To Know Him, Is to Love Him" by The Teddy Bears: One of the first number one hits in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, the band is most well known as the first vocal group of famed record producer/convicted murderer Phil Spector.
  • "Lean Back" by Terror Squad: It's doubtful that Todd would review this, as frontman Fat Joe was not a one-hit wonder.
  • "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" by Thompson Square
  • "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman: A band put together in 1969 by The Who's Pete Townshend and producer Kit Lambert in a bid to showcase the talent of Andy "Thunderclap" Newman, John "Speedy" Keen and the then 15-year-old Jimmy McCulloch. They would go on to release one album before dissolving in 1971. McCulloch would later join numerous bands in the 70s, most notably Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974-77.
  • "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk3
  • "That's Not My Name" by The Ting Tings: The follow-up "Shut Up and Let Me Go", only reached #55 on the Hot 100; however, it was certified platinum by the RIAA and reached #1 on the US Dance chart. "Shut Up and Let Me Go" was also prominently used in Apple's iPod "Silhouette" ad campaign.
  • "Around the World (La La La La La)" by A Touch of Class: The song is actually an English language cover of "Pesenka (La La La)", a song by Russian pop group Ruki Vverh!. It has generated interest thanks to being sampled in Ava Max's "My Head and My Heart".
  • "Headstrong" by Trapt: If Todd chooses to cover them, expect it to take a similar turn to the "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" and "Bitch" episodes, ending off with coverage of their frontman Chris Taylor Brown's right-wing Twitter antics.
  • "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen: It briefly reentered public consciousness when Family Guy built a meme out of it in 2008 in the episode "I Dream of Jesus", where Peter is obsessed with the song.
  • "Some Cut" by Trillville ft. Cutty
  • "Addictive" by Truth Hurts
  • "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" by Us3
  • "We Like to Party" by Vengaboys: The song is best known for its usage in the "Mr. Six" campaign for the Six Flags theme park chain during the latter half of the 2000s. They had plenty of other hits in Europe though, most notably "Boom Boom Boom Boom". Todd previously brought up the band in the "Scatman" episode as one of many examples of a Eurodance band with tie-in lore. He eventually brought them up in a little bit more detail in his list for the "Top 10 90s Busses" where he does seem to like the song.
  • "Untouched" by The Veronicas: They are far more popular in their native Australia.
  • "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve: The band was essentially Screwed by the Lawyers after the manager of The Rolling Stones Allen Klein successfully sued the Verve for credit and royalties for the song's sampling of an orchestral arrangement of "The Last Time". After losing the writing credits, The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft called "Bitter Sweet Symphony" "the best song Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have written in 20 years". However, in 2019, the royalties rights were returned to Ashcroft by Jagger and Richards.
  • "The Freshmen" by The Verve Pipe: They had a sizable alternative hit a year earlier with "Photograph", but only "The Freshmen" has endured in public consciousness. Todd would likely consider this an early example of minivan rock.
  • "Dead Skunk" by Loudon Wainwright III: A fairly well-known songwriter and father of Rufus Wainwright, however his only chart success remains this novelty song.
  • "Girl" by Paul Wall
  • "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr.: A legendary jazz musician whose only crossover hit was this R&B ballad with Bill Withers.
  • "Check Yes Juliet" by We The Kings
  • "Rush Hour" by Jane Wiedlin: Also known as the rhythm guitarist for The Go-Go's, she would make for a particularly interesting episode thanks to her geeky personality, troubled upbringing, and acting roles such as Joan of Arc in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
  • "Respect Yourself" by Bruce Willis: A double whammy of a one hit wonder: it's both a film actor's vanity project and it's a cover. Todd did not include this song in his "Worst of 1987" retrospect, citing that he only wanted to include songs that he legitimately hated, although Todd did admit that Bruce Willis' only hit was an easy target for comedy material, so a more in depth review is a possibility.
  • "Mary's Prayer" by Danny Wilson: No, it's a band, not a singer. They took their name from a Frank Sinatra movie, by the way. Teased in the "I Love You Always Forever" episode, where Todd compared Donna Lewis's "I Could Be the One" to this song.
  • "Telephone Man" by Meri Wilson: A bubblegum novelty hit notable for its cheesy double-entendres. It became a staple hit of the Dr. Demento Radio Show.
  • "No Letting Go" by Wayne Wonder
  • “Ship of Fools” by World Party
  • "Single White Female" by Chely Wright: She is nowadays most famous for being the first high-profile traditional country singer to come out as a lesbian.
  • "Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard: This pop punk band was novel for featuring a violinist. Similar to Trapt above, the band also became Overshadowed by Controversy in the late 2010s, though for a different reason (in their case, suing Juice WRLD for copying "Holly Wood Died" for his breakout hit "Lucid Dreams", and continuing on with said lawsuit even after Juice's death).
  • "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" by Ylvis: Despite being "created to fail", this novelty song went viral and achieved massive success. With the exception of "Trucker's Hitch", which was a minor hit in their native Norway, none of their other songs have charted anywhere. Todd has made it clear that he doesn't like the song stating in his review of "Wrecking Ball" that it was "the song equivalent of someone blowing fart noises into their hands". However, Ylvis probably isn't a likely OHW candidate because "The Fox" is a just some novelty song by a comedy duo.
  • "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP: "Sugar Man" was a minor hit in their native Australia, and "Soul Makossa (Money)" reached #11 in Belgium of all places. Other than that, neither act ever had another hit anywhere. If Todd decides to make an episode on this song, its heavy sampling of "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano" is bound to be mentioned.
  • "Shoulder Lean" by Young Dro
  • "In The Year 2525" by Zager & Evans: If Todd covers them, expect a reference to the parody version of the song from the Futurama episode "The Late Philip J. Fry".

    Technically True One Hit Wonders 
Artists who have minimal top 40 success on the Hot 100; however, these artists are well known in the US, are massively successful internationally, very critically acclaimed, have a large and devoted fanbase, have multiple top selling albums, have multiple Top 10 hits on a genre-specific chart, and/or are influential in their genre. This also includes any artist who had success as part of one band, but had little to no success either as a solo artist or as part of another band. Todd most likely won't review these artists on OHW unless they fall into the category of being a one-hit wonder in the US but having success internationally (outside the UK); however, artists in this category may be better suited as candidates for Trainwreckords.
  • "Miss Murder" by AFI: Despite only one Top 40 hit, they were far more successful on the alternative charts & aren't usually considered a one-hit wonder.
  • "Ramblin Man" by The Allman Brothers Band: Despite only a handful of Top 40 hits, the Allman Brothers are considered one of the big three of Southern Rock along with Creedence Clearwater Revival and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Also, "Jessica" was well known as the theme for the BBC motoring program Top Gear.
  • "Criminal" by Fiona Apple: Ever since her only hit, she has retained a big cult following and all of her albums so far were either certified at least Gold or peaked in Top 5 of the Billboard 200.
  • "Let It Go" by James Bay
  • "Loser" by Beck: Beck has several hits on the alternative charts as well as several Top 20 albums on the Billboard 200.
  • "No Rain" by Blind Melon: While they had other hits on the Modern Rock charts, frontman Shannon Hoon's death from a drug overdose shortly after the release of their second album halted the band's commercial momentum. Although the band eventually reformed with a new lead singer, they have never approached the height of their biggest hit. Blind Melon were previously mentioned along with Blues Traveler as part of the jam band revival's mainstream emergence in the Turn it Upside Down episode of Trainwreckords.
  • "All the Small Things" by blink-182: While the band only had one Top 40 hit, they received significant airplay on pop radio and MTV in the late 1990s & early 2000s and have several Top 10 hits on the Alternative Rock charts.
  • "Song 2" by Blur: Despite being one of the progenitors for the Britpop movement, their rivals Oasis were the face of Britpop Stateside. While Blur are very popular and influential in Britain, "Song 2" is pretty much the only thing they're known for in the U.S., and even then, most Americans only recognize the "Woo-hoo!" part of the chorus to the point that they don't know the song is called "Song 2". However, frontman Damon Albarn is also known for the Gorillaz project. Despite Todd implying the possibility of a Blur episode to be Jossed in the S Club 7 OHW episode and confirming as such in the Frankie Goes to Hollywood episode, Todd noted that he is reconsidering his stance on it after an incredibly tepid audience response to their 2024 Coachella set.
  • "I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin: They've had far more success on the rock charts and this song peaked exactly at #40 out of strength from digital download sales rather than any crossover airplay, making it an especially unlikely song for Todd to cover.
  • "Cannonball" by The Breeders: Frontwoman Kim Deal was formerly of The Pixies, an influential 80s alternative band.
  • "We Run the Night" by Havana Brown: This was her only song to ever reach the Hot 100 at all (and only because of a remix featuring Pitbull), but she also has a few more hits on the US Dance charts and in her native Australia.
  • "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Bublé
  • "Sorry" by Buckcherry: Though this was their only real crossover hit, "Crazy Bitch" is generally better-known in spite of not going Top 40 and they've also had a few other hits on the rock charts. Todd hates the band and this song, so he'll likely come down hard on them.
  • "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield: Both Steven Stills and Neil Young had greater success as part of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the latter as a solo artist. Jim Messina, who was on the group's last album for two songs, also had some success with Kenny Loggins as part of Loggins and Messina.
  • "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush: This was her only song the reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100 (and even that was due to Revival by Commercialization thanks to Stranger Things), but "Wuthering Heights" is just as iconic, not to mention she had a few big hits on the Alternative Songs chart once that debuted.
  • "4'33" by John Cage: Not even a "hit" in the literal sense. John Cage is also a noted experimental composer and one of the best modern classical composers. But still this is his most notable work and it would be fun to hear Todd review a song that is literally silence, perhaps as an April Fool's episode.
  • "Teach Me How to Dougie" by Cali Swag District: Todd has already discussed this on his Worst of 2010 list, so it's not the most likely OHW candidate.
  • "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" by JC Chasez: Unlike Justin Timberlake, JC's solo music career didn't pan out. Despite the fact that he was part of *NSYNC and a member of The Mickey Mouse Club as a teenager, that didn't stop Todd from covering Jordan Knight.
  • "Wondering Where the Lions Are" by Bruce Cockburn: Though this is his only official Top 40 hit in America, he has several well-remembered songs that were successful on the US Rock charts such as "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and "Lovers In a Dangerous Time", and younger viewers may know him from writing the theme song to the children's cartoon Franklin. Not to mention Cockburn is immensely successful in his native Canada with over fifty years' worth of acclaimed music.
  • "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen: The original song by Leonard Cohen is the only song general audiences know him by, mostly due to a Cover Version's inclusion in Shrek. The Jeff Buckley version is also this, and it was released ten years after his death. Through this he is remembered as a great case of what could have been with a great legacy of just a few short tracks.
  • "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill
  • "Just Between You and Me" by dc Talk: Much like Jars of Clay, they were one of the biggest Christian Rock bands during their heyday, but only one of their songs crossed over into the Top 40.
  • "Me, Myself, and I" by De La Soul: While their guest appearance on the Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc" charted higher on the Hot 100, "Me, Myself, and I" remains their best known work (since, well, it's actually their song). Also, De La Soul were known as one of the progenitors of the Alternative Hip Hop subgenre and earned a respectable number of hits on the Hot Rap Songs chart with their eclectic sampling and quirky lyrics.
  • "Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)" by Lana Del Rey: In a attempt to not offend critically-acclaimed artist Lana’s fanbase, the episode should instead be about Cedric Gervais’ brief stunt in remixing pop songs, which resulted in this hit.
  • "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos: Eric Clapton himself is not a one-hit wonder; however, this was the only hit under this band. Of course, the band only existed for one album. Though Todd may find the band rather uncomfortable to talk about due to circumstances surrounding the band's drummer Jim Gordon.
  • "Say Man" by Bo Diddley
  • "Novocaine For the Soul" by Eels: A case of a "cult band who happened to have a crossover hit". Despite a long and successful career and several alternative hits, this was their only airplay hit (#39).
  • "Getting Away With It" by Electronic: An Alternative Dance supergroup consisting of Bernard Sumner (of Joy Division and New Order) and Johnny Marr (of The Smiths), they were consistently successful in the UK during their brief lifetime, but in the US their success was limited simply to their debut single, which just barely scraped the Top 40 at No. 38. While they continued having hits on the dance and alternative charts in the States, none of them reached the same level of mainstream success, a far cry from the wider and more consistent commercial success of both members' parent bands. Todd has previously indicated that he's fond of New Order, so the idea of discussing Electronic would likely be of interest.
  • "Stay" by Eternal: They were one of the biggest British girl groups of the 1990s, but only their debut single made it to American shores, garnering heavy rotation on BET but soon vanishing into obscurity due to the poor sales of their album. Louise Nurding left the group before their sophomore record and had a highly successful solo career during the mid-to-late '90s.
  • "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer: This song is notable for being one of the few instrumental pop smashes of the 1980s. Faltermeyer generally abstained from the pop market, but has an extensive resumé as a soundtrack composer. Crazy Frog's version of this track became a huge hit in numerous countries, but failed to catch on in the US (it peaked at #50).
  • "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim: Has other famous songs, such as "The Rockerfeller Skank" (peaked at #76 in the Hot 100), "Weapon of Choice" (specially the music video starring Christopher Walken) and "Right Here, Right Now". He is most successful in his native Britain.
  • "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People: Though the band had numerous other hits on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart as well as in other countries, the band are mostly known for their debut single, which remains their sole Hot 100 hit, in large part because of the notoriety of its Lyrical Dissonance. Over a decade later, it remains one of the most famous songs from the early 2010's. "Sit Next to Me" came within striking distance of a hit (#42) and may have been enough of a hit to disqualfy them.
  • "One Nation Under a Groove" by Funkadelic
  • "Lost in You" by Chris Gaines: Even though Chris Gaines was the short-lived rock alter-ego of country megastar Garth Brooks, Todd could look into this as an entity separate from Garth, particularly because the Chris Gaines persona was developed for a movie that never came to fruition. Also, despite his success, Garth Brooks never released any of his many country hits to pop radio.
  • "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz: Their only 40 hit in the US, but were more successful in the UK, and "Clint Eastwood" is also fairly well-known in the States despite its low peak. He's made reference to them at least twice, so it's likely that he's a fan, and their Virtual Celebrity status would provided a different angle than the usual backstories.
  • "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: One of the progentiors of Conscious Hip Hop and Political Rap, the group was the first hip hop act to be inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. "The Message" was among one of the first fifty entries added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry at its creation in 2002.
  • "Touch of Grey" by The Grateful Dead: Though they had only one mainstream hit, The Grateful Dead are a highly influential classic rock jam band and were known for being especially innovative as a live act, and have an extremely devoted fanbase, especially in the concert tape trading community.
  • "Three Little Pigs" by Green Jellÿ: This #17 hit was the first to be promoted entirely via its music video, receiving heavy rotation on MTV and initially only being available on VHS before a CD single was released some time later. None of Green Jelly's other songs charted in their native US, but they were more successful in the UK. Briefly mentioned in the "Pepper" review as an example of how alternative rock's sound changed by the mid 90s.
  • "If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard
  • "I Love It" by Icona Pop: This hit was their only song to make the Hot 100 at all, but two of their other songs have topped the US Dance charts. In their native Sweden, they used to chart consistently (with mostly unimpresssive placements), but both their 2018 single and their 2019 one failed to chart anywhere. If Todd covers this track, expect him to discuss Charli XCX's involvement.
  • "Drive" by Incubus: Despite only one Top 40 hit, the band remains a mainstay on the alternative rock charts with multiple Top 10 hits and 4 albums peaking in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200.
  • "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction: A very influential hard rock band and one of the defining figures of the hard rock movement from the late 80s-early 90s. Also known for having trade off with Red Hot Chili Peppers with Flea and Dave Navarro playing for both bands. Nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Arguably, this isn't even their Signature Song, that being "Jane Says".
  • "Savannah Nights" by Tom Johnston: While this was Johnston's only solo hit, he had considerable success as one of the frontmen of The Doobie Brothers.
  • "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin: She had another Top 20 hit with "Piece of My Heart" as part of Big Brother and the Holding Company. Despite minimal success on the Hot 100, she paved the way for female musicians in rock music.
  • "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World: The band has had several hits on the Alternative charts, with both The Middle and Pain reaching #1. On his FAQs, Todd admits that he loves the band.
  • "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones: Despite only one hit, all five of her studio albums peaked in the Top 3 of the Billboard 200.
  • "Did My Time" by Korn: The creators of Nu Metal had a minor hit in 2003 with a song that isn't even close to being their signature.
  • "Autobahn" by Kraftwerk: Despite having only having one Top 40 hit, Kraftwerk are considered to be one of the biggest pioneers of the electronic music genre and have influenced many artists including David Bowie, Björk, Depeche Mode, and Gary Numan to name a few. That said, the combination of their influence and the fame of their influence (heavily eclipsing similarly impactful but lesser-known bands from the same era like Yellow Magic Orchestra) may make Todd wary of the idea of them being considered one hit wonders.
  • "I Just Had Sex" by The Lonely Island featuring Akon: They've had a lot of #1 and #2 hits on the US Comedy chart, but this is the only song of theirs to make the top 40 on the Hot 100, and even then, it only reached #30 (six other songs charted, in positions ranging from #56 to #82). However, as The Lonely Island is a pretty clear example of an act that got the One-Hit Wonder status on a technicality, and "I Just Had Sex" is not even their most remembered song today (compare it to "I'm On a Boat", "Jack Sparrow" and "Everything is Awesome"), they're not a likely OHW candidate.
  • "So Alive" by Love and Rockets: The band had multiple hits on the rock and alternative charts, but this was their sole Top 40 hit on the mainline Hot 100. Love and Rockets are one of few one hit wonders who could also feasibly qualify for Trainwreckords thanks to the infamy of Hot Trip to Heaven's fan backlash (which according to frontman Daniel Ash was especially pronounced in the US); if Todd covers them here, expect plenty of discussion about Hot Trip to Heaven during the "Did They Do Anything Else?" section.
  • "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers: While their debut single was also their only mainstream hit, they've had multiple songs reach the Top 10 on both the Alternative and AAA charts since then.
  • "Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers: Though they had other hits on the dance and Mainstream Rock charts, this band— consisting of reggae legend Bob Marley's children— only generated one Hot 100 hit, which barely made the top 40 at No. 39. If Todd covers them, expect a mention of their work doing the theme song for Arthur, which is more thoroughly associated with the show than the band.
  • "Got a Hold on Me" by Christine McVie: Unlike Stevie Nicks, Christine only had two solo hits outside of Fleetwood Mac.
  • "Monster" by Meg and Dia: Their song "Roses" is also remembered, though not as well as Monster, which gained more recognition through dubstep remixes and memes.
  • "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson: Despite only one Top 40 hit, two of her albums have gone Top 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart; "Girls Chase Boys" is also somewhat well-known despite its lower peak.
  • "Scandalous" by Mis-Teeq: This girl group were huge stars in their native home of the UK, but this ended up being the only hit to cross over to the US, peaking in the top 40 in 2004, a year after its original UK release. They split in 2005, with Alesha Dixon having continued success since with her solo music, in addition to presenting Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent among others, as well as co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. As for the song itself, it nowadays has become notable for its use in infamous comic book films, notably the infamous basketball scene in Catwoman as well as in Madame Web.
  • "Classic" by MKTO: This popular duo has been much more successful in other countries than in their native United States.
  • "South Side" by Moby: This was his only hit in the American mainstream, likely due to the guest appearance by No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani; however, Moby had much more success on the US Dance chart and on the UK chart.
  • "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople: This Glam Rock anthem is their only Top 40 hit in the US, even though they have multiple Top 40 hits in the UK. If Todd ever decides to review it, he could talk about how they were on the brink of breaking up before being saved by a fan by the name of David Bowie.
  • "Troublemaker" by Olly Murs: He was a big deal in his native UK, but this was his only stateside hit, mostly because it featured a guest verse from Flo Rida.
  • "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A: It became their sole top 40 hit upon the release of its eponymous film. During the group's late '80 prime, however, their music was simply too controversial to garner the mainstream promotion necessary to do well on the Hot 100. Todd could possibly cover this track for the show if the episode's specific focus is how different the pop charts are today, when controversial rappers handily swallow up the Hot 100, compared to 1988, when anything remotely provocative tended to show up on niche charts at best.
  • "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood: Referred to in his "Best Hit Songs of 2013" video as the winner of that year's "fluke indie hit sweepstakes"; a title which proved to be very fitting for this group in the following years, as their only other significant chart success of note was a borderline top 40 hit in Germany. The song also received a strong revival in the early 2020s due to TikTok (similar to Edison Lighthouse) gaining a reputation as a "bisexual anthem".
  • "My Friends Over You" by New Found Glory: Although this song only charted #85 on the Hot 100, NFG was one of the progenitors of modern Pop Punk.
  • "Love Me Again" by John Newman: Despite only snatching one top 40 hit in the U.S. with his debut single, John Newman kept up his success throughout Europe for a couple more years.
  • "Cat Scratch Fever" by Ted Nugent: While the Nuge only had one Top 40 hit, Todd is unlikely to review him on OHW. "Stranglehold" is also often considered his Signature Song, but it never charted. Ted Nugent is a very outspoken advocate for gun rights, hunters' rights, and other conservative values.
  • "Cars" by Gary Numan: An episode covering him is unlikely, considering that he is one of progenitors for electronic music and his success in the UK.
  • "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor: No stranger to controversy, one of O'Connor's many infamous moments was her destroying a photograph of Pope John Paul II during her performance on Saturday Night Live, which earned her a lifetime ban from the show. That said, public knowledge of her music is limited to this song, a Cover Version of a Prince-penned track for the Family that overtook the original in popularity.
  • "Thinkin' bout You" by Frank Ocean: Despite only one Top 40 hit (not counting a featured credit on Calvin Harris' "Slide"), he remains popular on R&B circles and is well known for his collaborations with Jay-Z and Kanye West. Also one of the most outspoken LGBT people in the Urban music circle.
  • "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men: While the follow-up, "Mountain Sound", didn't chart on the Hot 100, it was certified Platinum by the RIAA and peaked at #2 on the Alternative Charts.
  • "Weird Science" by Oingo Boingo: Despite never actually breaching the Top 40, Oingo Boingo were an influential new wave band, and frontman Danny Elfman is a well known film composer, often collaborating with Tim Burton. Todd most likely won't review Oingo Boingo on OHW for reasons similar to Devo.
  • "Youth of the Nation" by P.O.D.
  • "Scars" by Papa Roach: While this song was their only Top 40 hit, their breakout single "Last Resort" is, by and large, the band's Signature Song, and their only Alternative #1. The band also has plenty of Top 10 rock hits.
  • "Firestarter" by The Prodigy: Technically, this was their only top 40 hit in the States; they were more successful in Europe. "Smack My Bitch Up" is better-known because of controversy surrounding the song and its music video, both of which were outright banned by certain networks and radio stations. MTV eventually decided to air the video due to high demand, albeit only after midnight with a disclaimer.
  • "Heartbreak Beat" by The Psychedelic Furs: Though "Love My Way" went on to become the band's Signature Song, this was their actual sole Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 26 on the Hot 100.
  • "Give It Up" by Public Enemy: Public Enemy are likely too influential to be reviewed on OHW. Even non-fans of hip-hop would likely recognize the group's hype man Flavor Flav, aka, "The guy who wears the clock around his neck and shouts 'Yea-aaah Boy-eeee!'". The group's Signature Song, "Fight the Power", did top the Hot Rap chart; however, it never made the Hot 100.
  • "Walk On The Wild Side" by Lou Reed: While a favorite among hardcore music fans for both his stint as the Velvet Underground's frontman and his lengthy solo career, Reed's mainstream presence remains limited to this single, an ode to Andy Warhol's LGBT+ circle of stars produced by longtime VU fan David Bowie. That said, Todd may be more interested in featuring Reed on Trainwreckords, having acknowledged the infamy of both Metal Machine Music and Lulu in the St. Anger episode.
  • "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways: Or perhaps he'll just review the movie instead. He could talk about how the band, specifically Cherie Currie inspired artists like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus to perform with onstage outfits. Joan Jett and Michael Steele had considerable success post-breakup with the former as a solo artist and the latter as a member of The Bangles.
  • "New World Man" by Rush: Despite only having one Top 40 hit which is not even considered their Signature Song (that distinction belongs to either "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight" or "The Spirit of Radio"), Rush's discography is very well known with several Top 10 hits on the Mainstream Rock charts and over 25 million albums sold in the US. The band's members are also widely well known for their musical proficiency.
  • "Broken" by Seether: Despite only one Top 40 hit (possibly due to the presence of Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee), the band remains a mainstay on the Mainstream Rock charts with multiple Top 10 singles.
  • "Second Chance" by Shinedown: Even though Todd said "Second Chance" was terrible during his "Best of 2009" retrospect, they had a long streak of Top 5 Mainstream Rock hits. Notably, "If You Only Knew" came within inches of being a top 40 hit but fell short in the end.
  • "I Loves You, Porgy" by Nina Simone: A songwriter and activist legend with over 40 albums under her belt, yet her only real chart success was a cover of a song from Porgy and Bess in 1958.
  • "Because the Night" by Patti Smith & Bruce Springsteen: It's safe to say that Springsteen is not a one hit wonder, but for Smith, this was her only taste of success on the Hot 100, despite having a later hit in the Netherlands with "Dancing Barefoot" and being massively influential on American Punk Rock. The closest she got to another hit in the US was a guest spot on R.E.M.'s "E-Bow the Letter", and even that only made it to No. 49. That said, Todd may refrain from covering her on the show given the clout that Smith gained from her role in punk's development.
  • "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by Status Quo: Although this debut single, which isn't even representative of their signature sound, was their only American hit, they went on to become infamous in their native UK not only for being an boogie rock band whose songs all sound the same, but also their longevity; they're one of the only music acts in history to score major hit singles in five consecutive decades, spanning all the way from this track's release in 1968 to "The Party Ain't Over Yet" hitting #11 in 2005.
  • "Through Glass" by Stone Sour: Stone Sour has several top 10 hits on the Mainstream Rock charts, making the song more of a fluke pop hit than an actual one hit wonder. Moreover, Stone Sour is fronted by Corey Taylor, the lead singer of the metal band Slipknot, who, although far better known than Stone Sour, have never once cracked the Hot 100.
  • "B.Y.O.B"note  by System of a Down: The band is well known for its political views, particularly if it involves Armenia, and have three #1 albums on the Billboard 200 as well as several hits on the Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts. It's also not their Signature Song, as "Chop Suey" is their most listened song on YouTube and Spotify, with "Toxicity" in a respectable second place.
  • "It's My Life" by Talk Talk: The 2003 version by No Doubt, which peaked at #10, eclipses the original, which only peaked at #31. "Life's What You Make It" did make an appearance on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack, and indie music fans would certainly recognize them for their final two albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, both of which are considered the trope makers of Post-Rock (alongside Spiderland by Slint). Given the latter, Todd may not feel that they truly count as a one hit wonder, but it would still make for an interesting story nonetheless.
  • "Written in the Stars" by Tinie Tempah ft. Eric Turner
  • "I Want You" by Thalia: She's one of the biggest pop stars in Mexico and managed to score one big hit in the English market in 2003.
  • "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club: Tom Tom Club is basically one-half of Talking Heads, comprised of husband/wife duo Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. The band only had one real hit with "Genius of Love", which barely scraped the top 40 at No. 31 but topped Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and though they had other hits on the latter chart, none of them came close to reaching the top 40 on the Hot 100 and ended up being ignored by the general public (compared to Talking Heads, who also weren't hit-heavy but held more prominence in the public consciousness). As Todd already mentioned its sampling in "Return of the Mack", expect a good deal of discussion surrounding its popularity as a choice for samples in Hip-Hop and Rhythm and Blues.
  • "Black Horse and The Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall: Although "Suddenly I See" is decently remembered.
  • "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister: "I Wanna Rock" is equally well-known, however, it only peaked at #68.
  • "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis: The song is best known for its numerous parodies; however, Vangelis was also known for his work on the soundtrack for Blade Runner.
  • "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame: Despite having only one top 40 hit, he's very successful on the urban format & isn't usually considered a one-hit wonder.
  • "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon: They've had several top 10 hits on the Alternative chart, however.
  • "A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band: While this was Murphy's only song to crack the top 40, he did have a Career Resurrection as a TV composer - most notably for Family Guy, in addition to Seth MacFarlane's various other projects. note 
  • "Glad You Came" by The Wanted: They did well in the UK and were a major act of the new boy band wave of the 2010s, but their career across the pond was blown to pieces by One Direction. This is the kind of act Todd would say "deserved better," because they're a group who were ruined by a rival act rather than undergoing a natural decline. He even put the song on the honorable mentions for 2012's best list.
  • "Beverly Hills" by Weezer: "Buddy Holly" undoubtedly would've been a true hit had it not been banned from the Hot 100 due to Billboard's controversial rules at the time, as it reached #18 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
  • "Swear It Again" by Westlife: The group had several #1's in the UK and their native Ireland, though this was their only Top 40 hit in the US. In the S Club 7 OHW, Todd hinted that he absolutely loathed their song "Flying Without Wings", which was primarily known to Americans through its use in Pokémon 2000, as well as a cover by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard.
  • "The Promise" by When in Rome: The group had two more hits on the US dance charts with "Heaven Knows" and "Sight of Your Tears", but their debut single remains their only Top 40 hit on the mainline Hot 100, was their only single to chart at all in their native UK, and is their only song to maintain a foothold in mainstream pop culture. Tellingly, their first single after "Sight of Your Tears" was a re-recording of "The Promise" in 2020 that didn't chart on either side of the Pond.
  • "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes: The duo are one of the most successful and influential bands of the 2000s, having several hits on the alternative charts and three Top 10 albums. Also, Jack White is involved with two other successful bands: The Raconteurs and the Dead Weather, both of whom also have two Top 10 albums. Moreover, "Icky Thump" is not their most famous song: that distinction belongs to "Seven Nation Army."
  • "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse: Even though she only had one Top 40 hit in the US in her short lifetime, Amy Winehouse was very influential among female pop singers in the 2000s and 2010s, including Adele, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey to name a few.
  • "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon

    Somewhat True One Hit Wonders 
Artists and bands who never had a Top 40 hit on the Hot 100, but had one low charting single (or one high charting single on a genre-specific chart) which received significant exposure, such as regular airplay, being in a highly popular film, being a viral internet sensation, or being controversial in some capacity. Many of these songs didn't chart high due to Billboard's rules in place at the time of their release and some never became well-known until long after their heydays.

  • "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force: The Signature Song of the artist and one of the most recognizable 80s electro songs only peaked at #48 on the Hot 100, although it did better on the R&B and Dance charts. Curiously, Afrika Bambaataa had four top 40 hits on the UK charts, and none of them were "Planet Rock". "Renegades of Funk" was famously covered by Rage Against the Machine on their Cover Album Renegades.
  • "Forever Young" by Alphaville: This international hit missed the top 40 stateside, but became a staple slow dance song, experienced Revival by Commercialization, and has been covered and sampled by several artists. Outside the US (and among US clubgoers), "Big in Japan" is another contender for their Signature Song.
  • "Flavor of the Weak" by American Hi-Fi: This just missed the top 40 of the Hot 100, peaking at #41, but it did much better on the Mainstream Top 40, reaching #15, not to mention #5 on the Alternative Songs chart.
  • "My Girls" by Animal Collective
  • "Stop the Rock" by Apollo 440: The group had several other hits in the U.K., but only this in America.
  • "I'm an Albatraoz" by AronChupa and Little Sis Nora
  • "Hot Hot Hot" by Arrow: Can also apply to the version by Buster Poindexternote .
  • "Shooting Stars" by Bag Raiders
  • "The Funeral" by Band of Horses: This song never charted and the band actually had three songs chart higher on the AC and Alternative charts. But this song has been used in so many trailers and sampled by everything under the sun, so it is their most notable song regardless.
  • "212" by Azealia Banks: Similar to Chris Taylor Brown above, she is nowadays better known for being a firebrand online than a musician.
  • "Friday" by Rebecca Black: Didn't even hit the Top 40, but was still notorious via Memetic Mutation. Had Billboard incorporated YouTube views in its chart calculations back in 2011, it could have very well made at least the Top 20, even possibly #1, at its peak. The Glee cover did crack the Top 40 at #34, however.
  • "Wash it Away" by Black Lab: One of only two singles they ever released and "Time Ago" didn't get nearly as high on the rock charts. Notable as an anti-abortion song.
  • "The Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang: While discussing LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" during the "Worst of 2011" retrospect, Todd noted that the Bloodhound Gang put a high level of thought and creativity in every line.
  • "Duvet" by Bôa: Was first known among otaku as the Real Song Theme Tune to Serial Experiments Lain, then gained a second life outside the fandom on TikTok.
  • "Mother Mother" by Tracy Bonham: Like Meredith Brooks, she's mostly notable for her stylistic similarities to Alanis Morissette, who was at the height of her fame at the time of this song's release.
  • "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats
  • "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow: Another victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse; the original was by The Strangeloves.
  • "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat: Notable for their all-gay initial lineup and heavy focus on LGBT-centric subject matter, the band had a few other hits in the UK, but only cracked the American market once with this anti-homophobia single, which, fitting the band's nature, became a popular gay anthem.
  • "The Touch" by Stan Bush: Mentioned in the "St. Elmo's Fire" review; this song was made famous by The Transformers: The Movie.
  • "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" by Buzzcocks
  • "Jerk it Out" by Caesars: Notable for its presence in the iPod silhouette ads during the mid-2000s.
  • "Caramelldansen (Speedy Mix)" by Caramell: Years after the group broke up, a sped-up version of the song led to the Caramelldansen Vid trend, and would later hit #1 in Japan in 2008 (although locals referred to it as the "O-O-Oa-Oa" song), both leading to the creation of the Caramella Girlsnote . Except Todd to discuss the English version ("Caramelldancing") and how the "Sweet Decade" album is essentially made out of failed follow-ups released from 2011-2020.
  • "Life Less Ordinary" by Carbon Leaf: Considering he grew up in southern Virginia, he has confirmed to be familiar with this band. The song only peaked at #5 on the AC charts, but is still well-known enough to be considered one hit.
  • "Prisencolinensinainciusol" by Adriano Celentano: Very popular in his native Italy but virtually unknown outside of Europe. Memetic Mutation kept this song alive.
  • "I'm Ready" by Cherie: The song is best known for sampling the bassline from Foreigner's "Urgent" and its appearance on the Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen soundtrack. In her native France and the rest of Europe, Cherie has performed mononymously under her actual first name Cyndinote  since 2007 and as Cindy Alma since 2012.
  • "Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies: This song just missed the Top 40, peaking at #41 during the swing revival of the late 90s. It got a Weird Al parody with "Grapefruit Diet".
  • "Don't Walk Away" by Toni Childs: Since Todd doesn't normally talk about world music, it could be an interesting episode.
  • "Heavenly Pop Hit" by The Chills: As one of the early pioneers of the Dunedin Sound, The Chills garnered a decent following throughout the 80s in their home country of New Zealand. However, it wasn't until they signed with a Warner Bros offshoot in which they gained a significant marketing push overseas, particularly for their 1990 album, "Submarine Bells". Charting at #17 on the U.S. Alternative Airplay chart, this would be the only time in which The Chills made any sort of splash across the pacific.
  • "Letters from the Sky" by Civil Twilight
  • "Stay" by Coal: From Chasing Amy. Another extreme example, as neither the band nor singer Mary Born ever did anything else.
  • "Bounce" by Sarah Connor: She's a major pop star from Germany who briefly crossed over to America during the early 2000s, when pop music was increasingly flirting with hip hop. Also, her name is a pretty big elephant in the room.
  • "Brimful of Asha" by Cornershop
  • "Like a Feather" by Nikka Costa: Although she has collaborated with many other successful artists and had her music featured in many commercials, this song, popularized by a Tommy Hilfiger commercial, was her only charting hit.
  • "Low" by Cracker: "Teen Angst" hit #1 on the alternative charts in 1994, but it's not nearly as well remembered.
  • "Mountain Man" by Crash Kings: Rock band without a guitar section, just a bass and a few keyboards. #1 rock hit in 2010, but were so broke after that they were forced to Kickstart their second album.
  • "Axel F" by Crazy Frog: Crazy Frog, the former mascot of German music and cellphone company Jamster, was everywhere in Europe in The Noughties. In the US, "Axel F" was his only song to chart at all, and it only reached #50. Nowadays he's regarded as a poorly-aged fad. The track itself is probably something Todd would consider a novelty of little value, but he might find the controversies associated with the character interesting. Surprisingly, a Crazy Frog album was announced in April 2020 after a long period of inactivity, so Todd would probably wait for that just in case CF makes a surprise comeback.
  • "Suavemente" by Elvis Crespo: He had several hits on Latin-based charts but he is only known for this to English-speaking audiences.
  • "Cupid Shuffle" by Cupid: Only peaked at #66 on the Billboard, but regardless, it's his only known song. It's been immortalized by wedding receptions and birthday parties nationwide.
  • "Sandstorm" by Darude: Darude had a moderately successful follow-up with "Feel The Beat", and several more hits in his native Finland, but he's remembered almost exclusively for this song. It was later popularized by an Internet meme in 2014, in which any request for identifying a song is met with this as the response.
  • "Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional: Despite appearing on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack, it only peaked at #3 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. "Hands Down" is often considered the band's Signature Song, despite not charting on the Hot 100.
  • "Touch, Peel, and Stand" by Days of the New: Didn't chart too high on the Hot 100, but was a #1 Rock hit and Top 10 Alternative hit.
  • "Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen: This song did get some decent rotation on MTV and none of their other singles or albums charted very high. But they are definitely a cult band through and through.
  • "What a Way to End It All" by Deaf School: Granted, the band is quite obscure. But if they have one signature hit, it's this song.
  • "Voyage, voyage" by Desireless: While it didn't chart in the US, it's notable for being one of the few songs to become a hit in several nations usually closed to Francophone songs and artists, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland.
  • "Enter the Ninja" by Die Antwoord: A very controversial rap group from South Africa. Never reached the Hot 100 in the States but ruffled feathers worldwide regardless.
  • "Lay Me Down" by Dirty Heads: They had a few more hits on the alternative charts.
  • "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper: Still an iconic dance song, played regularly at school dances and wedding receptions across the country.
  • "Hot Problems" by Double Take: This "song" didn't even chart on the Hot 100; however, like "Friday", it became notorious thanks to Memetic Mutation, with some people even claiming that the song is worse than "Friday". The duo released two more songs, which didn't achieve the notoriety of their predecessor. They haven't released anything since 2012, and people aren't exactly clamoring for their return, so it's highly unlikely that they'll ever make a "comeback".
  • "Clubbed to Death" by Rob Dougan: This song was popularlized through The Matrix.
  • "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce: TTFAF is best known for its appearance in Guitar Hero III and its notoriously Nintendo Hard chart. The song would later appear in Guitar Hero's chief rival Rock Band 3 and bumps the difficulty up to eleven with a pro guitar chart.
  • "Pull Me Under" by Dream Theater: The band often facetiously calls this their only big hit; indeed, it was the group's only top 10 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart. However, the group's members are often considered virtuosos on their respective instruments, particularly guitarist John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and former drummer Mike Portnoy. The band does have a solid following, especially thanks to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, so Todd is unlikely to cover them. Arguably, they fall into a similar category Todd mentions about indie rock in the "Here It Goes Again" episode, in that they have a deep cult following in spite of their lack of mainstream hits.
  • "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys: The song gained considerable popularity when it was featured in The Departed. However, it never entered the Hot 100 despite being certified platinum by RIAA by digital sales; the song reached #1 on the "Bubbling Under Hot 100" chart. The band remains popular in the New England area, making them an unlikely candidate for a OHW review, and the song continues to serve as an anthem of Boston-area sporting events, especially at Boston Red Sox games. In the "OK Go" episode, Todd said that telling a Dropkick Murphys fan that they're a one-hit wonder will result in an ass-kicking.
  • "Bodies" by Drowning Pool: Hinted in the Adina Howard episode. The band has a respectable number of hits on the Mainstream Rock chart; however, outside that chart, "Bodies" remains the only song they are well known for. The song is likely most famous for its frequent usage in early YouTube videos, and often draws controversy, especially after tragedies occur, due to the misinterpretation of the lyrics; the song also drew attention when it was used as audio torture in Guantanamo Bay. Notably, while the band's instrumental lineup has remained the same from its beginning, the band had four different lead singers over the course of their discography, so much so that their fourth album was the first to retain the previous album's vocalist (in this case, third singer Ryan McCombs). The band's original lead singer (and the one that sang "Bodies"), Dave Williams, died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart problem while on tour in 2002.
  • "Barbra Streisand" by Duck Sauce: It's considered a straight example in many countries, but only did well on the dance chart in the US, where it was a #1 hit. On the Hot 100, it only peaked at #89. Nevertheless, it's Duck Sauce's only hit in most charts, the only exception being Belgium, where their followup "Big Bad Wolf" reached #16.
  • "Boyz-n-the-Hood" by Dynamite Hack: Another victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse; the original was by NWA frontman Eazy-E.
  • "Sweet Victory" by David Glen Eisley: The song is best known for its appearance in the 2001 Spongebob Squarepants episode "Band Geeks", and for the petition created by Spongebob fans to have the song played during Super Bowl LIII to honor the death of series' creator Stephen Hillenburg. Eisley was a member of an actual one-hit wonder group, Giuffria, in the 1980s, but their song is nowhere near as remembered.
  • "Push it to the Limit" by Paul Engemann: Todd mentioned Engemann and his Scarface (1983) song in the "St. Elmo's Fire" review. Engemann had a minor hit shortly afterwards with a band called Device and joined Animotion (of "Obsession" fame; see below) for their other top 10 hit.
  • "Calabria 2007" by Enur: Natasja Saad, the singer featured on this vocal remix, died in a car accident a few months after it was released.
  • "You're The Best" by Joe Esposito: This song is best known for its use in The Karate Kid. Esposito's group Brooklyn Dreams did back Donna Summer on "Heaven Knows", but few people are aware of that.
  • "Hooch" by Everything
  • "Doin' Your Mom" by FAttY SPiNS: Like "Chocolate Rain" it counts as a hit in terms of the viral sense.
  • "Lemon Tree" by Fools' Garden
  • "Go Cubs Go" by Steve Goodman: With the Cubs winning their first World Series in over a century, this song from the '80s has reappeared on the radar.
  • "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths: Only peaked at #51, but the song remains a staple of weddings and school dances.
  • "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove: Peaked at #42 in the US, so it just barely missed the cutoff.
  • "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock: Hancock is widely respected by critics as one of the greatest jazz musicians of the late 20th century, but never translated it to mainstream commercial success. Despite that, this electro track topped the US Dance chart, hit No. 6 on the R&B chart, and just barely made the top 40 on the jazz charts (at exactly No. 40) despite only reaching No. 71 on the Hot 100, and remains Hancock's best-known song among laypeople. Hancock would have later hits on the dance and R&B charts, but his only future single to hit the Hot 100, "Mega-Mix", only reached No. 105.
  • "Who Booty" by Jonn Hart: His only other single was a remix of the song replacing Iamsu!'s verses with new ones by French Montana, which is the version played on most rhythmic stations; a third version featuring E-40 was never released as a single.
  • "Escalator of Life" by Robert Hazard: Hazard wrote and originally recorded "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", a song more associated with Cyndi Lauper as her Signature Song.
  • "How You Like Me Now?" by The Heavy: Peaked nowhere near the Hot 100, but Revival by Commercialization made this song popular regardless, especially amongst Borderlands fans.
  • "Blind" by Hercules and Love Affair
  • "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia: She had more success in her native Australia and the UK. Also, "Torn" was originally performed by Ednaswap, so Natalie fell victim to the "cover as a first hit" curse in the US, where it only peaked at #42. Keep in mind that her song was #1 on the airplay charts for weeks, and while a follow up "Wishing I Was There" also made the top 40, it's all but forgotten today outside of Australia. If Todd does review Natalie, he'll likely try to compare her to the more successful Kylie Minogue. note 
  • "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver: The band has a large following on the indie scene, but this is the only song general audiences know them for (not counting features on Kanye West's "Monster" and Taylor Swift's "Exile").
  • "Laid" by James: While much more popular in the U.K., this was the band's only hit in the U.S. Best remembered for being Covered Up by Matt Nathanson in the American Pie movies.
  • “Who I Am” by Nick Jonas & the Administration: Jonas isn’t a one-hit wonder by himself or with his brothers, but the Administration was one-and-done.
  • "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division: Reputable among critics, but only this song attained ubiquity, partly due to frontman Ian Curtis' suicide; the song was never a hit on any chart in the US, but remained a popular airplay staple on College Radio and early Alternative Rock stations nonetheless. Spinoff band New Order are generally not considered one-hit wonders. That said, as Todd already shot down the idea of a Devo OHW on the basis of their sizable cult fanbase, he might be aversive towards examining Joy Division on the same grounds given their similarly enduring fandom and considerable influence.
  • "Mad World" by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews: This cover of a popular Tears for Fears song hit #1 in the UK, eclipsed the original, and was memorably featured in Donnie Darko. Jules disappeared afterwards and Andrews is mostly known as a composer & producer. In the "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" episode, Todd mentioned that the Jules version was overrated, indicating that he may be interested in looking further into it.
  • "Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior: Although a smash in the UK it didn't chart in America, but was later used in the media on a regular basis. Band member Jeppe Laursen also cowrote and co-produced Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". Todd said in his review of "7 Years" that he thought they were "pretty good" so he'll likely say they deserved better. The song has since gained a resurgence thanks to being heavily sampled in "Everybody" by Nicki Minaj which dropped from Pink Friday 2 very late in 2023.
  • "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: Revival by Commercialization since the late '90s has made this his best-known song, but Kamakawiwo'ole's overall body of work is well-known in his home state of Hawaii. He died in 1997, just before this cover became popular.
  • "Not an Addict" by K's Choice
  • "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw: While this song only peaked at #46 in America, it was a huge hit internationally and was featured as a cover on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. While Kershaw had several other hits in his native UK, the only other one that came close to the global impact of his breakthrough single was "The Riddle", which failed to chart in America.
  • "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)" by Khia: A hip-hop hit explicitly describing female sexuality that got moderate airplay with a heavily-stripped clean version, 18 years before Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP". Expect Todd to quip that Khia "started a proud tradition of Tampa Bay hip-hop, like Rod Wave".
  • "I Am Very Glad, as I'm Finally Returning Back Home" by Eduard Khil (a.k.a the "Trololo" song): Memetic Mutation has made this a must-listen. Used as the end-of-video stinger in the "Trollz" review.
  • "Hideaway" by Kiesza
  • "A.D.I.D.A.S." by Killer Mike, featuring Big Boi and Sleepy Brown: This was his highest charting single as a lead artist, which peaked at a meager #60 on the Top 100. While far from a bad rapper, he's one of those emcees that has better commercial success as a featured guest or a part of a group, such as Run the Jewels or the Purple Ribbon All-Stars supergroup that was listed earlier, than he does as a solo artist. The album "A.D.I.D.A.S." was from (Monster) peaked at a respectable #10 on the Billboard 200, but everything else he did as a lead artist either didn't chart higher than #82 (R.A.P. Music) or didn't chart at all (on the the Top 100 and Top 200 charts, at least. He's had better luck and success with the rap charts, but not by much). None of his albums were certified by the RIAA, either.
  • "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan: He had a few other hits in his native Canada, but he's mostly remembered for this song because of Coca-Cola and the World Cup.
  • "Heartbeats" by The Knife: Can also apply to the version by Jose Gonzalez. The former act's anticommercialism kept them from licensing the song for media use, which lead to them getting royalties from Gonzalez's cover. Todd's input on this situation would be interesting, since he's already discussed the commercialization of indie music extensively.
  • "He's Gonna Step On You Again" by John Kongos: One of the first songs to use tape looping effects. This was Covered Up by Happy Mondays, but John found vicarious success through his sons (themselves a one-hit wonder).
  • "Gucci Gucci" by Kreayshawn: Another white female rapper who torpedoed her career by deciding to make her album a Hot Topic exclusive.
  • "There She Goes" by The La's: Sixpence None the Richer's cover was much more commercially successful but is nowadays far less remembred.
  • “Love Me or Hate Me (Fuck You!!!!)” by Lady Sovereign
  • "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" by Las Ketchup: This was a #1 hit in several countries but only charted at #54 in the US. American audiences may recognize this song as a playable routine on Just Dance 4.
  • "2 Times" by Ann Lee: Despite this song not being a hit in America, Ann Lee (real name Annerley Gordon) was a major one-hit wonder throughout the rest of the world; her only other hit, "Voices", was nowhere near as big. Ann Lee is particularly notable, however, for her work outside of her solo career in Italian Eurodance. In the mid-'90s, she was the primary songwriter and true vocalist for Whigfield (which used a lip-syncing model, similar to Milli Vanilli), and before that, she was a major figure in the Japanese-targeted Eurobeat movement, most notably as the singer of "Try Me" (which Namie Amuro later covered at the start of her solo career).
  • "Mrs. Robinson" by The Lemonheads: Hinted in the "Worst Songs of 1987" video.
  • "The Show" by Lenka: It's best known for its diegetic appearance in Moneyball (which is set in 2002, six years before the song itself was released). Like the Proclaimers and the Baha Men, quite a few of Lenka's other songs have been used in soundtracks, but they've all been overshadowed by this one.
  • "Here and Now" by Letters to Cleo: A mid 90s alt rock group that was otherwise best known for being featured in the soundtrack for the 1999 romcom film "10 Things I Hate About You", after their era of commercial success had already passed. Their additions in the movie soundtrack include covers of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" and Nick Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind".
  • "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit: Although the group had a few other hits on the alternative charts, this was their only pop hit and all they're really remembered for.
  • "Bound for the Floor" by Local H
  • "Rumors" by Lindsay Lohan: Released at the height of Lindsay’s fame as an actress, this song failed to reach the Hot 100 but got extensive airplay on pop radio, landing it a Gold certification. Her only Hot 100 hit was actually the much darker "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)", but that song still missed the top 40 and did not have the same staying power as her debut single.
  • "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann: He's primarily known for his visually driven movies, but in the late '90s, he also produced a full music album, which included this spoken word novelty song based on a commencement speech written by Mary Schmich (often mistaken to have been actually used at Harvard) and narrated by Lee Perry. It was a #1 hit in the UK, while in the US, it just missed the top 40 of the Hot 100 (due to not being eligible for the chart until Billboard's rules were changed) but was a major airplay success.
  • "United States of Whatever" by Liam Lynch
  • "Scotty Doesn't Know" by Lustra: This song is best known for its use in the film Euro Trip. Lustra never did much afterwards.
  • "Midnight City" by M83: Todd said that M83 were, along with OK GO and Portugal. The Man, the only bands he knew before they were popular.
  • "Beggin'" by Madcon: Another "cover as a first hit" curse victim, the original was from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. This version, which has rap verses added between the original lyrics, topped the charts in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the duo's native Norway and reached the top ten in several other European countries. It only peaked at #79 in the United States, and is mostly remembered there for its use in commercials and soundtracks, as well as its performance by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips (albeit with the rap verses cut out). Måneskin's more commercially-successful version is also based on Madcon's, making for a possible comparison episode.note 
  • "Kayleigh" by Marillion: While the band were much more successful in their native UK, being at the forefront of the neo-Progressive Rock movement in the 80's, their American success and exposure was limited to this single, which peaked at just No. 74 on the Hot 100 but reached a more respectable No. 14 on the Mainstream Rock chart. They had a couple later hits (and one earlier one) on the latter chart, but never again reached the Hot 100, with their fandom being mostly based east of the Atlantic.
  • “Your Loving Arms” by Billie Ray Martin
  • "Kids" by MGMT: The single preceding "Kids", "Time to Pretend" had prominent usage in a trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home nearly a decade after its 2008 release. Fans of The Voice may also recognize “Electric Feel”, a recurring favorite on the show.
  • "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: While the Bosstones' peak was in the mid-to-late 90s during the ska revival, the band actually started out in the early 80s, which like the Chumbawumba OHW review, would lead to a lengthy "Before the Hit" segment if Todd were to review the Bosstones.
  • "Grace Kelly" by Mika: He had several hits in the UK as well as the rest of Europe (especially Italy and France) but this is his most notable song among the American general public. Even then, America was one of the only countries where "Grace Kelly" was not a smash hit, only reaching #57, despite making the top 5 in several other territories. Nevertheless, Todd is unlikely to cover this song, as Mika has a sizeable American cult following which includes his Song vs. Song cohost Alina Morgan.
  • "Roadrunner" by The Modern Lovers: The only other song of theirs to gain mainstream notability was "Pablo Picasso", largely off of a Cover Version by David Bowie. If Todd covers them, expect him to heavily discuss member Jerry Harrison's more successful stint as a member of Talking Heads and his later production career.
  • "Never Gonna Let You Go" by Tina Moore: The original version reached #23 on the R&B charts in 1995. The 1997 Kelly G remix, on the other hand, became a club smash in the UK, hit #2 on the Singles Chart there and was later known as the progenitor of the Electronic Music genre known as 2-step garage.
  • "Flat Beat" by Mr. Oizo: The single was a top 10 hit in several European countries. In the US, the song is best known for its appearance in a Levi's commercial at the turn of the 21st century featuring Mr. Oizo's puppet mascot Flat Eric.
  • "Porn Star Dancing" by My Darkest Days: One of the last hits of the Post-Grunge-era, this track is notable for its star-studded list of featured guests, including former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne Zakk Wylde, Chad Kroeger (who discovered and signed the band to his label), and Ludacris. They had several other hits on the Mainstream Rock charts, but none of them came close to the success of their debut single, and frontman Matt Walst would eventually become the new lead singer of Three Days Grace following Adam Gontier's departure. Todd would absolutely hate this song if he ever reviewed it.
  • "Popular" by Nada Surf: Reached #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the band's only charting single in multiple countries. The band later broke contract with their record label during the production of their followup album due to Creative Differences, and would eventually go on to develop a cult following among the indie rock fanbase throughout the 2000s.
  • "88 Lines About 44 Women" by The Nails: Todd expressed interest in covering the song in the "I Love You Always Forever" episode.
  • "Come on Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson: "Run", his collaboration with Sugarland, charted higher, but it's nowhere near as remembered.
  • "The Christmas Shoes" by NewSong: This was the only crossover hit by Christian pop group NewSong, and it barely missed the cutoff at #42. It's one of the most reviled Christmas songs, if not songs in general. Todd has mentioned on Twitter that he finds it very glurge-y.
  • "Walk this World" by Heather Nova
  • "New Shoes" by Paolo Nutini: Had more success on AC charts and in his native UK, but this song used in a Puma sneaker campaign is the closest he had to a hit here.
  • "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone: Was the 2004 song of the summer in Europe, but only achieved notoriety Stateside through the "Numa Numa" viral video, and was later sampled in T.I.'s "Live Your Life". Todd should also mention that the original version dueled in several European charts with a cover by Haiducii.
  • "Another Girl, Another Planet" by The Only Ones: Hinted in the Adina Howard episode. While this didn't chart on the Hot 100, it did chart at #44 in New Zealand in 1981 and #57 in the UK in 1992 backed with The Psychedelic Furs's 1981 song "Pretty in Pink" to promote the compilation Sound of the Suburbs.
  • "Shadilay" by P.E.P.E.: While the song and band flew under the radar upon initial release, it later went viral in America in the late 2010's thanks to the combination of the band's name and their record label's logo drawing comparisons to Pepe the Frog. That said, Todd may refrain from covering the song given the nature of its American fanbase.
  • "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" by Gayla Peevey: She later scraped the bottom of the Hot 100 with "My Little Mariner" (under the pseudonym Jamie Horton), but it’s completely forgotten today.
  • "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn and John: He mentioned the group along with...
  • "1901" by Phoenix: ...in his Best of 2011 retrospect, noting that if either songs sounded similar to "Pumped Up Kicks", the latter saw far more mainstream success. "Lisztomania" was also pretty popular for Phoenix, though.
  • "Ça plane pour moi" by Plastic Bertrand: Notable as one of the first new wave songs to crack mainstream airwaves, it's a novelty even within its genre, being sung mostly in French and having one of the most simplistic compositions of any international hit song. On Todd's world tour of one-hit wonders, this would be his first trip to Belgium. An electronic cover by Swedish pop singer Leila K was a hit in mainland Europe 16 years later.
  • "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues feat. Kirsty Mac Coll: This has become a Christmas staple in the UK, where both artists had multiple hits.
  • "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service: Consisting of Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard, electronic producer Jimmy Tamborello (a.k.a. Dntel) and Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis, this Indie Pop supergroup's debut single was their label Sub Pop's biggest hit to date, helping their only album become the label's most commercially successful after Nirvana's Bleach. Technically, they had another single in "We Will Become Silhouettes" out-chart it note , but Revival by Commercialization made this far and away their best-known song.
  • "Crash" by The Primitives: A remixed version was featured on Dumb and Dumber.
  • "Common People" by Pulp: Only by an American perspective and debatably could be placed with the "Technically True" category. Got a Colbert Bump when Shatner covered this, but in their native UK were definitely NOT one-hit wonders.
  • "Time After Time" by Quietdrive: Yet another victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse; the original was by Cyndi Lauper.
  • "Lunatic Fringe" by Red Rider. #11 on the Mainstream Rock chart, nowhere on the Hot 100; however, both Cochrane and Red Rider did significantly better in his native Canada.
  • "I Like to Move It" by Reel 2 Real: Their only song to crack the pop charts at all in the US, and fairly well known due to its prominence in the Madagascar films. They had bigger hits on the US Dance charts, however. The man behind Reel 2 Real, Erick Morrillo, also had a far more extensive career.
  • "Ready to Go" by Republica
  • "My Jeans" by Jenna Rose: Another song that went viral for being bad. Jenna Rose still uploads music to her YouTube channel, but so far nothing has been as notorious as "My Jeans".
  • "Send Me on My Way" by Rusted Root: Although it didn't make it very high up the charts, it was later used in several movies and is considered an Ur-Example of "commercial indie".
  • "Click Click Boom" by Saliva: They had five Top 10 hits on mainstream rock radio, and a #1 alternative hit with "Always", but they're best remembered for a song that didn't chart that well. The only other songs by them that anyone seems to remember are the ones used for WWE pay-per-view events (notably "Ladies and Gentlemen" as the official theme for WrestleMania 23, and the song has continued to serve as a sports anthem and movie soundtrack song since), the revived ECW brand, and Batista. Former frontman Josey Scott has a Top Ten hit with Chad Kroeger on "Hero", which was featured on the Spider-Man soundtrack.
  • "Ladies" by Sarai: This white female rapper scored one moderate airplay hit in 2003, eleven years before Iggy Azalea emerged an international superstar.
  • "Nearly Lost You" by Screaming Trees: Though this is the only song of theirs that jogs any memories, Mark Lanegan has made a career for himself both in other bands like Queens of the Stone Age and through collaborations with other artists.
  • "Cry for You" by September: Hit #1 on the Dance Airplay charts, but only #74 on the Hot 100. It came out just before Lady Gaga burst onto the scene and re-popularized dance music in the United States.
  • "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes: Only #9 on Hot AC and nowhere on the Hot 100. This is another case where Revival by Commercialization made this song more popular than the charts would suggest.
  • "Blue on Black" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd: While Shepherd has several top 10 hits on the Mainstream Rock chart, this is the only one to break through to the Hot 100 at #78.
  • "Love Missile F1-11" by Sigue Sigue Sputnik: In the mainstream, it is best known as the background song in the opening monologue of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and was also featured in the Wave 103 playlist in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
  • "Tomorrow" by Silverchair: More famous in Australia, but only had this one song chart in the States.
  • "Miss Misery" by Elliott Smith: Is a similar case to Jeff Buckley, but has a larger discography.
  • "6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps
  • "This Is How We Party" by S.O.A.P.: It's notable for being a bubblegummy late-'90s Scandipop song with G-Funk-influenced production. The duo toured with the Backstreet Boys and Savage Garden, but none of their other songs had any impact in America. Expect Todd to dislike the Darker and Edgier video for their failed followup "Ladidi Ladida", and for the episode to end similar to the Meredith Brooks episode, where he gives one half of the duo's controversial views on COVID-19 as a reason why they didn't deserve better.
  • "Hello" by Martin Solveig and Dragonette: Both artists qualify as one-hit wonders, as this was their only real hit. While Solveig had several minor charting songs in Europe, indie pop band Dragonette are a straighter example, as even in their native Canada, they only had a few extra minor hits, none of which charted elsewhere. Although "Hello" only peaked at #46 in America, it was very prominent to fans of EDM and was an early staple of the movement. Solveig did not end up enjoying the long-lasting success that other DJs such as Calvin Harris and David Guetta did, while Dragonette never quite developed the cult audience that Robyn, Charli XCX, or Carly Rae Jepsen are known for.
  • "Music Sounds Better with You" by Stardust: A side project of Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter; this was the only track the group recorded.
  • "Crank it Up" by Static Major: The #1 smash hit "Lollipop" was his true "hit" but that was a Lil Wayne song with him as merely a featured credit. Blame his death for his small catalog (even "Lollipop" was a posthumous hit).
  • "Inside" by Stiltskin: Despite only barely making it on the rock charts in the U.S., the song was a major international hit. Expect Todd to discuss frontman Ray Wilson's disastrous stint with Genesis if he covers it as a prelude to a possible Trainwreckords episode.
  • "Alright" by Supergrass: In the UK, they were one of the leading acts of the Britpop movement.
  • "Dumb Ways to Die" by Tangerine Kitty: Commissioned by Metro Trains Melbourne as a humorous Public Service Announcement about train safety. The band name to which the song is credited to is actually a reference to the two bands who created the song: The Cat Empire wrote the music, and the lead singer of Tinpan Orange sings the song. The song's Animated Music Video also spawned a series of WarioWare-style Mobile Phone Games.
  • "Breakdown" by Tantric
  • "Heaven Coming Down" by The Tea Party: A hugely popular band in both Canada and Australia, but only hit #1 on the rock charts with this song.
  • "Marquee Moon" by Television
  • "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap: While well-respected as an alt-rock band, this is their only notable song in America. Its use in 500 Days of Summer is likely enough to call it their one hit.
  • "I Don't Want a Lover" by Texas: Despite their name, this band is actually from Glasgow (they derived their name from the movie Paris, Texas). They managed to attain some mild attention with this song in 1989, a year when both alternative rock and neotraditional country were just starting to blow up, but have been mostly forgotten in America since. Notably, they mounted a huge Career Resurrection with their 1997 New Sound Album White on Blonde, but this only cemented their one-hit wonder status in the US, where the record failed to chart and only produced one mild hit on the Adult Top 40 chart with "Say What You Want". A big reason for their lack of post-comeback success in America is that they had completely shed their country influence in favor of a mixture of hip hop and adult alternative, making their name even more misleading than before.
  • "Possum Kingdom" by Toadies
  • "If You Can Only See" by Tonic: Its excellent performance on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart implies it would've easily been a true hit had the rules not excluded it from the Hot 100.
  • "Friends & Family" by Trik Turner
  • "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones: Todd is bound to mention One Direction's cover-mashup of it when talking about it.
  • "Born Slippy .NUXX" by Underworld: It's famous for its use in Trainspotting.
  • “Future Love” by Varsity Fanclub
  • “Shark in the Water” by V V Brown
  • "Chicken Noodle Soup" by Webstar and Young B: In an era filled with ringtone rap hits, this one stood out for being a dance craze popularized on YouTube, almost a decade before Vine and TikTok made these types of hits a mainstay. The similarity was further highlighted when a cover by J-Hope and Becky G went viral on TikTok in 2019.
  • "Party Hard" by Andrew W.K.: Although it wasn't a real hit, it became a sports anthem and movie song. He later gained notoriety as for his involvement in the infamous "CN Real" block. Like Mr. Big and Scatman John, he's a major example of Big in Japan.
  • "It's Thanksgiving" by Nicole Westbrook: Like "Friday" and "Hot Problems", it didn't hit the top 40, but was still notorious thanks to Memetic Mutation.
  • "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet: In the UK, this was one of the biggest hit singles of all time, spending 15 consecutive weeks at #1, but it just missed the top 40 in the United States, peaking at #41. It's actually a cover of a song by The Troggs of "Wild Thing" fame (their version actually outperformed Wet Wet Wet's in the US despite its obscurity today, and the Troggs themselves are mostly remembered as a One-Hit Wonder because of this), and was popularized by Four Weddings and a Funeral. Outside of the big hit, Wet Wet Wet were a popular Sophisti-Pop band in the late '80s (their only charting song in America during this period was "Wishing I Was Lucky", at #58) and had several more UK hits in the mid-'90s. If Todd covers this, expect him to reference the Christmas parody version from Love Actually.
  • "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus. The group is considered a straight example in many countries (with the UK being the biggest exception), but only made the alternative charts in the US. Still, it was their only alternative hit, so they could still be considered an example. Even in the UK they're remembered mostly for this and nothing else.
  • "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits
  • "Spectacular" by Kiely Williams: The solo debutnote  of this former 3LW and The Cheetah Girls member was so controversial and harshly received that it killed her solo career before it even began.
  • "Baby Face" by the Wing and a Prayer Fife and Drum Corps: This disco act was only known for having this one song, a disco rendition of a Tin Pan Alley from the 1920s. Todd has spoken negatively about this song in his reviews of "The Hustle" and "Funkytown" calling it a "shitty disco song" and that it was overproduced.
  • "Fichtl's Lied" by Die Woodys: Many would never have known that this is a song about environmentalism and conserving forests for two key reasons. The song is entirely in German and the duo looked absolutely strung out while performing.
  • "Nobody" by Wonder Girls: This was the first K-pop song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #76 in 2009. Seeing potential in the overseas market, Park Jin Young (the CEO and producer of JYP Entertainment note ) decided to send the Wonder Girls to the United States but they didn't enjoy the success that JYP expected for them. Despite the efforts, to date "Nobody" remains their only entry on any American singles chart. If Todd covers them, expect him to use the video as a springboard to talk about K-pop in general.
  • "That Thing You Do!" by The Wonders: The title song of the film of the same name about a one-hit wonder band. While in real life, it just missed the top 40, peaking at #41, it's still remembered as a classic one-hit wonder.
  • "Situation" by Yazoo/Yaz: While they didn't chart in America, "Only You" and especially "Don't Go" were both #1 hits in the UK and are a bit more well-known stateside as well, with their lack of any further headway being solely the result of their short lifespan (only putting out two albums over two years before disbanding due to Creative Differences). Frontwoman Alison Moyet had a highly successful solo career during the mid-eighties that also landed one American top 40 hit with "Invisible", while producer Vince Clarke soon formed the legendary Synth-Pop duo Erasure with Andy Bell. As Todd has gone on record stating that he's not a fan of Depeche Mode, the band that Clarke was in before forming Yazoo, expect at least some comparisons between the two acts through that lens if he does cover "Situation".
  • "Computer Game" by Yellow Magic Orchestra: despite their huge levels of success and influence in Japan and sizable impact on European Synth-Pop, in the west (especially America), the band are only known among mainstream audiences for their debut single; it only peaked at No. 60 on the Hot 100, but reached No. 18 on the R&B charts and is well-remembered for its influence on Hip-Hop and techno. The only other song of theirs to receive major attention in the west, "Behind the Mask", is more known for the Michael Jackson cover and failed to chart. Given the large amount of potential factors behind their quick fadeout from western popularity and failure to recoup it, there's plenty of room for Todd to examine just why the band never had more lasting success outside of their home country.
  • "Chocolate Rain" by Tay Zonday: A hit in terms of the viral sense, having gained online popularity thanks to its amateur production, idiosyncratic subtitle "I move away from the mic to breathe in," and the contrast between the surface-level silliness of the lyrics and their surprisingly deep discussion about institutional racism. Todd half-jokingly suggested that Patreon backers request the song at the end of the "Here It Goes Again" video.

    Somewhat False One Hit Wonders 
Artists and bands who had either exactly two Top 40 hits (which could fall into the category of "one-hit wonders who technically had a second hit", especially if their main hit did significantly better and/or their second hit coasted off the success of the first) OR whose Signature Song never made the Top 40, but they had another single make the Top 40 (which in most cases could be considered not a one-hit wonder at all):

  • "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians: The follow-up "I Need Somebody" hit #22.
  • "Don't Trust Me" by 3OH!3: "My First Kiss" (which Todd covered in Worst Songs of 2010) was nearly as big, but they're more well-known for this song.
  • “It Never Rains in Southern California” by Albert Hammond
  • "1 Thing" by Amerie
  • "More, More, More" by Andrea True Connection: Had a second hit with "NY, You Got me Dancing" at #27. Other than that, she's likely to be mentioned for her porn career and her hit being sampled in "Steal My Sunshine".
  • "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies: While the band is most successful in their native Canada, they are not exactly unknown in the US, with Stunt going 4X platinum. "One Week" is often considered the band's Signature Song; however, in Canada, that distinction belongs to "If I Had $1000000", to the point where in the band's early years, concertgoers would throw boxes of Kraft Dinnernote  on stage. The group is also known for the theme song for The Big Bang Theory, and frontman Ed Robertson voiced Captain Butch Flowers in the long running web series Red vs. Blue.
  • "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin: "No More Words" also reached the Top 30. The group's breakthrough single, "Sex (I'm A...)", didn't get much airplay (and thus didn't chart very high) because many stations refused to play the song due to its racy lyrics. "The Metro" was a moderate alternative hit. "Take My Breath Away" is far more associated with Top Gun than it is with Berlin.
  • "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" by Big & Rich: The serious ballad "Lost in This Moment" was the duo's actual one-hit; however, their breakthrough novelty hit is better remembered. Similar to Hank Williams Jr.'s "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" for Monday Night Football, a reworked version of "Comin' to Your City" serves as the theme for ESPN's College GameDay. On Twitter, Todd called Big & Rich "a breath of fresh air" at the time of the song's release; however, Todd considered rescinding that statement with the rise of "bro-country" artists in the 2010s such as Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line.
  • "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper: He’s easily the least famous of the three victims of the Day the Music Died, but he had a pretty distinct identity and wrote some songs that other performers made famous. He had one other top 40 hit, "Big Bopper's Wedding", but it only peaked at #38, compared to "Chantilly Lace" making it to #6.
  • "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult: For an entire generation, this song is best known for its appearance in the "More Cowbell" skit from Saturday Night Live.
  • "Run-Around" by Blues Traveler: "Hook" also went Top 40, but it's nowhere near as memorable. While their breakthrough single, "But Anyway", didn't chart, it's somewhat better remembered than "Hook". Todd previously mentioned Blues Traveler as part of the jam band revival that broke through in the early 90's during the Turn It Upside Down episode of Trainwreckords.
  • "Waiting For a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl: They had a minor earlier hit with "Oh Girl" and were far more successful as songwriters, penning two of Whitney Houston's biggest hits.
  • "Smokin' in the Boys Room" by Brownsville Station: Motley Crue came close but couldn't quite cover it up. Brownsville had another song hit #31.
  • "Ms. New Booty" by Bubba Sparxxx: His other Top 20 hit was "Ugly" in 2001.
  • "On the Way Down" by Ryan Cabrera: His song "True" was nearly as big a hit, but only his first hit is remembered. Todd implied that he hates Ryan in his joint review of "What Do You Mean?" and "Stitches".
  • "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton: Todd called the follow up, "Ordinary Day", an example of the kind of "white chick on piano" music he dislikes, having the "dreary, shallow, artless pretentiousness that lacks the talent or creativity to justify it".
  • "Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar: Their only other notable hit was "I'm Not Over", which was a rock hit in 2008.
  • "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman: "Give Me One Reason" peaked a bit higher at #3, but "Fast Car" is still considered revolutionary and one of the greatest songs of the '80s.
  • "Do It to It" by Cherish: "Unappreciated" just missed the top 40 at #41 and "Killa" scraped the bottom at #39. A house remix of this song by Acraze was a viral hit 15 years later, in late 2021.
  • "What Would You Do?" by City High: Their other hit was "Caramel" (with Eve), which peaked at #18.
  • "Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau: The follow-up, "Why You Treat Me So Bad", barely averts the "cover as a first hit" curse, coming in at #39 on the Hot 100. Todd generally frowns upon upbeat covers that completely miss the point of the original song; in particular, Todd would likely trash the "We be jammin'" refrain as an unnecessary addition.
  • "I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole: "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" charted higher; however, "I Don't Want to Wait" is best remembered as the theme to Dawson's Creek, lasted longer on the Hot 100, and is far better remembered today than her other hit.
  • "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day
  • "The Lady in Red" by Chris de Burgh: A household name across Europe and Australia, but only had this song hit the Top 3 in America. "Don't Pay the Ferryman" was bigger in some countries and was actually #34 in America, but has fallen by the wayside in the US. "The Lady in Red"'s status as a Black Sheep Hit would make this episode all the more interesting.
  • "Thank You" by Dido: "White Flag" charted at #18; however, "Thank You" is better known due to it being sampled in Eminem's "Stan", which although not nearly as big a hit as "Thank You" itself, at least in America, is more known today, spawning the term "Stan culture", which refers to overly obsessed fans.
  • "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy
  • "Cool Kids" by Echosmith: Their follow-up single "Bright" was barely a hit, peaking at #40.
  • "More than Words" by Extreme: Similar to Stiltskin, Todd is bound to mention frontman Gary Cherone's stint with Van Halen (which he already covered on Trainwreckords).
  • "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven: "One Thing" was a hit 3 years before "Paralyzer," but the latter song completely overshadows it today.
  • "Do You Realize??" by Flaming Lips: "She Don't Use Jelly" was their true hit, but far more people know of this one. It was even made an official state song in their native Oklahoma.
  • "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" by The Gap Band: Lead singer Charlie Wilson turned his life around in the 90's and became a respected R&B solo artist.
  • "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor: She had one other hit with a cover of "Never Can Say Goodbye".
  • "Rock and Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter: The immediate follow-up, "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)", was a moderate hit in the US (peaking at No. 32), but this No. 7 song achieved far greater ubiquity thanks to its popularity at sporting events. That said, the song may be uncomfortable to cover, given the circumstances behind Glitter's fall from grace.
  • "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant: His other American hit was the titular single to Romancing the Stone, which reached #26 on the Hot 100. Internationally though, he's a reggae legend with several years of hits, and Todd used his overseas smash "I Don't Wanna Dance" as the credits music for his "Toosie Slide" Pop Song Review.
  • "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder: A #3 hit. They had one more Top 40 hit with "Better Than Me", which only reached #31. Expect a highly negative episode if Todd is willing to make one on them at all — he went as far as calling the band worse than Nickelback in his FAQ, and has said that "Lips of an Angel" is one of his least favourite songs of all time.
  • "Tonight Tonight" by Hot Chelle Rae: Todd called it the Worst Hit Song of 2011, emblematic of rock music's chaste, pathetic death as a mainstream force. It is most likely jossed, since he already did an in-depth review when the song was relevant.
  • "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston
  • "Bad Boys" by Inner Circle: Thanks to COPS, this song completely eclipses their follow-up "Sweat".
  • "Replay" by Iyaz: Todd already did a pop song review of this, so it would be an interesting revisit.
  • "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones: Their follow-up, "Real Real Real" hit #4 but was quickly forgotten.
  • "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet: Todd mentioned his hate of the song in his review of "Tonight, Tonight", since the song sounds like a commercial jingle. Later on Twitter and his "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" episode, he mentioned his hatred for the band. Their other Top 40 hit was "Look What You've Done".
  • "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz: The immediate follow-up, "I Don't Want to Be a Hero", reached No. 31, but this single hit No. 2 and is far better-remembered. None of the band's other singles charted, and they fell off the radar shortly after. The song is of particular note as one of the last hits from the 80's Sophisti-Pop boom, a movement Todd previously discussed in the "Living in a Box" and— to a lesser extent— "Missing" episodes (with the former already including a lengthy excerpt from the "Shattered Dreams" video).
  • "Still Tippin'" by Mike Jones: "Back Then" was his only Top 40 hit, but it isn't as memorable.
  • "Chuck E.'s In Love" by Rickie Lee Jones: She's considered a hugely important figure in rock music to those in the know. Her followup single "Young Blood" peaked exactly at #40, but "Chuck E." is easily her most famous song.
  • "Milkshake" by Kelis: Todd already covered the song in his "Worst of 2004" retrospect, and called her "the world's warm-up for Fergie".
  • "Ex's & Oh's" by Elle King: Her duet with Miranda Lambert, "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)" peaked at #37, and she has had a bit more success on the US Rock chart, but even there has never had another Top 10 hit. The fact that she's Rob Schneider's daughter will certainly be mentioned.
  • "Lotta Love" by Nicolette Larson: Almost a victim of the first-hit-as-cover curse with the original being by Neil Young, however "Let Me Go, Love" was also a minor hit at #35.
  • "Summer Girls" by LFO: "Girl on TV", a love song to Jennifer Love Hewitt, was also a Top 10 hit for them, but is mostly forgotten.
  • "Sunshine" by Lil' Flip: Besides this song, he’s probably best-known for losing a feud with T.I., who Todd has praised in the past. His other hit was "Game Over (Flip)", which reached #15, but Todd's comments at the start of his Worst of 2004 video suggest he considers Lil Flip a mostly forgotten rapper.
  • "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour: Their third single, "Glamour Boys", reached No. 31 on the Hot 100, and they had plenty of other hits on the Mainstream Rock and Alternative charts, but their debut single fared much better at No. 13 on the Hot 100 and became much more ubiquitous over the years. If Todd covers them, expect comparisons to Body Count, the only other African-American metal band to gain any mainstream prominence (and whose public memory lasted longer).
  • "I've Been Thinking About You" by Londonbeat: Hinted at in the "What Is Love" episode.
  • "Alone Again Or" by Love: It only reached #99 while "7 and 7 is" hit the top 40. It's #442 on Rolling Stones magazine greatest songs of all time.
  • "Flava In Ya Ear" by Craig Mack: Hinted in the Adina Howard episode. With the help of The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, and Rampage, this song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Charts. However, his follow up "Get Down" peaked at #38. If Todd covers this one, expect him to talk about how Ready to Die overshadowed Craig's own music, causing him to release only 2 albums and leave music.
  • "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band: Mann is not considered a one hit wonder ("Do Wah Diddy"), but the Earth Band usually is.
  • "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Mark Wahlberg's brother Donnie had three #1 singles as part of New Kids on the Block.
  • "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain: He also was the original artist for "I Could Not Ask for More"; however the country cover by Sara Evans eclipses McCain's version.
  • "Convoy" by C.W. McCall: He already discussed this song in the Worst of 1976 video (it was #2 on the list), but that didn't stop Todd from covering "Disco Duck" in length.
  • "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae: "I Get Lifted" was also a minor hit.
  • "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles: She hit #36 previously with "Love Is" and had far more hits in Canada between 1989 and 1997, but "Black Velvet" is pretty much all she's known for in America. Also, as someone who grew up on country in the early 90s, he is very likely aware of Robin Lee's knockoff version which was sent to country radio.
  • "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash: The version by Jimmy Cliff can also apply.
  • "I Can't Wait" by Nu Shooz: In a decade flooded with British new wave one-hit wonders, this stands as easily one of the most unlikely breakout hits of the decade. The group itself hails from Portland, Oregon, a city generally associated with modern indie rock, and while they're primarily an R&B/freestyle act, their signature hit has a sound largely of its own, especially for 1986. They had another top 40 hit, "Point of No Return", which only peaked at #28, as well as one more song that just missed the top 40 two years later.
  • "All or Nothing" by O-Town
    • "Let U Go" by Ashley Parker Angel
  • "Home" by Phillip Phillips: The winner of the 11th season of American Idol, whose coronation song got a new lease on life after being used in Olympics coverage.
  • "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" by The Persuaders
  • "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd: "She Hates Me" was also a top 20 hit, but they're known mostly for this song. Also, Todd has previously stated his dislike of the band.
  • "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" by Quad City DJ's: Their theme song for Space Jam is just as well known, if not more remembered than "C'mon N' Ride It". However "C'mon N' Ride It" is their highest charting song.
  • "Cum on Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot: "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" is also well known among glam metal fans; however, most mainstream music listeners only recognize them for this cover of a Slade song.
  • "Round and Round" by Ratt: "Lay It Down" just barely cracked the Top 40. In 2020, the song was featured in a GEICO commercial, which the band appeared in.
  • "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone
  • "Send Me An Angel" by Real Life: "Catch Me I'm Falling" just barely made the top 40 that same year and is largely forgotten about. Very similar to what happened to Modern English with "I Melt With You", a re-recorded version of their signature hit song was released at the tail end of the 80s and charted 2 positions higher than their original single.
  • "Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish
  • "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts: "Just the Way It Is, Baby" charted higher on the Hot 100; however, "I'll Be There for You" is best remembered as the theme song for Friends. Keep in mind that "I'll Be There For You" was a #1 airplay hit, but was ineligible for the Hot 100 until a commercial single was released long after its popularity waned. Today "Just the Way It Is, Baby" is almost completely forgotten.
  • "Navy Blue" by Diane Renay: A novelty teen idol pop song that notably peaked right at the onset of Beatlemania. Her later single, "Kiss Me Sailor", reached #29, but is still basically a classic example of the followup single of a one-hit wonder.
  • "What I Like About You" by The Romantics: Their two Top 40 hits were actually "Talking in Your Sleep" and its quickly forgotten follow-up "One in a Million"; "What I Like About You" only reached #49, but Revival by Commercialization made it one of the most famous songs of the '80s. While "Sleep" isn't completely forgotten (remembered enough to have a trope named after it), it's not nearly as iconic as their debut single.
  • "Never Say Never" by Romeo Void: "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)" was the group's only top 40 hit at #35; however, "Never Say Never" is better remembered.
  • "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf: While he had an additional Top 40 hit with "I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)" which peaked at #21, it's mostly been forgotten compared to his debut single that mainly benefited from guest star Lil Wayne. Todd was very positive about the song at the time as he put it at #7 on his Top 11 Best Hit Songs of 2009 list.
  • "The Power of Love" by Jennifer Rush: Her actual one hit was "Flames of Paradise", a duet with Elton John, but this was her only major hit in most European countries and even in America has become her best remembered song.
  • "Piano in the Dark" by Brenda Russell: This song was later sampled by Flo Rida for "I Cry", which Todd liked.
  • "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Barry Sadler: The follow up, "The A-Team"note , reached #28.
  • "Next to Me" by Emeli Sande
  • "Sleep Walk" by Santo & Johnny: Their follow-up, "Tear Drop" reached number 23 on Billboard Hot 100, but "Sleep Walk" is by and large their Signature Song, and was famously used in the Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba.
  • "Rock You Like A Hurricane" by Scorpions: "Wind of Change" charted higher, but "Rock You Like A Hurricane" is generally more remembered (despite "Wind of Change" being their most viewed video online). The group had greater success on the Mainstream Rock chart, with "No One Like You" hitting the top of that chart. They're also remembered for the controversy surrounding the cover of their album Virgin Killer.
  • "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer: Their only other Top 40 hit was a cover of "There She Goes" by The La's; however, "Kiss Me" is their better remembered song as it charted much higher and also for its use in the 1999 teen romantic comedy She's All That. Todd likely won't have much good to say about the band since they are a Christian band, and Todd usually reviles most Christian rock music (though he may have a soft spot for this song). The group is bizarre in that both of their hits are major examples of Les Yay despite the band's religious background; "Kiss Me" includes a lyric that references the love interest's flower hat, while the band stated that "There She Goes" was reinterpreted to be a love song rather than the purported heroin euphemism as originally intended, even though the original pronouns were left unchanged.
  • "Run Runaway" by Slade: Slade were more popular in their native Britain; however the band had 2 Top 40 hits Stateside, the other being "My Oh My". Also, many Americans don't realize that the song "Cum on Feel the Noize" was originally composed and performed by Slade; however, the original did chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at #98.
  • "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum: This song is arguably more famous for its music video, which is essentially a public service announcement about runaway children, interjected with posters of real missing children. Reportedly, 26 of those featured in the video were found. Their other hit, "Misery", is mostly forgotten, despite being parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic.
  • "I'm Free" by Soup Dragons: A victim of the "cover as a first hit" curse, albeit one the band Covered Up. "Divine Thing" actually charted higher on both the Hot 100 and Alternative charts, but is less remembered and had less of an impact.
  • "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group
  • "Two of Hearts" by Stacey Q: Follow-up "We Connect" was #35.
  • "It's Been Awhile" by Staind: "So Far Away" and "Right Here" (the latter which didn't technically go top 40 but got plenty of pop airplay) were their only other mainstream hits; however, the band has several hits on the rock charts. Like Puddle of Mudd, Todd has previously mentioned his dislike of the band. Additionally, frontman Aaron Lewis (who, similar to Chris Taylor Brown, is infamous for his right-wing political beliefs) topped Todd's worst list for 2021 with his highest-charting solo country hit "Am I the Only One".
  • "Stuck in the Middle with You" by Stealers Wheel
  • "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" by Jermaine Stewart
  • "Lovergirl" by Teena Marie: Notable for being one of the few white female performers of Motown soul. Her only other American top 40 hit was "I Need Your Lovin'", but that only reached #37 and was quickly forgotten. She had a notable comeback in the mid-2000s in the R&B market before her untimely passing in 2010. Todd mentioned in the Rockwell episode that he didn't like her, but he may feel differently about her after studying her extensive career more closely.
  • "Voices Carry" by Til Tuesday: They managed a #26 followup with "What About Love", only to disband soon afterwards and Lead Bassist Aimee Mann went solo.
  • "One More Try" by Timmy T: His other Top 40 hit "Time After Time" only barely made it, so he might consider talking about him, especially since he said so little about him in his Worst of 1991 list (mostly due to the fact that he couldn't distinguish him from his contemporary Stevie B).
  • "Sensitivity" by Ralph Tresvant: One of the former members of New Edition, who, like the rest of his bandmates, had a successful solo outing during the New Jack Swing craze of the early '90s, with two top 40 hits and one Platinum-certified album. His sophomore record bombed hard, but he did play a prominent role in New Edition's successful-but-brief comeback in 1996.
  • "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone: They had one single, "Angel Say No", just barely scrape the Top 40 at No. 38, but it was this song a year later that became their defining hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and causing mayhem for everyone whose phone number actually was "867-5309". In fact, this is the only one hit wonder to have an entire article on this wiki dedicated to referencing it, whereas "Angel Say No" is hardly (if ever) remembered; none of their other songs charted afterwards. If Todd covers this song, expect at least one or two jokes about mistakenly thinking that Tommy Tutone is a solo artist, and expect a good amount of coverage about the controversy that surrounded the titular phone number after the song's release.
  • "Walk It Out" by Unk: The follow up, "2 Step" peaked at #24 on the Hot 100, and earned #78 on the 2007 Year-End chart.
  • "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice: His only other hit was a cover of "Play That Funky Music", which Todd included on his "Worst of 1991" retrospect.
  • "Luka" by Suzanne Vega: Her only other hit was a #5 remix of her song "Tom's Diner" by the production group DNA.
  • "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon: The band had another minor hit but are mostly remembered for this #1. They were another contemporary of Nine Days.
  • "Blister in the Sun" by Violent Femmes: Their most well known song by the general public. However, the Violent Femmes are considered an important band to the punk and subsequent indie scene.
  • "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C: "Smile" was a much bigger hit, but it's mostly forgotten today. In 2012, she was appointed Nickelodeon's VP of Music.
  • "Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Not Was)
  • "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder: "The Kid's American" reached #33, but this is his only truly famous song. His most famous work after the hit was producing and cowriting the songs from Disney's animated Mulan, for which he also provided the singing voice of Ling.
  • "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack: "I'll Think of a Reason Later" scraped the bottom of the top 40 towards the end of The '90s.

    Very False One Hit Wonders 
Artists and bands with three or more Top 40 hits; however, one particular song, regardless of whether or not it's their highest charting single, had overshadowed their other work. This can also include artists whose signature song never made the top 40, but had at least two top 40 hits. Many artists and bands listed here are more likely candidates for Trainwreckords than One Hit Wonderland; however, Todd might review certain acts on OHW under the right circumstances.

  • "Hold On Loosely" by 38 Special: The band's highest charting single was "Second Chance" at #6, but it's all but forgotten today, partly due to it clashing with their signature Southern Rock sound as an adult contemporary ballad. Their other top 10 hit, "Caught Up in You", while it still gets regular airplay on classic rock stations, particularly in the South, is not as well known as their breakthrough single. In the unlikely event Todd covers 38 Special, he would likely bring up the band's connection to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
  • "Obsession" by Animotion: "Room to Move" (mentioned above) was another top 10 hit, but it was quickly forgotten.
  • "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies
  • "Solid" by Ashford & Simpson: Although they had two minor top 40 hits in the late ‘70s, this is far and large the only track they’re really known for. They also had a very successful career as a songwriting team, including a stint with Motown which led to a string of hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the most famous being “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”.
  • "Heat of the Moment" by Asia
  • "When I See You Smile" by Bad English
  • "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles: Her most recent hit, "Brave", got significant airplay and a heavy sales spike, after Katy Perry's "Roar", Todd's most hated song of 2013, came out, having stirred controversy for sounding similar. Also, all three of her major-label studio albums peaked in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200.
  • "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe: "Do Me" was also a huge hit, and Todd has previously referenced that song in one of his videos. However, "Poison" has a far higher stream count today.
  • "No Diggity" by Blackstreet: They had another top 10 hit in 1994, "Before I Let You Go", as well as "Take Me There", from the soundtrack to The Rugrats Movie, but this #1 smash is their only song to really endure in the public consciousness, in part thanks to a popular cover by Chet Faker, as well its use in Pitch Perfect.
  • "Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)" by Blessid Union of Souls: "I Believe" was a much bigger hit, but "Hey Leonardo" tends to be better remembered today.
  • "The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls
  • "Everywhere" by Michelle Branch: The follow-up, "All You Wanted" charted higher and was her only solo hit to breach the Top 10note , but it's not as well known as her breakthrough single, and she has fallen into relative obscurity since the mid-2000s.
  • "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C+C Music Factory: Though they had two other top ten songs "Things that Make you go Hmmm..." and "Here we Go (Let's Rock and Roll)".
  • "On the Dark Side" by John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band
  • "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes: Her first Top 10 hit was a cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "More Love", making her an aversion to the "cover as a first hit" curse.
  • "Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler
  • "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin. See also the cover by Ugly Kid Joe.
  • "Shine" by Collective Soul: They had two more top 20 hits ("The World I Know" and "December"), and seven #1 hits on mainstream rock, but "Shine" was easily their biggest hit.
  • "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd. While the group had two #1 hits, neither was "Sex You Up".
  • "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio: He actually had plenty of big hits in the mid-'90s, but this one was such a smash that it overshadows the rest of his work. Today, people remember him primarily for his distinct hairstyle and feud with "Weird Al" Yankovic over "Amish Paradise". The song also became a meme when it was used in the infamous original trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog (2020).
  • "Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw
  • "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew
  • "Wild Wild West" by The Escape Club: Notable for being the only British artist to have a #1 hit in America but never so much as chart in the UK! "I'll be There" peaked at #8, but is nowhere near as well-known.
  • "The Final Countdown" by Europe: "Carrie" was their highest charting single in the US, and it was thoroughly discussed by Todd in his "Worst of 1987" retrospect, which probably disqualifies them.
  • "Like a G6" by Far East Movement featuring The Cataracs and DEV: They had two other Top 40 hits, but they've been overshadowed by this. This is likely jossed, since Todd already reviewed it during its relevancy in 2010.
  • "American Woman" by The Guess Who: They were a Three Dog Night-style pop rock band with several years of hits, but this song remains by far their most iconic thanks to its guitar riff and protest lyrics.
  • "I Can Dream About You" by Dan Hartman: Although he had three additional songs barely crack the top 40 as well as singing and writing the top 20 hit "Free Ride" with the Edgar Winter Group, his only solo song to crack the top 10 was this soundtrack single from Streets of Fire.
  • "Want Ads" by Honey Cone: They had three subsequent top 40 hits, but none were anywhere near as popular as this one, which reached #1. If Todd covers them, he might use Taylor Dayne's remake of the song during the end credits.
  • "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate: The group had two other top 10 hits, "Emma" and "Every 1's A Winner," but they are mostly remembered in America only for "You Sexy Thing." By contrast, they were some of the most consistent hitmakers in their native UK throughout the '70s and early '80s.
  • "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" by Information Society: While "What's On Your Mind" is pretty much all the band's remembered for today, another single, "Walking" peaked at #9, and "Think" peaked at #28. Plus, the band had several more charting singles on the US Dance charts.
  • "Leave (Get Out)" by Jo Jo: "Too Little Too Late" was a bigger hit eventually, but "Leave" is her best remembered song.
  • "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan: He had quite a few top 20 hits in the 1990s, but casual listeners and younger audiences only recognize him for this song.
  • "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves: They had a two other hits in the '80s that are now forgotten, but they're particularly notable for winning the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with "Love Shine a Light", though that song failed to chart in America.
  • "Louie, Louie" by The Kingsmen: They had not one, but two Top 20 hits that were covers, the other being a cover of "Money (That's What I Want)", charting at #16 in 1964. They also had another top 10 hit with "Jolly Green Giant."
  • "My Sharona" by The Knack: They had another #11 and a quickly forgotten #36, but today they're only remembered for their debut #1 smash. However, Todd might prefer to cover them on Trainwreckords instead, since their sophomore album is infamous for stopping them dead in their tracks despite their initial hype.
  • "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse: The band had three other Top 40 hits, including "You and Me" which hit #5; however, "Hanging by a Moment" is the song most people identify the band with.
  • "American Pie" by Don McLean: He has had five other top 40 hits, but they've been overshadowed by this.
  • "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison: While this is definitely his Signature Song, he's a super influential and acclaimed songwriter with a huge catalogue of classic music, with his 1968 album Astral Weeks especially being considered a masterpiece (the fact that it has its own page on this site should tell you everything). Morrison originally wrote and performed "Wild Night", which was a minor hit at #28 in 1971. The John Mellencamp version far eclipses Van Morrison's original recording, peaking at #3 and was #15 on the 1994 Billboard Year End chart. A case for a true one hit wonder could be made for Mellencamp's guest vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello, whose only Top 40 presence was on "Wild Night".
  • "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes: They had a #11 with "Promises, Promises" later on.
  • "Too Close" by Next: The group had three more Top 20 hits, which should disqualify them; however, "Too Close" was used as the basis for the 2015 Vine meme "Why You Always Lying" by Nicholas Fraser.
  • "If You Leave" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: In the US, it hit #4 on the Hot 100 due to its appearance in the 1986 hit film Pretty in Pink. In its native UK, however, the song only reached #48. However, this band is one of the most famous Synth-Pop acts of the 1980s, and to those a bit more familiar with them, their signature hit is probably "Enola Gay", which came out before the genre garnered full acceptance in America.
  • "Your Love" by The Outfield: Unlike most British bands, the Outfield were the most successful in the US with 5 Top 40 singles; however, "Your Love" was their only Top 10 hit and only remembered song. The band never even cracked the Top 40 in Britain.
  • "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker, Jr.: He had a Top 5 hit 2 years before "Ghostbusters": "The Other Woman", and his band Raydio had three top-10 hits. Also, there was the controversy of "Ghostbusters" sounding like Huey Lewis and the News' "I Want a New Drug".
  • "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's: A song Todd has claimed to like in spite of everything going against it. A proper review is not only expected, but necessary. Plain White T's had two songs barely creep onto the Top 40, but nothing close to this #1 smash.
  • "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum
  • "Gangnam Style" by PSY: Even though PSY remains popular in Korea and had two more songs to enter the US Top 40, "Gentleman" and "Hangover" ft. Snoop Dogg, most Westerners will only remember him for "Gangnam Style", especially due to its memetic status. Todd even stated outright in the Blue Swede OHW that "Gentleman" was not a hit despite its chart placement. However, Todd most likely won't cover PSY on OHW since he already reviewed "Gangnam Style" in the regular Pop Song Reviews.
  • "Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash
  • "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
  • "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" by Stevie B: He's had somewhat more success on the charts than his contemporary Timmy T, but he too is generally remembered as a one-hit wonder.
  • "Breakeven" by The Script: Four Top 40 hits but only one Top 20. Although "Hall of Fame" is on the borderline for their second hit.
  • "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds: They're seen as the Scottish U2 and was huge in the UK. Of their other hits, "Alive and Kicking" is big enough that it would probably disqualify them for the show, together with the fact that they've still had a farily steady career since.
  • "Pieces Of Me" by Ashlee Simpson: Ashlee had 3 more Top 40 hits; however, her career had been overshadowed by the infamous Saturday Night Live lip-syncing incident. She is also less known when compared to her elder sister Jessica.
  • "Thong Song" by Sisqó: "Incomplete" reached #1 on August 12, 2000, and he also had 8 Top 40 singles as part of Dru Hill. That should be enough to disqualify Sisqo from a OHW review; however, the stupidity of "Thong Song" by far overshadows his other work.
  • "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge. He got into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just because of this song.
  • "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy: Soulja Boy had two more hits in the Top 20, including "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", which reached #3 on the Hot 100 (and #6 on Todd's Worst Hit Songs of 2009), making him an unlikely candidate for an episode.
  • "True" by Spandau Ballet: They had two more hits with "Gold" (#29) & "Only When You Leave" (#34). They had even more success in the UK, where they were considered key acts of the New Romantic movement along with Duran Duran.
  • "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart: Although he has three more top 40 hits, with one, "Time Passages", actually charting one spot higher than "Year of the Cat", the latter is still considered his Signature Song by a long shot.
  • "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor: The band had 4 additional Top 10 hits, which should be enough to disqualify them. However, the general public only knows their only #1 as Survivor's other hits are somewhat obscure today. Late frontman Jimi Jamison was also known for writing and performing "I'm Always Here", the theme song for Baywatch.
  • "Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic: The group are considered to be pioneers of late 80s/early 90s acid house, but are solely remembered for this song. They had two other Billboard top 40 hits, “Get Up (Before The Night Is Over)” and “Move This” (which had only been released as a single thanks to being used in a Revlon commercial).
  • "Birdhouse In Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants
  • "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket
  • "Happy Together" by The Turtles: Their first hit before "Happy Together" was a cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe", averting the "cover as a first hit" curse.
  • "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers: Had a handful of songs scratch the Top 40 Airplay, but are mostly remembered for this one (peaked at #2). Notable in that they are fronted by Bob Dylan's son Jakob and were considered prominent in the Adult Contemporary genre despite having only one truly memorable song. Todd played footage in his "I Love You Always Forever" video, indicating he may have plans for it and is at least aware of the song. He also mentioned liking them in the Lullaby OHW.
  • "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung: They were actually moderately successful in the US with 5 Top 40 hits. In their native UK, however, they have only one hit, "Dance Hall Days", which peaked at #16 in the US and had an appearance on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack.
  • "Regulate" by Warren G

    Too Recent to Cover 
Examples of one-hit wonders that aren't yet old enough to be covered go here. If they're valid OHW candidates once they're ten years old, move them to the appropriate folder. If it at some point becomes clear that the artist is not a one-hit wonder, just delete their example, but don't get too trigger-happy — it's possible that their one famous hit will end up overshadowing the rest of their output in the long run, which means they're still a candidate for the "Somewhat False" and "Very False" folders (for instance, someone with one old #1 hit and one surprise #39 hit years later is more likely to be remembered for the #1 hit). Try to only add artists who are unlikely to be disqualified later, such as ones who have had very little success since their Top 40 hit (i.e. all of their recent releases have charted very low if at all). Also, it's usually safe to list retired artists and defunct projects.

True One Hit Wonders

  • "Rich Men North of Richmond" by Oliver Anthony Music (2023)
  • "Supalonely" by BENEE ft. Gus Dapperton (2020)
  • "Cake by the Ocean" by DNCE (2015): Joe Jonas's side group entered an indefinite hiatus following the reunion of the Jonas Brothers, so they're probably not going to get another hit.
  • "Broccoli" by DRAM featuring Lil Yachty (2016): None of DRAM's other singles charted anywhere.
  • "Dame Tu Cosita" by El Chombo (2018): Notably his earlier single "Chacarron Macarron" was a significant viral success, mostly due to its incomprehensible lyrics, but he only hit the charts in the states with this song twelve years later.
  • "abcdefu" by GAYLE (2021): If Todd ever covers this as a OHW episode, expect him to mention that "butterflies", her contribution to the Barbie (2023) soundtrack, is heavily based off previous OHW subject "Butterfly" by Crazy Town.
  • "I Hate U, I Love U" by gnash featuring Olivia O'Brien (2016): Neither gnash nor Olivia O'Brien ever got another hit, although the former appeared on MAX's one hit (see below). Todd has named this the second worst hit of 2016.
  • "Down" by Marian Hill (2016)
  • “2 Phones” by Kevin Gates (2015)
  • "Golden Hour" by JVKE (2022): Todd has already played a brief clip of "U Love U", his duet with fellow TikTok star Jax, during his Worst of 2022 list.
  • "Gold" by Kiiara (2015): Except for this and "Whippin" (which featured Felix Snow), none of her own songs charted anywhere. She was also featured on the Linkin Park song "Heavy", which barely missed the cutoff at #45.
  • "iSpy" by Kyle ft. Lil Yachty (2016): May be mentioned in tandem with fellow Lil Yachty collaborator DRAM.
  • "I Like Me Better" by Lauv (2017)
  • "Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf (2019/2021)
  • "Lights Down Low" by MAX ft. gnash (2017): MAX is somewhat known for his acting career, but had no other hits as a musician.
  • "Issues" by Julia Michaels (2016): She is far more successful as a songwriter. Todd generally doesn't like the songs she wrote for other artists and doesn't like this one either. She also appeared in JP Saxe's one hit (see below).
  • "Baby Shark" by Pinkfong (2019): Pinkfong is a South Korean children's entertainment company that releases kids' media in several different languages. One of said songs, a rendition of the campfire song "Baby Shark", went viral and charted within top 40 of the Hot 100 in 2019 (but not high enough to be eligible for Todd's Year-End lists). Given the unique circumstances, it is unlikely that they will ever chart again. The song is not a likely OHW candidate because it's a mindless meme song (most of the lyrics are "doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo"), but the oddity of this thing becoming a hit might be worth discussing.
  • "death bed (coffee for your head)" by Powfu ft. beabadoobee (2020): Hinted at in his Pop Song Review for said track, where he acknowleged that TikTok could give him much to discuss about on the show from 2030 onwards.
  • "Locked Away" by R. City featuring Adam Levine (2015): While Levine's band Maroon 5 isn't a one-hit wonder, this is R. City's only hit with them as the main credit; they've had more success in writing other artist's songs.
  • "Lost Boy" by Ruth B. (2015): #8 on Todd's Worst of 2016 list. Another song of hers, "Dandelions", trended on TikTok seven years later in 2022 and bubbled under the Hot 100.
  • "Roses (Imanbek Remix)" by SAINt JHN (2019)
  • "If the World Was Ending" by JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels (2019)
  • "Trampoline" by SHAED (2019): Todd hated this song so much that he ranked it higher than Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved" on his Worst of 2019 list. However, he also mentioned that SHAED's other work is okay. None of their other songs charted anywhere outside of the Alternative songs chart, and even there they never made it past #17 since.
  • "Mo Bamba" by Sheck Wes (2018)
  • "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" by Silentó (2015): A viral dance hit song that Todd heavily disliked when he originally covered it as a Pop Song Review, hinting on a future OHW episode when putting it on his 2015 Worst list. Any faint chance that Silentó had of a second hit fell dead in the water after he was charged with murder in 2021.
  • "ily (i love you baby)" by Surf Mesa featuring Emilee (2019)
  • "Sunday Best" by Surfaces (2020): This was released in February 2019, but got big on TikTok a year later in part due to its message resonating with the times. Todd has stated on Twitter that he left it off his worst list for this reason, so he may want to elaborate further with a OHW episode.
  • "Dance Monkey" by Tones and I (2019): Despite being one of the most unique one-hit wonders of the 2010s, Todd never covered this track aside from a few short comments on Twitter and a quick mention in the Worst of 2020 and 2021 videos. He tweeted that the song is a "self-fulfilling prophecy" because it's about being forced to perform the same one song over and over again. Tones and I has a few smaller hits abroad, but nothing else has charted in America, and even overseas, "Dance Monkey" is by far her biggest claim to fame.

Technically True One Hit Wonders

  • "Bang!" by AJR (2020): They've had a reasonable amount of success before and after this song became a smash, with several Top 5 hits on the alternative charts and two Top 10 albums.
  • "Say You Won't Let Go" by James Arthur (2017): In the UK, the winner of the ninth series of The X Factor is one of the biggest stars of the same male singer/songwriter craze of the 2010s that produced Ed Sheeran, but this has been his only charting hit in America. While it only attained stateside popularity in 2017, Todd never commented on it on his show. The big elephant in the room will be his controversial behavior shortly after winning the show.
  • "You Say" by Lauren Daigle (2018): During the long gap without new music from Adele, this soundalike vocalist became the first performer of Christian music to have a pop crossover hit in several years. Todd has yet to say anything about her except that she was an Adele ripoff and never made any comments about this song on his show, so she may be worth covering in the distant future if she doesn't make an unlikely return to the Hot 100. Although Todd dislikes Pop Song Chords, White Chicks with Piano, and contemporary Christian music, it's possible he found at least some merit to this track (perhaps its vulnerable lyrics), considering he left it off his Worst list video for 2019.
  • "Never Be Like You" by Flume (2016): This Australian DJ is popular in his home country, but has had limited success elsewhere.
  • "Despacito (Remix)" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (2017): This is a case of "technically true" for Fonsi and "very false" for Daddy Yankee: Fonsi had had considerable success on the Latin charts, but this is the only song of his to reach the top 40 of the Hot 100, and one of the few to chart there at all. Daddy Yankee has had several other top 40 hits, but they're overshadowed by "Despacito". (And, of course, Justin Bieber is definitely not a one-hit wonder.) Todd probably wouldn't feature this song on OHW because he has already reviewed it, but its enormous success and role in popularizing Spanish-language pop music might be worth discussing in a retrospective.
  • "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals (2020)
  • "Where Are U Now" by Jack Ü (2015): They're unlikely to be featured on OHW since Jack Ü is a collaborative effort between Skrillex and Diplo.
  • "It Ain’t Me" by Kygo ft. Selena Gomez (2017): This was the popular producer’s only notable hit stateside.
  • "Never Forget You" by Zara Larsson and MNEK (2015): Zara has had a few other top 40 hits outside of North America.
  • "Broken" by lovelytheband (2018): This #29 hit is as of March 2020 their only track to make the Hot 100 at all, but they got three Top 10 hits on the Alternative chart before abruptly losing their popularity with "Waste", which marked the point where their singles stopped charting anywhere. Todd has said that this would've been "probably somewhere around #2" on a Worst list if it hadn't been caught between two years, so he could use an OHW episode to elaborate on why he hates it so much.
  • "Beggin'" by Måneskin (2017/2021): This is a cover of Madcon's version (see the "Somewhat True" folder) originally performed during the band's stint on The X Factor Italy that trended on TikTok four years later, after their song "Zitti e buoni" won Eurovision. It's uncertain if he'll do a OHW episode on them, since he already briefly discussed "Beggin'" on his Worst of 2021 list, and also since the band is successful on the alternative and hard rock charts in the US and the pop charts outside of the US.
  • "Let You Down" by NF (2017): An acclaimed Christian rapper who had an unexpected crossover hit. He remains popular in Christian circles and has had some songs just miss hit status.
  • "Strip That Down" by Liam Payne feat. Quavo (2017): This track was supposed to introduce Liam Payne as a solo artist. It became his most successful single and his only hit in the US. He has been a bit more successful in other countries, in particular his native UK.
  • "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man (2017): The band has has some other hits on genre-specific charts, with its follow-up also going #1 on alternative, but none of them charted on any mainstream charts. Todd has already reviewed this song, so this isn't a likely candidate for OHW.
  • "Youth" by Troye Sivan (2015): Several albums and EPs of his did go Top 10 on the Billboard 200, however.

Somewhat True One Hit Wonders

  • "Do It to It (Remix)" by Acraze feat. Cherish (2021): This house remix of "Do It to It" (see the "Somewhat False" folder) gained popularity on TikTok in part due to sounding like the Pink Soldiers Theme from Squid Game. It charted at #65 on the Hot 100 and at #3 on the dance chart. Similar to the "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" episode, Todd might want to review this if Squid Game becomes a successful-enough franchise to have a Milestone Celebration.
  • "Something Better" by Audien (2015)
  • "Man's Not Hot" by Big Shaq (2017): Big Shaq is a fictional rapper from the YouTube mockumentary SWIL (Somewhere in London), whose first series amassed over 1 million views. While the track didn't chart in the US (not even on the more specific charts), it reached #3 in the UK and made the top 40 in Australia, New Zealand and many European countries.
  • "SHUM" by Go_A (2021): Even though this song placed fifth in the 2021 Eurovision contest, it got the second-most televotes and became a viral success, becoming the first Ukrainian-language song to appear on a Billboard chart.note  Todd tried to guess what this song was about while watching the contest for Song vs. Song, but if he does eventually cover this for OHW, he'll realize that it's essentially a Ukrainian version of what he joked DNA could have done with "The Mummers' Dance".
  • "Mad at Disney" by Salem Ilese (2020): Todd tweeted an article about how the viral success of this song lead to a wave of formulaic TikTok songsnote  that combine nursery rhymes or other nostalgic melodies with "relatable" lyrics, so he'd have a lot to say about it in a retrospective.
  • "Makeba" by Jain (2015/2023): This song, a tribute to anti-apartheid activist Miriam Makeba, originally gained exposure through use in commercials in the years after it was released, but got a huge boost on TikTok in 2023.
  • “Overload” by Life of Dillon (2015)
  • "Nevermind" by Dennis Lloyd (2016): Only hit #86 on the Hot 100 in 2018, but nonetheless charted at #3 on the alternative chart and charted in the top 40 in several countries. Lloyd is most successful in his native Israel, but his song "Wild West" was a #3 hit in Italy, and a few of his other songs were minor hits in a few countries.
  • "Body" by Loud Luxury feat. brando (2017): Despite having relative success in their native Canada, where "I'm Not Alright", "Cold Feet" and "Like Gold" reached the Year-End lists of their respective years, this house duo haven't had a massive hit worldwide since this song, which hit #80 on the Hot 100 in early 2019. Featured vocalist brando hasn't fared much better, either.
  • "Sudno (Boris Ryzhy)" by Molchat Doma (2020): They're a Belarusian Post-Punk Genre Throwback band who had a fluke TikTok hit among English-speaking audiences with this song.
  • “EKSE” by Off the Meds (2020): As this song’s popularity stemmed from its appearance in Morbius (2022) and its many associated memes two years after its original release, it’s almost certain that they’ll never have another “hit”.
  • "Sweatshirt" by Jacob Sartorius (2016): One of the few artists to be popularized through musical.ly, a social network that eventually morphed into TikTok. Like "Friday", it gained notoriety out of Bile Fascination.
  • "Call on Me" by Starley (2016)
  • “Faded” by Alan Walker (2015): The vocal remake of his instrumental composition “Fade” was successful throughout Europe, except in the USA where it made #80. Alan’s music has since seen viral success, but he has never made a big commercial hit since.
  • "Lalala" by Y2K and bbno$ (2019): While bbno$’s “Edamame” did fairly well on airplay despite missing the Hot 100 a few years later, Y2K has yet to come close to this song’s success.

Somewhat False One Hit Wonders

  • "Mine" by Bazzi (2017): His other hit, "Beautiful", wasn't nearly as big or remembered and is more associated with featured guest Camila Cabello. Either way, Todd dismissed both of these songs as dishonorable mentions in his Worst lists for 2018 and 2019, respectively, so he's not particularly likely to be featured in OHW.
  • "Boyfriend" by Dove Cameron (2022): She was originally a Disney Channel starlet, most famous for playing the titular dual role of Liv and Maddie, as well as the daughter of Maleficent in the Descendants trilogy, through which she appeared on a few other low-charting songsnote . After coming out as queer years later, she found global success with a queer-themed single inspired by '60s cabaret music. Todd never talked about this song in-depth, aside from saying he didn't like it in the "Unholy" Pop Song Review, but fellow Song vs. Song podcaster Lina Morgan spoke positively about Dove Cameron in the 2022 VMAs episode, so Todd can probably at least appreciate the song's importance to a lot of people, similar to "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)". Another likely talking point is the frequent comparisons the track has received to Shawn Mendes' "Treat You Better", which Todd has panned in the past (though he has since softened on it slightly).
  • "Respect Your Elders" by Chillin (formerly chillindude829) (2015): Chillin is a professional Super Smash Bros. Melee who has recorded several diss tracks about his competitors. This is his most notable one by a large margin, especially because of the story behind it: Chillin recorded it before a Salty Suite exhibition against Leffen, where Chillin brags that Leffen will get destroyed in the match... then the match took place, and Chillin lost 5-0. It's not a likely OHW candidate because of its subject matter and it not being that big, but it might make for an amusing off-beat episode, or at least part of a hypothetical compilation of viral one-hit wonders. (Although "Nice Shot Hugo" could also be considered a hit by Melee track standards, it's not as remembered or known outside of the Melee scene.)
  • "Panda" by Desiigner (2015): This was one of the earliest examples of a mumble rap song becoming a huge hit. Desiigner's other top 40 hit, "Timmy Turner", only reached #34, and he was featured on BTS's "MIC Drop (Remix)" (which charted at #28), but he's been off the radar ever since. Todd originally said this was "barely even a song" in the "7 Years" Pop Song Review, but it's likely that it has since grown on him because he implied that he considered the song to be a better stab at a rap song named after a furry animal that's the same color as your car than "Yes Indeed" in the Worst of 2018 countdown.
  • "7 Years" by Lukas Graham (2015): A #2 hit. Their other hit, "Mama Said", barely qualifies as a hit because it peaked at #36. Either way, Todd is very unlikely to make an OHW episode about this song because he has already reviewed it, and he hated both it and the group (if he had liked it, at least he could've made an episode anyway as an excuse to talk about music he thinks deserves more love).
  • "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten (2015): Its follow-up "Stand by You" barely made the cutoff at #37, putting her into the "one-hit wonders who technically had a second hit" category. Nothing else by Platten has made the Hot 100 at all. However, she's not a likely candidate for OHW because Todd has already discussed this song when he named it the second worst hit of 2015, and named Platten the worst new artist of 2015.
  • "Checkmate" by Young ELO (2021): A chess-themed diss track that achieved pretty impressive success for something that niche. The follow-up "Mate In One" was a step down, and Young ELO's subsequent releases have failed to catch on. It's not a likely OHW candidate because of its subject matter and it not being that big, but it might make for an amusing off-beat episode, or at least part of a hypothetical compilation of viral one-hit wonders.
  • "Pillowtalk" by Zayn (2016): While he had multiple hits as part of One Direction, and his Taylor Swift duet "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" reached #2, this #1 hit is his only solo hit. His April 2018 track "Let Me" reached #73, and is as of March 2020 his last song to chart at all. Because the success of "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" was mostly due to Swift's appearance and its use in the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, Zayn is often regarded as a one-hit wonder for "Pillowtalk." However, it's unlikely that Todd will make an episode on this song because he has already reviewed it and put it on his Worst of 2016 list. He has also already discussed "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" on the Worst of 2017 list.

    Confirmed 
  • "Barbie Girl" by Aqua: "Lollipop (Candyman)" peaked at #23 in the US, but it's almost completely forgotten by history. Abroad, however, "Doctor Jones", "Turn Back Time" and "Cartoon Heroes" are also very popular.
  • "Turn Up the Radio" by Autograph: The '80s hair metal band only ever had two hits in the rock charts, of which "Turn Up the Radio" was the only one in the Hot 100, at #29. Their lead vocalist Steve Plunkett would go on to contribute to numerous TV shows, notably the theme to 7th Heaven.
  • "Mickey" by Toni Basil
  • "Mambo #5" by Lou Bega
  • "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede
  • "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks: He used it for during the credits of his "Sexy Bitch/Chick" review, so he may revisit it. Her third single, "What Would Happen", was actually pretty successful at the time, peaking at #15 on the Mainstream Top 40, but it didn't quite crack the Hot 100's top 40 and is hardly remembered whatsoever today. If Todd does review her, he'll likely make comparisons to Alanis Morissette.
  • "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
  • "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers: "Pepper" (#26 on the airplay charts) was the only time the band flirted with the mainstream. However, the band has a notable cult following and combined punk with psychedelia, being considered a precursor to grunge. They are prominent and influential, but intentionally avoided the mainstream.
  • "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling: Frontman Alex Band did have another hit with Santana in 2003, but this was the group's only top 40 hit. The group also had a few minor hits on the Adult Pop charts.
  • "Lovefool" by The Cardigans: The song never charted on the Hot 100 due to their rules on airplay-only singles at the time; rock audiences may recognize "My Favorite Game".
  • "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire: "Good Morning" just barely qualifies as a Top 40 hit and "Turn It Up", the single preceding "Ridin'", just missed the Top 40. Chamillionaire was also a guest artist on another Top 10 hit: "Get Up" by Ciara. Moreover, Chamillionaire's two studio albums did peak in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and in the Top 5 for R&B/Hip-Hop albums. The Rap Critic reviewed it already, though, so it's not likely he'll do this one.
  • "Butterfly" by Crazy Town: If Todd does review them, he'll likely call them the "poor, poor, poor man's Red Hot Chili Peppers" (In the actual review, Todd called them a poor man's 311.), not helped by the fact Crazy Town's only hit samples the RHCP song "Pretty Little Ditty" for its main riff.
  • "Laffy Taffy" by D4L
  • "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by The Darkness: They were much bigger in their native U.K. but this is all they're really known for on the other side of the pond.
  • "Groove is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite
  • "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls: The group were most successful in their native Australia.
  • "She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby
  • The many one-hit wonder groups of Tony Burrows: Edison Lighthouse ("Love Grows [Where My Rosemary Goes]"), The Pipkins ("Gimme Dat Ding"), White Plains ("My Baby Loves Lovin'"), First Class ("Beach Baby"), and Brotherhood of Man ("United We Stand"), and by extension, the second Brotherhood of Man ("Save Your Kisses For Me"). Perhaps a joke where Todd keeps repeating the usual segments over and over again?
    • Done for Edison Lighthouse, although Todd covers the other songs as well. (No repeated segments, though.)
  • "Crazy for This Girl" by Evan and Jaron: Todd mentioned the duo in his review of Nine Days' "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)".
  • "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65: With incomprehensible lyrics. The group's follow up, "Move Your Body", reached the Top 10 on several European charts, but not in the States. The group were most successful in their native Italy.
  • "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco: He was more successful in Europe, especially in his native Austria, than he was Stateside.
  • "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Though hugely popular to the point of cultural phenomenon, it was the band's only real hit in the US. Conversely, they were one of the biggest New Wave Music bands in Britain: after the decline of Spandau Ballet, Frankie were the primary rival to Duran Duran, even largely influencing Duran Duran's "The Wild Boys" in the wake of their success.
  • "What Is Love" by Haddaway
  • "MMMBop" by Hanson: Hinted at at the end of his "St. Elmo's Fire" OHW.
  • "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger
  • "Jump Around" by House of Pain: In his FAQ, he calls this his favorite one-hit wonder. You know he's going to review it one day, perhaps for his last "One-Hit Wonderland" episode.
  • "Are You Jimmy Ray?" by Jimmy Ray
  • "I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis: Her follow up, "Without Love", just missed the Top 40.
  • "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc.: In the "Worst of 1987" retrospect, Todd stated that he doesn't like the song, but acknowledged that it earned its place in pop culture history thanks to its hook. Said episode brought up the song due to a cover by Pseudo Echo, who themselves are a one-hit wonder outside of their native Australia. Todd called the band a "poor, poor, poor man's INXS", and stated that "Funkytown" worked better as a disco song rather than a blaring, synth-heavy rock song.
  • "Macarena" by Los Del Río: Despite being active since 1962, the Spanish pop duo were only able to generate one Stateside hit with this song, which reached No. 23 on the Hot 100 in its original form before outright topping the chart in the form of a remix by the Bayside Boys. The only other single of theirs to chart in the US was a Christmas remix of "Macarena", and even that only hit No. 57.
  • "The Hustle" by Van McCoy
  • "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin: Originally a contribution to the Cocktail soundtrack (which Todd previously mentioned in the Summer in Paradise Trainwreckords episode in the context of The Beach Boys's late 80's comeback with "Kokomo"), the song is notable for being one of the only major examples of an a cappella hit. Similar to SR-71, expect Todd to be angry at people constantly referring to it as a Bob Marley song.
  • "The Mummers' Dance" by Loreena McKennitt
  • "Beds are Burning" by Midnight Oil: "Blue Sky Mine" and "The Dead Heart" almost breached the Top 40, and the band had more popularity in the alternate charts, plus in their native Australia and Europe.
  • "This Is Why I'm Hot" by Mims: Despite it being a chart-topping smash, the followup "Like This" fizzled at #32.
  • "I Melt With You" by Modern English: Technically a No-Hit Wonder; the song peaked at only #78 in the US, with a 1990 rerecording peaking at #76, with the band not charting at all in the UK outside of some minor hits on the indie charts.
  • "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison: A rare example of a black urban singer from the UK scoring a big crossover hit in America. The song is notable for sampling the beat from "Genius of Love", which was also the basis for Mariah Carey's "Fantasy". Mark Morrison actually scored several other hits off his debut album in the UK, but none of them were successful stateside, and even abroad they're forgotten today.
  • "Lullaby" by Shawn Mullins.
  • "99 Luftballons" by Nena: Though able to maintain long-term success in her native Germany, with moderate success in Austria and Switzerland as well, her presence in the Anglosphere is limited to this song. Despite being packaged as the B-side to the English-language version, "99 Red Balloons", it went to No. 2 on the Hot 100 and became one of the most well-known songs of the 80's thanks to its extreme Lyrical Dissonance. The English version meanwhile never charted in the States despite hitting No. 1 in the UK, Canada, and Austria.
  • "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals: Mentioned in the "Flagpole Sitta" review.
  • "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go
  • "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield: Oldfield is far more successful in his native UK (albeit not to superstar levels) and is critically recognized as one of the only solo Progressive Rock acts to meet the level of the genre's major bands. Despite that, he only had one charting single in the US with this release, the intro to his debut album that rode off a Colbert Bump from The Exorcist, hitting No. 7. Oldfield's only other songs to gain Stateside attention were "Family Man" (thanks to being Covered Up by Daryl Hall & John Oates) and "Nuclear" (as a source of Memetic Mutation after appearing in a trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain); most Americans are unaware that all three songs are by the same guy.
  • "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace: Todd mentioned it in the "Kung Fu Fighting" episode as an example of awful pop music from 1974. Their only other notable song, "Billy Don't Be A Hero", is better known in the US via its covered-up version by Bo Donaldson.
  • "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: Certainly a song whose message Todd is definitely going to appreciate.
  • "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred: Todd mentioned the group in his review of "Sexy and I Know It", so a more in-depth review may be inevitable.
  • "I Love College" by Asher Roth
    • Todd reviewed this as his 10th anniversary special, since it came out the year he started reviewing music on YouTube.
  • "Never Had a Dream Come True" by S Club 7. Not only do they have numerous hit singles globally, they were just as famous in the US for their television series, which made their other international hits fairly well-known in America even though they didn't chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)" by Scatman John
  • "I Wish" By Skee-Lo: It's novel for being a hip hop song about being a loser misfit, in stark contrast to the braggadocio that dominates the genre otherwise.
  • "Informer" by Snow: If Todd does review it, he'll likely incorporate Jim Carrey's parody into the review. In the review of MAGIC!'s "Rude", he implies that the song isn't good.
  • "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team: They're also notable for "Pig Power in the House", the tie-in rap song for the 1995 movie Gordy.
  • "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
  • "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses: Chris Butler, the mind behind the band, went on to make a song that lasts more than two hours.
  • "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo
  • "Your Woman" by White Town: This song was written to be interpreted various different ways. Todd can explore them all. He can also talk about White Town being a one-man band. The song's 1930s trumpet sample (which sounds similar to the "Imperial March"), was later reused on Dua Lipa's "Love Again".
  • "Oh Yeah" by Yello: This song is best remembered for its use in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
  • "Bust a Move" by Young MC

    Jossed 
True One Hit Wonders
  • "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass: Their follow-up single, "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne", reached #33, but "Brandy" is much better remembered today in no small part due to its use in films such as Charlie's Angels (2000), BlacKkKlansman and, most notably, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
    • Likely jossed, Todd mentioned this song in the "Disco Duck" episode as an example of why he usually doesn't do older music on One Hit Wonderland, mentioning that he couldn't find many clips of the big hit, let alone any followups.
Technically True One Hit Wonders
  • "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk: Another song that is very recent and could've been covered in "Pop Song Reviews", and Todd's favorite song of 2013. Daft Punk were big in Europe in their prime, but weren't very successful in the United States. The group has not returned to the Hot 100 since "Get Lucky", and their split in 2021 ensures they'll never have another hit again.
    • Likely jossed, if Todd includes the two collaborations with The Weeknd ("Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming") into consideration.
  • "Whip It" by Devo: Though most casual listeners regard them as a one-hit wonder, Todd will most likely not review Devo because of their influence on the new-wave and electronic pop genres. Also, frontman Mark Mothersbaugh has a considerable career as a composer for many TV show, film, and video game soundtracks. Todd is a fan of Devo as well.
  • "Epic" by Faith No More: People who watched Dirty Jobs may recognize its theme song, "We Care a Lot" (albeit only for the chorus), and "Midlife Crisis" topped the Alternative Charts. Also, Faith No More was considered one of the forefathers of the Alternative Metal genre, and Krist Novoselic stated that Faith No More was a huge influence on Nirvana. Metallica and Guns N' Roses, two of the biggest metal acts of the 1980s and early 1990s, called Faith No More one of their favorite bands, hiring them as the opening act for their co-headlining Stadium Tour back in 1992. A case can be made for them as a true One-Hit Wonder, as it's their only song known to mainstream listeners.
    • Jossed. He tweeted that he doesn't consider Faith No More (in addition to Devo above) one hit wonders.
  • "Where’d You Go" or "Remember The Name" by Fort Minor: "Where'd You Go" was their actual one hit, but "Remember The Name" is their more famous song, particularly for its use as a sports anthem and as a recurring movie soundtrack song. However, Todd might not review this since Fort Minor is the hip-hop side project of Linkin Park frontman Mike Shinoda.
    • Jossed, as Todd acknowledged the existence of "Where'd You Go" in the Song vs. Song podcast, where he called "Where'd You Go" a horrible song.
  • "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix: Although Jimi Hendrix is considered one of the most influential guitarists of all time and was right behind the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as the most legendary musicians of the 1960s, he did not see much Hot 100 chart success with his singles, but his albums did peak in the Top 20 in the Billboard 200. Technically, Jimi fell under the "cover as a first hit curse" as the original was from Bob Dylan.
    • Jossed in the Floaters OHW.
  • "Uprising" by Muse
    • Probably Jossed once and for all when Todd brought them up in his "Beds are Burning" video. He said they did fine despite only one Top 40 hit and may have redefined the definition of the term.
  • "Wonderwall" by Oasis: Oasis was one of the biggest acts from Britain during the 1990s despite only one major Billboard Hot 100 hit; and even in the U.S. are an important figure of '90s pop culture and very influential on today's indie rock. Aside from their music, the band was quite notorious for their fascination with The Beatles as well as the volatile tempers of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, the latter of which ultimately broke up the band.
    • Jossed, since Todd already covered Oasis on Trainwreckords.
  • "Why Can't I?" by Liz Phair: It's much likelier that Todd would cover her by featuring the Self-Titled Album the song was from on Trainwreckords; not only is Phair very well-known in the indie rock scene, but said album is an infamous Genre Shift to teen-friendly pop-rock that alienated her fanbase.
    • Presumably jossed, since Todd already covered Liz Phair on Trainwreckords, albeit featuring her sixth album Funstyle instead.
  • "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia: This is a somewhat sad example of a one-hit wonder: the group's farewell single unexpectedly became their biggest hit. However, they did enjoy considerable success in Europe even before this song.
    • Presumably jossed, if Todd takes into consideration their 2021 collaboration with The Weeknd "Moth to a Flame".
  • "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" by T. Rex: While this was their only US Top 40 hit, Todd most likely won't review it because of the band's popularity in the UK as well as Marc Bolan's influence on Glam Rock.
    • Jossed in the S Club 7 OHW episode.
  • "Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog: Todd most likely won't review this one, since the band was essentially Pearl Jam plus Chris Cornell from Soundgardennote ; both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were part of the "Big Four of Grunge" and were popular in the earlier half of the 1990s.
    • Todd having jossed covering Cornell's Scream for coverage on Trainwreckords in light of his suicide might also put a damper on the possibility of this being covered as a result.
  • "Valley Girl" by Frank Zappa: Frank Zappa's discography spans nearly 100 albums. Zappa's career covered many genres, and many artists and bands cite Zappa as a major influence, including, but definitely not limited to, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, George Clinton, Primus, King Crimson, They Might Be Giants, System of a Down, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
    • Jossed in the Floaters OHW.

Somewhat True One Hit Wonders

  • "Dog Police" by Dog Police: When Todd first showed it in his review of "Mexican Radio", fans had a field day. Considering that he even suggested in that video that he wanted to make a video on this song, it's only a matter of time.
    • Likely jossed, if this tweet is anything to go by.
  • "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand: The band was more successful on the British charts and on the American alternative charts.
    • Implicitly jossed in the "Here It Goes Again" OHW, with Todd including the band in his discussion of indie rockers who only had one mainstream hit but still garnered a sizable enough cult following to escape one-hit wonder status.

Somewhat False One Hit Wonders

  • "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada: "Evacuate the Dancefloor" was also a hit, but "Everytime We Touch" is much more associated with the band, eclipsing the Maggie Riley song it interpolates and gaining a second life online through copious use in fanvids. Much like Tommy Tutone, they're often mistaken for a solo act.
    • Jossed. Todd responded to a twitter comment about the chances of a OHW video on this group. Having recognized the impact of their last major hit, “Evacuate The Dancefloor”, he denied this possibility.
  • "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House
    • Jossed, as Todd acknowledged that "Something So Strong" still gets airplay today.
  • "The Way" by Fastball: "Out Of My Head" actually made #20. "The Way" did reach #5 but only on the airplay charts, and was held back by lack of a commercial single release. In the Nine Days review, Todd mentions that All the Pain Money Can Buy had several good songs.
    • In Part 1 of the Worst of 2016 retrospect, he josses the possibility of a OHW episode of Fastball while covering Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello's "Bad Things", which samples "Out of My Head".
  • "Honey, I'm Good." by Andy Grammer: Three of his other songs have reached the top 10 of the US Adult chart.
    • Jossed. Todd has stated he considers those other songs real hits.
  • "Our House" by Madness: They had an earlier minor hit with a cover of Labi Siffre's "It Must Be Love", peaking at #33. Back home in the UK, they were everything but one-hit wonders.
    • Jossed. Based on his tweets and what he said at the start of his "Never Had a Dream Come True" episode, Todd considers this band far too big to be one-hit wonders.
  • "Fireflies" by Owl City: His duet with Carly Rae Jepsen, "Good Time", was also a top 10 hit (and an honorable mention in Todd's Best of 2012), but "Fireflies" is the only thing he's known for solo.
    • Possibly jossed. In the "I Love College" episode, he said, "a lot of the acts you think are one-hit wonders are technically not, and I didn't want to fudge this one" while playing a clip from the music video for "Fireflies". However, he did specifically say "this one" (his 10-year anniversary video), so we can't say for sure that a future episode on this song is out of the question.
  • "Lump" by The Presidents of the United States of America: "Peaches" was their only entry in the Top 40 at #29; however, "Lump" is often considered their Signature Song as "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied it with "Gump", and it appeared on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack.
    • On Twitter, Todd said he did not consider them one hit wonders and actually liked them a lot.
  • "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors: The preceding single, "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", while not completely forgotten, isn't as well-remembered.
    • Jossed, as Todd covered Spin Doctors' album Turn It Upside Down on Trainwreckords instead.
  • "Tempted" by Squeeze: Similar to The Romantics, neither of the band's two top 40 hits were their signature hit. "Tempted" only made it to #49 on the Hot 100 in 1981, but "Hourglass" and "853-5937" reached #15 and #32 in the US several years later, despite neither track being remembered today. They had a handful of other top 5 hits in the UK during the late '70s and early '80s, none of which were "Tempted" and none of which are anywhere near as famous today. The band was known for being major players in the pub rock movement, which coincided with new wave.
  • "Back for Good" by Take That
    • Jossed in the S Club 7 OHW episode.
  • "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde: She's the daughter of 1950s British rock 'n' roller Marty Wilde, who found a new lease on life writing most of her songs alongside her brother Ricki. Despite peaking at #25, this song overshadowed her #1 cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On". However, she was very successful in Germany and her native UK.
    • Presumably jossed because Todd acknowledged the existence of the "You Keep Me Hangin' On" cover in the Cut the Crap Trainwreckords.

Very False One Hit Wonders

  • "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down: As one of the biggest post-grunge bands of the 2000s they're very unlikely to appear, but to most people this is the song that defines the band.
    • Jossed. This tweet mentions how they were more successful than you remember.
  • "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley: Todd's title card artist Krin made a fake title card as an April Fools joke. Astley had 4 additional Top 10 singles in the US, including another #1 hit, "Together Forever"; however, most people born after his prime only remember his first hit, especially thanks to the Rickroll meme.
    • Jossed. Todd declared that Rick Astley is not a one-hit wonder and stated that an episode covering him would never happen (along with other acts who had multiple number one hits in a tweet).
  • "Roll to Me" by Del Amitri
    • Jossed, as he said on Twitter that he couldn't imagine discussing the song in a serious tone with the music video playing.
  • "Billy Don't Be a Hero" by Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods
    • Most likely jossed, as he already talked about it in his "The Night Chicago Died" video.
  • "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting: "100 Years" as a single was certified higher than "Superman", but only reached #28. Five for Fighting's third big hit, "The Riddle", peaked exactly at #40.
    • Likely Jossed, given how he evaluated "A Hundred Years", and essentially called it a better version of "7 Years". This alone may disqualify Five for Fighting as a One-Hit Wonder.
  • "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" by Glass Tiger
    • Jossed, as Todd acknowledged the existence of their second-biggest hit, "Someday", which he hates for reasons he has trouble explaining.
  • "Sunglasses at Night" by Corey Hart: His highest charting single in the States was actually the ballad "Never Surrender."
    • Jossed, as Todd has stated he adores "Never Surrender".
  • "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes: Todd already discussed this song on his "Top 10 Songs About Mediocre Romance" countdown, and already stated that he hated the song.
    • Jossed in his "Timothy" review, where he mentions Holmes' second big hit "Him" which he admitted he liked and wished was more fondly remembered.
  • "Jump" by Kris Kross: Todd mentioned it in his review of "S&M" as one of the more underrated hits of the 1990s. They had 3 other Top 20 hits, which may disqualify them.
    • Most likely jossed, as he acknowledged "Warm It Up"'s existence in his "Black Beatles" review.
  • "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer: He was very popular in the early 90's with five Top 10 hits, and wouldn't be considered a one-hit wonder at all. However, people born after his prime will only recognize "Touch This", which was indeed his biggest hit in most countries… but not back in the USA, where it was the lowest-peaking of his hits.
    • Presumably jossed, due to MC Hammer being featured on Trainwreckords.
  • "Down Under" by Men at Work: They also topped the Hot 100 with "Who Can It Be Now", which isn't forgotten but not nearly as iconic as "Down Under", and had two more top 10 hits.
    • Jossed; in his "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" OHW, he explicitly states that they're not one-hit wonders.
  • "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-La's: "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" and "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" were both top 10 hits, but this was their sole #1 and has by far the highest stream count of any of their tracks. While they were certainly not one-hit wonders at the time, they're a much more influential group than their extremely short career would suggest, so Todd could probably get a lot of substance out of a One Hit Wonderland episode on them (their downfall didn't involve a flop album that would've suited them for Trainwreckords).
    • Presumably jossed, since Todd gave special positive recognition to "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" in the Beach Boys Trainwreckords and the Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2021 list.
  • "All Star" by Smash Mouth
  • "War" by Edwin Starr
  • "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany


Alternative Title(s): Todd In The Shadows One Hit Wonderland

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