At least working under my own definition, I wouldn’t consider Aerosmith a one-hit wonder since “Janie’s Got a Gun” and “Love in an Elevator” both charted, although people in other places might not think so.
As a music fan, I wasn’t too in to Aerosmith. But who ever said I had good taste?
*The Bosstones were your example? *
They were my example of a band that had a mainstream “hit” but had a large body of work and a huge fanbase before their “hit.”
But why would a “one-hit wonder” have two or three hits?
Oasis had “Champagne Supernova,” a #1 in the US, and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” also a top-ten single (Billboard Modern Rock #10 95/96), so they wouldn’t be a “one-hit wonder” as you said. But others? If someone had two charting singles why would they still be a “ONE-hit wonder?”
I’m not even sure I know what’s being argued anymore, but, uh, Oasis wouldn’t be considered a one-hit wonder because … wait for it … they had more than one hit! (I’m a little surprised, too, that “Wonderwall” hasn’t come up yet; if I were asked to name the most popular Oasis song, that’s what I would have picked. “Live Forever” is another one.)
I think the band “Lit” is a one-hit wonder. They had that, “Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk” song, then they had another single (that featured a video with Pamela Anderson, IIRC), but that other song didn’t succeed at all compared to the “drunk” song (which still gets played today on the rock stations in my area – entirely too much, actually).
I will kindly wait for someone to tell me I was wrong, though, since technically Lit did have two singles.
ETA: Nevermind about the Oasis stuff – I misread what you had said. My fault. It’s too late to be trying to do this.
There are groups that had a massive hit like MMM MMM MMM MMM and then right after were lucky enough to score another minor hit or two that nobody today remembers. Yes, technically they had more than one hit, but most people only remember them for one song. The same could be said of a lot of the groups listed in the '80s thread.
I’m not saying I would consider Oasis a one-hit wonder (though I don’t know their chart history), but some people on this thread have listed them as such, that’s why I used them as an example
“Miserable”. They also had “Zip-Lock”, which just missed making the top ten of the Modern Rock chart (topping out at #11). I won’t argue with Lit’s one hit wonderdom, but they might qualify for 1.5 or 2 hit wonder status.
They also put on a hell of a live show by the way.
I was likin’ this thread until the debate about the definition of a one-hit wonder took over.
How about just “Cool songs from the '90’s where the band/singer didn’t have many other notable hits”??
For example:
Jude Cole “Baby, It’s Tonight”
Chris Whitley “Blue Sky Country”
The KLF “3 AM, Eternal”, and “Justified and Ancient”
Jesus Jones “Right Here, Right Now”
Maybe these songs weren’t “hits” but they are memorable and cool and these are primarily 90’s artists.
Works for me
Seconded.
There is, in my mind, a big difference between the pop music styles of the first half of the '90s and the second half. Since I was 11 in 1997 and just starting to listen to the radio and appreciate music in my own, the songs from that period are my favorites.
I Am Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik
Lovefool by The Cardigans
How Bizarre by OMC
Summertime by The Sundays
Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
Definitely Your Woman by White Town, even though it struck me as totally bizarre and even a little scary
I completely and totally (as in completely and totally) forgot about those two songs until this very second. Usually a “one-hit wonder” single will come along and I’ll have a vague recollection of the lyrics or part of the tune, but those two disappeared from my brain until I read your list. That Sundays song wasn’t so bad, but I could never stomach that OMC tune. I wanted to kill someone whenever I’d hear it: “EVERY TIME I LOOK AROUND…IT’S IN MY FACE!”
:::urge to kill rising:::
Wow, I totally had forgotten “Your Woman” by White Town. I really like that one, but I have no actual recollection of hearing it. It was just in the air I guess.
I moved around a lot during the 90s, so a lot of these were only popular in Europe (they may have made it to the States, but I’m not sure):
Scatman John - Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)
Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe
Shampoo - Trouble
20 Fingers - Short Dick Man
Aqua - Barbie Girl
Baz Luhrmann - Everyone’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Whigfield - Saturday Night
You don’t know pain until you’ve listened to Europop for hours straight.
ETA: I didn’t realize this thread was for FAVORITE one-hit wonders. I was going for most annoying. Oh well.
I’ve always felt that in order to qualify as a “One Hit Wonder”, the group pretty much has to produce a song that charts, and nothing else that any significant portion of the population has ever heard.
Therefore, I have to disagree with Crash Test Dummies being a one-hit-wonder. They had a song called “Afternoons and Coffeespoons” that got a lot of airplay here, and I remember seeing a video on MTV or VH1 for that song. They also did a cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” (XTC) for some movie about 10 years ago.
Also, I just checked Billboard.com and none of these songs ever charted, so if anything, they’re a no-hit-wonder.
WOW! As soon as I saw the title, it rang a bell, and now that I’ve seen the video, I remember this song. I had totally forgotten about this!
ETA: I always thought this was by Soul Asylum for some reason.
Well, I don’t know about the other CTD songs you mentioned, but MMM MMM MMM MMM was at least a Top 10, if not a No. 1 single.
In fact just checked, it was No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart.
How are you finding this info? I searched the song on billboard.com and clicked on it and it said "Chart HistoryThis Song has never charted. "
Now it seems that every song I click on says that. I’m obviously doing something wrong.
ETA: Okay, found it elsewhere. Afternoons and Coffeespoons peaked at #66 on the Hot 100.
Gee, I thought by the 1990’s, there was nothing BUT one-hit wonders! In fact, it was a wonder they even had one hit! 
Here’s a few that haven’t been mentioned (I don’t think):
One Hit:
K’s Choice - “Addict”
Shudder to Think - “Redhouse”
Two Hits:
The Posies - “Please Return It” and “Dream all Day”
The Refreshments - “Banditos” and “Down Together”
And, even though not a one hit wonder, I have to give props to Matthew Sweet for “Sick of Myself,” which is probably in my personal top ten list of nineties songs.
Sixpence None the Richer (2 hits) - Kiss Me, There She Goes
On the rap front
Ahmad - Back In The Day
Positive K - I Got A Man
Skee-Lo - I Wish
What’s wrong with you people? Nearly 80 posts and no mention of EMF’s Unbelievable.
But this list does make me nostalgic. I think I’ll go download some of these songs off iTunes and make my own 90s mix CD.
I think the ultimate one-hit wonder would have to be That Thing You Do! by the Oneders.
[SUB]I guess that’s kinda the point, but still…[/SUB]