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VH1′s 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’90s
Vh1 has created a cottage industry around lists. Everything from the “100 Most Shocking Music Moments” to “The 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s.” People tune in and remember those single great songs and moments from artists they may have forgotten.
My criteria for a one-hit wonder is described in the article “What’s a One-Hit Wonder” and differs from VH1 in one big way: I only count artists who hit the Billboard Top 40 once. A quick scan of the Vh1 list below reveals a much more liberal approach that allows two-hit wonder artists like Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby” and “Play That Funky Music”), EMF (“Unbelievable” and “Lies”) and Gerardo (“Rico Suave” and “We Want the Funk”).
But you’re not here for some long-winded diatribe on what is and isn’t a one-hit wonder. You’re here for the songs and there are plenty of cherry, happy, silly, awesome songs listed below. So forget semantics and long live the ’90s.
For the record, my favorite one-hit wonder of the 1990s is “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals. Love it!
You may also enjoy VH1′s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s.
VH1′s 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’90s
40. Whoomp There It Is – Tag Team
39. I Touch Myself – Divinyls
38. How Do You Talk To An Angel – The Heights
37. Bitch – Meredith Brooks
36. Bad Boys- Inner Circle
35. Sex & Candy – Marcy Playground
34. You Gotta Be – Des’ree
33. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – Proclaimers
32. MyBabyDaddy – B-Rock & The Bizz
31. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm – Crash Test Dummies
30. Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve
29. Lullaby – Shawn Mullins
28. Flava In Ya Ear – Craig Mack
27. Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
26. Mambo #5 (A Little Bit Of….) – Lou Bega
25. The Impression That I Get – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
24. Feed The Tree – Belly
23. What Is Love – Haddaway
22. Walking In Memphis – Marc Cohn
21. Legend Of A Cowgirl – Imani Coppola
20. Good Vibrations – Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch
19. Steal My Sunshine – Len
18. Unbelievable – EMF
17. Informer – Snow
16. Jump – Kris Kross
15. No Rain – Blind Melon
14. Rump Shaker – Wreckx-N-Effect
13. Cotton Eye Joe – Red-Nex
12. The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
11. You Get What You Give – New Radicals
11. One Of Us – Joan Osborne
9. Jump Around – House Of Pain
8. Barely Breathing – Duncan Sheik
7. Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
6. Closing Time – Semisonic
5. Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
4. Macarena – Los Del Rio
3. Rico Suave – Gerardo
2. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
1. Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Written by Michael Waterman
I'm an obsessive music collector, cataloger, commenter and trivia nut. Sometimes I'm even a listener. One-hit wonders have always been a guilty pleasure.
Filed under: 1990s, Featured, Lists · Tags: 1990s one hit wonder, 90s one hit wonder, Chumbawamba, Chumbawumba, Closing Time, Digital Underground, Good Vibrations, Haddaway, I'm Too Sexy, Los Del Rio, Macarena, Marc Cohn, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Right Said Fred, Semisonic, Tag Team, The Humpty Dance, Tubthumping, Vh1 Greatest one Hit Wonders of the 1990s, Walking in Memphis, What is Love, Whoomp! There It Is
[...] by Scott Harrison/Getty Images)Throw on your neon tights and lace up your Keds, because VH1 announced their 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, and we’re taking you back in time! Relive all [...]
[...] by Scott Harrison/Getty Images)Throw on your neon tights and lace up your Keds, because VH1 announced their 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, and we’re taking you back in time! Relive all [...]
What was that one song ( I don’t know the name or artist/band ) where in the music video he is in the arms of some fuzzy creature, or in another scene he is on a bed with a white leather one-piece suit? I know it sounds strange, but I just can’t remember the song!!
JaneDoe123,
I’ve been wracking my brain and can’t come up with the song. Can anyone else shed some insight here?
In response to two above, I Believe In A Thing Called Love by The Darkness?
Yeahh Buddy, nice detective work on this one. Can’t believe I had forgotten the video. So amazingly awesome!
Here is a link to the page on Top One-Hit Wonders: http://toponehitwonders.com/rock/i-believe-in-a-thing-called-love-the-darkness/
Michael
JaneDoe123,
Here is the answer: I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness: http://toponehitwonders.com/rock/i-believe-in-a-thing-called-love-the-darkness/
Thanks for reminding me of this great song.
Michael
Digital Underground had like 4 hits, they are NOT 1 hit wonders, Humpty dance, Doowutchyalike, Same Song (the one with Tupac’s major lyrical debut) and Kiss you back.
NY32986,
Thanks for your comment. You are commenting on VH1′s listing of one-hit wonders, standards toponehitwonders.com doesn’t agree with. In fact, read my description of Humpty Dance for more reasons why Digital Underground is not a one-hit wonder.
Read: The Humpty Dance by Digital Underground
But the song people remember about the band is The Humpty Dance, no matter how many hits they had. That’s why VH1 considers them a one-hit wonder, even though I don’t.
Michael
Uhhh….. “What’s Up” with this list? how can 4 Non Blondes not be on here…
Can I purchase the VH1 40 One hit wonders? Love these songs.
Okay so I’m going crazy trying to figure out a song. Its a guy and ib the video he’s in the desert with an old
Looking car. The song is slow and he like talks in it. He was part of a group listed on vh1s 40 greatest one hit wonders. The name of the song was sorta weird. Hoping someone can help me.
Hey, everyone! I need some help remembering the title of a 90′s song. In the video, there was a blonde Caucasian girl, putting make-up on and singing all the while. I think it was pop. I saw it on VH1 or MTV Europe as a kid very often in the mid 90′s. Thanks so much!
Breanne,
You may be talking about Everlast’s ‘What It’s Like’ off his Whitey Ford Sings the Blues album. He was a member of House of Pain.
I’m kinda surprised “The Way” by Fastball wasn’t on here.. it was virally played just as much if not more than Closing Time and You Get what You Give was. You still hear it on a lot of retail radio, and sometimes some of the other one hit wonders/blunders on this list.
Another great song, D. It always sounded like an out take from an early Elvis Costello album. Great chorus on “The Way.”
Some big ones they missed.
OMC – How Bizarre
Deee-Lite – Groove Is In The Heart
4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?
Cardigns – Lovefool
Jane Child – Don’t Wanna Fall In Love
UB Funkaneer,
I agree with you that the VH1 list is, er, odd in its choices. They have many non-one-hit wonders on the lists while they completely miss many others. You definitely know your one-time hits. Please keep contributing.
MIchael
primitive radio gods
stereo mcs
4nonblonds
fastball
verve pipe
omc
ini kamoze
oh yeah,soul assylum
white town