One-hit wonders in the United States

Table of contents

1 Notable one-hit wonders 1.1 1950s 1.2 1960s 1.3 1970s 1.4 1980s 1.5 1990s 1.6 2000s 1.7 External Links

Notable one-hit wonders

1950s

• "The Book of Love" by The Monotones
• "Earth Angel" by The Penguins
• "Flying Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley
• "Love Is Strange" by Mickey and Sylvia, cosmic convergence
• "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day
• "Sh-Boom" by The Chords, early doo-wop hit
• "Volare" by Domenico Modugno

• "Alley-Oop" by the Hollywood Argyles
• "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush
• "Bend Me Shape Me" by The American Breed
• "Blue Moon" by The Marcels
• "Come On Down To My Boat" by Every Mother's Son
• "Cool Jerk" by The Capitols
• "Do You Love Me" by The Contours
• "Dominique" by The Singing Nun (Jeanine Deckers)
• "Fire" The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
• "Friday On My Mind" by The Easybeats
• "Get Together" by The Youngbloods
• "Girl From Ipanema" by Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz
• "Green Tambourine" by Lemon Pipers
• "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" by Allan Sherman
• "In the Year 2525" by Zager & Evans
• "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band
• "Let It All Hang Out" by The Hombres
• "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam
• "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry
• "Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades
• "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer, remake of an Eddie Cochran hit from the 50s
• "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" by Tiny Tim
• "Winchester Cathedral" by New Vaudeville Band

• "Born to Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez
• "Brother Louie" by Stories
• "Chirpy Chirpy Cheap Cheap" by Middle of the Road
• "Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (tribute to Rolling Stone magazine)
• "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees, still a popular disc jockey
• "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame
• "The Eggplant that Ate Chicago" by Dr. West's Junk Show and Medicine Band (pseudonym for Norman Greenbaum)
• "A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band, disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
• "Gimme Dat Ding" by Pipkins, includes a bit of early rap
• "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" by Danny O'Keefe
• "Hot Child in the City" by Nick Gilder
• "The Hustle" by Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
• "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" by Hillside Singers, also New Seekers; with slightly different lyrics began life as a Coca Cola commercial.
• "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas
• "Little Arrows" by Leapy Lee
• "Love Is In the Air" by John Paul Young
• "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton
• "Please Come to Boston" by Dave Loggins
• "The Rapper" by Jaggerz
• "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward
• "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks
• "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum
• "Telephone Man" by Meri Wilson
• "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor
• "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson
• "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day
• "Vehicle" by Ides of March
• "Venus" by Shocking Blue
• "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone, daughter of Pat Boone

• "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone
• "99 Luftballons" by Nena, nuclear protest song popular in both the German original and English translation ("99 Red Balloons")
• "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot
• "Curly Shuffle" by Jump in the Saddle Band
• "Der Kommissar" by After the Fire (English cover version of a German hit by Falco)
• "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin
• "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3
• "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" by Elmo and Patsy
• "Great White North" by Bob and Doug McKenzie
• "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau (They had several hits in the UK)
• "Hot Hot Hot" by Buster Poindexter
• "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" by Boys Don't Cry
• "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls
• "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene
• "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites
• "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins
• "My Sharona" by The Knack
• "NVR Say NVR" by Romeo Void
• "Our House" by Madness (only US hit, but had over 20 hits in the UK)
• "Pac Man Fever" by Bunkner & Garcia
• "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy
• "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth
• "Pilot of the Airwaves" by Charlie Dore
• "The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex
• "Pump Up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S
• "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco
• "Spirit in the Sky" by Doctor & The Medics, song was a two-time one-hit wonder
• "Stop" by Sam Brown
• "Take On Me" by a-ha
• "Touch Me" by Samantha Fox
• "Turning Japanese" by The Vapours
• "You Look Marvelous" by Billy Crystal
• "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin
• "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, first song played on MTV

• "Achy, Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus, dance video made it a hit before the record was even released
• "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
• "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite
• "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred
• "Macarena" by Los Del Rio
• "Mambo Number 5" by Lou Bega
• "Slam" by Onyx
• "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
• "Unbelievable" by EMF (they had greater success in England than the USA)
• "Whoomp... There It Is" by Tag Team

• "The Ketchup Song" by Las Ketchup
• "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by Baha Men

• One-hit wonder
• One-hit wonders in the UK

• VH1's one hit wonder tv special