31 Best One Hit Wonders From the 90s

For anyone who grew up in the 90s or was born around the 90s, it can often feel like the music of today has left you behind. 

It left a lot of musicians behind too, with many bands and groups creating a lot of good music at the time, but only some of them ever reaching mainstream success. 

With modern pop just sounding all the same and rock music getting more generic each year, it can make you long for the good old days. 

This list is for just such occasions, a look at all the one-hit wonders who also felt their prime in the 90s.

The tracks aren’t in any particular order and you might find that some of the better ones are at the higher numbers, so take your time and work through them all. 

You’ll be happy you did.

1. You Get What You Give – New Radicals

One of the bands that only released one studio album, New Radicals managed to enjoy a bit of superstardom in the late 90s with this top-40 hit single. 

The catchy alternative pop track was an instant hit for radio play, and the video did fairly well too. 

Perhaps New Radicals would still be around today if they continued making music, but maybe it’s also for the best that we got them in their prime.

2. Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground

The lyrics to this song are about as vague as Hotel California’s and the song itself, while different was just as big and catchy for a lot of people in the 90s. 

I still remember growing up listening to this song over and over, it just oozes style. 

Regardless, Marcy Playground never quite hit as high as this debut song of theirs did, despite being around until 2009. 

3. Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry 

A band from Sweden, Eagle-Eye Cherry experienced a decent amount of international success from 1997 to 2003, but this was his only US hit. 

It reached No.5 on the Hot 100 and showed promise for the singer that he’d be around for a while, but it wasn’t to be so. 

While he was still relevant in his home country, you won’t hear anything from him today unless you go looking.

4. Torn – Natalie Imbruglia 

Jeez, this song was something I listened to a little too much in my teens. 

Torn by Natalie Imbruglia is an Australian singer that basically used this song as her hit single, although it was originally written by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley. 

Imbruglia didn’t really achieve much international success after this, releasing a few more albums that just never did as well.

5.  Closing Time – Semisonic

Semisonic gave us this one great hit, and while on the surface it’s a song about the last call for drinks, the band’s drummer stated that it’s a bit of a metaphor for a baby having to leave the womb, relating to Dan Wilson’s anticipation of fatherhood. 

Semisonic never officially broke up, they just never continued making music for us either.

6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something

Deep Blue Something is one of those few bands that literally are termed one-hit wonders by most who know of their music. 

During the promotion of this song, the band wound up being asked to do a lot of radio breakfast time performance slots due to its title. 

However, despite the huge success of this single, none of the band’s other music did well at all.

7. Whoomp! (There It Is) – Tag Team 

Something a little more catchy and with more of a carry-over from the 90s to even modern-day sounds. 

Tag Team released this song around the same time that another band: 95 South, released their own song with a similar title. 

Their song became the more popular among the two, however, Tag Team was never as popular again.

8. What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes 

What a weird song, but everyone knows it. 4 Non Blondes had a very unusual sound, and this was about the only song they gave us. 

You won’t hear anything from them anymore and after their first album, they broke up, due to “tensions.” 

9. What Is Love – Haddaway 

Baby don’t hurt me, no more! 

Everyone over 25 probably knows this, and if you don’t you might have grown up at the edge of the world. 

What Is Love was a massive success back in the 90s but that’s really all he’s known for. 

10. No Rain – Blind Melon 

Some bands burn bright and then burn out just as soon after, and this was the case for Blind Melon. 

They recorded and released two albums and soon after their lead singer, Shannon Hoon died of a drug overdose on the band’s tour bus in New Orleans.

After four years of trying to find a replacement, the band dissolved. 

They’ve since dipped back in and out of performing but have never been as popular as with “No Rain”.

11. Jump Around – House of Pain 

A more upbeat 90’s Hip Hop song

Jump Around was so overplayed in the 90s and 2000s that it’s now the only song House of Pain is known for worldwide. 

It’s a good hit, and it’s just about the only song from House of Pain that received international acclaim. 

They disbanded in 1996 due to what lead rapper Everlast described as a toxic environment fueled by Danny Boy’s drug addiction.

12. Macarena – Los Del Rio

Not so much a song we know for its lyrics, but one we know for its party anthem-ness. 

Macarena was remixed to be something you could spend a couple of minutes moving to on the dance floor. 

But because of the fact that the group Los Del Rios is a Spanish group, most people in the US don’t know much about their music. 

They were around since the 60s but yeah, language barriers and all that.

13. Give It To Me Good – Trixter 

Glam rock and hair metal were seeing a steep decline around the time the Trixter released this song and it seems like they were the last to soak up the remnants of hair metal’s interest. 

They had to disband as glam metal lost popularity at the time. It’s a shame they didn’t try to adapt.

14. All For You – Sister Hazel 

Sister Hazel was actually quite big on their home turf, but as far as wide-reaching acclaim goes, All For You was their only major hit and still remains their most successful song. 

The band is still active today, with somewhat of a cult following, with die-hard fans having dubbed themselves Hazelnuts. 

They still tour and are working on a fourth album, but you probably won’t hear it on the radio.

15. Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root 

If you’ve watched Ice Age, you know this song. 

It’s probably the main reason that Rusted Root is so well known for this song, as you won’t really hear any of their other music. 

Anytime I do hear this song (which isn’t often anymore) it’s because I’m re-watching ice age with younger members of my family

The song was also used in Matilda in the 90s, but aside from this one hit, they were a little popular during the 90s, and then the band went on hiatus.

16. Crush – Jennifer Paige 

You might remember this teen pop hit from the 90s, you might even still keep it on your playlist. 

Crush was the only song from Jennifer Paige that struck the top of the charts, despite the fact that she hasn’t stopped making music since. 

The main reason, one could speculate, why she didn’t maintain any stardom, despite her talents, is because she experienced a lot of personal ups and downs in her life

She also became a mother and seems to have put more time into that, and rightfully so too. 

Either way, Paige does still make music if you want to check out her more recent stuff.

17. Here Comes The Hotstepper – Ini Komaze 

18. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers 

19. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor

20. Sunny Came Home – Shawn Colvin 

21. Counting Blue Cars – Dishwalla

22. Mambo No. 5 – Lou Bega 

23. Barbie Girl – Aqua 

24. Possum Kingdom – The Toadies 

25. Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot 

26.  Bitch – Meredith Brooks 

27. Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice 

28. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred

 29. The Sign – Ace Of Base 

30. I Touch Myself – Divinyls 

31. My Own Worst Enemy – Lit