Best One-Hit Wonders of All Time

Last Updated on 18 February 2024

The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 300 best One-Hit Wonder songs of all time.

I found 30 different ranked lists online of “best one-hit wonders of all time,” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation. See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 30 lists that were averaged.

Take On Me – A-ha
Blinded By the Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Come on Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
Stay – Lisa Loeb
Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye
Macarena – Los Del Rio
Black Betty – Ram Jam
Uptown Top Ranking – Althea & Donna
My Sharona – The Knack
Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens
I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…) – Lou Bega
Mickey – Toni Basil
Tequila – The Champs
I Melt with You – Modern English
99 Luftballons – Nena
Bitch – Meredith Brooks
Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve
Torn – Natalie Imbruglia
Fire – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles
Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
Closing Time – Semisonic
Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
No Rain – Blind Melon
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Flagpole Sitta – Harvey Danger
Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
Hook – Blues Traveler
The Message – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
The One and Only – Chesney Hawkes
96 Tears – ? and the Mysterians
You Get What You Give – New Radicals
867-5309/Jenny – Tommy Tutone
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Under the Milky Way – The Church
All Right Now – Free
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – Looking Glass
Butterfly – Crazy Town
The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy
Bang a Gong (Get It On) – T. Rex
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
Gangnam Style – PSY
My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls
In a Big Country – Big Country
How Bizarre – OMC
Hey! Baby – Bruce Channel
Love Hurts – Nazareth
Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye – Steam
Who Let the Dogs Out? – Baha Men
Funkytown – Lipps, Inc.
What’s Up? – 4 Non Blondes
Sugar, Sugar – The Archies
Whip It – Devo
Lovefool – The Cardigans
Wipe Out – The Surfaris
Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
I Try – Macy Gray
Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
Because I Got High – Afroman
Just a Friend – Biz Markie
Cars – Gary Numan
The Promise – When in Rome
Just One Look – Doris Troy
Too Shy – Kajagoogoo
I Touch Myself – Divinyls
American Pie – Don McLean
Criminal – Fiona Apple
JCB Song – Nizlopi
Sell Out – Reel Big Fish
Warm Leatherette/T.V.O.D. – The Normal
Turning Japanese – The Vapors
Pop Muzik – M
The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
Afternoon Delight – Starland Vocal Band
Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
I’ll Be There for You – The Rembrandts
Groove Is in the Heart – Deee-Lite
Shake It – Metro Station
Absolutely (Story of a Girl) – Nine Days
She’s So High – Tal Bachman
Rapper’s Delight – Sugarhill Gang
Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede
Lately – Divine
Informer – Snow
What Is Love – Haddaway
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive
Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas
Steal My Sunshine – Len
Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
Bad Day – Daniel Powter
Do You Love Me – The Contours
One Toke Over the Line – Brewer & Shipley
Maniac – Michael Sembello
Got to Be Real – Cheryl Lynn
Stumblin’ In – Chris Norman & Suzi Quatro
The Hustle – Van McCoy
Sea Cruise – Frankie Ford
Everything You Want – Vertical Horizon
Kiss Me – Sixpence None the Richer
It Takes Two – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
You Light up My Life – Debby Boone
Unbelievable – EMF
(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight – Cutting Crew
Lovin’ You – Minnie Ripperton
A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins
In the Year 2525 – Zager and Evans
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) – Edison Lighthouse
Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry
In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
O-o-h Child – Five Stairsteps
Barbie Girl – Aqua
Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest
What I Am – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Bust a Move – Young MC
Venus – Shocking Blue
Round and Round – Ratt
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm – Crash Test Dummies
Pass the Dutchie – Musical Youth
There She Goes – The La’s
Rock Me Amadeus – Falco
Missing – Everything But the Girl
A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
You’re Beautiful – James Blunt
Alone Again, Naturally – Gilbert O’Sullivan
Girl of My Dreams – Bram Tchaikovsky
Love Is Blue – Paul Mauriat
Place Your Hands – Reef
La Bamba – Los Lobos
Layla – Derek and the Dominos
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly
More Than Words – Extreme
Mr. Big Stuff – Jean Knight
Magic – Pilot
She Blinded Me with Science – Thomas Dolby
Turn the Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
Rico Suave – Gerardo
Whoomp! (There it Is) – Tag Team
Puttin’ on the Ritz – Taco
Hot Child in the City – Nick Gilder
How Long – Ace
Tipsy – J Kwon
Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
Mad World – Michael Andrews
Obsession – Animotion
Oh Happy Day – The Edwin Hawkins Singers
True – Spandau Ballet
Mississippi Queen – Mountain
Something in the Air – Thunderclap Newman
Turn Me On – Kevin Lyttle
Harper Valley PTA – Jeannie C. Riley
Jump Around – House of Pain
California – Phantom Planet
MMMBop – Hanson
Vehicle – The Ides of March
Billionaire – Travie McCoy
So Alive – Love and Rockets
Electric Avenue – Eddy Grant
Rock On – David Essex
Ca Plane Pour Moi – Plastic Bertrand
Flava in Your Ear – Craig Mack
I Love Rock ‘n Roll – Joan Jett
I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker – Sandi Thom
Lean Back – Terror Squad
Theme From Mash (Suicide Is Painless) – Johnny Mandel
Melt with You – Modern English
I Want Candy – Bow Wow Wow
Life Is a Highway – Tom Cochrane
Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott
Don’t Wanna Fall in Love – Jane Child
The Reason – Hoobastank
Epic – Faith No More
I’d Love to Change the World – Ten Years After
The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades – Timbuk 3
We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off – Jermaine Stewart
Standing Outside of a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand – Primitive Radio Gods
Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – Digable Planets
Rock and Roll (Part 2) – Gary Glitter
Low Rider – War
Volare ( Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu ) – Domenico Modugno
Pump up the Volume – MARRS
Blue (Da Ba Dee) – Eiffel 65
But It’s Alright – J.J. Jackson
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia – Vicki Lawrence
Jump – Kris Kross
Hot, Hot, Hot – Buster Poindexter
Smokin’ in the Boys Room – Brownsville Station
Don’t Give Up On Us – David Soul
American Woman – Guess Who
Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
Brimful of Asha – Cornershop
Flat Beat – Mr Oizo
I Love You Always Forever – Donna Lewis
The Ketchup Song – Las Ketchup
Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed
Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry’s Song) – Brian & Michael
Tha Crossroads – Bones Thug N Harmony
Barely Breathing – Duncan Sheik
How Do You Talk to an Angel? – The Heights
Sunshine – Jonathan Edwards
Last Kiss – J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo – Rick Derringer
Makin’ It – David Naughton
Hold the Line – Toto
A Million Miles Away – The Plimsouls
Fireflies – Adam Young
Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) – Spiller
Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!) – Blu Cantrell
To Know Him Is to Love Him – The Teddy Bears
Cum on Feel the Noize – Quiet Riot
Major Tom – Peter Schilling
Bulletproof – La Roux
Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover – Sophie B. Hawkins
Summer Girls – LFO
Born to Be Alive – Patrick Hernandez
Return of the Mack – Mark Morrison
Concrete and Clay – Unit 4 + 2
Good – Better Than Ezra
Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
It Never Rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond
Turn Up the Radio – Autograph
Hey There Lonely Girl – Eddie Holman
Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
The Purple People Eater – Sheb Wooley
All the Things She Said – t.A.T.u.
Lunatic Fringe – Red Rider
Bloody Black Backpack – Stroke 9
Laffy Taffy – Down For Life
Chariots of Fire – Vangelis
Winchester Cathedral – The New Vaudeville Band
Brother Louie – Stories
Can’t You See – The Marshall Tucker Band
I Got a Man – Positive K
Top Billin – Audio Two
The Final Countdown – Europe
Rockin’ Robin – Bobby Day
Get Together – The Youngbloods
I Know What Boys Like – The Waitresses
Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon
Harlem Shake – Baauer
Alright Now – Free
Dominique – The Singing Nun
Love Plus One – Haircut 100
My Maria – B.W. Stevenson
Reach Out of the Darkness – Friend & Lover
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – The Casinos
Ride Captain Ride – Blues Image
Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston
Der Kommissar – After the Fire
Genius of Love – Tom Tom Club
Slam – Onyx
The Break Up Song – Greg Kihn Band
This Is Why I’m Hot – Mims
Wherever You Will Go – The Calling
In My House – Mary Jane Girls
One of Us – Joan Osborne
Rhythm of the Rain – The Cascades
You Gotta Be – Des’ree
Cool Jerk – The Capitols
Heart and Soul – T’Pau
(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me – Naked Eyes
In the Meantime – Spacehog
Little Star – The Elegants
Convoy – C. W. McCall
Cupid Shuffle – Cupid
Disco Duck – Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots
Fight Song – Rachel Platten
New Age Girl – Dead Eye Dick
Touch of Grey – The Grateful Dead
Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington
Mexican Radio – Wall of Voodoo
Bad Case of Lovin’ You – Robert Palmer
Earth Angel – The Penguins
Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
Candy Rain – Soul 4 Real
Cry – Godley and Creme
Sukiyaki – Kyu Sakamoto
Two of Hearts – Stacey Q
I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
Hold Your Head Up – Argent
Stuck in the Middle with You – Stealer’s Wheel
Ex’s & Oh’s – Elle King
House of the Rising Sun – Frijid Pink
Long Cool Woman – The Hollies
Moonglow and Theme from “Picnic” – Morris Stoloff
Nobody But Me – The Human Beinz