u/Psychological_Lie142

If you had to make an objective focused 5 most important One Hit Wonder songs of all time, which songs would you put up there? The criteria for what song should be up here is much more strict than other lists in my opinion. There's a lot of factors at play for what should be considered one of the most important one hit wonder songs. Off the top of my head, staying power is a major element in play. How often you still hear the hit in the modern day should influence your ranking. Alongside this, the cultural importance of the song should be a factor of consideration. If the hit preceded or signaled a major cultural movement and/or culture shift, than that track should have much more weight amongst other one hit wonders. There's definitely more factors for debate, but those stand out as the most important two for me.

Based on this statement, I've made my own top 5 list for this post. Feel free to post yours below and have fun with this discussion!

#5 Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon

Werewolves of London is notable for its involvment in other major hits and also for its own staying power in music today. Its a classic 80's hit that you'll still hear in tv or on the radio to this day.

#4 Tubthumping - Chumpawumba

Very similar sentiment for this hit as is for Werewolves of London. This track is a major 90's hit that sorta became a soundtrack for the chaos of the 90's.

#3 Cars - Gary Numan

Now, before the nu wave fans come to my door, yes, Gary Numan is a one hit wonder under Billboard chart terms. However, don't let that negate this songs impact on nu wave as a genre and the 80's as a whole. Gary Numan is an electronic legend and his legacy goes far beyond one hit wonder status.

#2 Macarena - Los Del Rio

Probably the biggest dance craze hit of all time and became a blueprint for what virality would look like in modern day internet culture. There's still plent of record labels and marketing companies who still attempt to recreate the macarena's success.

#1 Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

Honestly, it wasn't gonna be anything else. Video Killed the Radio Star turned out to be a huge cultural indicator of the change of the music industry and artistic culture as a whole, a culture that we're still under to this day. It definitely helps that sonically it's also one of the most enjoyable one hit wonders out there.

What are some bands or solo artists people (usually Americans) most commonly mistake for being a one hit wonder? Simple Minds is a big name that come to mind. Everybody has heard Don’t You (Forget About Me) but is maybe not as familiar with their broader discography (as opposed to the UK crowd who know Simple Minds front and back). However, even by Billboard Chart standards, Simple Minds are absolutely not a one hit wonder in America, as they have 6 Top 40 hits to their name in the states. Who are some other acts like Simple Minds that people often forget aren’t One Hit Wonders?