Artists and ordinary listeners have a mixed opinion about the label “singer of one hit”. After all, listeners will unconsciously compare all new songs with their favorite composition.
Today we recall the top ten artists who fell in love with the whole world with one single song. Some of these artists have long completed their musical career, but people still remember and love their high-profile hits.
10. Gotye feat. Kimbra - “Somebody That I Used To Know”
Gauthier started making music back in 2001, and by the time “Somebody That I Used To Know” was released, the singer was quite famous in Australia. A joint track with Cimbra was released in 2012 and blew up all the music charts.
The song brought musicians worldwide fame and even won two Grammy awards. It was a resounding success, however, the artists did not record together anymore, deciding to further develop each in its own direction.
9. The Buggles - “Video Killed The Radio Star”
The group lasted only five years, and the video clip for the song "Video Killed The Radio Star" was broadcast first on the day of the launch of MTV.
Despite the short life of The Buggles, its members did not become artists of one hit, but continued their creative activity. For example, Jeffrey Downs became one of the founders of the famous group "Asia". And Trevor Horn achieved heights in production, he was even called the father of the 80s.
8. Kaoma - “Lambada”
The general public heard the song “Lambada” already in 1989, but so far the composition is requested at all discos and beach parties.
In the original version, the song had a lyrical and calm sound, the composition was completely unsuitable for incendiary dances. Kaoma from France made the lambada bright and fast, for which the original authors and performers of the song, Los Kjarkas, sued the producer Kaoma, accusing him of plagiarism.
The Los Kjarkas court won, but this does not negate the fact that it was Kaoma that made the world famous lambada.
7. Coolio feat. LV - “Gangsta’s Paradise”
Rapper Culio hit on a sample of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder. Culio titled his version of “Gangsta’s Paradise,” and in 1995 the song topped the charts in the United States, Britain and several other countries. In Australia, the hit held first place for 13 weeks - it was a world record that no one could “beat” for 22 years!
It was only in 2017 that a song appeared that lasted at the top of the charts for longer than 13 weeks - it was the composition “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran.
Gangsta’s Paradise is on the list of the greatest songs of all time, it has become one of the top 100 hip-hop songs, and Culio has won the title of best rapper at the Grammy Awards. Now Culio is 55 years old, and he continues his musical activity to this day.
6. Urge Overkill - “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon”
Initially, the author of the composition is Neil Diamond, but Urge Overkill gave a different sound to the song. It is their musical version that sounds in the dance scene of Pulp Fiction, and it is this version that brought the group worldwide popularity.
Of course, the copyright and all the income for the performance of the hit belonged to Neil Diamond, but for the group Urge Overkill, the composition became an entrance ticket to the big stage.
5. Vanilla Ice - “Ice Ice Baby”
The scandal song and the first rap composition on the top of the chart. The fact is that in the 90s, hip-hop was an unpopular musical direction, and this genre had a fairly narrow circle of listeners.
It remains a moot point why the song received such laurels, because the sample is taken from the song “Under Pressure” by the legendary Queen with David Bowie. Vanilla Ice officially apologized to Bowie and Queen, and also paid monetary compensation for using the bass part.
But despite the ugly story of plagiarism, the song “Ice Ice Baby” has become the most listened to hip-hop song and so far it can be heard at discotheques and clubs as a notorious hit.
4. Chumbawamba - “Tubthumping”
Members of the group have repeatedly said in their interviews that the song “Tubthumping” is the best thing that has happened to them.
At the beginning of their career, the collective performed anarcho-pop, then they experimented with genres until they entered into a collaboration with the EMI record company. The decision caused a negative reaction from the fans and mixed opinions from colleagues on the stage. After all, the anarchist group with heavy music was essentially sold to corporations. But the Chumbawamba participants themselves explained their decision by the desire to influence the system from the inside.
The song "Tubthumping" is the most popular on the list of released songs by Chumbawamba. "Tubthumping" in the years of release was called the anthem of the common people, which should rejoice in the little things, despite all the hardships.
3. Right Said Fred - “I’m Too Sexy”
Despite the stupidity, ease of sound and plain text - the song “I’m Too Sexy” brought the group worldwide popularity and a number of prestigious awards. And the name of the composition has become so violated that they began to print it on T-shirts and quote it in the movies.
The song held first place in the US charts, and in the UK held a silver position. And the second round of popularity of “I’m Too Sexy” was in 2017, when Taylor Swift used a recognizable tune as a refrain sample in her song “Look What You Made Me Do”.
2. Non Blondes - “What’s Up”
The only female music band on our list. The group became famous after the presentation of the song “What’s Up”.
Almost 30 years have passed since the composition was released, but it can still be heard from radio sets and at local discos. Although vocalist Linda Perry did not suspect that she was writing an immortal hit, sitting on the floor in the hotel lobby.
The video, shot by Morgan Lawley, was one of the most watched and requested on MTV.
1. PSY - “Gangnam Style”
The shocking South Korean singer PSY became famous all over the world with the song “Gangnam Style”. The video for the song set a world record for the number of views on YouTube. Then - in 2012 - the figure of 1,000,000,000 views seemed unrealistic, but PSY destroyed this claim, earning the cherished number 5 months after the premiere of the clip.
The critics had mixed feelings about the song and the video: someone thought that such music could only be enjoyed by people without a sense of taste. And some publications thanked the South Korean singer for the gift of a smile and good mood from listening to the song.