One-hit wonder

In the music industry, a one-hit wonder is an artist who is generally known for only one hit single.

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Because one-hit wonders are only popular for a brief time, their hits have significant nostalgia value and are often featured on era-centric compilations and soundtracks to period films.

Related Topics:
Nostalgia - Soundtracks

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The hits of many one-hit wonders are novelty songs that are, to an extent, deliberately short-lived, recorded for humor or to cash in on a pop culture fad. Examples include Rick Dees’s "Disco Duck," related to the disco craze of the late 1970s, and Buckner & Garcia’s "Pac Man Fever," related to the arcade game Pac Man. More commonly however, one-hit wonders are serious-minded musicians who struggled to continue their success after their popularity waned. Tragically, some artists have only had one chart success due to untimely death, such as Minnie Riperton and Blind Melon.

Related Topics:
Pop culture - Rick Dees - 1970 - Buckner & Garcia - Arcade game - Pac Man - Minnie Riperton - Blind Melon

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One-hit wonders are common in any era of pop music but are most common during reigns of entire genres that do not last for more than a few years, such as disco and new wave.

Related Topics:
Pop music - Genre - Disco - New wave

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Though the term is sometimes used in a derogatory sense, fans often have a great passion for these memorable songs and the artists that created them. Some one-hit wonder artists, such as Tommy Tutone have embraced this following openly, while others distance themselves from their hit in an attempt to craft successful songs with different sounds.

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