One Hit Wonder Player

So, you're kid!

Sep

Kitty Kallen Little Things Mean A Lot Despite scoring other hits in her native United States, Kallen never achieved another hit on the UK Chart, which at this point was a mere Top 12.

Highest Chart Position:1

Mar

Dream Weavers It's Almost Tomorrow Scored a minor hit in the US some months later, then faded into obscurity there also.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

The Kalin Twins When Suggested that their song 'Forget Me Not' should be their follow up single. This was not pursued, leaving The Kalin Twins a one hit wonder.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Jerry Keller Here Comes Summer Despite writing many hits this was Kellers only hit in his own right.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Ricky Valance Tell Laura I Love Her Ricky Valance was the first British one-hit wonder. He scored further hits in mainland Europe, but none in the UK.

Highest Chart Position:1

May

B.Bumble And The Stingers Nut Rocker This song reappeared in the UK chart ten years later reaching #19. B.Bumble had already scored their biggest hit in the US in 1961 with Bumble Boogie.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jan

The Overlanders Michelle A Beatles cover, which reached #1 in January 1966 for three weeks. The Overlanders are the earliest British group to be classed as a one-hit wonder.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Question Mark And The Mysterians 96 Tears Reached #1 in the US Billboard Chart. This song was recognised as one of the first garage band hits.

Highest Chart Position:37

Jun

Iron Butterfly In A Gadda Da Vida This was named the 24th-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1 and is often regarded as one of the firsts of the genre.

US Billboard Position:4

Aug

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown Fire The group's self debuted album reached #2 in the album chart but never secured another placing on the singles or album chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Jeannie C. Riley Harper Valley P.T.A Riley recorded a follow up song 'Return To Harper Valley' however it was not a commercial success.

Highest Chart Position:12

Aug

Zager And Evans In The Year 2525 Song was written 5 years earlier but did not become a success in the UK until it reached #1 in the US.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

The Archies Sugar Sugar The group released other songs which found some success in the US but none in the UK.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg Je T'aime.. moi non plus This song was banned by the BBC, believed to be a factor in the success of the song. Gainsbourg scored his only UK chart success with this song.

Highest Chart Position:1

Mar

Lee Marvin Wand'rin Star Lee Marvin recorded this song for his then current film 'Paint Your Wagon'. He did not release any further music.

Highest Chart Position:1

May

Norman Greenbaum Spirit In The Sky This song nearly provided number ones for three different one hit wonders.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Matthews' Southern Comfort Woodstock Woodstock had been an American Top 20 hit earlier in the year. Lead of the band Iain Matthews never had another hit as a performer.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jan

Clive Dunn Grandad Clive Dunn was starring in the TV sitcom 'Dad's Army' when he released this novelty single. Dunn released several follow-ups but never hit the chart again.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Billy Paul Me and Mrs Jones Hit #1 on the US Billboard Chart, his only #1 single which peaked for 3 weeks.

Highest Chart Position:12

Aug

The Floaters Float On The Detroit group followed their only hit with a cover of Dusty Springfield's 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me'.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

The Simon Park Orchestra Eye Level Theme tune for the TV series 'Van der Valk'. Eventually sold over one million copies in the UK.

Highest Chart Position:1

Dec

Terry Jacks Seasons In The Sun Became a worldwide hit securing the UK Christmas #1 spot and other #1 places all over the world. No other songs achieved notable success after this.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

Carl Douglas Kung Fu Fighting Initially didn’t sell many records but after it reached the top of the UK Chart in September, it went on to sell 11 million records worldwide.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Typically Tropical Barbados The song was later covered and reworded as 'We're Going To Ibiza!' by The Vengaboys in 1999, which also reached No.1.

Highest Chart Position:1

Apr

Wild Cherry Play That Funky Music Song was listed at #73 on Billboard magazine's 'All Time Top 100 Songs'. Sold millions of copies worldwide.

Highest Chart Position:7

Apr

Vicki Sue Robinson Turn The Beat Around Not much notable success after this hit. However this song is considered as a disco classic and and has featured on many compilation albums.

Highest Chart Position:51

Feb

Althea & Donna Uptown Top Ranking The song became a hit following airplay on John Peel's late night freeform programme on BBC Radio 1. Their follow-up 'Puppy Dog Song' failed to chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Cheryl Lynn Got To Be Real Reached #12 in US Billboard Charts. Called a defining point in disco music, however Cheryl Lynn didn't have any more commercial success following this hit.

Highest Chart Position:70

Oct

Nick Gilder Hot Child In the City Reached number 1 in US Billboard chart. Also holds the record for taking the longest time to reach #1 in the US.

US Billboard Position:1

Nov

Chris Norman & Suzi Quatro Stumblin' In Reached number 4 in the US Billboard Chart, and #1 in Canada. Whilst only peaking at 41 in the UK it is still considered a one hit wonder.

Highest Chart Position:41

Mar

M Pop Muzik Reached number 1 in seven countries and managed to reach #2 in UK. One of the most popular singles in 1979.

Highest Chart Position:2

Jun

Anita Ward Ring My Bell Originally written for Stacy Lattisaw by Frederick Knight, it instead became Memphis-born Anita Ward's only hit. Her follow-up, "Don't Drop My Love" had no success.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Gary Numan Cars Numan was never able to replicate this success again. 'Cars' was his only single to make it into the US Billboard Chart and his only single to top the UK Singles Chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

The Sugarhill Gang Rapper's Delight Considered to be the song that introduced the US to Hip Hop music. Ranked 251 in VH1's 'Top 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time'.

Highest Chart Position:3

Oct

Lena Martell One Day At A Time Martell charted four UK top 20 albums, but her recording of this Kris Kristofferson song was her only hit single in the UK Chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Feb

The Vapors Turning Japanese Expecting success, the band waited until their second single before releasing it, to avoid the "one-hit wonder" tag. They never matched its success and now have this label.

Highest Chart Position:3

Mar

Fern Kinney Together We Are Beautiful Originally a B-Side, the song became her only UK success.

Highest Chart Position:1

May

Lipps Inc Funky Town Reached the number 1 spot in 28 countries however could only reach #2 in UK. No more notable UK success.

Highest Chart Position:2

Feb

Joe Dolce Music Theatre Shaddap You Face Novelty song, which kept Ultravox's hit "Vienna" from reaching the #1 spot.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Soft Cell Tainted Love Predominantly known for this song. Have sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Could never match the success of 'Tainted Love'.

Highest Chart Position:1

Nov

Tommy Tutone 867-5309 / Jenny It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #16 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in May 1982. The song caused a fad of people dialing 867-5309 and asking for "Jenny".

US Billboard Position:4

Feb

Toni Basil Mickey Toni Basil's version of the song was initially issued in the UK in 1981, but did not chart. Reissued in January 1982, "Mickey" became a substantial UK hit, reaching #2. No followup hit.

Highest Chart Position:2

Jun

Charlene I've Never Been To Me Recorded several years earlier, the song's belated success took Charlene by surprise and no new material was available for release afterwards until it was too late.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jul

Dexys Midnight Runners Come On Eileen In a poll by Channel 4 the song was placed at #38 in the 100 greatest number one singles of all time. "Come on Eileen" has sold 1.33 million copies in the UK as of June 2013.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

The Weather Girls It's Raining Men Selling over 6 million copies worldwide, The Weather Girls never managed to achieve any commercial success after this song.

Highest Chart Position:2

Jan

Eddy Grant Electric Avenue One of 1983's biggest hits but Grant was never able to match the success of 'Electric Avenue'.

Highest Chart Position:2

Jan

Kajagoogoo Too Shy The song was an immediate hit, topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. Wasn't followed up with any commercial success.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jul

Thomas Dolby She Blinded Me With Science In 2009, it ranked No. 13 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80's. Dolby never followed up with any other notable songs.

Highest Chart Position:56

Feb

Nena 99 Luftballons Released an English version and German version. Both were successful however none of her other hits had much success in the charts.

Highest Chart Position:1

Feb

Rockwell Somebody's Watching Me Somebody's Watching Me' became a commercial success internationally, topping the charts in Belgium, France, Spain and peaked at #6 in the UK.

Highest Chart Position:6

Jun

Twisted Sister We're Not Gonna Take It This song reached #22 in the US Billboard Chart making it Twisted Sisters only top 40 single.

Highest Chart Position:58

Sep

A-ha Take On Me VH1 voted it as one of the ‘Greatest One Hit Wonders of All Time’ in 2002. A-ha are regarded as a one hit wonder in America but in the UK they remained popular with more hits.

Highest Chart Position:2

Mar

Falco Rock Me Amadeus Topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It was Falco's only #1 hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom, despite the artist's popularity.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Jermaine Stewart We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off The song acquired a great deal of success after being used on the hit 1980's television show Miami Vice and reached #2 on the UK charts.

Highest Chart Position:2

Oct

MARRS Pump Up The Volume Despite its success, no follow-up was ever released. MARRS was a one-off project between two artists on the independent label 4AD-A R Kane and Colourbox.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

The Proclaimers 500 Miles Became their most popular song worldwide, but they could not follow up with the same amount of commercial success again.

Highest Chart Position:11

Jan

Sinead O'Connor Nothing Compares 2U Had a string of minor hits after 'Nothing Compares 2 U' however none came close to her previous success.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Deee-Lite Groove Is In The Heart VH1 placed 'Groove Is in the Heart' at #67 in their list of '100 Greatest Songs of the 90's' in 2007. In 2011, The Guardian featured the song on their 'A history of modern music: Dance'.

Highest Chart Position:2

Nov

Vanilla Ice Ice Ice Baby 'Ice Ice Baby' was the first Hip Hop single to top the Billboard Hot 100 thus helping the song diversify Hip Hop by introducing it to a mainstream audience.

Highest Chart Position:1

Nov

EMF Unbelievable Peaked at #3 in the UK charts, had a string of minor hits but nothing as successful as 'Unbelievable'.

Highest Chart Position:3

Feb

Gerardo Rico Suave "Rico Suave" is a 1990 single by Ecuadorian rapper and singer Gerardo. It appeared on his 1991 album Mo' Ritmo. The track peaked at number 7 on the Billboard chart.

US Billboard Position:7

Mar

Hale and Pace The Stonk 'The Stonk', a charity single for Comic Relief, was produced by Queen guitarist Brian May, who also performed on the song. Hale and Pace never issued another recording.

Highest Chart Position:1

May

Divinyls I Touch Myself Very successful single however never followed up with any songs in the UK.

Highest Chart Position:10

Jul

Right Said Fred I'm Too Sexy 'I'm Too Sexy' is the debut song by British group Right Said Fred. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.

Highest Chart Position:2

Aug

Sir Mix A Lot Baby Got Back It was the second best-selling song in the US in 1992, behind Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You', with sales of 2,392,000 physical copies that year.

Highest Chart Position:56

Jun

Haddaway What Is Love 'What Is Love' peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and Germany, plus in 13 other countries.

Highest Chart Position:2

Jun

Los del Rio Macarena One of the most iconic examples of 1990's dance music, it was ranked the "#1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time" by VH1 in 2002. No other UK chart entries.

Highest Chart Position:2

Mar

Doop Doop Two Dutch producers followed up their techno version of the 1920's dance The Charleston with the unsuccessful "Huckleberry Jam"

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

Whigfield Saturday Night 'Saturday Night' was released in the United Kingdom on September 5, 1994 and went straight to number one - dethroning Wet Wet Wet's 15 week chart-topper 'Love Is All Around'.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

Chumbawamba Tubthumping The band's most successful song, peaking at #2 in the UK. It topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and peaked at #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Highest Chart Position:2

Sep

The Cardigans Lovefool It was released as the album's lead single in 1996 and became the Cardigans' first international hit single, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.

Highest Chart Position:2

Oct

Aqua Barbie Girl Number-one hit for three weeks in the UK. It was Aqua's biggest hit single in the US to date, and their only one to reach the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. It is Aqua's most popular work.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jun

Baz Luhrmann Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen Luhrmann, better known as a film director, is credited as the producer on the song but does not perform on it.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

Lou Bega Mambo No.5 Hugely successful however Lou Bega never had another UK Top 40 hit after Mambo No.5.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jul

Baha Men Who Let The Dogs Out? This was Britain's fourth biggest-selling single of 2000, and went on to become one of the highest-selling singles of the decade not to reach number-one.

Highest Chart Position:2

Aug

DJ Casper Cha-Cha Slide In 2004, the "Cha Cha Slide" was released in the United Kingdom and went on to top the UK Singles Chart. However he had no other notable hits in the UK chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jan

Rui Da Silva Touch Me The single was Da Silva's only UK chart hit, although featured vocalist Cass Fox released her own version, which became a minor hit five years later.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jun

DJ Pied Piper Do You Really Like It? A follow-up was recorded but never released. This song was the only one that managed chart success.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Las Ketchup The Ketchup Song Las Ketchup had a number one hit over 20 countries with 'The Ketchup Song'. Their follow-up singles were not as successful, and none of them managed to reach the UK charts.

Highest Chart Position:1

Dec

Michael Andrews & Gary Jules Mad World This was produced to be the soundtrack of the 2001 film Donnie Darko. Neither musician's follow-up releases charted.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

3 of a Kind Baby Cakes Despite the song's success, a follow-up single was never released.

Highest Chart Position:1

Nov

Soulja Boy Crank That Minor UK hits following 'Crank That' however nothing was ever able to rival the previous success.

Highest Chart Position:2

Jul

Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP We Speak No Americano This collaboration released two singles in 2014 and 2015 respectively; both of them failed to chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Oct

Sak Noel Loca People Spanish DJ whose follow up single, 'Paso (The Nini Anthem)', peaked well outside of the chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Feb

Gotye and Kimbra Somebody That I Used To Know Neither Gotye nor Kimbra have charted since, despite the track becoming one of the best selling singles of 2012.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jul

PSY Gangnam Style By the end of 2012, the song had topped the charts of more than 30 countries and has had over 3 billion YouTube views to date. Yet, PSY has had no further UK chart success.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

Sam and the Womp Bom Bom Three-piece electronic band which included the son of noted producer Trevor Horn. Subsequent singles failed to chart and a full-length album was never released.

Highest Chart Position:1

Apr

Duke Dumont feat. A*M*E Need You (100%) A*M*E subsequently released a solo track, but failed to chart again after reaching number one as a featured performer on this Duke Dumont single.

Highest Chart Position:1

Nov

Storm Queen Look Right Through Storm Queen, the performing alias of American DJ Morgan Geist, scored this No. 1 with a song remixed by Marc Kinchen but has not produced any song since.

Highest Chart Position:1

Dec

Sam Bailey Skyscraper Her cover of the Demi Lovato hit was the Christmas number one for 2013. Her two follow-up singles failed to reach the Top 100.

Highest Chart Position:1

Mar

Borgeous Tsunami With DVBBS, American DJ Borgeous released a follow-up single called "Invincible" but it did not chart in the UK.

Highest Chart Position:1

Mar

Route 94 My Love A collaboration with Jess Glynne. Route 94 has not released another single that has reached the UK chart since, aside from remixes.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jul

Cody Wise It's My Birthday With Will.I.Am. Wise featured on a minor hit in Australia, but never returned to the British charts.

Highest Chart Position:1

Aug

MAGIC! Rude 'Rude' peaked at number one in seven countries. Subsequent singles failed to become hits in any market aside from their native Canada.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

Lilly Wood Prayer in C French duo whose single became popular when it was remixed by Robin Schulz. No other songs even managed to chart.

Highest Chart Position:1

Jul

David Zowie House Every Weekend The first number one on the UK Singles Chart following the move of the chart's publication from Sunday to Friday. Zowie has yet to release a follow-up single.

Highest Chart Position:1

Sep

Rachel Platten Fight Song The singer-songwriter's followup 'Stand by You' was a Platinum-selling Top 40 hit in her native United States, but it and other singles did not chart in the UK after Fight Song's success.

Highest Chart Position:1