One-Hit Heyday: The Best One-Hit Wonders of the 2000s
Why were there so many one-hit wonders to start off the 21st century? Were there really that many more one-hit wonders in the Aughts than in any other decade, like, ever? Or did it just seem that way?
Hard questions. No solid conclusions. Or at least none we’ll be arriving at today, because today is for pure celebration. After all, despite the short stay on the charts for the artists who brought them to us, the one-hit wonders of the 2000s were still hits! Big ones! And that means a ton of folks liked them.
Shall we allow ourselves a little joy and listen back to some of these pop hit behemoths on Amazon Music’s Rediscover the 2000s: One-Hit Wonders playlist? And while we’re at it, shall we learn a little bit about the artists behind them? It’s the least we can do as we judge these hard-working musicians on the most-prized moments of their music careers. Did they really deserve to be forever known as one-hit wonders? Let’s see.
1. Gnarls Barkley
“Crazy”
Released March 13, 2006
Where Did They Come From?
Obviously, the super-duo making up Gnarls Barkley had a wee bit of success apart before starting work together on their multiplatinum debut LP, St. Elsewhere. CeeLo Green was a member of Goodie Mob before starting a solo career, and producer Brian Burton, p.k.a. Danger Mouse, had already been nominated for a Grammy for producing Gorillaz.
Where Did They Go?
Both Gnarls alums continued to be busy guys after “Crazy” took over the world. They released a second album as Gnarls Barkley, first of all: 2008’s The Odd Couple. Then Green went on to serve as a popular judge on The Voice and score another huge hit as a solo artist with “F—- You” (also known to terrestrial radio listeners by the censored version, “Forget You”).
For his part, Danger Mouse started Broken Bells, another superstar duo, with James Mercer (the leader of indie rockers the Shins). And oh yes: he won a Producer of the Year Grammy in 2011 for his work with Broken Bells, the Black Keys, and Sparklehorse. So he’s got that going for him.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most deserving of never having another song on the radio ever again, and 1 being the least deserving of the dreaded one-hit wonder moniker, Gnarls have to be down there around 2.0 or so.
First off, “Crazy” is three minutes of pure neo-soul pop perfection. No gimmicks, just great. And Green and Burton each remain at the top of the music industry food chain—just not as Gnarls Barkley, necessarily. They have 35 Grammy nominations and 11 Grammy wins between them, for Pete’s sake!
2. Daniel Powter
“Bad Day”
Released February 8, 2005
Where Did He Come From?
The rights to the Canadian singer-songwriter’s sophomore album were picked up by Warner Bros. Records, and “Bad Day” was selected for a Coke commercial. That led to some success on the pop charts in Europe, but his success elsewhere came from the song’s use by the American singing competition TV show American Idol. It was a perfect sonic backdrop for when the folks who thought they could sing, but couldn’t, were unceremoniously rejected by the massive hit show’s snobby judges. Soon “Bad Day” was everywhere, including the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Where Did He Go?
Despite being the first Canadian since Bryan Adams to top the American pop charts, Powter’s subsequent singles from Daniel Powter didn’t make much of an impact. He released another record with Warner Bros., and another after that through EMI, with similar response. He continues to write, release, and perform his music, though (which, let’s try to remember, includes a worldwide Number 1 smash single that he wrote all by his lonesome, thank you very much!).
Where Does He Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
9.0. It doesn’t get too much more one-hit wonder-like than “Bad Day,” which Powter never even intended to be released as a single. That’s not to say it’s a bad song. It’s a killer pop song. Super-relatable lyrically, and ultra-melodic. All the elements of a hit, without any annoying bits. But good or not, it was indeed a one-hit wonder in every way.
3. Leona Lewis
“Bleeding Love”
Released October 19, 2007
Where Did She Come From?
Lewis won Britain’s The X Factor television competition in 2006, and the subsequent single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This,” quickly rocketed up the UK’s and Ireland’s pop charts. But that was nothing compared to the world domination her second single, “Bleeding Love,” enjoyed. It won Number 1 chart status in 35 countries, an achievement equaled only by Elton John’s 1997 rejiggering of his “Candle in the Wind” for Princess Diana’s funeral.
Where Did She Go?
Lewis kept charting with follow-up singles through the mid-2010s, especially in Britain and the rest of Europe. She never enjoyed truly monumental hit status again, though, despite maintaining a fine career as a stage performer and actress in addition to releasing music.
Where Does She Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
7.5. “Bleeding Love” is a solid single, and Lewis is a fine singer. In retrospect, it just doesn’t feel like the track quite lives up to the massive attention it received around the world. And of course, its success meant impossible-to-live-up-to expectations for Lewis thereafter. All the makings of a legit one-hit wonder (although it might be more accurate to call her a “one-stratospheric-hit wonder”).
4. Plain White T’s
“Hey There Delilah”
Released May 9, 2006
Where Did They Come From?
These Chicagoan pop-punks were scratching by as a steady Midwestern touring act with a loyal following when the major label Hollywood Records teamed with the band’s indie label, the punk-centric Fearless Records. It was then decided to re-issue “Delilah,” which had already served as the album closer for ‘05’s All That We Needed, ahead of the release of the upcoming Hollywood/Fearless full-length release Every Second Counts. Ubiquity on radio and the top of the pop charts ensued.
Where Did They Go?
The T’s keep on doing their thing, which includes tour dates at festivals, emo cruises, and hosting themed livestreams.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
6.5. On one hand, “Delilah” was very much a surprise hit. It’s just singer-songwriter Tom Higgenson and an acoustic guitar, making it an outlier when compared to the rest of the band’s heavier emo-tinged punk to that point.
So the band were never really trying for the lofty pop chart heights “Delilah” found. Plus, a couple other hits followed “Delilah.” Not gigantic pop hits, but for an otherwise van-touring punk rock band, they were definitely hits! So even though the casual music fan only knows one song, it’s hard to classify Plain White T’s as somehow undeserving one-hit wonders.
5. Baha Men
“Who Let the Dogs Out”
Released July 26, 2000
Where Did They Come From?
If you can believe it, the Baha Men are Bahamian. The initial incarnation of the group began in the Seventies as a disco band, and almost a decade before “Dogs” dominated the planet, they signed to Atlantic Records and released albums worldwide to occasional success. But their longtime producer found “Who Let the Dogs Out” for them at the turn of the new century, and for one shining year, their reggae- and calypso-flavored brand of party pop was everywhere.
Where Did They Go?
There were never any more hits in the States, but folks in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada stuck by the group for a few more years after “Dogs,” even garnering some radio play that charted. Many decades along, there are still various lineups of Baha Men performing in the Bahamas, the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere around the world, especially at sporting events, where “Who Let the Dogs Out” is a mainstay during breaks in play.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
It’s gotta be 10.0, doesn’t it? And that’s for a few reasons. Head on over to the Rediscover the 2000s: One-Hit Wonders playlist and give the tune an honest listen. Once the familiar “Woof! Woof! Woof-woof-woof!” is heard for the fourth time, and we’re all of 15 seconds in, the song goes somewhere entirely unfamiliar.
Who remembers the verse of the song doing a 180 and going full calypso, with each line punctuated by a Disney-esque Yippee-yi-yo? In fact, who remembers any of the verse at all? (Be honest!) Or any other part of the song but the chorus?
Bottom line: it’s a silly party song that was never meant for anyplace other than sunny shindigs or fired-up sporting events. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But that fact makes “Dogs” the epitome of “one-hit wonder.”
6. Macy Gray
“I Try”
Released September 27, 1999 (Although the song was indeed technically released in the Nineties, it did much of its damage in 2000 and won Best Female Pop Vocal for Gray at the 2001 Grammys.)
Where Did She Come From?
Gray sang in Hollywood jazz clubs (which suited her smoky, raspy vocal style) and only dabbled in songwriting before landing a false-alarm record deal with Atlantic. She later signed with Epic, who released her debut LP, On How Life Is, and debut single “I Try.”
Where Did She Go?
Gray never stopped recording and performing as a singer, and has appeared in a ton of film and TV as an actress, beginning with a part in the 2001 Denzel Washington vehicle Training Day.
Where Does She Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
4.0. It’s an injustice to call Macy Gray a proper one-hit wonder. She gets as high as a 4.0 only because she does indeed fit within that category in literal terms.
Gray maintained a healthy radio presence in Europe, Australia, and Canada after “I Try” hit, but in America it was the only song to chart anywhere near the Billboard Hot 100. That said, she remains a respected performer who’s guested on tracks for artists from Slick Rick to Santana to Ariana Grande. Plus, she still makes interesting and admirable artistic choices, like recording a remake of the entire Stevie Wonder album Talking Book on the 40th anniversary of that masterpiece’s release.
7. The Calling
“Wherever You Will Go”
Released May 22, 2001
Where Did They Come From?
The Calling sounded grungier than most rock bands of the early 2000s because they were indeed products of the mid- to late-’90s post-grunge era. When they finally signed with RCA in 1999, a two-year effort to hone their songwriting and sound commenced. “Wherever You Will Go” represented the best of the resulting material, and became a winner on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 in particular. It stayed on the top of that chart longer than any other song ever had to that point, excluding Santana’s monster hit with Rob Thomas, “Smooth.”
Where Did They Go?
The band released album number two, entitled Two, in 2004 and toured heavily behind it, but broke up thereafter. On-and-off-again reunions and a solo career for frontman Alex Band followed.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
9.0. If you have a timeless sound like Macy Gray, you’ll be on the right side of history when folks look back at your body of work, regardless how many so-called hits you logged. Conversely, “Wherever You Will Go” sounds a bit too of its era for it to transcend its status as a one-hit wonder. It’s certainly an expertly crafted song, so it makes perfect sense that it was so successful. It’s just difficult to overlook Band’s singing style back then, which incorporated affectations that ultimately sound way too much like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (the bridge of “Wherever” being Exhibit A).
8. Nine Days
“Absolutely (Story of a Girl)”
Released in April of 2000
Where Did They Come From?
The Long Island power-pop rockers’ story is a familiar one, at least for back in the 2000s when the music industry was still old-school. Nine Days self-released albums and toured until they felt they had a good enough track record to showcase for labels. Then, they showcased. For every label. Twice. When the rejections kept coming, they didn’t waver and figured they just needed to keep writing. That resilience culminated in “Absolutely (Story of a Girl),” which not only got the band signed, but resulted in a Top 6 pop hit and gold-selling LP.
Where Did They Go?
The band kept plugging away, just like they always had before getting signed, once they were strung along for years and finally dropped by the label that released “Absolutely” and the album it appeared on, The Madding Crowd. Subsequent albums included the LP So Happily Unsatisfied and the EP release Slow Motion Life.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
8.5. What an absolutely stellar pop-rock song “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” is. You can tell frontman John Hampson (with help from guitarist Brian Desveaux) did indeed benefit from finely-tuned songwriting chops over many years of toil and trouble. The track is unabashed ‘90s-era guitar-infused pop glory that’s so insistent in its hooks and melodies that you can’t help but marvel at it.
But timeless, it is not. Like with the Calling, it’s just impossible to hear the vocal nuances and overall aural approach of the track and not feel like, great as it is, the song’s stuck in the ‘90s, so to speak. And that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to revisit when in the mood for such glorious guitar pop (which, if you’re smart, should be often!). But the one-hit wonder moniker does make sense.
9. Crazy Town
“Butterfly”
Released October 24, 2000
Where Did They Come From?
So-called nü-metal was the name of the game around the time Crazy Town were readying their 1999 major-label debut, The Gift of Game. So their first two single releases were heavy rock with some rap thrown in, and failed to gain much notoriety. Third single “Butterfly,” however, was more rap than metal, and by the time it took hold at radio later in the year 2000, listeners were ready to lap up the genre mashup and Shifty Shellshock’s infectious “Come, m’lady! Come-come, m’lady” vocal.
Where Did They Go?
As the story often goes, once Crazy Town’s record label saw the rap-over-heavy-rock recipe worked once, it was “Recreate that formula!” or bust. And unfortunately the result of follow-up album Darkhorse was “bust.” But the band continued on with various lineups, releasing music and touring into the late 2010s.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
9.5. “Butterfly” was one of the first big hits that suggested rap-rock had arrived on the biggest of stages (i.e. pop radio), and was going to stay there for a while. But listening back to it, one has to ask: where’s the rock?
It’s unfortunate the song was lumped in with rap-rock, because it’s really a pretty straightforward hip-hop song. Regardless, the single may have benefited from the excitement surrounding the newness of rap-rock. It’s certainly catchy, but like the rap-rock scene in general, a rap-rock song, however improperly labeled, has to be phenomenally written for it to hold up to 21st-century ears. It’s still fun to listen to as a blast from the past, though.
10. Cassie
“Me & U”
Released April 25, 2006
Where Did She Come From?
Cassie (last name Ventura) was discovered by producer Ryan Leslie, who wrote and produced “Me & U.” The track was eventually heard in a club by Sean “Diddy” Combs, who brought Bad Boy Records to the table. The beefed-up resources helped: “Me & U” made it all the way to Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Where Did She Go?
No other tracks released by Cassie were able to make a dent. She did go on to appear steadily as a guest, though, on tracks from huge artists like Jay-Z, Travis Scott, and Solange. So she's remained in the music game, but ultimately became just as involved in modeling, acting, and a long-term relationship with Diddy that began in 2007 and lasted until the late-2010s.
Where Does She Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
8.5. Listening back, “Me & U” is just a solid, R&B-heavy dance number that no doubt sounded great in the club at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. But when listening in one’s bedroom with headphones (and in the 2020s), it never hits one’s ears as anything that would hit quite as big today. It’s a nice little jam, no doubt. But in the age of the fierce, female artistic statement (like those of Beyoncé, or even Cardi B), the overall impact of “Me & U” doesn’t compare. So revisit, listen, and enjoy...just within the context of 2006.
11. Jet
“Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
Released August 18, 2003
Where Did They Come From?
It’s a tale that’s rarer and rarer to hear these days, but back in the early 2000s you still had a chance as a scrappy young rock ‘n’ roll band to get your demo heard by a major music magazine and have a label sign you because of the good press. That’s what went down for the Aussie band Jet, although the track Britain’s NME praised was not the eventual smash “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” It was “Take It or Leave It,” which kicked off their indie-released EP Dirty Sweet, but ended up a deep cut on their eventual breakthrough full-length, Get Born.
Where Did They Go?
Jet released two more studio albums after Get Born, both of which went platinum back home in Australia. And they kept touring internationally, sharing stages with the biggest acts in the world at the biggest venues and music festivals in the world. In 2012, they announced they’d had enough, but Jet reformed a few years later and picked up where they’d left off, opening a handful of dates for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and continuing to sell spaces out Down Under.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
2.5. It’s another case of an artist being more of a “one worldwide sensation of a hit that you couldn’t possibly get away from” wonder than a true one-hit wonder. Rock radio loved “Cold Hard Bitch” and “Rollover DJ” in addition to “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” from Jet’s debut album, and each of their two subsequent albums produced a single each that enjoyed a Top 20 showing on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart as well as elsewhere around the globe. Plus, c’mon: “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” is a stone-cold classic. So if you can help it, please try not to call these guys one-hit wonders. They deserve better.
Why were there so many one-hit wonders to start off the 21st century? Were there really that many more one-hit wonders in the Aughts than in any other decade, like, ever? Or did it just seem that way?
Hard questions. No solid conclusions. Or at least none we’ll be arriving at today, because today is for pure celebration. After all, despite the short stay on the charts for the artists who brought them to us, the one-hit wonders of the 2000s were still hits! Big ones! And that means a ton of folks liked them.
Shall we allow ourselves a little joy and listen back to some of these pop hit behemoths on Amazon Music’s Rediscover the 2000s: One-Hit Wonders playlist? And while we’re at it, shall we learn a little bit about the artists behind them? It’s the least we can do as we judge these hard-working musicians on the most-prized moments of their music careers. Did they really deserve to be forever known as one-hit wonders? Let’s see.
1. Gnarls Barkley
“Crazy”
Released March 13, 2006
Where Did They Come From?
Obviously, the super-duo making up Gnarls Barkley had a wee bit of success apart before starting work together on their multiplatinum debut LP, St. Elsewhere. CeeLo Green was a member of Goodie Mob before starting a solo career, and producer Brian Burton, p.k.a. Danger Mouse, had already been nominated for a Grammy for producing Gorillaz.
Where Did They Go?
Both Gnarls alums continued to be busy guys after “Crazy” took over the world. They released a second album as Gnarls Barkley, first of all: 2008’s The Odd Couple. Then Green went on to serve as a popular judge on The Voice and score another huge hit as a solo artist with “F—- You” (also known to terrestrial radio listeners by the censored version, “Forget You”).
For his part, Danger Mouse started Broken Bells, another superstar duo, with James Mercer (the leader of indie rockers the Shins). And oh yes: he won a Producer of the Year Grammy in 2011 for his work with Broken Bells, the Black Keys, and Sparklehorse. So he’s got that going for him.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most deserving of never having another song on the radio ever again, and 1 being the least deserving of the dreaded one-hit wonder moniker, Gnarls have to be down there around 2.0 or so.
First off, “Crazy” is three minutes of pure neo-soul pop perfection. No gimmicks, just great. And Green and Burton each remain at the top of the music industry food chain—just not as Gnarls Barkley, necessarily. They have 35 Grammy nominations and 11 Grammy wins between them, for Pete’s sake!
2. Daniel Powter
“Bad Day”
Released February 8, 2005
Where Did He Come From?
The rights to the Canadian singer-songwriter’s sophomore album were picked up by Warner Bros. Records, and “Bad Day” was selected for a Coke commercial. That led to some success on the pop charts in Europe, but his success elsewhere came from the song’s use by the American singing competition TV show American Idol. It was a perfect sonic backdrop for when the folks who thought they could sing, but couldn’t, were unceremoniously rejected by the massive hit show’s snobby judges. Soon “Bad Day” was everywhere, including the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Where Did He Go?
Despite being the first Canadian since Bryan Adams to top the American pop charts, Powter’s subsequent singles from Daniel Powter didn’t make much of an impact. He released another record with Warner Bros., and another after that through EMI, with similar response. He continues to write, release, and perform his music, though (which, let’s try to remember, includes a worldwide Number 1 smash single that he wrote all by his lonesome, thank you very much!).
Where Does He Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
9.0. It doesn’t get too much more one-hit wonder-like than “Bad Day,” which Powter never even intended to be released as a single. That’s not to say it’s a bad song. It’s a killer pop song. Super-relatable lyrically, and ultra-melodic. All the elements of a hit, without any annoying bits. But good or not, it was indeed a one-hit wonder in every way.
3. Leona Lewis
“Bleeding Love”
Released October 19, 2007
Where Did She Come From?
Lewis won Britain’s The X Factor television competition in 2006, and the subsequent single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This,” quickly rocketed up the UK’s and Ireland’s pop charts. But that was nothing compared to the world domination her second single, “Bleeding Love,” enjoyed. It won Number 1 chart status in 35 countries, an achievement equaled only by Elton John’s 1997 rejiggering of his “Candle in the Wind” for Princess Diana’s funeral.
Where Did She Go?
Lewis kept charting with follow-up singles through the mid-2010s, especially in Britain and the rest of Europe. She never enjoyed truly monumental hit status again, though, despite maintaining a fine career as a stage performer and actress in addition to releasing music.
Where Does She Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
7.5. “Bleeding Love” is a solid single, and Lewis is a fine singer. In retrospect, it just doesn’t feel like the track quite lives up to the massive attention it received around the world. And of course, its success meant impossible-to-live-up-to expectations for Lewis thereafter. All the makings of a legit one-hit wonder (although it might be more accurate to call her a “one-stratospheric-hit wonder”).
4. Plain White T’s
“Hey There Delilah”
Released May 9, 2006
Where Did They Come From?
These Chicagoan pop-punks were scratching by as a steady Midwestern touring act with a loyal following when the major label Hollywood Records teamed with the band’s indie label, the punk-centric Fearless Records. It was then decided to re-issue “Delilah,” which had already served as the album closer for ‘05’s All That We Needed, ahead of the release of the upcoming Hollywood/Fearless full-length release Every Second Counts. Ubiquity on radio and the top of the pop charts ensued.
Where Did They Go?
The T’s keep on doing their thing, which includes tour dates at festivals, emo cruises, and hosting themed livestreams.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
6.5. On one hand, “Delilah” was very much a surprise hit. It’s just singer-songwriter Tom Higgenson and an acoustic guitar, making it an outlier when compared to the rest of the band’s heavier emo-tinged punk to that point.
So the band were never really trying for the lofty pop chart heights “Delilah” found. Plus, a couple other hits followed “Delilah.” Not gigantic pop hits, but for an otherwise van-touring punk rock band, they were definitely hits! So even though the casual music fan only knows one song, it’s hard to classify Plain White T’s as somehow undeserving one-hit wonders.
5. Baha Men
“Who Let the Dogs Out”
Released July 26, 2000
Where Did They Come From?
If you can believe it, the Baha Men are Bahamian. The initial incarnation of the group began in the Seventies as a disco band, and almost a decade before “Dogs” dominated the planet, they signed to Atlantic Records and released albums worldwide to occasional success. But their longtime producer found “Who Let the Dogs Out” for them at the turn of the new century, and for one shining year, their reggae- and calypso-flavored brand of party pop was everywhere.
Where Did They Go?
There were never any more hits in the States, but folks in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada stuck by the group for a few more years after “Dogs,” even garnering some radio play that charted. Many decades along, there are still various lineups of Baha Men performing in the Bahamas, the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere around the world, especially at sporting events, where “Who Let the Dogs Out” is a mainstay during breaks in play.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
It’s gotta be 10.0, doesn’t it? And that’s for a few reasons. Head on over to the Rediscover the 2000s: One-Hit Wonders playlist and give the tune an honest listen. Once the familiar “Woof! Woof! Woof-woof-woof!” is heard for the fourth time, and we’re all of 15 seconds in, the song goes somewhere entirely unfamiliar.
Who remembers the verse of the song doing a 180 and going full calypso, with each line punctuated by a Disney-esque Yippee-yi-yo? In fact, who remembers any of the verse at all? (Be honest!) Or any other part of the song but the chorus?
Bottom line: it’s a silly party song that was never meant for anyplace other than sunny shindigs or fired-up sporting events. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But that fact makes “Dogs” the epitome of “one-hit wonder.”
6. Macy Gray
“I Try”
Released September 27, 1999 (Although the song was indeed technically released in the Nineties, it did much of its damage in 2000 and won Best Female Pop Vocal for Gray at the 2001 Grammys.)
Where Did She Come From?
Gray sang in Hollywood jazz clubs (which suited her smoky, raspy vocal style) and only dabbled in songwriting before landing a false-alarm record deal with Atlantic. She later signed with Epic, who released her debut LP, On How Life Is, and debut single “I Try.”
Where Did She Go?
Gray never stopped recording and performing as a singer, and has appeared in a ton of film and TV as an actress, beginning with a part in the 2001 Denzel Washington vehicle Training Day.
Where Does She Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
4.0. It’s an injustice to call Macy Gray a proper one-hit wonder. She gets as high as a 4.0 only because she does indeed fit within that category in literal terms.
Gray maintained a healthy radio presence in Europe, Australia, and Canada after “I Try” hit, but in America it was the only song to chart anywhere near the Billboard Hot 100. That said, she remains a respected performer who’s guested on tracks for artists from Slick Rick to Santana to Ariana Grande. Plus, she still makes interesting and admirable artistic choices, like recording a remake of the entire Stevie Wonder album Talking Book on the 40th anniversary of that masterpiece’s release.
7. The Calling
“Wherever You Will Go”
Released May 22, 2001
Where Did They Come From?
The Calling sounded grungier than most rock bands of the early 2000s because they were indeed products of the mid- to late-’90s post-grunge era. When they finally signed with RCA in 1999, a two-year effort to hone their songwriting and sound commenced. “Wherever You Will Go” represented the best of the resulting material, and became a winner on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 in particular. It stayed on the top of that chart longer than any other song ever had to that point, excluding Santana’s monster hit with Rob Thomas, “Smooth.”
Where Did They Go?
The band released album number two, entitled Two, in 2004 and toured heavily behind it, but broke up thereafter. On-and-off-again reunions and a solo career for frontman Alex Band followed.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
9.0. If you have a timeless sound like Macy Gray, you’ll be on the right side of history when folks look back at your body of work, regardless how many so-called hits you logged. Conversely, “Wherever You Will Go” sounds a bit too of its era for it to transcend its status as a one-hit wonder. It’s certainly an expertly crafted song, so it makes perfect sense that it was so successful. It’s just difficult to overlook Band’s singing style back then, which incorporated affectations that ultimately sound way too much like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (the bridge of “Wherever” being Exhibit A).
8. Nine Days
“Absolutely (Story of a Girl)”
Released in April of 2000
Where Did They Come From?
The Long Island power-pop rockers’ story is a familiar one, at least for back in the 2000s when the music industry was still old-school. Nine Days self-released albums and toured until they felt they had a good enough track record to showcase for labels. Then, they showcased. For every label. Twice. When the rejections kept coming, they didn’t waver and figured they just needed to keep writing. That resilience culminated in “Absolutely (Story of a Girl),” which not only got the band signed, but resulted in a Top 6 pop hit and gold-selling LP.
Where Did They Go?
The band kept plugging away, just like they always had before getting signed, once they were strung along for years and finally dropped by the label that released “Absolutely” and the album it appeared on, The Madding Crowd. Subsequent albums included the LP So Happily Unsatisfied and the EP release Slow Motion Life.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
8.5. What an absolutely stellar pop-rock song “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” is. You can tell frontman John Hampson (with help from guitarist Brian Desveaux) did indeed benefit from finely-tuned songwriting chops over many years of toil and trouble. The track is unabashed ‘90s-era guitar-infused pop glory that’s so insistent in its hooks and melodies that you can’t help but marvel at it.
But timeless, it is not. Like with the Calling, it’s just impossible to hear the vocal nuances and overall aural approach of the track and not feel like, great as it is, the song’s stuck in the ‘90s, so to speak. And that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to revisit when in the mood for such glorious guitar pop (which, if you’re smart, should be often!). But the one-hit wonder moniker does make sense.
9. Crazy Town
“Butterfly”
Released October 24, 2000
Where Did They Come From?
So-called nü-metal was the name of the game around the time Crazy Town were readying their 1999 major-label debut, The Gift of Game. So their first two single releases were heavy rock with some rap thrown in, and failed to gain much notoriety. Third single “Butterfly,” however, was more rap than metal, and by the time it took hold at radio later in the year 2000, listeners were ready to lap up the genre mashup and Shifty Shellshock’s infectious “Come, m’lady! Come-come, m’lady” vocal.
Where Did They Go?
As the story often goes, once Crazy Town’s record label saw the rap-over-heavy-rock recipe worked once, it was “Recreate that formula!” or bust. And unfortunately the result of follow-up album Darkhorse was “bust.” But the band continued on with various lineups, releasing music and touring into the late 2010s.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
9.5. “Butterfly” was one of the first big hits that suggested rap-rock had arrived on the biggest of stages (i.e. pop radio), and was going to stay there for a while. But listening back to it, one has to ask: where’s the rock?
It’s unfortunate the song was lumped in with rap-rock, because it’s really a pretty straightforward hip-hop song. Regardless, the single may have benefited from the excitement surrounding the newness of rap-rock. It’s certainly catchy, but like the rap-rock scene in general, a rap-rock song, however improperly labeled, has to be phenomenally written for it to hold up to 21st-century ears. It’s still fun to listen to as a blast from the past, though.
10. Cassie
“Me & U”
Released April 25, 2006
Where Did She Come From?
Cassie (last name Ventura) was discovered by producer Ryan Leslie, who wrote and produced “Me & U.” The track was eventually heard in a club by Sean “Diddy” Combs, who brought Bad Boy Records to the table. The beefed-up resources helped: “Me & U” made it all the way to Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Where Did She Go?
No other tracks released by Cassie were able to make a dent. She did go on to appear steadily as a guest, though, on tracks from huge artists like Jay-Z, Travis Scott, and Solange. So she's remained in the music game, but ultimately became just as involved in modeling, acting, and a long-term relationship with Diddy that began in 2007 and lasted until the late-2010s.
Where Does She Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
8.5. Listening back, “Me & U” is just a solid, R&B-heavy dance number that no doubt sounded great in the club at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. But when listening in one’s bedroom with headphones (and in the 2020s), it never hits one’s ears as anything that would hit quite as big today. It’s a nice little jam, no doubt. But in the age of the fierce, female artistic statement (like those of Beyoncé, or even Cardi B), the overall impact of “Me & U” doesn’t compare. So revisit, listen, and enjoy...just within the context of 2006.
11. Jet
“Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
Released August 18, 2003
Where Did They Come From?
It’s a tale that’s rarer and rarer to hear these days, but back in the early 2000s you still had a chance as a scrappy young rock ‘n’ roll band to get your demo heard by a major music magazine and have a label sign you because of the good press. That’s what went down for the Aussie band Jet, although the track Britain’s NME praised was not the eventual smash “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” It was “Take It or Leave It,” which kicked off their indie-released EP Dirty Sweet, but ended up a deep cut on their eventual breakthrough full-length, Get Born.
Where Did They Go?
Jet released two more studio albums after Get Born, both of which went platinum back home in Australia. And they kept touring internationally, sharing stages with the biggest acts in the world at the biggest venues and music festivals in the world. In 2012, they announced they’d had enough, but Jet reformed a few years later and picked up where they’d left off, opening a handful of dates for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and continuing to sell spaces out Down Under.
Where Do They Fall on the One-Hit Wonder Justice Meter?
2.5. It’s another case of an artist being more of a “one worldwide sensation of a hit that you couldn’t possibly get away from” wonder than a true one-hit wonder. Rock radio loved “Cold Hard Bitch” and “Rollover DJ” in addition to “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” from Jet’s debut album, and each of their two subsequent albums produced a single each that enjoyed a Top 20 showing on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart as well as elsewhere around the globe. Plus, c’mon: “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” is a stone-cold classic. So if you can help it, please try not to call these guys one-hit wonders. They deserve better.