If a band has the privilege (or curse, depending on how you view it) of becoming a one-hit wonder, obviously their claim to fame needs to be memorable. However, not every one-hit wonder has the enduring power of being catchy. These four songs are some of the catchiest one-hit wonders of all time, and they’re still burned into our brains decades after they first hit the airwaves. Let’s take a look! Warning: These songs will definitely get stuck in your head.
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
Ah, the new wave era. The 1980s was quite a fun time for the genre, and this synth-pop classic is one of the most noteworthy English contributions to new wave as a whole. It’s also one of the catchiest one-hit wonders ever.
“Tainted Love” made it to no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981, and it also charted very well internationally. Fun fact: This one-hit wonder was actually a cover of a Gloria Jones soul-pop hit from the 1960s.
2. “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
No matter your age, where you grew up, or your personal music taste, you’ve probably had this folk-pop classic stuck in your head at least once in your life.
This iconic 1982 track from Dexy’s Midnight Runners was the English outfit’s only claim to fame, but boy was it a huge hit when it was first released! The music video for “Come On Eileen” was similarly legendary.
3. “Who Let The Dogs Out?” by Baha Men
If you were alive and conscious at the turn of the millennium, you know all too well that “Who Let The Dogs Out?” by Baha Men was one of the catchiest one-hit wonders to come out in the year 2000.
The Bahamian junkanoo band never saw much fame again after this massive international hit, but they did score a Grammy award and earned places in multiple film soundtracks around that time. The tropical, playful music video for the song was also quite endearing. Who else misses super fun, bubblegum-pop adjacent music like this?
4. “Take On Me” by A-Ha
What would a list of the catchiest one-hit wonders be without mentioning this long-loved hit from 1985? From its earworm melody to its pop-culture-cemented music video, “Take On Me” by A-Ha made synth pop even more popular on an international level in the 1980s. And that high note? It’s unforgettable.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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