4 One-Hit Wonders That Were Iconic in Teen Movie Soundtracks

From the 1980s to the 2000s, quite a few stellar one-hit wonders made it to iconic film soundtracks that teenagers loved. These four one-hit wonders, in particular, have since become legendary in the world of teen films. No matter your age, you’re probably familiar with at least a few of them. Let’s take a look!

1. “Lovefool” by The Cardigans

This Swedish disco pop-rock hit was The Cardigans’ claim to fame back in the late 1990s. “Lovefool” peaked at no. 1 on the US Pop Airplay chart, among others. The Cardigans had another hit single do well in the US, titled “My Favourite Game” from 1998, but nothing ever hit quite as well as “Lovefool”. It’s a great song, so it makes sense that it was used in the Baz Luhrmann teen romance movie Romeo + Juliet in 1996.

2. “The Never Ending Story” by Limahl

The NeverEnding Story is one of the most iconic teen fantasy films of all time. Fortunately for English pop star Limahl, the title song was a massive hit after that movie came out in the 1980s. Even today, the song is burned into the memory of a collective generation. “The Never Ending Story” was Limahl’s only major international hit, and it peaked at no. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

3. “Scotty Doesn’t Know” by Lustra

One-hit wonders come and go, and many of them got their claim to fame via cheesy, raunchy teen movies from the early 2000s. Films like EuroTrip from 2004 were a dime a dozen back then. However, “Scotty Doesn’t Know” by Lustra became a quick hit after being featured in the sex comedy film. It peaked at no. 75 on the Hot 100 chart, but Lustra never enjoyed a high-charting hit again.

4. “All Star” by Smash Mouth

We’re not going to act like Smash Mouth didn’t dish out a few high-charting songs through the years. “Walkin’ On The Sun” was another noteworthy hit. However, we’re including the alt-rock outfit on this list because “All Star” was their only hit to reach platinum status. Plus, in the context of movie soundtracks, it doesn’t get more iconic that Shrek. It’s hard not to feel at least a little tingle of joy when this song comes on.

Photo by Mike Prior/Getty Images

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.