4 One-Hit Wonders That Were So Hated, They’re Iconic

Everyone once in a while, a one-hit wonder will be so bad that despite its charting popularity, everyone seems to voice their disdain when it comes on the radio. That’s pretty much where these four “hated” one-hit wonders are at these days. However, we think each one has its own merit. After all, they became iconic hits for a reason. Let’s take a look!

1. “Friday” by Rebecca Black

It’s hard not to feel bad for Rebecca Black. She was just a kid when “Friday” blew up in 2011. There’s nothing about it that is insanely or uniquely bad, either. It’s your typical dumb teen pop song. Those are a dime a dozen.

However, the internet went wild with it and Black was more or less bullied online and heavily critiqued for the song. Black’s label offered to take the music video down from YouTube but Black refused, saying she didn’t want to “give the haters the satisfaction.” Now, Black makes hyperpop music and even remixed “Friday” with 100 gecs.

2. “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred

One-hit wonders that many label “bad” tend to lack a lot of emotional depth in their lyrics. The 1991 dance-pop track “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred is one such example. This song is pretty hilarious and undeniably catchy. And despite charting pretty well upon its release, critics tore it apart, with one saying the song was a “dopey dance tune mocking fashion models and voguers.” Still, I miss when songs were fun like this.

3. “ABCDEFU” by Gayle

Oh, Gayle. You could have made it big. You still might. “ABCDEFU” came out just a few years ago in 2021, so there’s plenty of time to grow and produce better tunes. While this track is without a doubt catchy, the lyrics are a bit of a bore. And this is another example of one-hit wonders that got labeled “bad” simply because they were overplayed everywhere.

4. “This Is My Fight Song” by Rachel Platten

One-hit wonders can often be pretty bad, but few have become quite as hated in pop rock as “This Is My Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. This 2015 hit reached no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and no. 1 on a slew of different US and international charts. 

It was on the radio 24/7. Hillary Clinton used it as her campaign song in 2016. And it got so much continuous play that everyone collectively got incredibly sick of it. We kind of get why. The lyrics aren’t exactly full of depth, but one can’t deny that it was an earworm for a hot minute in the 2010s.

Photo by Angela Weiss/WireImage

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