With each passing day, a new national holiday emerges. There is Buffet Day, Clean off Your Desk Day, and even Word Nerd Day. But for music lovers, September 25th is a special day as it celebrates those songs that just never got old. With the day deemed National One-Hit Wonder Day, fans took to a post from Pop Crave to share some of their favorite songs that, for a moment in time, defined the music industry.
Classic tunes like “Return of the Mac and “Rude” by Magic headlined notable submissions. However, the majority of debate among fans came from disagreement over the true definition of a one-hit-wonder, as superstars mainstays such as Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga were readily mentioned.
“Do people even understand what “one-hit wonder” means? Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Tate McRae are definitely not one-hit wonders,” one fan wrote. “Man these comments lmao people have no idea what one-hit wonder means anymore,” another added.
Although the debate continues, here are some of the most memorable one-hit wonders.
Ram Jam’s “Black Betty”
Kicking off the list, some fans picked the famous song “Black Betty”, which was recorded by groups like Spiderbait. But for fans, nothing compared to when Ram Jam recorded the song in 1977. Although suggesting the song went on to define Ram Jam, fans gushed over the performance, writing, “The guitar and drums in this is absolutely f**king incredible.” Another person added, “I remember singing along to this song with my dad while we would drive around in his truck every time it would come on. He passed away when I was 10 but I still crank the volume up and sing along whenever it comes on and I hope to do the same with my kid some day.”
Hitting The Airwaves With “Come On Eileen”
Moving on, the next song to take over the discussion was “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners. Recorded in 1982 for the album Too-Rye-Ay, the song dominated the airwaves as it landed No. 1 in the United States. Over the years, the song gained high praise from the music industry as it landed on VH1’s list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s. The song also won the Best British Single in 1983.
Kimbra And Gotye Showcase “Somebody That I Used To Know”
And among all the songs listed, nothing appeared to come close to Kimbra and Gotye collaborating for the iconic song “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Released on the album Making Mirrors in 2011, the song gained global success as it won two Grammy Awards. And the music video directed by Natasha Pincus broke over two billion views on YouTube. One fan insisted, “No matter how many years pass, this song will stay in our hearts forever! From 2024 with love.”
Although fans all seemed to agree when it came to Gotye’s song, even Kimbra admitted she didn’t expect it to go international. Speaking with Vulture, she explained, “I knew it was special, but I honestly thought it was going to be, like, a track six ballad on the record. It’s funny when record-label people tell me, ‘I always saw it coming. I knew it immediately when I heard the song,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, damn, you knew more than me ’cause I didn’t. So maybe you guys are way smarter than me.’”
(Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
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