It is a universal truth that a one-hit wonder will afflict all of us at some point in our lives. ‘Mambo No. 5’. ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’. ‘Cotton Eye Joe’. These are the thumb screws, the cerebral bores, the sodden towels draped over our faces in the oily basement torture chamber of our minds. All-consuming, heroin-catchy, and the soundtrack to thousands of manic episodes and violent acts, these songs dominate our consciousness for a brief and terrible period of time.
If there was any justice in the world Vanilla Ice and The Proclaimers would all be tried for crimes against humanity.
But Goddamn are they catchy, and without them it’s likely a whole load of karaoke bars and wedding DJs would be out of business. Heres to you, one-hit wonders. May you live on in infamy in the back of my head at 3am on a Tuesday when all I want to do is go sleep. Here are the top 50 accoriding to 2,000 sadistic Brits, courtesy of market researchers OnePoll.
TOP 50 ONE-HIT WONDERS
1. Video Killed the Radio Star – Buggles (1980)
2. It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls (1982)
3. Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum (1969)
4. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers (1988)
5. Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of) – Lou Bega (1999)
6. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor (1990)
7. Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice (1990)
8. Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston (1976)
9. Cotton Eye Joe – Rednex (1995)
10. Macarena – Los del Rio (1993)
11. Sugar Sugar – The Archies (1969)
12. Who Let the Dogs Out – Baha Men (2000)
13. Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas (1974)
14. Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks (1973)
15. Saturday Night – Whigfield (1995)
16. There She Goes – The La’s (2006)
17. Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus (1992)
18. Tell Laura I Love Her – Ricky Valance (1960)
19. Me and Mrs Jones – Billy Paul (1972)
20. Mickey – Toni Basil (1982)
21. Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin (1988)
22. Stay – Shakespeare’s Sister (1992)
23. Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry (1976)
24. What Is Love – Haddaway (1993)
25. 99 Red Balloons – Nena (1983)
26. Jump Around – House of Pain (1992)
27. My Sharona – The Knack (1979)
28. We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off – Jermaine Stewart (1986)
29. Turning Japanese – The Vapors (1980)
30. MMMBop – Hanson (1997)
31. In the Year 2525 – Zager & Evans (1969)
32. Funkytown – Lipps Inc. (1979)
33. A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins (1994)
34. Pass the Dutchie – Musical Youth (1982)
35. Rock Me Amadeus – Falco (1985)
36. The Hustle – Van McCoy (1975)
37. Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing Bang – Witch Doctor (1998)
38. Tubthumping – Chumbawamba (1997)
39. The Ketchup Song – Las Ketchup (2002)
40. Grandad – Clive Dunn (1971)
41. Spaceman – Babylon Zoo (1996)
42. Groove Is in the Heart – Dee-Lite (1990)
43. Don’t Give Up On Us – David Soul (1976)
44. Barbados – Typically Tropical (1975)
45. Unbelievable – EMF (1990)
46. Too Shy – Kajagoogoo (1983)
47. Pop Muzik – M (1979)
48. You Get What You Give – New Radicals (1999)
49. The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats (1983)
50. Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell (1984)