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Jam out to these tracks for National One-Hit Wonder Day

Most artists in the music industry make several songs, but some only get major recognition for one song, thus becoming known as a “one-hit wonder.” In honor of National One-Hit Wonder Day, here is a list of just a few of the most popular one-hit wonders around:

“Blinded by the Light” by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band got a lot of attention for its cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded by the Light.” Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s cover topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1977. Manfred first heard the song “Blinded by the Light” while listening to Springsteen’s debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell

The original version of “Tainted Love” was recorded and released in 1964 by Gloria Jones, but English synth-pop duo Soft Cell reworked Jones’ version and released its version in 1981. The song spent a then-record of 43 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and it peaked at the number eight spot on the chart.

“Take on Me” by a-ha

Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha released the iconic song “Take On Me” in 1984. It took the song two versions and three releases to chart in the United Kingdom. In 1985, the song became the only a-ha song to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 because of its massively-played music video on MTV.

“Party All the Time” by Eddie Murphy

Comedian and actor Eddie Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. After his tenure on the show, he took a music route and released “Party All the Time” in 1985 from his album How Could It Be. The song was produced by Rick James and Kevin Johnston, and James provided some vocals for the song as well. The track landed at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks after falling to Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me.”

“Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s

The Plain White T’s released its hit song “Hey There Delilah” in 2005. The real-life Delilah was a graduate of Columbia University and a competitive cross-country runner. The band’s frontman, Tom Higgenson, wrote the song about Delilah, but the two had never dated; rather, Higgenson wrote the song in hopes to impress her.

“Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy

American rapper Soulja Boy released “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” in 2007 as the rapper’s debut single. The song introduced one of the biggest dance crazes of the 2000s and spent seven weeks at the number one on the Billboard Hot 100 during the fall of 2007. The song was also earned a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Best Songs of 2007. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song, despite Kanye West’s “Good Life” getting the statue. 

“Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)” by Gotye

Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye had everyone belting the lyrics to “Somebody That I Used To Know” in the early 2010s. Featuring New Zealand singer Kimbra, the song was released in 2011 as the second single from Gotye’s third studio album, Making Mirrors. The track topped the charts in over 20 countries but wasn’t released in the U.S. until 2012. The song won two Grammy Awards in 2013 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year.

“CoCo” by O.T. Genasis

Explicitly referring to Genasis’ fondness of cocaine, “CoCo” was released in 2014 and was certified platinum in 2016 because it sold over one million digital copies in the U.S. The song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

“Panda” by Desiigner

Making airwaves in 2015 and 2016, “Panda” from Brooklyn-based rapper Desiigner help influence the trap-rap culture of today. Produced by Menace, the track was sampled by Kanye West on The Life of Pablo song “Pt. 2.” The single received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance in 2017 and was also nominated for Best Hip Hop Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. 

@hannahnoelburk 

hb239417@ohio.edu 

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