Just because an artist gets labeled a one-hit wonder, that doesn’t mean their impact on music is so easily forgotten. Many timeless and classic songs have been written and recorded by artists who enjoyed only one mainstream hit.

In the below list of 40 Biggest One-Hit Wonders, we consider a song’s commercial success as well as how it’s endured. The ‘80s are well-represented. The decade seemed to breed a large amount of one-hit wonders, many of whom rode the emerging new wave genre. Nine of our Top 10 one-hit wonders come from that decade, but the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘90s still landed songs elsewhere on the list.

Key Takeaways

• Impact on Music: One-hit wonders can leave a lasting legacy despite limited mainstream success.
• Decade Dominance: The 1980s produced the majority of notable one-hit wonders in this list.
• Commercial Success: Each song’s enduring popularity is considered alongside its initial chart performance.
• Cultural Influence: Many one-hit wonders have influenced genres and inspired future artists.

40. Cutting Crew, “I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight”
This chart-topping 1986 hit wasn’t inspired by a near-death experience but a sexual one. Cutting Crew singer Nick Van Eede came up with the song’s chorus after a one-night tryst with a former girlfriend. “We got back together for one night after a year apart, and I guess there were some fireworks but all the time tinged with a feeling of, ‘Should I really be doing this?”” the singer later recalled. The power ballad struck a chord with music fans and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. As a debut single, Cutting Crew couldn’t have asked for a bigger introduction to the world, but with success came pressure. Cracks began to surface when none of their follow-up singles met commercial expectations. A battle with management kept the band’s sophomore album from coming out until 1989. It bombed, and by 1993 the group had disbanded.

39. Toni Basil, “Mickey”
The song as infectious as a pep rally – so much so that its music video was cheerleader-themed – “Mickey” burrowed its way into listeners’ ears in January 1982. The track had originally been released by the British band Racey, but that version used the name “Kitty” instead of “Mickey” and didn’t include the song’s catchy “You’re so fine, you blow my mind” chant. Singer Toni Basil, who started her career as a choreographer after being a, yes, cheerleader in her youth, brought “Mickey” to life. The song hit No. 1 in the U.S. and was certified platinum, but Basil never came close to that success with any of her other songs.

38. The Knack, “My Sharona”
Should the Knack be considered a two-hit wonder? An argument can be made. After all, their single “Good Girls Don’t” reached No. 11 on the Billboard chart, meaning they qualify for this list by the slimmest of margins. Still, ask the average music fan to sing a line from “Good Girls Don’t” and they’ll likely stare back with a blank face. Ask them for a part from “My Sharona” and you’ll likely get a rousing, “My, my, my, I, yi, woo!” The 1979 single was an instant classic, Capitol Records’ fastest single to be certified gold since the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” The Knack’s frontman, Doug Fieger, wrote “My Sharona” after falling for a woman named Sharona, who appeared on the single’s cover. While their relationship didn’t last, the two reportedly remained close friends up until Fieger died in 2010.

37. After the Fire, “Der Kommissar”
Austrian singer Falco deserves an honorable mention. His 1985 hit “Rock Me Amadeus” didn’t get enough votes from our writers to crack our Top 40, but he has a part in “Der Kommissar”: He released the original version of the hit song. His single, released in 1981, was sung in German and received just a little attention in the U.S. A year later the U.K. band After the Fire covered the song in English, scoring the only hit of their career. Success arrived too late for the band. After the Fire, which had been together since 1982, was crumbling as “Der Kommissar” was climbing the charts. The group had already broken up by the time the song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

36. Gary Numan, "Cars"
Gary Numan had enjoyed success with the new wave group Tubeway Army, which scored a U.K. hit with their 1979 single “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” That same year, Numan broke out as a solo act, scoring a worldwide hit with his debut single, “Cars.” The song, inspired by a bout of road rage, found Numan embracing a poppier approach to songwriting. “This was the first time I had written a song with the intention of ‘Maybe it could be a hit single,’” the singer admitted. “Cars” hit No. 9 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the U.K. While Numan has enjoyed a respected career ever since, he’s never again had a hit single.

35. Mungo Jerry, "In the Summertime"
When you think “sound of summer” you don’t usually think “jug band.” But that’s exactly the style of music Mungo Jerry used in their 1970 hit. Reportedly written by singer Ray Dorset in just 10 minutes, the breezy track perfectly captures that time of year when “the weather is high.” It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the only Mungo Jerry song to earn mainstream attention in the States.

34. Kajagoogoo, “Too Shy”
English new wave group Kajagoogoo had been together for roughly five years – under the name Art Nouveau at first – before signing their first record deal in 1982. They struck gold with their debut single, “Too Shy,” which was produced by Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes. The band’s label had pushed against the track, claiming it was too dark. “They wanted to release what they considered to be a brighter poppier track,” bassist Nick Beggs later recalled. Kajagoogoo looked poised for a bright career when in 1983 “Too Shy” went Top 5 in 12 countries including the U.S. While follow-up singles “Ooh to Be Aah” and “Hang on Now” did well in the U.K., neither registered in the U.S. The band broke up at the end of 1985 but “Too Shy” has remained a time capsule of the era included in everything from the soundtrack to The Wedding Singer to the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

33. Peter Schilling, “Major Tom”
Here’s a rare occurrence where an artist created a sequel to someone else’s song. Singer Peter Schilling based “Major Tom” on a character first created by David Bowie for his 1969 single “Space Oddity.” Schilling’s song kept up with an interplanetary theme with its chorus: “Earth below us / Drifting falling / Floating weightless / Calling calling home.” Released in 1983, “Major Tom” reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100; it is Schilling’s only song to chart in America.

32. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, “Fire”
With a demonic spoken word opening in which frontman Arthur Brown declared himself “the god of Hellfire,” “Fire” hardly seemed like it would find mainstream success. But this psychedelic rock track managed to ignite something in fans; it hit No. 1 in both U.K and No. 2 in U.S., making it Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s most successful single ever recorded before breaking up in 1970 but returning sporadically since then.

31. Georgia Satellites, “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”
They may be one-hit wonders but Georgia Satellites made an impact with their only mainstream single when it reached No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100 held out from top spot by Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on Prayer”. This heavy-hitting southern rock song proved that southern rock could thrive while inspiring heavier guitars within country songs; singer Dan Baird once admitted that it brought rock ‘n’ roll back to its roots while turning corner on country being afraid of loud guitars.

30. Shocking Blue, "Venus"
Dutch rock group Shocking Blue had several hits at home during late ‘60s but it was their international breakthrough with “Venus” that climbed to No1 on Billboard Hot100 selling over five million copies worldwide appearing everywhere from The Queen’s Gambit, long-running advertising campaign for Gillette whose women’s line razors is called Venus.

29. The Vapors,”Turning Japanese”The Vapors were among new wave acts arriving from UK during late ’70s early ’80s releasing debut album New Clear Days featuring lead single Turning Japanese built upon Japanese-sounding motif though catchy narrative often misinterpreted; singer Dave Fenton explained it intended purely love song about protagonist pining over ex-girlfriend photograph while sitting bedroom prison cell; Turning Japanese became Vapors’ only hit before disbanding by ’82; Fenton stated he prefers being one-hit wonder than no-hit wonder.