What constitutes a one-hit wonder?

A one-hit wonder is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


What defines a one-hit wonder?

Definition of one-hit wonder

1 : a musical group that has achieved recognition on the basis of only one widely popular song Such folks as John Lennon, the Byrds, Lou Rawls, the Hollies, Cyndi Lauper and one-hit wonder Peter McCann will entertain you via a radio played at an unobtrusive level.—
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on merriam-webster.com


What is the biggest selling one-hit wonder?

Below are the 11 top-selling one-hit wonders of all time, ranked by how many times platinum their singles went:
  • Desiigner, "Panda" — 5x platinum. ...
  • Silentó, "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" — 6x platinum. ...
  • Passenger, "Let Her Go" — 6x platinum. ...
  • Survivor, "Eye of the Tiger" — 8x platinum. ...
  • Gotye, "Somebody That I Used To Know (feat.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on businessinsider.com


Was Billy Ray Cyrus a one-hit wonder?

Though Cyrus later grew a reputation in the mainstream as a one-hit wonder, that would undersell the stratospheric success of “Heart” parent album Some Gave All, which spawned another pair of top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart (where “Heart” reigned for five weeks), topped the Billboard 200 albums chart ...
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on billboard.com


Is Despacito a one-hit wonder?

For the purposes of this list, a one-hit wonder is defined as an artist who ONLY had ONE charting hit. Allow me to explain. You might not know the name Luis Fonsi, but you definitely know his record-breaking hit “Despacito.” He's a one-hit wonder, right? NOPE, he's actually a multi-platinum megastar.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on soulinstereo.com


Top 65 One Hit Wonders of All Time



Who has the most #1 hits ever?

The Beatles have the most No. 1 hits of all time: 20. Though unclear for how long, the Beatles still reign supreme as the artist with the most No. 1 songs of all time.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on insider.com


Is Jimi Hendrix considered a one-hit wonder?

However, legendary musical artists like Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed, Garth Brooks and the Grateful Dead are all technically one-hit wonders, too, in that none had more than one song among the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart throughout their careers.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on usatoday.com


How much do one-hit wonders make in royalties?

According to Pierre Bradshaw, who worked 6 years at MCA/Universal Music, a band with a hit song can bring in anywhere from $10 thousand to $50 thousand per performance. And the actual members of the band get to keep around 85% to 90% of that. (Their manager usually gets a 10% to 15% cut.)
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thinkgrowth.org


Is Sir Mix A Lot a one-hit wonder?

They just had one hit, but they made it count

Some (Sir Mix-A-Lot) revel in the notoriety their hit continues to brings them, while others (Devo) see that hit as the very thing that killed their career.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on rollingstone.com


Is Looking Glass a one-hit wonder?

Looking Glass suddenly had a hit on their hands. The song rocketed all the way to number one in 1972, remaining on the charts for sixteen weeks. It proved to be the group's biggest hit, although they did reach the Top 40 one more time with “Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne,” a tune that was also written by Lurie.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on culturesonar.com


What is the most played song of all time?

Yet “It's a Small World,” also known as “It's a Small, Small World” and “It's a Small World (After All),” is very likely the most played song in music history — nearly 50 million times.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on time.com


Is American Pie a one-hit wonder?

Don McLean is known to most as a one-hit-wonder for his 1971 song “American Pie”.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on consequence.net


Is Rush a one-hit wonder?

1 Rush

It's surprising that the group, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, only has one Top 40 hit.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on listverse.com


What are the top 50 one-hit wonders?

The 50 Best One-Hit Wonders of All Time
  • "Tequila" — The Champs (1958) Tequila by The Champs album art. ...
  • "Hey! Baby" — Bruce Channel (1961) ...
  • "Wipe Out" — The Surfaris (1963) ...
  • "But It's Alright" — J.J. Jackson (1966) ...
  • "Spirit in the Sky" — Norman Greenbaum (1970) ...
  • "Hooked on a Feeling" — Blue Swede (1974)
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on yahoo.com


How many one-hit wonders are there?

So that's a grand total of 60 one-hit wonders in the roughly 50 or so years under review, or a little more than one per year.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on medium.com


What song has made the most money?

Estimated earnings: $50 million

Fast forward 120 years and "Happy Birthday" is by far the richest and most profitable song of all time. The Ownership of "Happy Birthday" has changed hands a few times in the last 100 years. Music holding company Warner Chappell bought the rights for $15 million in 1990.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on celebritynetworth.com


Who wrote the most number 1 songs?

The most successful songwriters in terms of number one singles are John Lennon (1940-80) and Paul McCartney (b. 18 Jun 1942). McCartney is credited as the writer on 32 number one hits in the US to Lennons 26 (with 23 co-written), whereas Lennon authored 29 UK number ones to McCartney's 28 (25 co-written).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on guinnessworldrecords.com


Who has more #1 hits than the Beatles?

Over the years, many artists have topped the list of the country's most popular songs at the time, but none did so more often than The Beatles. With 20 no. 1 singles on the Hot 100 charts, the iconic British rock band are just one hit ahead of Mariah Carey, who has 19 notches in her belt.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on statista.com


Is all about that bass a one-hit wonder?

You can't talk about one-hit wonders from the 2010's without mentioning Meghan Trainor's “All About That Bass.” Written by Trainor and songwriter Kevin Kadish, the 2014 pop song spent eight weeks on the Billboard top 100 and received two Grammy nominations.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thevault.musicarts.com


What decade had the most one-hit wonders?

The 1970s. The 1970s was the decade that saw the most one-hit wonders make it to the top spot with a total of 23.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on spinditty.com


Why is Meghan Trainor famous?

Meghan Trainor is a Grammy-winning American pop singer known for such smash hits as "Lips Are Moving" and "All About That Bass." Born on December 22, 1993, Meghan Trainor was raised on Nantucket Island and spent her childhood surrounding herself with music, learning to play various instruments and writing her own songs ...
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on imdb.com


What's Billy Ray Cyrus's biggest hit?

The most successful single released was "Achy Breaky Heart". It reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and was also a hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


What is Billy Ray Cyrus 2020 worth?

What is Billy Ray Cyrus' net worth? Billy Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer-songwriter and actor who has a net worth of $20 million.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on celebritynetworth.com
Previous question
Does Crocs support Lgbtq?