One Hit Wonders From the ’00s You Can’t Get Out of Your Head

Looking back, the 2000s was an interesting decade in the history of the world: It was the last decade where kids weren’t fully wrapped up in technology; no one thought a pandemic would one day shut the world down., and Drake was known for his role on “Degrassi” more than his music career.

One of the best parts of the 2000s era was all of the music that was released. Tons of artists capitalized on the momentum while others took their money and ran after releasing one major hit. The one-hit wonder trend was active back then, and it still is now. Click here to read up on the songs with the longest stays on the Hot 100 in 2023.

It’s time to pay homage to the artists who are known for one song and one song only. To gather this list of one-hit wonders, 24/7 Tempo consulted different music-centered sources. They include Spotify, Top 40 Weekly, and The Rolling Stone. These are the 2000s one-hit wonders you can’t stop thinking about.

Almost everyone has barked along to “Who Let the Dogs Out” at least once in their lifetime. This song was first released in 2000 by Baha Men. Thanks to “Rugrats in Paris,” this song became iconic. The beat makes it easy to remember the lyrics, and the song is included in tons of party movies. Baha Men put out a few more songs after this one, but nothing compares to the success “Who Let the Dogs Out” had.

April of 2009 is when Asher Roth first made waves in the music industry. He did so with one of the most iconic songs ever! “I Love College” was played at almost every party across the country and relatable to so many people. Roth also was able to capitalize on people starting to have iPhones and easier access to music. Roth is still making music today, but “I Love College” will always be synonymous with college kids of every generation.

Going to a nightclub means you’re likely about to dance to a slew of different songs all night. “Laffy Taffy” is one of the few songs that has an iconic dance to go along with it. For this reason, it’s still played in nightclubs today. This song first came out in 2005 thanks to D4L and is one of the most successful rap songs to ever be released. The beat makes it perfect to sway and lean into, while the lyrics are great to dance with.

Another iconic club song from the 2000s is “Tipsy.” Getting to pregame to a song that talks about drinking and dancing on the nightclub floor is one of the reasons people fell in love with it. J-Kwon (whose real name is Jerrell C. Jones) is still making music today, but everyone will remember him for the legendary release of “Tipsy.”

Hip hop isn’t the only genre to create some memorable one-hit wonders during the 2000s. “Absolutely” tells the story of how one of Nine Days’ guitarists got in a fight with his girlfriend at the time. He only took one day to write the lyrics up after the emotional event took place. It was a catalyst for the band’s notoriety. He never publicized his girlfriend’s reaction.

Cee Lo Green (whose real name is Thomas DeCarlo Callaway-Burton) and Danger Mouse (whose real name is Brian Joseph Burton) came together to create the group Gnarls Barkley. Even though the two only had one song together, “Crazy” wasn’t a bad single to have. Just about everyone can recognize the iconic drum beats as the song starts. “Crazy” was wildly popular amongst fans and critics, but nothing more ever came from it. Cee Lo took this in stride and released his own one-hit wonder, though, which is our next song.

Everyone has had at least one person in their life that they’ve wanted to blast this song to. CeeLo Green wrote “Forget You,” and it struck a chord with plenty of broken-hearted and angsty people. Driving around with your windows down and blasting this song was common practice. Even though it’s rare to hear it anywhere these days, you’d likely recognize it the second it comes on.

Nobody is exempt from having a tough day every once in a while. It’s human nature to do that. Daniel Powter and his piano took this experience and wrote a song about it. “Bad Day” is another song people could immediately connect with in the 2000s. It turned Powter into a household name. While Powter hasn’t gotten back to this level of success, he’s still living his dream and making music.

Mims (whose real name is Shawn Maurice Mims) wrote “This is Why I’m Hot,” and it caught the attention of essentially the entire population. As was the case with so many of these 2000s songs, people would always hear this jam whenever they’d go out. It was played at every house party, and house parties were one of the biggest trends of the 2000s. Mims left his mark on the music world with “This is Why I’m Hot,” and the song won’t soon be forgotten.

The piano is an instrument that’s become seemingly less and less popular. Vanessa Carlton knew how to drag in an audience when writing “A Thousand Miles” – and keep them wanting more. If you’ve ever seen the movie “White Chicks,” then you’ll know this song is responsible for one of the most iconic scenes in the film. Nearly everyone knows this song, whether they want to admit it or not.

There aren’t many love songs that are as catchy as “Replay.” Iyaz (whose real name is Keidran Jones) stopped an entire generation with his loving words that he released in this song. Just about every guy on the planet was looking for a girl to sing this to, while plenty of girl was waiting for a guy to walk up to her and burst this out. The song is still applicable to life today for many , making it feel timeless and brand new.

Terror Squad was going to be one of the greatest rap groups in the world. They were led by Fat Joe, one of the best. The single “Lean Back” had fans excited and craving more. However, this was the only hit the group put out, and they eventually disbanded. Even today, you can still expect to hear this song at some point when you’re out and about at the club. Fat Joe (whose real name is Joseph Cartagena) has gone on and had a great career, but nothing will top “Lean Back” from the Terror Squad group.

The 2000s were a time when movie companies were keen on releasing as many teen dramas and romantic comedies as they could. One song that was used in both movie genres was “According to You” by Orianthi Penny Panagaris. The song discusses how great her new romantic partner treats her, compared to her prior boyfriend. It gave girls the confidence to leave toxic relationships with hopes that the grass would be greener on the other side.

It’s normal to want to grow up and be a rockstar. Playing music for sold out shows would be such a rush. Shop Boyz released “Party Like a Rockstar” as one of the most popular party songs. The guitar strumming along to the Hip Hop lyrics is one of the most iconic parts of any song released in history. The Shop Boyz released more music, but nothing truly compared to “Party Like a Rockstar.”

Dancing along to a song with a great beat is one of the many joys of life. “Pop, Lock, and Drop It” by Huey became an instant classic when it was first released. Much like the other songs on this list, it’s very common to hear it when you go out. The people in charge of the music know how popular these songs were, and want to draw in crowds by bringing back old memories. Huey’s real name is Lawrence Franks Jr., and he isn’t the only musician to change his name for fame. These 15 artists have shockingly different real names also.