There’s something fascinating, and of course a little bit sad, about one-hit wonders. Any band or recording artist who scores big with a top 40 hit must think their success is assured. And for many that’s true — a dazzling debut leads to a string of chart-toppers and a mansion on Easy Street.
For many others, however, it’s one and done. Why? In some cases, the hit was a manufactured item put together by producers to capitalize on a trend and was never meant to be the start of something. In others, a band broke up or a solo artist self-destructed after (and sometimes because of) instant fame. And sometimes the hit was a one-off by people better known in nonmusical fields — for instance, Patrick Swayze, Bill Cosby, and Bruce Willis — who may never even have tried very hard again to make their mark in Billboard.
Then there are the performers who just didn’t have the talent or the good fortune to be able to follow up their initial effort — a phenomenon familiar to fiction writers who make the best-seller lists with their first book but then find that they’ve put everything they had to offer into that opus and don’t have the reserves for a good follow-up.
But the term “one-hit wonder” is deceptive. Some legendary recording artists may have made the Top 40 only once but earned iconic status, like early R&B singer Johnny Ace, paid tribute to by a Paul Simon song, or pioneering rocker Carl Perkins, who reached the Top 40 with nothing before or after his classic “Blue Suede Shoes.” Other famous names who scored big on a single occasion but never made the list again include Frank Zappa, Lou Reed, Beck, and the Grateful Dead. It’s also worth noting that the Top 40 covers singles only, and many musicians had much greater success with albums that may or may not have yielded individual hits. (These are the albums that have stayed at No. 1 for the longest time.)
While country and mainstream pop have seen their share of those whose presence in the musical stratosphere was brief, the world of rock is particularly well-populated with them. To determine the biggest one-hit wonders in rock, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on historical song performance on the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. Rock songs released prior to 2010 were ranked based on an inverse point system wherein a week at No. 1 on the Top 40 is worth 40 points, a week at No. 2 is worth 39 points, up to a week at No. 40, worth one point. Only artists with two or fewer Top 40 hits that have sold no more than five million RIAA album units in the United States were considered. Billboard Hot 100 data is current through May 4, 2024.
25. Big Bopper, “Chantilly Lace” (1958)
- Top 40 peak: No. 6 (for 2 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 21 weeks
- Entered Top 40: August 11, 1958
- Exited Top 40: December 29, 1958
24. The Surfaris, “Wipe Out” (1963)
- Top 40 peak: No. 2 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 20 weeks
- Entered Top 40: July 6, 1963
- Exited Top 40: October 29, 1966
23. Nine Days, “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” (2000)
- Top 40 peak: No. 6 (for 2 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 21 weeks
- Entered Top 40: June 3, 2000
- Exited Top 40: October 21, 2000
22. Spin Doctors, “Two Princes” (1993)
- Top 40 peak: No. 7 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 22 weeks
- Entered Top 40: February 20, 1993
- Exited Top 40: July 17, 1993
21. Incubus, “Drive” (2001)
- Top 40 peak: No. 9 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 23 weeks
- Entered Top 40: May 19, 2001
- Exited Top 40: October 20, 2001
20. 10,000 Maniacs, “Because The Night” (1993)
- Top 40 peak: No. 11 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 24 weeks
- Entered Top 40: November 27, 1993
- Exited Top 40: May 7, 1994
19. Los Lonely Boys, “Heaven” (2004)
- Top 40 peak: No. 16 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 25 weeks
- Entered Top 40: June 12, 2004
- Exited Top 40: November 27, 2004
18. Eagle-Eye Cherry, “Save Tonight” (1998)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 25 weeks
- Entered Top 40: December 5, 1998
- Exited Top 40: May 22, 1999
17. Chumbawamba, “Tubthumping” (1997)
FRANCE - JANUARY 01: MIDEM Photo of CHUMBAWAMBA (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
- Top 40 peak: No. 6 (for 3 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 25 weeks
- Entered Top 40: October 4, 1997
- Exited Top 40: March 21, 1998
16. Deep Blue Something, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” (1995)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 26 weeks
- Entered Top 40: October 14, 1995
- Exited Top 40: April 6, 1996
15. Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle” (2002)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 26 weeks
- Entered Top 40: April 20, 2002
- Exited Top 40: October 12, 2002
14. The Verve Pipe, “The Freshmen” (1997)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 29 weeks
- Entered Top 40: April 19, 1997
- Exited Top 40: November 1, 1997
13. Hinder, “Lips Of An Angel” (2006)
- Top 40 peak: No. 3 (for 4 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 27 weeks
- Entered Top 40: September 2, 2006
- Exited Top 40: March 3, 2007
12. Daniel Powter, “Bad Day” (2006)
- Top 40 peak: No. 1 (for 5 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 27 weeks
- Entered Top 40: March 11, 2006
- Exited Top 40: September 9, 2006
11. Finger Eleven, “Paralyzer” (2007)
- Top 40 peak: No. 6 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 31 weeks
- Entered Top 40: October 13, 2007
- Exited Top 40: May 10, 2008
10. Dishwalla, “Counting Blue Cars” (1996)
- Top 40 peak: No. 15 (for 2 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 33 weeks
- Entered Top 40: June 29, 1996
- Exited Top 40: February 15, 1997
9. Puddle Of Mudd, “Blurry” (2002)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 30 weeks
- Entered Top 40: February 2, 2002
- Exited Top 40: August 31, 2002
8. Sister Hazel, “All For You” (1997)
- Top 40 peak: No. 11 (for 5 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 33 weeks
- Entered Top 40: July 12, 1997
- Exited Top 40: February 21, 1998
7. Snow Patrol, “Chasing Cars” (2006)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 32 weeks
- Entered Top 40: August 19, 2006
- Exited Top 40: March 31, 2007
6. Staind, “It’s Been Awhile” (2001)
- Top 40 peak: No. 5 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 34 weeks
- Entered Top 40: June 16, 2001
- Exited Top 40: February 2, 2002
5. Hoobastank, “The Reason” (2004)
- Top 40 peak: No. 2 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 34 weeks
- Entered Top 40: April 10, 2004
- Exited Top 40: November 27, 2004
4. Vertical Horizon, “Everything You Want” (2000)
- Top 40 peak: No. 1 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 34 weeks
- Entered Top 40: February 19, 2000
- Exited Top 40: October 7, 2000
3. Blues Traveler, “Run-Around” (1995)
- Top 40 peak: No. 8 (for 4 weeks)
- Total time in Top 40: 36 weeks
- Entered Top 40: May 20, 1995
- Exited Top 40: February 3, 1996
2. Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody” (2009)
- Top 40 peak: No. 4 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 36 weeks
- Entered Top 40: June 20, 2009
- Exited Top 40: February 20, 2010
1. Duncan Sheik, “Barely Breathing” (1997)
- Top 40 peak: No. 16 (for 1 week)
- Total time in Top 40: 42 weeks
- Entered Top 40: February 1, 1997
- Exited Top 40: November 15, 1997