Some songs take over the world, then vanish, leaving the artist forever known for that one unforgettable track. But which one-hit wonders made their mark, and which quietly faded into nostalgia playlists?
The online slots experts at Spin Genie have crunched the numbers to find out.
We analysed chart-topping singles from the past five decades, looking at everything from sales and streaming revenue to TikTok trends and search volume. From this, we’ve created a definitive ranking of one-hit wonders.
One-Hit Wonders: Key Stats
- Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” is officially the best one-hit wonder, scoring 9.37 out of 10.
- Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” has over 2.17 billion Spotify streams, worth an estimated $12.6 million (CAD) in royalties.
- The 2010s produced the most successful one-hit wonders, averaging 623 million Spotify streams and 1.2 billion YouTube views per track.
The 10 Best One-Hit Wonders Since 1970
One song. One moment. A lifetime of fame. We set out to discover which one-hit wonders turned a single track into lasting success. To do it, we scored each hit on:
- US sales
- Spotify streams
- YouTube music video views
- TikTok and Instagram postsSearch interest
The final list is packed with tracks that took over radios, dance floors, and now social feeds. These songs have racked up billions of plays, inspired millions of memes, and made their way into pop culture history.
1. Eiffel 65, Blue (Da Ba Dee): Score of 9.37 out of 10
Few tracks capture late-90s nostalgia quite like “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”. Released in 1999 by Italian group Eiffel 65, the song became an international phenomenon with its recognisable hook and surreal lyrics (whether you knew them or not).
It topped charts in multiple countries and became stuck in people’s heads forevermore.
With more than 719 million Spotify streams and over 348 million YouTube views, it remains one of the most replayed one-hit wonders on record. On social media, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” appears in more than 225,000 TikTok and Instagram videos, while average monthly searches continue to sit above 96,000 – up nearly 14% in the past three years.
2. Gotye (featuring Kimbra), Somebody That I Used to Know: Score of 9.28 out of 10
In 2011, Gotye and Kimbra delivered a breakup anthem that is still as iconic nearly 15 years on.
It won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys, and swept the ARIA Awards in Australia. Within our ranking, only a few tracks have managed that kind of critical and commercial double act. Even “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” can’t match that awards haul.
The numbers tell the rest of the story. Searches for the track have climbed by over 124% in the last three years, proof that it is still winning over new listeners. More than 2.17 billion Spotify streams and 2.5 billion YouTube views also make it one of the most played songs on our list.
3. Lou Bega, Mambo No. 5: Score of 9.11 out of 10
The first notes of “Mambo No. 5” can still fill a dance floor faster than most modern club hits. Lou Bega’s 1999 reinvention of a 1950s instrumental turned a mambo riff into a global pop obsession.
Even over two decades later, people still listen to this song. And regularly, too. It has almost 777 million Spotify streams, which means this track could play back-to-back for more than five thousand years without repeating a single listen.
On YouTube, 578 million views add up to around 2.1 billion minutes of total watch time, enough for the entire population of Canada to watch the video more than 14 times each.
Which Decade Has Produced the Most Successful One-Hit Wonders?
Every era has its unforgettable one-hit wonders, but some decades have delivered them in bigger numbers and with more staying power than others.
Taking an average of the same factors as before, we’ve found out which decade tops the charts.
The 2010s are the decade of streaming superstars. One-hit wonders of this era average more than 623 million Spotify streams each, which is enough to play a single song on loop for nearly 4,000 years.
The 1990s and 2000s still have one-time hits in their own right. Both decades score a nine out of 10, but they excel in different areas. The 1990s bring a nostalgia factor that keeps people searching, while the 2000s shine in video views thanks to the golden age of music television and the birth of YouTube.
Then there is the 1970s, proving that age does not dull a great tune. Average monthly searches have risen nearly 67% in the past three years. Disco, funk, and rock anthems that once spun on vinyl are now trending on TikTok and Instagram videos.
The One-Hit Wonders Earning the Most on Spotify
Streaming has given one-hit wonders a second life. For some artists, it has also created a steady income that continues well after their time on the charts. Like a progressive jackpot game that keeps growing over time, streaming revenue can build steadily long after a song’s release.
Taking the average royalty of $0.0058 per stream, we estimated the revenue for each track to find which artists have made serious money from a single song.
Gotye Could Have Earned Over $12.6 Million in Spotify Revenue Alone
“Somebody That I Used to Know” has been played more than 2.17 billion times on Spotify, giving it the highest stream count in our dataset.
Based on estimated rates, that level of streaming translates to over $12.6 million in potential royalties – enough to buy more than 3,000 high-end guitars (at approximately $3,000 each).
The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” Has Banked Them Nearly $5.3 Million on Spotify
Has there ever been a time “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” has played and people haven’t shouted along to the lyrics? Well, they’re not the only ones with something to shout about.
With over 910 million Spotify streams, the song could have earned the duo almost $5.3 million in estimated royalties, which is the kind of sum that could finance a global tour.
“Mambo No. 5” Has Earned More Than $4.5 Million from Streaming Revenue
Weddings. Sporting events. Nostalgic playlists. There are very few events “Mambo No. 5” isn’t perfect for.
Lou Bega’s party classic has been streamed more than 776 million times on Spotify, which equates to about $4.5 million in potential earnings. That’s the kind of payday many chart-topping artists never see, and it came from a single track.
The Most Searched One-Hit Wonders
On average, some of the biggest one-hit wonders can only hope for around 46,000 monthly searches. But there are a few that have more than triple that.
1. There Are Almost 220k Searches for “Funkytown” Each Month
“Funkytown” is clearly still the disco destination no one wants to leave, as people worldwide search for it over 219,000 times a month.
Searches have been up nearly 99% over the last three years, too. This could be down to a viral dance routine on TikTok that had people looking for the song behind the moves.
2. “Who Let the Dogs Out” Still Gets More Than 147k Searches Every Month
Apparently, no one has found the answer because over 147,000 monthly searches still ask the question.
Searches focus mainly on the song title, but there is still an average of 12,000 for the Baha Men, which means plenty of people still want to know who was behind the barking.
With searches like these, this song looks like it’ll stay a sports stadium anthem, a kids’ party favourite, and a go-to soundtrack for pet videos online for many years.
3. Over 100k Searches Each Month Prove “Tubthumping” Refuses To Stay Down
You get knocked down, you get back up again… and apparently, you search for the song.
“Tubthumping” clocks up more than 107,000 searches every month. But, interestingly, more people search for the artist than the actual song, at 74,140 vs. 33,100 average monthly searches.
Methodology
Spin Genie is Canada’s leading platform for playing all your favourite slots and instant win games.
As experts in entertainment, we were interested in the cultural impact of one-hit wonders and where some of our favourite songs stand. So, we collected extensive data on sales, Spotify streams, video views, social posts, and search interest to find out.
First, we created a seed list of popular one-hit wonders using a combination of articles and social media research.
For each, we collected the following:
- Number of US certified units sold: Sourced from RIAA
- Number of Spotify streams
- Number of YouTube views on the official music video
- The average monthly and annual search volumes (June 2021 to July 2022, and June 2024 to July 2025): Sourced from Google Keyword Planner
- Number of TikTok videos using the official sound. Where there were multiple versions of the song, the highest number was used.
- Number of Instagram reels using the official sound, where there were multiple versions of the song, the highest number was used.
- Estimated stream revenue: Based on estimated per-stream revenue of £0.0031 (CAD 0.0058), sourced from Music Gateway
All data was collected in August 2025 and is correct as of then.
Note: We defined a one-hit wonder as an artist who had one globally recognised hit that reached the top 40 and had no other singles that charted highly or had a long-term impact.
