Can You Guess These 25 00's One Hit Wonder Songs From The Lyric?
- by Joseph Allen
- – on
- in Entertainment
The 2000's was a weird time for music. There were certainly dominant artists like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, who seemed to be incapable of making a song that didn't chart. The 2000's was also characterized by plenty of artists who only made one truly great song. These artists had an impact on the cultural scene, and some of them may have seemed ready-made for stardom, but when all was said and done, each one of them only produced a single song that we still remember today.
These songs span genres and styles. The 2000's were an eclectic time for popular music, and the one hit wonders that came out of that decade reflect the diversity of the charts. This quiz is for the people who were addicted to 2000's radio. It's for those who know every song in the top 40, and could sing along with them at will. Even if the artists behind these songs aren't well known, many of them have lyrics well-worth remembering. Whether it's soft indie rock or hardcore hip hop, every song on this list was a pretty big hit during one of music's strangest decades. Get ready music fans. It's time to find out if you can guess these 25 00's songs from their lyrics.
"Watch Me Lean and Watch Me Rock"
This one hit wonder is stands out in part because of its distinctive steel drums. The song became a huge hit at clubs, in part because it inspired a dance that people across American felt obligated to learn. An undeniable catchy song, this proved to be the only major hit of its creator's career. Although it proved impossible to replicate, this song definitely left audiences mesmerized, and made it all the way to number one of the Billboard Hot 100.
"I Absolutely Love Her, When She Smiles"
This one hit wonder starts with a fairly iconic line, and proceeds to deliver a perfect package of pop rock. The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, but it's lived on long since it was released in 2000. Although the band behind the song has faded, the song itself lives on, in part because it's pretty easy to sing along to. Despite the fairly fast pace of its words, the melody and lyrics get stuck in one's head pretty quickly.
"I Say You Look So Fine That I Really Wanna Make You Mine"
Launching onto the scene with a propulsive rock song, this band's only real hit made it to number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band did have a couple of other minor hits on the hard rock charts, but this song is their most well-known by far. It's a song that's constantly on the verge of exploding, and it's still well-regarded today. It may not have made the band a success story, but it certainly gave us a song worth remembering.
"You Sing a Sad Song Just to Turn it Around"
Providing the backdrop for the departure of American Idol contestants for an entire season, this 2000's one hit wonder was huge for months in America. Unfortunately, the singer and songwriter behind it failed to land another song in the Billboard Hot 100. This song climbed to the top of the charts in April of 2006, and stayed there for five weeks. It was the biggest single of the entire year, but that doesn't mean its writer had much future success.
"If I Lay Here, If I Just Lay Here"
Although it only hit number five on the Billboard Hot 100, this one hit wonder has had a legacy that far outstrips its position on the charts. The soft rock ballad's catchy chorus and infectious tone struck a chord with many listeners, and the song has proven to have incredible staying power. Part of that staying power probably comes from the song's simplicity, which also might have helped it become the most played song of the decade in the United Kingdom.
"When the Party Was Nice, the Party Was Bumpin'"
Although this song peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, it's hard to argue that it had no lasting impact. This song was the perfect combination of strange subject matter and infectious chorus, and it became something of a sensation very quickly. The group behind the song never had another hit, but this 2000 hit was more than enough to allow them to make an impact. This party song burned bright, and was gone just as quickly as it had come.
"I Saw Your Face in a Crowded Place"
This One Hit Wonder from the 2000's was sublimely sappy, but the artist behind it failed to churn up any more pop ballads of equal tenderness. The song was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in March of 2006, but the singer's next single, "Goodbye My Lover," only ever made it to the number 66 spot. Tender as his vocals might be, this singer couldn't manage to scrounge up another song as inescapable as his first hit, which still infects brains to this day.
"Touching You, Touching Me"
This one hit wonder is really timeless, but it was first released in 2003. This thoroughly weird pop rock song actually never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, but it's lasted a really long time in spite of that. Filled with a number of catchy hooks and a falsetto filled vocal track, the song was built for a niche audience, which has only expanded in the years since its release. The band behind the track broke up from 2006-2011, but are happily reunited today, though they've never produced another hit.
"Even the Best Fall Down Sometimes"
One of the many acoustic guitar ballads that were common in the 2000's, this one-hit-wonder features pretty sappy lyrics, but also an undeniably catchy chorus. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its singer would never reach those heights again. Eventually, his career would become plagued by scandal after he locked one of his fans in the bathroom of his tour bus and destroyed another fan's phone. Apparently, the soft lyrics aren't a full reflection of the person who wrote them.
"I'm Not a Perfect Person"
One of the moodiest songs in a decade filled with moody songs, this one hit wonder is all about discovering who you are after meeting some one you love. It starts with plenty of self-deprecation before it becomes a full-fledged love song. The song was released in 2003, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Although the band that charted this mega-hit failed to follow it up in a substantial way, their legacy lives on in this whiny anthem of love and loss.
"Dude I Don't Care I'm a P.I.M.P"
Arriving on the music scene in 2004, this song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and is still Kanye West's favorite song of all time. Although Kanye considers himself to be the king of hip hop, he holds a soft spot in his heart for this tune, even though its creator didn't have much more success for the remainder of his career. Still, if you're going to have one claim to fame, making Kanye West's favorite song isn't a bad way to go.
"I Don't Know Where You're Going, And I Don't Know Why"
The song that spawned a million remixes, this song was a big hit when it was released in 2004, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The original tune is pretty stripped down, featuring only a piano and raw lead vocals, but subsequent versions added a variety of different elements. Although the band behind the song never had another hit, they certainly made the most of the one they had, so much so that the song still feels unavoidable today.
"She's All I Want and I've Waited for so Long"
This pop rock song is still well-known today, but the band behind the hit never managed to produce anything that lived up to its heights. Although it only peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, Wikipedia claims the song was one of the first to hit number one in the iTunes store. Needless to say, the song has had quite an extensive after-life, and has been repurposed for a variety of different movies and TV shows with varying success.
"If I Could, Then I Would"
An enormous hit on the Adult Top 40 charts, this song also made it all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was released in 2001. Unfortunately, the band behind the hit song failed to have success with their follow-ups. Thankfully, they left us with one worth remembering before they faded into obscurity. This song is filled with angst, longing, and a feeling of love lost. All of these qualities existed in abundance during the 2000's.
"I Said Release Me"
With the sultry vocals of Adele, this artist burst onto the scene with this song, which peaked at number 27 on the BIllboard Hot 100. Although she didn't have the lasting legacy that Adele would, her debut song has all of the best elements of Adele's fusion of R&B and soul sensibilities. Featuring strong backing vocals and a catchy, soulful melody, the song put audiences under her spell. Unfortunately, the singer behind the track had trouble following it up, and never charted another hit.
"Annie Are You Okay? Are You Okay Annie?"
Actually a cover of a popular 80's tune, this version took a slightly different tone than the original. Re-imagining the pop song with distorted guitars and an angry lead vocal performance, the song charted for the band that produced it, but proved to be their only hit. It's an excellent reimagining of a hugely influential song from a seismic artist, but the band couldn't find an audience for their original work. Peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was their only hit.
"I Can Keep Rhythm With No Metronome"
This song only reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, but its central hook is so catchy that its defied its short life on the charts. Although the band behind the hit has yet to produce a follow-up, this song follows the proud tradition of bands like The Gorillaz, merging the world of hip hop with the world of rock in truly interesting ways. They haven't had the same prolonged success as the Gorillaz, but this song will live on forever.
"If Yo' Mama Gave it to You Baby Girl Let it Show"
This one hit wonder is best known for its chorus, and it peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The artist behind the song goes by a fake name, but the song itself is quite real, and it inspired a hip hop dance craze. The hip hop genre has had its fair share of influential one hit wonders, but this song is one of the biggest. With a legacy that outlasted the artist who created it, it's still influencing modern hip hop.
"You'll Have Me Suicidal, Suicidal When You Say It's Over"
This reggae-influenced hit was its singer's debut single. Unfortunately, it was also the largest hit of his career by a mile. The song made it all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 following its release in 2007, and proved that reggae was very much alive and well in American music. Although the song was enormously popular, its singer hasn't managed to make anything that can live up to its success. Still, this one hit wonder is well worth jamming to.
"Honey Why You Calling Me So Late?"
The first line to a soft rock song for the ages, this mid-2000s track was a mainstay at middle school dances across the country. The song made it to number three on the Billboard Hot 100, but the band behind it never managed to chart a hit that big throughout the rest of their career. It's true, of course, that they've had some moderate success on the modern rock charts in the years since this 2006 hit, but this song was definitely their crowning achievement.
"Take Me on a Trip I'd Love to Go Some Day"
Sung by a Brit with some help from a hugely popular American rapper, this song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and was widely regarded as one of the best songs released in 2008. In spite of all of that acclaim, the singer behind the song failed to chart another hit stateside, which is a shame. Her unique vocal style and engaging lyrics suggested a great deal of promise. Of course, not every promising artist pans out in the end.
"'Cause She's Bittersweet, She Knocks Me Off of My Feet"
Although this group never had a song that cracked the top ten, their biggest hit did manage to snag the number 11 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. One of many songs released in the 2000's that's both in ode to a woman and a criticism of her, this 2005 hit couldn't be more of its era if it tried. Complete with overdriven guitars and a vocal performance involving falsetto, it perfectly encapsulates one genre of music that was enormously popular in the 2000's.
"Bounce With it, Drop With it, Lean With it, Rock With it"
Featuring a fairly big rapper from the 2000s, this song soared all the way to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although the all-girl group behind the song failed to chart another hit, at least thus far. Still this 2006 song is worth remembering, in part because it feels very of a piece with the moment in which it was created. Everything from the vocals to the beat seems very 2006, and it's hard to imagine it any other way.
"Closed Off From Love, I Didn't Need the Pain"
This one hit wonder had one of the biggest hits of the decade, but she wasn't able to follow that song up with another hit. The heartache and longing described in the song's lyrics coupled with a truly outstanding vocal performance made the song inescapable in the weeks and months after the song's release. It was one of the 20 most successful songs of the 2000s, but the singer behind the enormous hit failed to follow it up with much more commercial success.
"Springsteen, Madonna, Way Before Nirvana There Was U2 and Blondie"
As undeniably infectious as this song is, the band behind it was unable to reproduce its singular magic. A song about nostalgia that has a distinctly 2000's feel, it managed to cross the divide between the past and the present to create something that everyone could appreciate. With its fairly iconic chorus and its hooky guitar licks, this one hit wonder is truly one of a kind. It's poppy and rocky, and does both very well, which is probably why people still remember it today.