Music lovers have heated debate online over 'best one hit wonder ever'

People have been debating the greatest one hit wonders ever - and there are some clear favourites.

Music lovers are famously some of the most argumentative people around, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Whether it’s insisting their favourite artist is the best and anyone else suggesting otherwise is ridiculous, or insisting objectively an artist they dislike is s**t.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an objective answer to these questions – but that hasn’t stopped music fans from digging deep into a debate on a huge topic: the best one hit wonder ever.

There is something beautiful about a one hit wonder.

Musicians will flit into our lives, leave a song that is stuck in your head for years, then return to the mountains never to be heard from again (or so it feels).

The debate was sparked by the fact that, supposedly, yesterday was ‘national one hit wonder day’.

While this sounds like a bunch of made-up nonsense, it has understandably led to a great deal of furore online about what deserves that title.

One tweet that began an online debate read: “Happy National One-Hit Wonder Day!

“What is one of your favorite one-hit wonders? I'll start: 'Come on Eileen'.”

Happy National One-Hit Wonder Day!

What is one of your favorite one-hit wonders?

I'll start: Come on Eileen pic.twitter.com/3EXSt05FkX

— Jeff Whitmire (@JeffWhitmire1) September 25, 2024

Honestly, the debate may have simply been ended in one tweet – because 'Come on Eileen' is an absolutely iconic song and if you put a gun to my head and told me to name another song by Dexys Midnight Runners, I’d tell you to pull the trigger.

One answer in the replies pointed to 'I’m Too Sexy' by Right Said Fred, whilst another said: “If you want to be technical, Dream Theater's 'Pull Me Under'.

“Despite having an amazing catalogue of songs, 'Pull Me Under' was their only hit AND it was during the height of Grunge.”

Another thread under Pop Crave started with the suggestion of Gotye’s 'Somebody That I Used to Know'.

This on pure streams may be one of the biggest, with the song amassing over 1.8 billion streams on Spotify, and 2.3 billion views on YouTube.

Another replied saying 'very jealous of this man', and put a picture of PSY, who with 'Gangnam Style' blows Gotye out the water with 5.2 billion views on YouTube, however only (used liberally here) 500 million views.

Me to all the people replying with Carly Rae Jepsen pic.twitter.com/TUIHEgfwFD https://t.co/MhT8caqndJ

— @PumpkinSpiceCup 🌺🌸🌹🌻🌼🌷 (@PumpkinSpiceCup) September 25, 2024

Whilst many were calling Carly Rae Jepsen a one hit wonder for 'Call Me Maybe', but her fans were customarily… let’s say polite, in their disagreement with this.

The same happened for Rebecca Black and 'Friday', while another pointed to Rick Astley’s 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.

Regardless, we were never going to all agree.