Just because these artists only had one hit doesn’t mean they only had one good song.
One hit wonders. We love them for a brief moment but have seemingly zero interest in hearing anything from them ever again. Sadly, what this means is quite a few artists who make really good music have almost all of that music ignored by the masses.
The ‘90s were a time that featured a plethora of one hit wonders, and while some deservedly earned that title, others had quality follow up singles we just happened to ignore. Here are 8 such artists, and their surprisingly good follow up singles.
Orgy – “Stitches”
While Orgy’s cover of "Blue Monday" brought them to their pinnacle of popularity, their follow up, "Stitches," never cracked the Billboard Hot 100. That’s a shame, because it may actually be a better song. The biggest chart accomplishment for "Stitches," which was released in 1999, was that it reached #18 on the US Alternative Songs chart.
Blind Melon – “I Wonder”
When you see the name Blind Melon you instantly think of the bee girl, and the band’s ubiquitous hit “No Rain.” Sporting a remarkably different tone, the band released the grunge influenced "I Wonder" as the follow up single in 1992. The track didn’t strike a chord with listeners, but the video predicted the mud people of Woodstock '94, an event that featured Blind Melon on the bill.
Luscious Jackson – “Under Your Skin”
The follow up to "Naked Eye," Luscious Jackson released "Under Your Skin" in 1997. The very cool mixture of downtempo, rock, pop and hip-hop still sounds amazing today, even if it didn’t become a hit for the band.
Snow – “Girl I've Been Hurt”
There was no way Snow could have possibly topped “Informer,” his mega-hit that spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 back in 1993. That said, “Girl I’ve Been Hurt” was a follow up single that deserved way more spins than it was given. (The fur bikinis in the video were a nice visual bonus for some of us.)
Digable Planets – “Where I'm From”
Released in 1993 as the follow up to "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," "Where I'm From" wasn't nearly as big a hit for Digable Planets, but it’s still a fantastic song. Of course, most Digable Planets songs are fantastic songs!
Skee-Lo – “Top Of The Stairs”
When you think of Skee-Lo, his incredibly fun 1995 hit “I Wish” probably pops into your head. Amongst all his wishes, however, he forgot to wish for people to have a longer attention span, as his follow up single, the socially conscious “Top Of The Stairs,” failed to catch listeners’ attention despite being a really good, thought-provoking, song.
Vengaboys – “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!”
In 1999 everyone wanted to board the Vengabus, as "We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)" reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. The ride, however, was a short one, as The Vengaboys’ equally fun follow up single, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!," topped out at #84. There seems to be more of an appreciation for “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!” in retrospect, as it currently has double the YouTube views of its predecessor.
Aqua – “Lollipop (Candyman)”
If you’re anything like us, just seeing a Barbie doll will result in the chorus of Aqua’s incredibly cheesy, wildly addictive, 1997 dance pop hit “Barbie Girl” getting stuck in your head. Sadly, US success was short lived for the band, as their follow up single, "Lollipop (Candyman)" failed to crack the Top 20. That said, if you liked “Barbie Girl,” there really isn’t any reason you wouldn’t like "Lollipop (Candyman)."