For BlocBoy JB, who worked for years to land a smash on the charts, being a one-hit wonder was a blessing: “Look Alive,” his 2018 smash with Drake, turned him into a sought-after rapper and producer, and he collaborated afterward with Childish Gambino on “This Is America.” For Taylor Gayle Rutherfurd, or GAYLE, who wrote 2022’s kiss-off “abcdefu” in the tradition of CeeLo Green and Harry Nilsson, it was not all roses — TikTokers bullied her for her success, saying, “You don’t deserve to be here.”
Here at Billboard, we view being a one-hit wonder as an achievement, and not just for the streaming, sales and airplay: So many songs that fall into this category are classics in their own right, and it’s only a coincidence of timing, culture and business that their performers did not manage more hits. Anyway, unless you’re a baseball pitcher, being a one-hit wonder is better than being a no-hit wonder.
Below are the 25 most-consumed one-hit wonders of the 21st century, from mass viral crazes like Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” (which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100) and Silento’s “Watch Me” (No. 3 Hot 100 peak) to unexpected lightning bolts like Passenger’s busking signature “Let Her Go” (No. 5) to more broadly successful artists who just happened to moonlight on the Hot 100 like Steve Lacy (“Bad Habit,” No. 1), Jimmy Eat World (“The Middle,” No. 5) and Glass Animals (“Heat Waves,” which hit No. 1 and set an all-time record, too).
Wear a helmet, do the stanky legg and scream “abcdefu” at somebody while reading this.
This list includes acts that have logged exactly one Hot 100 hit, in a lead role, between charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 28, 2024. Songs are ranked based on performance on the chart in that span via an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
