The 1990s. Well, what do we think? The decade brought us grunge and Britpop, and lots of other forms of lesser pop. Was the decade a good one for music? Let's say it wasn't the 1970s.
But like every decade, the 1990s brought us a ton of one-hit wonders. Some of these songs left us hoping the musical artist would put out a lot more music. In some cases, they did, and it was terrible.
In fact, let's be real. In all the cases below, the musical artist (a phrase that is stretched to reality with these performers) should have never even recorded their one hit. We would all be better off if they hadn't.
These 1990s one-hit wonders did not deserve their one popular song
Vanilla Ice - "Ice Ice Baby" (1990)
- Reach number 1 on US Billboard 100
The key riff is stolen from Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," of course, although Vanilla Ice pathetically tried to argue that the riffs were different by just one note. The shame is that the already shallow song seems even more so after credit for the hook was not initially given. Vanilla Ice was a wannabe, and he pretended not to be.
Oddly, Vanilla Ice has remained somewhat in the public eye over the years as he is not afraid to sell his artistic soul for a dollar or two. The shame is that we helped him get wealthy by buying his drivel in the first place.
House of Pain - "Jump Around" (1992)
- Reached number 3 on US Billboard 100
This article won't be all about supposed hip-hop stars. But we cannot go through the 1990s without a couple of one-hit wonders that shouldn't have been, including the faux parts of the genre. After all, Vanilla Ice's tune was the first hip-hop track ever to hit number one, and there were far better songs that had done it first.
House of Pain was always a lie. If one were to ask where the duo, including Everlast, was from, one might have suggested Boston. The video for the song seemed to try to win over the Boston Irish to the group's side. Instead, Everlast is from Los Angeles, and his actual surname, Schrody, is German.
Anything to make a buck, it seems. Plus, the song is fluffy silly.
Seven Mary Three - "Cumbersome" (1996)
- Reached number 39 on US Billboard 100
This isn't a bad song, but its form seems easily repeatable. The odd part is that Seven Mary Three never could. This implies their one hit was an accident, and that makes it artistically more questionable.
It plods on, sure, and there is no anthemic chorus, but it's a decent listen on the radio. Just don't buy one of the group's albums or purchase tickets to one of their shows, because the depth of quality is lacking.
Marcy Playground - "Sex and Candy" (1998)
- Reached number 8 on US Billboard 100
Drone drone drone...That's how this song sounds, but it's also somehow infectious. And fun. And, well...good. This tune might not be kid-friendly, but many other songs by the group sound like children's lullabies. Maybe that makes them more creepy.
In fact, this song is a little creepy. Perhaps that is why we loved it so much? That makes us creepy too.
Shawn Mullins - "Lullaby"
- Reached number 7 on US Billboard 100
Mullins did have some success on the adult contemporary charts, but no one remembers those songs. We remember this one because it was overplayed and is massively saccharine. Mullins is probably a decent human being, but he might also be a bit like the character Tom from the Bridget Jones series.
Tom had one hit song and is living on the success of that. He has no intentions of recording a second. Mullins might be the same way, only we wish he hadn't ever recorded other songs based on this earworm that isn't valuable.