What we get wrong about one-hit wonders

There’s a certain snobbiness we can’t help feeling towards a one-hit wonder. They’re fun, a hit for a reason, but ultimately they’re not that serious. If they were worth remembering, they’d have given us more reasons to do so, right?

Plenty of people in other industries are known and respected for reaching the pinnacle of their careers—MVPs, CEOs, XYZ Prize Winners—but the one-hit wonder doesn’t get the same love. I’m sure Eagle-Eye Cherry hasn’t bought himself a drink in years, but he also isn’t being asked to guest conduct the symphony.

It’s almost like these artists are being punished rather than celebrated for their success. I’m thinking about bands like Blind Melon or Deep Blue Something (if you also have a soft spot for the 90s), but also any band that saw commercial success with a debut album and was derided for not using the same playbook for the next one. These acts reached the top of the mountain and were then judged not by their willingness to keep taking on that same challenge, but by their failure to measure up.

Next time you find yourself in a karaoke room, make sure to salute these guys not only for their contribution to the song catalog but also for their will to keep going in the face of expectations that few have been able to meet.