One-hit wonders are the gift that does not keep on giving. But, they’re a gift nonetheless. These guys gave us some of the catchiest, most irresistible pop, hip hop and rock music of the decade… and then they vanished into thin air. How well do you know your one-hit wonders? Here are nine of the best disappearing acts this decade.
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Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know (2011): This song topped the charts in the UK, the US, and 24 other countries… But, like a flash in the pan, it was absolutely everywhere, and then nowhere at all. Belgian-Australian singer Gotye, 40, won three Grammy Awards for this song, and his third studio album, ‘Making Mirrors’ (2011). He hasn’t released another album since then, but in July of this year, he released a live album.
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Vance Joy - Riptide (2013): Every budding musician has learnt this on the ukulele or guitar. ‘Riptide’ is irresistible — the melody, the hook… it’s basically the equivalent to the sand on your skin after a day at the pool. Good luck getting it out. What is Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy up to now? Well, after his debut EP in 2013, which had ‘Riptide’ on it, he released two albums, ‘Dream Your Life Away’ (2014) and ‘Nation of Two’ (2018). However, ‘Riptide’ remains his only global hit.
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Foster the People - Pumped up Kicks (2010): Remember ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, the deceivingly up tempo pop track about school shootings? Mark Foster actually wrote the Grammy-nominated track while he was working as a commercial jingle writer. The band released two more albums after. Though ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ is their biggest song, they were also nominated for a Grammy for their ‘Houdini’ music video in 2013, and at the Billboard Music Awards in 2019 for ‘Sit Next to Me’.
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Lumineers - Ho Hey (2010): The band have said that they are more than a one-hit wonder and to fans, that rings true. But for a casual global audience flipping through the radio, ‘Ho Hey’ is their most memorable hit. The track, from their debut album, peaked at No 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, their second album, ’Cleopatra’, actually charted higher than their first. They released a third album, ‘III’, last year.
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Psy - Gangnam Style (2012): Yup, ‘Gangnam Style’ may seem like ancient history, but it released in this decade. The song’s popular dance created a global frenzy, it was even attempted by politicians such as British PM David Cameron and US president Barack Obama. The international breakthrough came six albums in for South Korean singer Psy. His latest album released in 2017.
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Icona Pop - I Love It (2012): The Swedish duo hit the big time with ‘I Love It’ featuring XCX Charlie. But they haven’t released any more studio albums since their 2013 sophomore album ‘Icona Pop’… instead, they released a few EPs, including ‘Emergency’ in 2015 and another in 2017.
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Magic! - Rude (2013): Canadian band Magic debuted with the single ‘Rude’, which reached a global audience. Palestinian-Canadian frontman Nasri released three albums in total with the band, with ‘Expectation’s being their last in 2018. The band has been pretty much MIA since — Nasri only has two posts on his Instagram page, and the latest is cover of ‘Fix You’ from 2016.
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OMI - Cheerleader (2012): It’s been eight years, but it feels like we just managed to get this song out of our heads. Jamaican singer Omi went international with No 1 hit ‘Cheerleader’, but it actually released before OMI had an album out. In 2015 he released his debut album ‘Me 4 U’ with ‘Cheerleader’ on it, but he hasn’t released any other albums since.
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Passenger - Let Her Go (2012): ‘Let Her Go’ is Passenger’s only massive global hit. But the prolific English singer-songwriter has continued to release a steady stream of music since ’All the Little Lights’, the album that house ‘Let Her Go’, dropped in 2012. His eleventh studio album, ‘Patchwork’, released in July this year. All profits from the album go to a charity that aims to end the need for food banks in the UK.
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