The 1990s were filled to the brim with one-hit wonders. The music industry was flowing with revenue. (A far cry from the economic turmoil that comes with making records today.) Pop stars felt like supernovas, different genres all felt distinct from one another, and they could all thrive equally. Maybe it’s indicative of a time before we all became infatuated with our screens. Maybe it just seemed rosier at the time because the Cold War was over.
Regardless, this state of the music industry allowed for a litany of different one-hit wonders throughout the 90s. Sure, there was a fair share of gimmick songs that were only good for one record anyway. Think “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” or “Mambo No. 5”. However, there were some songs so good that the artist couldn’t even begin to conjure up anything comparable.
With that, we take a look at four one-hit wonders that deserve a revisit. In a day and age where any old record could find new life on the Billboard Hot 100 due to social media, who knows what could come back? Why not satiate that nostalgia or envision a rosier future?
Four 90s One-Hit Wonders That Deserve a Comeback
“Steal My Sunshine” by Len
For a Canadian alternative rock band, Len really distills the essence of the ocean side. “Steal My Sunshine” feels like the sand between your toes, the smell of salt water, and the cheapest beer you could get your hands on. Lead singer Marc Costanzo comes across as meat-headed but not quite posturing like a jock. Instead, his voice is raspy enough to suggest he smokes weed and plays more hacky-sack than plays football. There’s a pure, irresistible bliss to “Steal My Sunshine” that will resonate for a lifetime.
“I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis
Have you ever heard a song so catchy that it almost felt menacing? Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever” can induce psychosis with its dizzyingly catchy hook. It teeters between primitive and seemingly mythical, the kind of chorus that existed for eons. But in 1996, she crafted her only hit, peaking at number 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100, falling short of the infamous “Macarena“. Lewis leaves no doubt in her romantic flame. She will love you. Always. Forever.
“Lovefool” by The Cardigans
The thing about love is that we’re destined to fall for it again and again. It’s so intoxicating that you have to be a real hardened cynic to deny its whims. Even the most calloused person is capable of softening to the enchantment of love. Another thing about love is that it can breed desperation. Something The Cardigans put on display in high definition with “Lovefool”.
Lead singer Nina Persson sweetly croons that she’d rather be lied to than not have anything to hold onto at all. It’s quietly really sad, but her saccharine melody goes from a sweet tooth to a nagging cavity. It makes sense that Baz Luhrmann was so eager to use this for his Romeo & Juliet film. “Lovefool” is the kind of delirious record that Shakespeare would’ve imagined for his two star-crossed lovers back in his day.
“You Get What You Give” by New Radicals
Few things capture fiery youth quite like “You Get What You Give”. It’s not nearly as jaded or cynical about life to the point of rolling over and giving up. On the contrary, they look at it as all the more reason to be passionate and challenge the establishment. Conformity is the death knell of our lives, merely skating by for the sake of not dying yet. But “You Get What You Give” motivates us to make the most of this life and everything it gives, the good and the bad.
Lead singer Gregg Alexander put it best when he spoke to Billboard back in late 1997. “It is mostly about remembering to fly high and be completely off your head in a world where we can’t control all the elements. You have to maintain balance because you only get what you give,” he says. “You Get What You Give” is the eternal reminder that we only get one life. You don’t want to have regrets by the end of it.
The post 4 1990s One-Hit Wonders That Deserve a Revisit appeared first on VICE.
