The 90s were teeming with one-hit wonders, so many that it’s often difficult to narrow down our favorites. In 1990 specifically, several stand out. These three, however, refuse to be forgotten, for better or worse.
“Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic
Belgian group Technotronic released “Pump Up the Jam” on their 1989 debut Pump Up the Jam: The Album. With a colorful, psychedelic music video, the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, becoming a staple of the new millennium. It was a huge hit in its native country, topping the Belgian charts as well as several other European lists.
Technotronic never replicated the success of “Pump Up the Jam”, at least not in the U.S. They became a one-hit wonder, and sometimes a running joke. But the song was an interesting blend of rap and house music that wasn’t widespread at the time. However ridiculous the song seems to modern standards, there’s no denying how catchy that beat is.
“Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
Canadian singer Alannah Myles released “Black Velvet” on her debut self-titled album in 1989, although it was released as a worldwide single in 1990. It reached No. 1 on two Billboard charts, the Hot 100 and Album Rock Tracks, as well as No. 2 in the U.K. “Black Velvet” was also a Top 10 hit in Canada.
The song got Myles signed to Atlantic Records, but made her a one-hit wonder in the U.S. However, she had several more successful hits in her native Canada. Still, “Black Velvet” endeared itself to the American audience, probably because it was technically a tribute song to Elvis Presley. Atlantic Records even released a country version by Robin Lee four months after Myles’ rock ballad, but it didn’t have the same hold on listeners that Myles’ original did.
“The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground
“The Humpty Dance” was really strange when it came out in January 1990, and it’s still really strange 36 years later. Of course, that’s by design, as Digital Underground was leaning towards a more whimsical image than originally planned. With Shock G on the mic, “The Humpty Dance” made decent headway on several Billboard charts.
It hit No. 11 on the pop chart and No. 7 on the R&B chart. But its crowning achievement was topping the Rap Singles chart. MTV was a big fan of “The Humpty Dance” as well, apparently. It was nominated for Best Rap Video at the 1990 MTV VMAs, but lost to MC Hammer. However, it has since been named one of the greatest songs of the 90s on several different VH1 lists. Still, Digital Underground is considered a one-hit wonder for “The Humpty Dance”. But what a wonderfully ridiculous one-hit it is.
Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns
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