As it relates to one hit wonders - there are many, but the two quintessential one hit wonders of the 90s to me are the New Radicals and Semisonic. Those were both REALLY good songs! Like, those seemed like they may be bands with staying power. Many of the other one hit wonders of the era were novelty songs, to me. I didn't need to listen to a Harvey Danger or Chumbawumba album to know that those bands sucked. Here's another one nobody has mentioned yet. How about Dishwalla - Counting Blue Cars ? That was a huge song.
I can talk about Everclear for days. That was my favorite band of that era and I honestly think Sparkle and Fade may be my most listened to album EVER. One of the only records I just never got sick of. Songs like "Summerland" and "Twistinside" are better than any of their hits ever were. Super, SUPER underrated great band. If anyone here thinks of them as a one-hit wonder, you should check their albums out. I legitimately enjoy everything in their entire discography, although the last album (and his recent solo album) are starting to run out of steam.
Getting away from one-hit wonders, for a second. I'm an album guy. Here is a list of bands I like from the 90s that many would think of as over the hill or never was, who are actually really good bands who put out some really terrific, consistent albums. Everyone listed here, I would still buy their album if they put one out today. Everclear 3EB Counting Crows Live Collective Soul Our Lady Peace Blind Melon The Wallflowers Fuel Here is a list of even less famous bands who also are/were (shockingly) really good. Not even kidding, even recent albums from these bands are solid, for the most part. Toadies The Verve Pipe Tonic The Nixons Lit Seven Mary Three Oleander Bowling For Soup Better than Ezra Marvelous 3 Collective Soul in particular has had a HIGHLY underrated and consistent career. Every single album they have released is excellent. They have a formula that works and they stick to it. I can talk the shit out of the 90's titans too (Pearl Jam, AIC, Soundgarden, Nirvana, STP, Pumpkins, Oasis, Foo, Green Day, RHCP, etc) but I assume this thread is not really meant for those bands :)
Chumbawamba is known for Tubthumping, but that song is hardly representative of their sound... they were an anarcho-communist punk rock band that explored a lot of different genres over 16 albums. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I suspect they would be a lot more well respected if that song hadn't been a massive hit.
When I first got Spotify 10 years ago, one of the first playlists I put together was of my favorite 90s "one-hit wonders". A few of these bands you could make an argument that they had more than one HIT, but most of them are known by the casual listener as one-hit wonders. It's still one of my favorite playlists I've made. I'm also definitely up for adding to it if I missed any big ones. I obviously tried to keep it in the rock/alternative genres. The 90s Were Better Than Everything. Volume 1 - One Hitters
I did a Volume 2 of course, with all the BIG name bands, just trying to pick one song from each band, which was a tough ask in most cases. The 90s Were Better Than Everything. Volume 2 - Heavy Hitters
I had this CD. I don't really remember many of the songs on it, but I remember they made it look like a penny.
Whoa! Hadn't looked at the full list in a while, and noticed that a few tracks were grayed out because they had been taken off Spotify and then re-added in a remastered format or something. Can't be missing: Sponge - "Plowed" Sugar - "Believe What You're Saying"
Oh, huh, I guess the album version did come out in 2000. I remember first hearing it in '99 when it won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
Does anyone remember this one!? It was in the soundtrack to Dumb & Dumber - another one that got taken off of Spotify so now it's not on my list.
Agreed - tough to call them "one-hitter" but had to make those calls on quite a handful of bands when putting together that playlist. "Wax Ecstatic" the song still bangs.
Right, didn't mean to critique, I think they're a 1-hit wonder in most people's minds, meant to just say, YAY SPONGE. Plowed, Wax Ecstatic, and Molly are the 3 I always liked.
The pinnacle, at least in popular achievement, of the 90s alt rock/pop rock sound is definitely Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind right? I know Goo Goo Dolls were mentioned in the Wallflowers thread but I always thought of them as more a soft rock/pop band more so than Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind who were going for a more rock sound (though Matchbox 20 is borderline there too lol)
I like the Goo Goo Dolls' hits, their one non-hit I really dig is Ain't That Unusual, that song is greatness