20+ One Hit Wonders From Modern History And What They Look Like Today

Some songs do more than climb the charts, they define an era, then leave the artist forever tied to one unforgettable hit. That is the strange magic of the one-hit wonder, where a single track can turn a singer into a household name almost overnight.

This roundup looks at artists who broke through with one massive song and then faded from the mainstream spotlight, even if their names still ring a bell today. From late-90s pop to early-2000s radio staples, these are the faces behind the tracks people still know by heart.

Scroll through the list and see how many of these familiar names you still recognize instantly.

1. Lou Bega of "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...)", 1999

Ariola Records

Here's what he looks like today:

Tristar Media / Getty Images

Go listen to "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...)" here for a trip down memory lane!

2. Natalie Imbruglia of "Torn", 1997

RCA

Here's what she looks like today:

David M. Benett / Dave Benett / Getty Images

3. Sisqó of "Thong Song", 2000

Def Soul

Here's what he looks like today:

Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

Listen to the "Thong Song" here:

4. Cassie of "Me & U", 2006

Next Selection / Bad Boy / Atlantic

Here's what she looks like today:

cassie

Listen to "Me & U" here:

5. James Blunt of "You're Beautiful", 2005

Atlantic Records / Custard

Here's what he looks like today:

David M. Benett / Dave Benett / Getty Images for Loci

Listen to his hit song here:

6. Sean Kingston of "Beautiful Girls", 2007

Epic Records

Here's what he looks like now:

seankingston

Listen to "Beautiful Girls" here:

7. Macy Gray of "I Try", 1999

Epic / Clean Slate

Here's what she looks like today:

Arturo Holmes / Getty Images

Listen to "I Try" here:

8. Gavin DeGraw of "I Don't Want to Be", 2004

J Records

Here's what he looks like today:

Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images

Listen to his hit song here:

9. Estelle of "American Boy", 2008

Atlantic / HomeSchool

Here's what she looks like today:

Jack Vartoogian / Getty Images

Listen to her song here:

10. Willa Ford of "I Wanna Be Bad", 2001:

Lava / Atlantic

Here's what she looks like today:

Michael Tullberg / Getty Images

Listen to "I Wanna Be Bad" here:

While you’re here, check out the Old Masters portraits that act like the original influencers.

11. Amerie of "1 Thing", 2005

Columbia

Here's what she looks like today:

amerie

Listen to "1 Thing" here:

12. Trace Cyrus (Metro Station) of "Shake It", 2008:

Columbia

Here's what he looks like today:

tracecyrus

13. Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes) of "What's Up?", 1993

Interscope

Here's what she looks like today:

Kurt Krieger - Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images

Listen to "What's Up?" here:

14. Sir Mix-a-Lot of "Baby Got Back", 1992

Def American / Reprise

Here's what he looks like today:

Scott Dudelson / Getty Images

Listen to "Baby Got Back" here:

15. Vanessa Carlton of "A Thousand Miles", 2002

AM

Here's what she looks like today:

Bruce Glikas / Bruce Glikas / WireImage / Getty Images

Listen to "A Thousand Miles" here:

16. Tweet of "Oops (Oh My)", 2002

The Goldmind / Elektra

Here's what she looks like today:

Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Listen to "Oops (Oh My)" here:

17. Eamon of "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)", 2003

Jive

Here's what he looks like now:

eamonofficial

Listen to "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" here:

18. Afroman of "Because I Got High", 2001

T-Bones / Universal / Uptown

Here's what he looks like today:

Paul Archuleta / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Listen to "Because I Got High" here:

19. Nina Sky of "Move Ya Body", 2004:

Universal / Next Plateau

Here's what she looks like now:

Andrew Toth / Getty Images for MoMA

Listen to "Move Ya Body" here:

20. Kevin Lyttle of "Turn Me On", 2003:

Atlantic

Here's what he looks like today:

Johnny Nunez / WireImage / Getty Images

Listen to "Turn Me On" here:

21. Lene Nystrøm and Renée Dif (Aqua) of "Barbie Girl", 1997:

Universal / MCA

Here's what they look like today:

Sam Tabone / WireImage / Getty Images

Listen to "Barbie Girl" here!

22. J-Kwon of "Tipsy", 2004:

So So Def / Arista

Here's what he looks like now:

jkwon_duh_don

Listen to "Tipsy" here:

23. Ryan Cabrera of "On the Way Down", 2004

Atlantic

Here's what he looks like now:

Michael Tran / Getty Images

Listen to "On the Way Down" here:

24. Baha Men of "Who Let the Dogs Out", 2000

S-Curve

Here's what they look like today:

bahamenmusic

Listen to "Who Let The Dogs Out" here!

25. Vitamin C of "Graduation (Friends Forever)", 2000:

Elektra

Here's what she looks like today:

Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

Listen to "Graduation (Friends Forever)" here:

It was nice taking a trip down memory lane with these songs and artists, right? It's unfortunate that they only had one song that became a hit, but at least they are embedded in our minds forever!

Comment with your thoughts or share this article with all your family and friends, especially the music lovers!

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