Ever wondered why ’90s one-hit wonders still make you smile? These catchy tunes from decades past hold a special power over our memories. They transport us back to simpler times with their unapologetic melodies and straightforward lyrics. The songs may have been dismissed as “cheesy,” but their cultural impact remains undeniable.
#30: “The Impression That I Get” – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Bosstones crashed into the mainstream with this infectious ska-punk anthem. Released in 1997 on “Let’s Face It,” its thumping bassline and blaring horns created the perfect storm of danceability and mosh-pit energy. The band fully leaned into their sometimes cheesy sound without apology, and it paid off—landing them at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #23 on the Hot 100. The song’s message about empathy actually has substance beneath all that brass. Certified Gold with over 500,000 copies sold, it remains a karaoke favorite that refuses to die.
#29: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” – Deep Blue Something
Ever notice how the sappiest songs seem to stick around forever? Deep Blue Something found their sweet spot with this ultra-catchy, sugary love song about a couple desperately clinging to their one common interest—a classic Audrey Hepburn movie. Written by Todd Pipes and released in 1995, this melodic guitar-driven track reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the UK Singles Chart. Critics slammed its simplistic lyrics, but that didn’t stop it from going Gold in both markets. It’s the musical equivalent of plain toast that somehow tastes amazing.
#28: “Nothin My Love Can’t Fix” – Joey Lawrence
Remember when TV stars thought they could sing? Joey Lawrence transformed from teen heartthrob to pop star with this bubblegum track that screams 1993. Written by Steve Barri, Tony Peluso, and Robbie Nevil, the song’s shameless optimism and cheesy production somehow worked in its favor, landing it at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its heavy MTV rotation helped launch Lawrence’s brief music career, though critics rolled their eyes at its manufactured teen pop vibe. Lawrence struggled to establish any long-term music success, making this the perfect one-hit wonder. Whoa!
#27: “I Wish” – Skee-Lo
Unlike his bragging contemporaries, Skee-Lo stood out by admitting he wished he “was a little bit taller” and “had a girl who looked good.” This underdog anthem resonated with anyone who’s ever felt inadequate, which is basically everyone. Released in 1995 and sampling Betty Wright’s “Clean Up Woman”, its honest portrayal of everyday insecurities made it climb to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track even scored a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996 and went Gold with 500,000+ copies sold—proof that sometimes, keeping it real pays off.
#26: “Return of the Mack” – Mark Morrison
Rather than deliver a typical breakup song, Morrison brought funk and swagger to his tale of betrayal. Written by Morrison and Phil Chill in 1996, its cool, infectious beat made dance floors erupt across the globe, pushing it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. The track went Platinum in both markets, selling over a million copies in the US alone. Despite this massive success, Morrison’s legal troubles tanked his career momentum. This song gathers dust in no one’s playlist.
#25: “Good Vibrations” – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Long before becoming a serious actor, Mark Wahlberg gave us this bombastic party anthem that dominated 1991. Written by Amir Quadeer Shakir and Wahlberg himself, its pounding beat and Wahlberg’s tough-guy attitude launched his entertainment career. The track featured vocals from Loleatta Holloway and topped the Billboard Hot 100. That memorable video showcasing Wahlberg’s physique didn’t hurt either. Certified Platinum and selling over a million copies, the song’s pure, unadulterated fun factor makes it impossible to hate, even when you want to.
#24: “In the Meantime” – Spacehog
British rock outfit Spacehog crafted this gem that hooks you with its mix of glam rock influences and futuristic touches. Written by Royston Langdon and released in 1995, this 4:58 track topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart while reaching #32 on the Hot 100. Langdon’s intense vocals combined with that distinctive bassline and spacey guitar effects earned the album Gold certification with 500,000+ copies sold. The song stands as a testament to 90s alternative rock that dared to be different—weird, magnetic, and impossible to categorize. It continues appearing in film and TV soundtracks to this day.
#23: “Achy Breaky Heart” – Billy Ray Cyrus
A country tune that launched a thousand line dances took music mainstream in the most polarizing way possible. Written by Don Von Tress and released in 1992, its super catchy melody and playful lyrics united fans across genres while making others cringe so hard they pulled muscles. Despite the haters, it hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the Hot Country Songs chart for 5 weeks, and went Platinum with over 2 million copies sold. Love it or hate it, you know every word.
#22: “Summer Girls” – LFO
Time travel to 1999 with this bizarre capsule that left everyone scratching their heads with lyrics about Chinese food making people sick and Abercrombie & Fitch. Written by Rich Cronin, the strange mix of boy band vibes with hip-hop flow somehow worked, landing at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and going Platinum with over a million copies sold. The song makes absolutely no sense—and that’s part of its charm. It became the defining song of the 1999 summer season, and the band sadly never replicated its success. Ask anyone about the late 90s, and they’ll likely quote this track.
#21: “Wiggle It” – 2 in a Room
Club energy surged through the speakers when this hip-house banger from 1990 dropped with its bouncy rhythm and hokey but undeniably catchy chorus. Written by Rafael Vargas and Elvin Rios, it climbed to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, becoming a party staple of the early 90s. The track perfectly captures that moment when dance music and rap were having their first major crossover moment. While exact sales figures aren’t available, it’s estimated to have sold over 500,000 copies. You can still hear its influence in clubs today.
#20: “Whoomp! (There It Is)” – Tag Team
Miami bass brought the ultimate party starter with its family-friendly lyrics about having fun with friends. Written by Cecil Glenn and Steve Gibson and released in 1993, its infectious energy kept it at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks. Tag Team captured pure, carefree joy in musical form—a track that still works when you need to get a reluctant crowd on their feet. The song went 4x Platinum, selling over 4 million copies, becoming one of 1993’s best-selling singles. When this drops at a wedding, watch the dance floor fill up.
#19: “MMMBop” – Hanson
Three brothers turned the music world upside down with this pop-rock phenomenon featuring an incredibly catchy chorus that masked a surprisingly deep message about cherishing relationships. Written by Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson and produced by the Dust Brothers in 1997, the sunny track topped the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 in 27 countries, confusing everyone who tried to figure out what “MMMBop” actually meant. Behind the bubblegum exterior lies a song about the fleeting nature of most relationships—making it both cheesy and secretly profound. The song earned two Grammy nominations and went 2x Platinum with over 2 million copies sold.
#18: “Sex and Candy” – Marcy Playground
Slithering through speakers everywhere, this quintessential 90s alt-rock hit from 1997 reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 with John Wozniak’s Cobain-esque vocals and that hypnotic post-grunge sound. Sex and Candy, written and produced by Wozniak alongside Noel Golden, the track’s blend of mystery and simplicity gave it staying power beyond most one-hit wonders. It spent an incredible 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and went Gold with 500,000+ copies sold. It’s the perfect example of how the 90s alternative scene could produce songs that were both accessible and just weird enough to stand out.
#17: “Rico Suave” – Gerardo
Latin hip hop crashed the mainstream party thanks to Gerardo and his track about success with the ladies. Written by Gerardo Mejía, Michael Closter, and Rosie Vela in 1990, its high energy beat and confident delivery pushed it to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song broke cultural barriers while simultaneously creating the template for cheesy pickup lines for years to come. Certified Gold with over 500,000 copies sold, Gerardo struggled to maintain long-term musical success, but his memorable music video and blend of English and Spanish lyrics helped popularize Latin hip-hop in the mainstream. Few songs balance cultural significance with pure cheese this perfectly.
#16: “Jump” – Kris Kross
Two 13-year-old rappers with backward clothes created a phenomenon with this Jermaine Dupri-produced track that sampled classic artists. Released in 1992, it jumped straight to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 8 weeks, becoming the fastest-selling single in 15 years. The song went 2x Platinum with over 2 million copies sold and became an anthem for a generation of kids who suddenly all wanted to wear their clothes backward. Its youthful energy and catchy hook make it the perfect 90s time capsule.
#15: “One of Us” – Joan Osborne
Philosophical questions rarely make hit singles, but this thought-provoking song from 1995 speculates about God being “one of us,” challenging traditional notions of spirituality with its accessible folk-rock sound. Written by Eric Bazilian and produced by Rick Chertoff, the song sparked conversations about faith in living rooms across America. Its easy listening quality made deep theological questions suddenly radio-friendly—a rare feat that helped it reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track earned three Grammy nominations and Gold certification with over 500,000 copies sold, though it proved controversial among some religious groups. Osborne struggled to replicate this mainstream success.
#14: “Informer” – Snow
A white Canadian rapper somehow created a reggae/hip-hop fusion track about his incarceration that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 weeks in 1992. Informer, written by Darrin O’Brien, MC Shan, and Edmond Leary, its distinctive sound and rapid-fire lyrics that almost no one could understand became its calling card. Despite accusations of cultural appropriation, the song went Platinum with over a million copies sold, becoming one of the best-selling reggae singles of all time. Despite its serious subject matter, the song maintains a light feel that made it club-friendly. It remains a classic example of the 90s’ genre-bending experimentation.
#13: “Mr. Vain” – Culture Beat
House music rarely gets more anthemic than this track with its steady kick drum and energetic synth melody creating the perfect backdrop for killer vocals. Written by Torsten Fenslau, Nosie Katzmann, and Steven Levis in 1993, the track became a dance floor staple across Europe before conquering American clubs, reaching #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in 13 countries. The combination of that driving beat with both sung and rapped vocals showed how dance music was evolving in the 90s. Its success helped the group score Best Dance Single at the 1994 MTV Europe Music Awards. With 2.5 million copies sold worldwide, it remains a Eurodance classic.
#12: “Steal My Sunshine” – Len
Summer anthems don’t come purer than Steal My Sunshine. It delivers joy with its sunny lyrics and infectious beat built on that instantly recognizable sample of Andrea True Connection’s “More, More, More.” Written by Marc Costanzo and Gregg Diamond and released in 1999, it became the unofficial soundtrack to countless summer road trips, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and going Gold with 500,000+ copies sold. The song features unique male-female vocal interplay between siblings Marc and Sharon Costanzo. It’s the musical equivalent of a popsicle on a hot day—simple, sweet, and perfectly refreshing.
#11: “Cotton Eye Joe” – Rednex
Cultural fusion went haywire when this Swedish group gave an American folk classic a techno makeover, creating a bizarre but infectious club banger in 1994. The collision of fiddles, banjos, and pounding beats confused and delighted listeners in equal measure, reaching #1 in 11 countries and #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went Gold in the US and Platinum in the UK. It’s the musical equivalent of showing up to a hoedown in platform shoes—ridiculous but somehow working. Line dancers still go nuts for this track.
#10: “We Like to Party!” – Vengaboys
Dance floors exploded when this Eurodance anthem from 1998 brought over-the-top synth melody and unrelenting energy, making it impossible to escape in the late 90s. Written by Danski, Delmundo, and Jom, the track’s pure, unapologetic commitment to fun created a global party staple, reaching #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 in the UK. While exact sales are unavailable, it’s estimated to have sold over a million copies worldwide. The “Vengabus” theme and energetic group vocals created something filled with joy, silliness, and synths cranked to eleven. When this comes on, you’re either leaving the dance floor or becoming its king.
#9: “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” – Eiffel 65
Global music charts turned blue when this Italian dance track with nonsensical lyrics about living in a blue world somehow conquered the globe in 1999. Written by Maurizio Lobina, Gianfranco Randone, and Massimo Gabutti, its catchy hooks, distinctive Auto-Tune vocals, and bizarre premise created an earworm of epic proportions. The song reached #1 in over 20 countries and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, going Platinum in both the US and UK with over a million copies sold. The song shows how sometimes the most random, seemingly meaningless tracks can capture worldwide attention. If aliens wanted to understand 90s Euro-pop in one song, this would be it.
#8: “What Is Love” – Haddaway
Clubs worldwide pulsed to the rhythm of this track’s thick grooves, catchy tune, and distinct backing vocals, making it a global dance floor anthem in 1993. Written by Dee Dee Halligan and Junior Torello, its legacy was cemented forever when the “Saturday Night Live” sketches turned it into an eternal meme. The song perfectly captures the earnest emotion and driving beats that defined Eurodance, reaching #1 in 13 countries and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went Gold in the US and Platinum in the UK, selling over 500,000 copies stateside. No one can hear this without bobbing their head—it’s physically impossible.
#7: “Tubthumping” – Chumbawamba
An anarchist collective delivered the most unlikely anthem about resilience with the most shoutable chorus of the decade. Released in 1997 and written by the band themselves, its uplifting message about getting knocked down but getting up again resonated far beyond their usual audience, pushing it to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 in the UK. The track went Platinum with its blend of rock, pop, and electronic elements creating something uniquely infectious that rugby teams and drunk college students still chant today. Ironically, the band’s anarchist roots conflicted with this mainstream success.
#6: “Barbie Girl” – Aqua
Plastic toy culture turned musical when Aqua created the most controversial earworm of the 90s with this satirical take on beauty standards. The song hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite—or because of—its provocative lyrics. It remains the ultimate love-it-or-hate-it track that everyone knows by heart. Mattel even launched a lawsuit in response to the song’s portrayal of their iconic doll.
#5: “Mambo No. 5” – Lou Bega
Musical resurrection happened when Lou Bega revived Dámaso Pérez Prado’s instrumental with new lyrics, creating the ultimate guilty pleasure of 1999. Its corny charm and Bega’s energetic delivery made it a global summer anthem. The song’s shameless list of women’s names and upbeat horns created the perfect storm of cheese that wedding DJs still rely on to fill dance floors. It’s forever burned into our collective consciousness.
#4: “Baby Got Back” – Sir Mix-a-Lot
Body positivity got a bass boost when Sir Mix-a-Lot broke new ground with this anthem built on a killer beat and instantly quotable lyrics. Those opening lines—”Oh my god, Becky, look at her butt”—entered the cultural lexicon immediately. The track challenged beauty standards while topping the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992. Few songs balance social commentary with pure fun this effectively.
#3: “Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice
Hip-hop history changed when this track became the first hip-hop song to top the US charts, built on that instantly recognizable sample of Queen’s “Under Pressure.” Vanilla Ice‘s confident delivery and that hook nobody can forget defined the summer of 1990. Its legacy is complicated—both a groundbreaking moment for hip-hop crossing over and the source of endless parodies. Either way, stop, collaborate and listen when this comes on.
#2: “I’m Too Sexy” – Right Said Fred
Fashion industry mockery went mainstream when these British brothers created a satire of modeling industry vanity that became bigger than what it was mocking. The track’s groovy beat and deep, unmistakable vocal performance topped charts in seven countries in 1991. Its tongue-in-cheek humor has kept it relevant enough to be sampled by modern artists. Few songs balance being both a joke and genuinely good music this effectively.
#1: “Macarena” – Los del RÃo
Dance crazes reached their peak when this Spanish track sparked a global phenomenon that crossed all age groups. The Bayside Boys remix added that English hook that made it accessible worldwide, pushing it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996. Over 70% of people still recognize the dance moves—from elementary school gym classes to wedding receptions. No song better represents the cheesy brilliance of 90s one-hit wonders than this cultural juggernaut.
