20 one-hit wonders from the 2000s that you probably forgot existed

“Hey There Delilah” was a polarizing song. Whether you loved it or hated it, you knew the lyrics just the same. This dangerous earworm has been dormant in many's minds since its release, and just thinking about it can reactivate its powers. 

You either remember the song “Untouched” and have no idea who recorded it, or you remember The Veronicas and have no idea what they sang. Or you don’t remember either the song or the band. But there is no way you remember that “Untouched” is by The Veronicas. 

When “According To You” came out, Orianthi was compared as a guitarist to the likes of Prince and Eric Clapton. But after a few weeks on the charts, everybody forgot about her and her guitar. “According To You” is still a banger, though. 

Trace Cyrus claims that his band Metro Station would’ve been much more successful if his family weren’t already famous. Whether that’s the case will never be confirmed, but we know that the band’s biggest claim to fame (other than the Cyrus family) is their one and only hit, “Shake It.” 

Charli XCX fared quite splendidly after teaming up with Icona Pop on “I Love It.” Icona Pop, however, did not do quite as well. And it’s possible you never even knew that Charli XCX was on this song. But we assure you, she was.

If you remember this song, you’re either routinely listening to hits of the 2000s, or you never removed it from your party playlist. Or maybe you're a fan of Shaboozey's 2024 quasi-cover "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." And we understand either circumstance. J-Kwon might’ve had some untapped potential, but as it currently stands, we’ll never know. 

Remember when Lil Wayne transitioned to rock music? It was a short era, but it resulted in his collaboration with Kevin Rudolf on “Let It Rock.” Wayne, of course, went on to make more music and remained famous. Meanwhile, it requires a couple of Google searches to learn what Rudolf’s been up to lately. 

Is it good or bad for a song to be covered by a band of animated woodland animals? Unclear. “Bad Day” might be better remembered for its Chipmunks version than its original, but at least Daniel Powter can say his song was featured in a major motion picture. 

Here’s something interesting: Crazy Town was actively putting out music and touring until the death of lead singer Shifty Shellshock in 2024. This song was the band’s only major hit, but it’s very indicative of the sound of the time it was released, making it a veritable piece of history. 

Cassie’s biggest claim to fame in the 2000s was her relationship with Diddy, but "Me & U" was definitely a bop. Diddy should’ve done more to bolster her career. Think of all the unrecorded club bangers we could’ve gotten from Cassie. 

You might not be cognitively aware that you remember the song “Do It To It” by Cherish, but if you play it, you’ll inexplicably remember every word. Cherish somehow got Sean Paul in his prime to contribute a rap verse, and you’ll strangely know the lyrics to that part of the song, too. 

If you try to search for Dream on Spotify, you’ll have to go through a fair amount of rigamarole. There are dozens of songs with the word dream in the title that are far more popular than this girl group of the 2000s. The few remaining fans of “He Loves U Not” will see this as a major injustice. 

The imagery of a girl drowning the entire world with her tears is objectively hilarious, but there’s no way that song could be written today. Sometimes girls cry, and we need to accept that, not write songs that mock it — no matter how funny. 

Only one group of people haven’t forgotten about “Who Let The Dogs Out”: Fans of the film Rugrats in Paris. Considering the meaning behind this song, it’s shocking it was used in a children’s movie. It did make for memorable cinema, though. 

We could probably make a list of just alternative one-hit wonders from the 2000s. “Ocean Avenue” is certainly not the only one in existence, but it might be the best. Turn this song on, and you’ll instantly associate it with something you haven’t thought of in years. 

Though it’s perhaps not as good a tune as “Ocean Avenue,” “Just the Girl” by The Click Five was a hit in its own right. The Click Five was making music at the wrong time for boy bands. The world had gotten over NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, but it wasn’t quite ready for One Direction. Had The Click Five gotten together a few years later, they might’ve made a go of it. 

If you don’t remember D4L’s certified banger after reading the title, you weren’t living in the 2000s, metaphorically or otherwise. Do yourself a favor and listen to this song immediately. Bask in the glory that is hip-hop of the 2000s. 

We shouldn’t be surprised that “Chain Hang Low,” a song that sampled a children’s tune popularized by Barney, didn’t have longevity on the charts, but at the time, it seemed like a song we’d be listening to with our own children one day. Have TikTok creators heard this song? It would do well on that platform. 

Remember the music video with all the treadmills? That video was for “Here It Goes Again” by OK Go. This rock band did write and record several other pieces of music, but “Here It Goes Again” was their only mainstream hit. 

There was a time when contestants who made it to the top 10 on American Idol were guaranteed at least a shot at a music career. It resulted in several artists recording one hit song and returning to everyday life. One such artist was Elliott Yamin, who had everyone crying to his song “Wait for You.”