14 DAY TRIAL // As the year is drawing near the end, the inevitable charts of “Best…” and “Worst…” are starting to pop up in the specialized media. For those wondering which was the biggest one-hit wonder of the decade, Billboard has the answer with the unveiling of the official list of one-hit wonders of the 2000s.
Coming to surprise no one – or perhaps only very few music lovers – the number one position in the chart goes to Daniel Powter for his hit “Bad Day.” The track was used in the fifth season of American Idol, which gave it just the push it needed to become the hottest track of 2006, Billboard says. Unfortunately, Powter didn’t have what it took to match the success of this release, proof of that being the fact that he hasn’t had a song in the Billboard Hot 100 ever since.
Terror Squad, fronted by Fat Joe, comes close on the second spot with “Lean Back,’ while the heavily tattooed guys from Crazy Town are hot on their heels with “Butterfly.” “Terror Squad, the hip-hop collective led by Fat Joe, tore up the charts in August 2004 with ‘Lean Back,’ giving the world a new dance craze in the process. The Squad fell back hard after that, only reaching as high as No. 62 with a subsequent single: ‘Take Me Home,’ at the end of 2004. L.A. rap-rockers Crazy Town flew to the top of the charts with the Red Hot Chili Peppers infused track ‘Butterfly’ in March 2001, and hovered there for two weeks. The band’s wings were clipped after reaching that peak; they never saw the Hot 100 again,” Billboard says.
Although angry rapper Eamon is notably absent from the top 10, after tearing all the charts with the F-word infused track whose name can’t possibly be rendered here without much offense, crooner James Blunt and Gnarls Barkley did make the cut. Blunt, for one, made for himself quite a reputation of a ladies’ man after the release of “Beautiful,” but his game got pretty tired pretty fast, which would explain his inability to climb the charts with his next releases, Billboard says.
“James Blunt sweet-talked his way to No. 1 with the inescapable ballad ‘You’re Beautiful’ in March 2006. But fans dropped him soon after; his appropriately titled next single, ‘Goodbye My Lover,’ only reached No. 66. ‘Crazy’ was such a gargantuan smash, it felt like Gnarls Barkley’s spell would never wear off. But after peaking at No. 2 in July 2006, Ceee-Lo and Dangermouse haven’t made it past No. 88 with their subsequent singles. Crazy, indeed,” Billboard says of the two names placed at number 6 and 7, respectively.
For the entire Billboard list of the biggest one-hit wonders of the decade, please refer here.