Quiz: Can you guess the famous one hit wonders from just one lyric?

Not every musician can generate hit after hit. Sometimes, an artist releases a song that becomes so popular, it's far too difficult to recreate that magic. And over the years, some of the best songs in music history were one hit wonders.

But can you identify a one hit wonder from just one lyric? Take HELLO 's quiz on 15 of the most famous one hit wonders and test your knowledge!

Frank Zappa died in 1993

Question 1) What song includes the lyric: "You've been around all night and that's a little long / You think you've got the right, but I think you've got it wrong"?

1. "Valley Girl" by Frank Zappa

2. "Tequila" by The Champs

3. "Mickey" by Toni Basil

4. "Sea of Love" by Phil Phillips

Toni Basil is from Las Vegas

The answer is… C) "Mickey" by Toni Basil

Released in 1982, "Mickey" by ToniBasilis one of the most memorable one hit wonders. Toni, now 82, released a few other songs during the decade, but never found success like she did from "Mickey." She later served as a choreographer on Legally Blonde and continues to dance in her ninth decade. Toni even made a surprise guest appearance on Dancing with the Stars .

Zager and Evans broke up in 1971

Question 2) What song includes the lyric: "And when the sun comes up, I'll be on top / You'll be right down there lookin' up / And I might wave, come up here / But I don't see you wavin' now"?

1. "7 and 7 Is" by Love

2. "96 Tears" by ? and The Mysterians

3. "98.6" by Keith

4. "In the Year 2525" by Zager and Evans

The band's album was also called 96 Tears

The answer is… B) "96 Tears" by ? and The Mysterians

"96 Tears" by ? and The Mysterians was the top song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 and was ranked #213 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The uniquely named band, ? and The Mysterians, included members Rudy Martinez (?), Bobby Balderrama, Frank Rodriguez, Frank Lugo, and Eddie Serrato on the hit. Three years after the iconic song, the band broke up.

Fiona Apple turns 49 on September 13, 2026

Question 3) What song includes the lyric: "You're never gonna keep me down / I get knocked down, but I get up again"?

1. "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba

2. "Criminal" by Fiona Apple

3. "32 Flavors" by Alana Davis

4. "Coco Jamboo" by Mr. President

Chumbawamba is still performing today

The answer is… A) "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba

British rock band Chumbawamba released "Tubthumping" in 1997. Since then, it's become an earworm and was included in many films and commercials. "Tubthumping" is British slang for aggressive political protesting and was inspired when Chumbawamba's guitarist BoffWhalleywatched his drunken next-door neighbor singing "Danny Boy" while stumbling to open his front door.

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Marcie Blane is 82

Question 4) What song includes the lyric: "From my laboratory in the Castle east / To the master bedroom, where the vampires feast"?

1. "Pop Pop Pop-Pie" by The Sherrys

2. "Bobby's Girl" by Marcie Blane

3. "Telstar" by The Tornadoes

4. "Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett

Bobby died in 2007 at 69

The answer is… D) "Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett

Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" is a Halloween favorite that is played at seasonal festive parties to this day. He and LeonardCapizzireleased it in 1962, and it took the top spot on Billboard for two weeks. It even appeared on the charts over the decades, which further cements the song's greatness. Bobby earned a whopping $10 million from it.

Nestor was born in Trinidad and Tobago

Question 5) What song includes the lyric: "All I can say is that my life is pretty plain / I like watching the puddles gather rain / And all I can do / Is just pour some tea for two / And speak my point of view"?

1. "What is Love" by Haddaway 

2. "Come Baby Come" by K7 

3. "No Rain" by Blind Melon 

4. "Dreams" by Gabrielle

The band's name comes from how bassist Brad Smith's father used to describe lazy or eccentric hippies in Mississippi

The answer is… C) "No Rain" by Blind Melon

Blind Melon, which was founded by RogersStevens, BradSmith, and ShannonHoon, released their hit song "No Rain" in 1993. The song reached 20 on the charts and became well known for its music video, which featured a "Bee Girl" and was played often on MTV.

Talk Talk were formed in 1981 by Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, Paul Webb, and Simon Brenner

Question 6) What song includes the lyric: "Call the troops out in a hurry / This is what we've waited for / This is it, boys, this is war / The president is on the line"?

1. "Baby I Lied" by Deborah Allen

2. "99 Red Balloons" by Nena

3. "It's My Life" by Talk Talk

4. "The Warrior" by Scandal

Nena was born Gabriele Susanne Kerner

The answer is… B) "99 Red Balloons" by Nena

While Nenamight be a major star in her home country of Germany, audiences in the UK and US only know the singer thanks to her global hit, "99 Red Balloons," also known as "99 Luftballons." The upbeat pop anthem became one of 1983's biggest songs, with audiences enjoying both the English version and the native German.

At the time, Nena was the lead singer of the group of the same name, but she kept going by her mononym when they disbanded in 1987. As a solo artist, Nena, now 66, has released 13 studio albums, with plenty of success during the 00s.

Tom Tom Club bandmates Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth are married

Question 7) What song includes the lyric: "Now, I know I've got to / Run away, I've got to / Get away / You don't really want any more from me"?

1. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

2. "Love Plus One" by Haircut One Hundred

3. "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club

4. "If the Love Fits Wear It" by Leslie Pearl

Marc Almond is 69

The answer is… A) "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

Released in 1981, "Tainted Love" became a hit across the world. Soft Cell, the British new wave band, was founded in 1978 by MarcAlmondand DavidBall, who passed away in October 2025. The song's success led it to be featured in films, sampled by artists like Rihanna , and included in an Emmy-winning commercial.

Robbie Dupree biggest hit is "Steal Away"

Question 8) What song includes the lyric: "You see, I go by the code of the doctor of the mix and these reasons, I'll tell ya why / You see, I'm six-foot-one, and I'm tons of fun and I dress to a T"?

1. "Romeo's Tune" by Tom Johnston

2. "New Romance (It's a Mystery)" by Spider

3. "Steal Away" by Robbie Dupree

4. "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang

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The Sugarhill Gang is credited with the first commercial rap song

The answer is… D) "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang

"Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang introduced the genre of rap to a whole new audience. The band was founded by Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright, and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brienin 1979 in their hometown of Englewood, New Jersey. 35 years after "Rapper's Delight" was released, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Eddie Holman is now 80 years old and continues to be active as a soul and gospel singer and minister in Pennsylvania

Question 9) What song includes the lyric: "Prepare yourself, you know it's a must / Gotta have a friend in Jesus / So you know that when you die"?

1. "Ma Belle Amie" by Tee Set

2. "A Song of Joy" by Miguel Ríos

3. "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum

4. "Hey There Lonely Girl" by Eddie Holman

The song made Norman one of the most famous acts with a best-selling one-hit wonder of all time

The answer is… C) "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum

"Spirit In The Sky" by NormanGreenbaumis instantly recognizable from the iconic guitar riffs during the intro. Featured in films like Remember the Titans , Ocean's Eleven , and Guardians of the Galaxy , it is a one hit wonder that stood the test of time. Norman, now 83, is still a musician, but hasn't created a hit like that again.

Jim Capaldi has no relation to musician Lewis Capaldi

Question 10) What song includes the lyric: "Poor old Johnnie Ray / Sounded sad upon the radio / Moved a million hearts in mono / Our mothers cried / Sang along, who'd blame them"?

1. "Maniac" by Michael Sembello

2. "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners

3. "So Wrong" by Patrick Simmons

4. "That's Love" by Jim Capaldi

The band broke up in 1986 before reuniting in 2003

The answer is… B) "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners

One of the best wedding dance floor songs there is! "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards. Written by the band's lead singer, KevinRowland, the song's Eileen is not a real person, but a "composite, to make a point about Catholic repression," he shared with The Guardian .

Murray Head's daughter Sophie Head is a singer too

Question 11) What song includes the lyric: "So needless to say / I'm odds and ends / But I'll be stumblin' away / Slowly learnin' that life is okay / Say after me / It's no better to be safe than sorry"?

1. "Take on Me" by a-ha

2. "Obsession" by Animotion

3. "Tragedy" by John Hunder

4. "One Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head

The band was founded in 1982 by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Magne Furuholmen, and Morten Harket

The answer is… A) "Take on Me" by a-ha

"Take on Me" by the Norwegian synth pop band a-ha was released in 1985 and reached international fame later that year. It went on to win six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards and land a-ha as a creator of a beloved one hit wonder.

"Morning Girl" by The Neon Philharmonic hit number 17 on Billboard

Question 12) What song includes the lyric: "To the girls in Frisco / To the girls in New York / To the girls in Texican, you gotta understand / That baby, I'm your man"?

1. "I Got a Line on You" by Spirit

2. "Morning Girl" by The Neon Philharmonic

3. "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin" by Crazy Elephant

4. "Oh Happy Day" by Edwin Hawkins Singers

Crazy Elephant broke up in 1970

The answer is… C) "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin" by Crazy Elephant

Crazy Elephant was only together for three years. But during that time, they produced a song that many still sing today. "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin" song was released in 1969, and it became number 12 in both the US and UK's Top 40 charts. The popular song earned a R.I.A.A. gold disk and sold millions of copies internationally.

Michael Sembello was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his 1983 song "Maniac"

Question 13) What song includes the lyric: "God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too / She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do"?

1. "What About Me" by Moving Pictures

2. "Burning Heart" by Vandenberg

3. "Maniac" by Michael Sembello

4. "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls

The duo formed in 1976 in San Francisco, California

The answer is… D) "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls

Released in 1982, "It's Raining Men" dominated the 1980s, and it's still regularly referred to as one of the decade's biggest hits. However, the track nearly didn't even reach the airwaves, with Donna Summer , Cher , Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand all turning down the opportunity to record it, and even The Weather Girls initially weren't keen.

But, after IzoraArmsteadand MarthaWashturned it into a major success, the song became a classic. Reflecting on It's Raining Men's legacy in 2011, Martha said: "It's definitely stood the test of time. Now you have the grandparents who love the song, the parents who love the song and the grandkids who love the song. They all get up and dance."

Aldo Nova is from Canada

Question 14) What song includes the lyric: "I know a guy who's tough, but sweet / He's so fine, he can't be beat / He's got everything that I desire"?

1. "Fantasy" by Aldo Nova

2. "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow

3. "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis

4. "Let it Whip" by Dazz Band

Annabella Lwin's real name is Myant Myant Aye

The answer is… B) "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow

New wave band Bow Wow Wow released their highly popular cover of the classic 1965 song 17 years later in 1982. "I Want Candy" was initially sung by The Strangeloves, but is better known by the 80s band.  

The lead singer at the time was AnnabellaLwin, although she was fired from the group in 1983, with the artist reportedly only finding out the news when she read it in NME. Annabella returned to the band in 1989, but she has also had a successful solo career, with three studio albums, including one released in 1986, three years after she was fired.

The Trade Winds formed in 1966

Question 15) What song includes the lyric: "Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me / Town to keep me movin' / Keep me groovin' with some energy"?

1. "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc.

2. "Motortown" by Kane Gang

3. "Downtown" by One 2 Many

4. "New York's A Lonely Town" by The Trade Winds

Lipps Inc. was only active for six years

The answer is… A) "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc.

Want to head down to "Funkytown?" The members of Lipps Inc. did back in 1980, with the song becoming the band's only No. 1 hit, with previous singles failing to chart at all. Sadly, despite the disco anthem still being popular until this day, the band didn't last, disbanding in 1985, five years after the release of their hit.