one-hit wonder
Americannoun
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a person or group, especially a musical artist or band, known only for a single successful work, with their other work remaining largely unknown.
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a single successful work, especially a song, that is the only thing a person or group is known for.
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Back in the ‘80s, some guy named Falco was a rock star for, like, two minutes when his one-hit wonder “Rock Me Amadeus” charted.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
Far from a one-hit wonder, Levesque has been working steadily since her debut single, as a singer and actor, including in the films “Aquamarine” and “G.B.F.” and the show “All American.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024
No. 1 — for years afterward he operated at a lower public profile, tagged by some as a one-hit wonder.
From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2024
Some critics wrote the band off as a one-hit wonder, but Smash Mouth proved them wrong with their second album Astro Lounge in 1999.
From BBC • Sep. 4, 2023
What gives exercise the edge is that it’s not a one-hit wonder.
From Slate • May 20, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
