Two-Hit Wonders of the 90’s

We’re all too familiar with the typical one-hit wonder bands, but what about the two-hit wonders? In my opinion, the two-hit wonders aren’t given nearly as much credit as they deserve. Here are a few artists that evolved during the 90’s decade, only to make their dual-hit presence known before pulling a disappearing act (along with a few three-hit wonders that almost made the cut).

Presidents of the Unites States of America: “Lump” and “Peaches”

Not only did these guys prove their uniqueness because they have the longest band name in history, but their music was also a bit different from any other obscure 90’s rock bands. They had an upbeat, commercialized sound that was borderline cheesy but strangely, you found yourself drawn to it.

Spin Doctors: “Two Princes” and “Lil’ Miss Cant Be Wrong”

Confession: The Spin Doctors are my secret guilty pleasure. Even though “Two Princes” was one of my favorite songs when I was in the fifth grade, it still has a hidden spot on my iPod today that gets played quite frequently. “Lil’ Miss Can’t Be Wrong” was a catchy song as well, but not nearly as bubbly as “Two Princes”.

Veruca Salt: “Seether” and “Volcano Girls”

Veruca Salt made it past the one-hit wonder stage of other female 90’s rockers (such as Luscious Jackson) and graduated at the two-hit wonder level when they released “Volcano Girls” (which was a bit more fun than “Seether”, although both were great tunes).

Days of the New: “Touch, Peel and Stand” and “Shelf in the Room”

Whatever happened to these guys? I thought they fit in perfectly with the other 90’s alternative rockers with their grunge look and sound, but then they vanished into thin air. “Touch, Peel and Stand” and “Shelf in the Room” both had the same acoustic, low-key tone to them, but they did quite well among the 90’s alternative rock fans.

Tonic: “If You Could Only See” and “Open Up Your Eyes”

Tonic is one of those bands that everyone seems to have forgotten about. “If You Could Only See” was one of my favorite songs back in 1997 and up until recently I had forgotten all about it (only to fall in love with it all over again upon my rediscovery). “Open Up Your Eyes” was a great song, too, only not as mellow.

Sponge: “Plowed” and “Molly”

Sponge’s two hits were the polar opposite of each other. “Molly” was the lively, upbeat song (inspired by Molly Ringwald in the ever-popular 80’s flick “Sixteen Candles”) with an energetic feel, while “Plowed” was still fast-paced but lacked the happy vibe.

Three-Hit Wonders that almost made the cut:

Gin Blossoms: “Hey Jealousy”, “Found Out About You” and “Til’ I Hear It From You”
Toadies: “Possum Kingdom”, “Away” and “I Come From The Water”
Soul Asylum: “Runaway Train”, “Somebody to Shove” and “Misery”
Candlebox: “Far Behind”, “You” and “Cover Me”
Fuel – “Shimmer”, “Bad Day” and “Hemmorage In My Hands”