one-hit wonder

noun

variants or less commonly one hit wonder or one-hit-wonder

plural one-hit wonders also one hit wonders or one-hit-wonders

: a musical group that has achieved recognition on the basis of only one widely popular song

Such folks as John Lennon, the Byrds, Lou Rawls, the Hollies, Cyndi Lauper and one-hit wonder Peter McCann will entertain you via a radio played at an unobtrusive level.—

Pete Bishop

also : the widely popular song of a one-hit wonder

Their 1994 hit "Macarena" has often been voted as the top one-hit-wonder of all time. —

Kathryn Williams

: a person, group, or organization that is known only for a single notable event, product, etc.

But without Pat Croce or Maurice Cheeks to mediate the Larry Brown-Allen Iverson relationship, the Sixers could easily be a one-hit wonder.—

Mike Wise

Years later, [Steve] Jobs famously described how devastated he felt, only to realize that getting fired from Apple helped him develop the sustained creativity that turned him from a one-hit wonder into a great business leader.—

Rick Newman

also : the notable event, product, etc. of a one-hit wonder

For readers who aren't as head-over-heels for poetry as I am, The Bell Jar might seem like writer Sylvia Plath's one hit wonder. —

E. Ce Miller

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of one-hit wonder was in 1957

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“One-hit wonder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-hit%20wonder. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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