Some musicians become famous for a single track, but not always by choice. We're diving into the stories of artists who became synonymous with one song they've grown to resent, exploring the unexpected dark side of musical stardom.
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00:0010 – Dance Monkey, Tones and I • Tony Watson is an Australian singer most
00:25famous for her 2019 single Dance Monkey.
00:36• After its release, she was catapulted into stardom, with the song becoming number
00:40one in dozens of countries.
00:42• This intense level of fame wasn't a positive thing for Tony, who said she was
00:46happier beforehand.
00:56• Tones said she was hiding a big black hole for a while, and was torn up about the
01:00relentless harassment she faced.
01:03• She also said at live shows, there'd be a significant portion of the audience chanting
01:07for Dance Monkey.
01:09• In reality, she never wants to play it and barely enjoys singing it anymore.
01:179 – A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton • Everyone knows the iconic piano riff
01:26that introduces A Thousand Miles.
01:35• It spent 41 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and none of Carlton's songs have reached
01:40the same level of fame.
01:41• It became an obstacle for the singer, who doesn't describe herself as a pop star.
01:54• This made it impossible for her to follow up, and she didn't really want to.
01:58• She doesn't hate the song now, but that wasn't always the case.
02:07• Carlton called this her tantrum phase, where she resented having to play the song.
02:12• Her close friend Stevie Nicks managed to change her perspective.
02:16• She enjoys the song currently, alongside having a stable career she's proud of.
02:258 – Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin • McFerrin is a stunningly skilled singer
02:34and conductor.
02:36• He has an impressive range of vocal techniques, beginning his career in jazz.
02:47• He's not famous for being a versatile and skilled musician, but instead for his
02:511988 single, Don't Worry, Be Happy.
02:54• It held the number one spot for weeks, and is still the only acapella track to do
02:58so in America.
03:05• Despite its fame, McFerrin claimed in 2014 that he hadn't performed the song since
03:101988.
03:11• This is because he wants people to see other sides of him, like his four octave vocal
03:16range or his polyphonic techniques, where he sings both the melody and the accompaniment.
03:237 – Stacey's Mom, Fountains of Wayne • Back in 2003, this track was unavoidable.
03:43• It was primarily written by the late Adam Schlesinger, who unfortunately died in 2020.
03:48• His bandmate Chris Collingwood had issues with Stacey's Mom before it was even released.
03:53• He foresaw what was going to happen, and didn't want the public to remember them
03:56for a novelty tune rather than their catalogue of sincere songs.
04:08• Collingwood tried to talk Schlesinger out of releasing the song, but didn't succeed,
04:13something he now regrets.
04:15• Many mistakenly attribute the track to Bowling for Soup, encouraging them to jokingly
04:19cover it in 2011.
04:21• It's now on their setlist, and they play it live more often than Fountains of
04:25Wayne.
04:266 – I'll Be There For You, The Rembrandts • Friends was a wildly popular show during
04:37the 90s, with millions of people being able to recognize the song regardless of their
04:41friend's opinion.
04:44• Well, it's the first song on our list that caused the band to break up.
04:53• Before fame, they were an alternative band with a small following in the scene.
04:57• They lost this fanbase once achieving stardom, saying no one took them seriously
05:02anymore.
05:09• In 1997, the duo split up after not doing anything new for years.
05:14To them, their hit was a curse they couldn't artistically outrun.
05:18• Regardless, they are still happy for the wealth and legacy it will leave behind.
05:285 – Cherry Pie, Warrant • Once upon a time, glam metal was all the
05:36rage, with fans like Warrant at the forefront of this craze.
05:39• You probably know their biggest hit, Cherry Pie.
05:49• It made them big names in the early 90s, but their popularity declined with the rise
05:53of grunge.
05:54• Eventually in the 2000s, Janey Lane, the band's lead singer, was called the Cherry
05:59Pie Guy.
06:00• In an interview in 2006, Lane expressed his hate for the song, which caused numerous
06:11issues for him.
06:12• The singer struggled with substances and hated being only known for a song he considered
06:18gimmicky.
06:26• Lane tragically passed away in 2011, after a long, hard battle with substance use disorder.
06:324 – Take On Me, Uh-Ha • Undoubtedly one of the 80s' most iconic
06:38songs, Take On Me is surprisingly hated by its composers.
06:49• All members of the synth-pop trio despise playing the song.
06:53• They're constantly made to repeat the track, but think it's not even one of their
06:57best songs.
06:59• Their keyboard player, Magne Fuhrerholmen, believes it obscures the rest of our songs.
07:10• The band's full story was revealed in the 2021 documentary, Uh-Ha!
07:14The Movie, which covers 35 years of their career.
07:17• They're still together, with their most recent album dropping in 2022.
07:22• Despite their positive acclaim, Take On Me wildly overshadows everything else in their
07:27catalogue.
07:323 – Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice • It's unclear whether Robert Van Winkle,
07:42better known as Vanilla Ice, hates the song itself.
07:45• He certainly hated it for what it did to his image.
07:51• Firstly, he didn't initially credit Bowie and Queen samples.
07:58• It became the first rap song on the Billboard Hot 100, leading to legal troubles, later
08:04settled out of court.
08:05• Secondly, Suge Knight believed he was owed royalties, and supposedly hung him off
08:10the side of a balcony to get them.
08:13• Finally, it made people think of him as just the Ice Ice Baby guy, meaning no one
08:18took him seriously anymore.
08:27• He rarely raps now, instead making his money from flipping homes for the DIY network.
08:372 – Who Let The Dogs Out, Baha Men • This trio has performed together since
08:451977.
08:46• But despite a career lasting almost 50 years, they're only really known for one
08:51song.
08:52• They didn't even write the song.
09:01• It was a re-recording of Doggy, originally released two years earlier.
09:06• The group initially refused to cover it, but caved after some pressure from their manager.
09:11• Even the original writer Antlim Douglas expressed mixed feelings about the song.
09:23• Originally it was a feminist anthem, criticising men for cat-calling women.
09:28• This interpretation is often overlooked, leading it to become simplified into a party
09:33anthem.
09:34• If you're interested in learning more, its full story is told in a 2019 documentary,
09:38Who Let The Dogs Out.
10:041 – Friday, Rebecca Black • In 2011, it felt like Rebecca Black was
10:10the most hated teen on the internet.
10:17• The song was a massive source of trauma for the young singer, releasing when she was
10:21only 13.
10:22• While the song was hilariously terrible, she was hardly the one to blame.
10:34• It was co-written by Patrice Wilson, who used to make a career producing similar songs.
10:39• For instance, he was responsible for Alison Gold's Chinese Food, which was met with
10:44similar albeit less intense backlash.
10:47• Even with the hate, Black has endured and completely transformed her image.
10:51• She now has a dedicated fanbase, making music she is genuinely proud of.
11:03• Which one-hit wonder is your favourite?
11:05Let us know in the comments below!