The greatest one-hit wonders of the 2010s
Our final Best Decade round-up
Last updated 11th Apr 2022
As our celebrations for Absolute Radio’s The Best Decade near an end, we proudly present some of the UK's greatest one-hit wonders of the 2010s!
Featuring the likes of Gotye, Passenger, The Lumineers and Of Monsters & Men, unlike some of the one-hit wonders in previous decades, the majority of these artists have enjoyed successful careers despite their lack of singles chart hits.
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The greatest one-hit wonders of the 2010s:
Gotye – ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ (2011):
Belgian-Australian singer Gotye (real name Wally De Backer) was inescapable in the summer of 2011 with his Kimbra collaboration ‘Somebody That I Used to Know.’ The breakup song reached Number 1 in the UK and dozens of other countries and it sold a phenomenal 14 million copies in the US. While Gotye’s album ‘Making Mirrors’ was a minor hit, he failed to dent the Top 40 again. I guess he’s just somebody that we used to know?
Passenger – ‘Let Her Go’ (2012):
Currently the 25th most watched video of all time on YouTube with a whopping 3.2 billion views, British singer Passenger (real name Michael David Rosenberg) sold 2.4 million copies of his emotive anthem ‘Let Her Go’ in the UK and it peaked at Number 2 on the singles chart. The track also garnered great critical acclaim including a coveted Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work. Passenger may not scored another Top 40 single, but some of his albums have been commercially successful including 2016’s ‘Young as the Morning Old as the Sea.’
Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – ‘We No Speak Americano’ (2010):
A true Marmite song that you either love or loathe, Australian band Yolanda Be Cool and producer DCUP joined forces to create the electro-swing banger ‘We No Speak Americano’ back in 2010. Sampling the song ‘Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano’ by Italian singer Renato Carosone, it reached Number 1 in the UK and proved to be Yolanda Be Cool’s only chart entry.
The Lumineers – ‘Hey Ho’ (2012):
Colorado indie-folk collective The Lumineers reached the dizzy heights of No.8 on the UK charts with their debut single ‘Hey Ho’. The infectious musical gem sold over a million copies and remains their only hit single to this day, however the band have fared better on the album chart with three Top 10 records. Still going strong today, The Lumineers played a four-date UK arena tour in early 2022.
Foster The People – ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ (2010):
Although impossibly upbeat sonically, the lyrics to Foster The People’s ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ are about the dark homicide thoughts of a troubled youth named Robert and starkly juxtapose the music. A Top 20 smash hit upon its release 12 years, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ is still widely adored to this very day.
Of Monsters & Men – ‘Little Talks’ (2011):
Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters & Men sold 1.2 million copies of their beguiling accordion-tastic anthem ‘Little Talks’ in the UK and it peaked at Number 12 on the chart. Of Monsters & Men haven’t scored another chart hit on these shores, however they remain wildly popular selling out concerts and scoring a trio of Top 20 albums - perhaps proof that the singles chart doesn’t mean everything nowadays!
Magic! – ‘Rude’ (2014):
Fusing reggae with indie-rock like a 21st Century version of The Police, Toronto band Magic! created musical, erm, magic with their 2014 anthem ‘Rude.’ A true one-hit wonder, it hit Number One and Magic! haven’t had a whiff of a chart hit ever since.
Read more:
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1960s
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1970s
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1980s
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1990s
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 2000s