In honor of National One-Hit Wonder Day this month, the Frederick Symphony Orchestra is counting down the most memorable one-hit wonders of all time. See if you remember a few of these catchy tunes: 

• Whip It by Devo. This single from 1980 was derived from Thomas Pynchon’s book, Gravity’s Rainbow, and was one of the first hit songs that used a synthesizer as the lead instrument.

• Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry. Rob Parissi, the frontman of this 1976 single, got the idea for the group’s name from a box of cough drops he saw when he was in the hospital.

• Hey Mickey by Toni Basil. This was one of the most fun songs from the 80s, especially if you were familiar with high school cheerleading routines.

• Macarena by Los del Rio. Dubbed the original party song of the 90s, we’re not sure if the song or its accompanying dance was more iconic.

• My Sharona by The Knack. This was the debut single for The Knack, and it stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for six weeks in 1979.

• Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas. This one-hit wonder made its way into almost every martial arts movie possible, including the Kung Fu Panda trilogy.

• Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners. This song was this Irish band’s claim to fame, and it was also the final-day wake-up call for astronaut Eileen Collins who was on the Space Shuttle Discovery.

• Who Let The Dogs Out by The Baha Men. In 2015, when Songfacts asked Rik Carey of Baha Men about this song’s appeal, he said, “People are just into their dogs.”

• I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers. With a karaoke session by Melissa McCarthy in Identity Thief and the theme song to Benny & Joon starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this song made its mark in music history.

• Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. The best selling single of 1987 in the United Kingdom, Astley’s one-hit wonder also made it across the pond to the top of the U.S. charts.

• Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. This band wanted a name that wouldn’t ever date unlike their 90s one-hit wonder that’s been featured in countless movies, including The Brothers Grimsby and Fired Up!

• Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum. With one of the most recognizable music intros of all time, Greenbaum’s one-hit wonder came from listening a famous gospel singer on television. He thought, “Yeah, I could do that,” according to the New York Times.

• Take On Me by A-ha. According to their native country of Norway, the band is no one-hit wonder. However, in the United States, it was their music video that made the song famous — not the catchy riff or high vocals.

• 99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons) by Nena. This German pop singer made waves in the United States with her one-hit wonder that was originally sung in her native language.

• Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega. Even though this catchy song was composed by Cuban Dámaso Pérez Prado in 1949, its real fame came from German singer Bega’s vocal version in 1999.
  

• Turn The Beat Around by Vicki Sue Robinson. This song made it to the top spot of the disco charts for four weeks and is considered a classic. Robinson was even nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal. 
  

If you’re going to have one hit, make it count. We hope you celebrate National One-Hit Wonder Day on September 25 with these classics. For a full playlist of these hits, click below: