They came, they conquered... they were never heard from again. After reaching the Hot 100's Top 10 with their very first singles, none of these acts managed to crack the Top 25 for the rest of the decade. But hey, four minutes of fame is better than nothing.
The one-hitmakers on this list have been ranked by how high their big song climbed on the chart compared to how far down the tally their subsequent highest-charting effort peaked.
1
Daniel Powter
BAD DAY
Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" was used as the kiss-off song for the 5th season of "American Idol," which gave the song enough juice to become the biggest single of 2006. The song went to No. 1 in April and stayed at the top for five weeks. But Powter's good fortune didn't last long; he hasn't visited the Hot 100 since.
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2
Terror Squad
LEAN BACK
Terror Squad, the hip-hop collective led by Fat Joe, topped the charts in August 2004 with "Lean Back," giving the world a new dance craze in the process. The Squad fell back hard after that, only reaching as high as No. 62 with a subsequent single: "Take Me Home," at the end of 2004.
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3
Crazy Town
BUTTERFLY
L.A. rap-rockers Crazy Town flew to the top of the charts with the Red Hot Chili Peppers infused track "Butterfly" in March 2001, and hovered at No. 1 for two weeks. The band's wings were clipped after reaching that peak; they never saw the Hot 100 again.
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4
MIMS
THIS IS WHY I'M HOT
MIMS told the world "This Is Why I'm Hot," and sizzled at the No. 1 spot for two weeks in March 2007. The Jamaican rapper's next single, July 2007's "Like This," only went as high as No. 32. Not quite as hot.
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5
D4L
LAFFY TAFFY
Atlanta's D4L hit a sweet spot with "Laffy Taffy" in January 2006, when the song peaked at No. 1. The foursome only made it to no. 72 with their next single "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me."
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6
James Blunt
YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL
James Blunt sweet-talked his way to No. 1 with the inescapable ballad "You're Beautiful" in March 2006. But fans dropped him soon after; his appropriately titled next single, "Goodbye My Lover," only reached No. 66.
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7
Gnarls Barkley
CRAZY
"Crazy" was such a gargantuan smash, it felt like Gnarls Barkley's spell would never wear off. But after peaking at No. 2 in July 2006, Ceee-Lo and Dangermouse haven't made it past No. 88 with their subsequent singles. Crazy, indeed.
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8
Blu Cantrell
HIT 'EM UP STYLE (OOPS!)
Blu Cantrell struck gold with "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)," which reached the No. 2 position in July 2001. Since then, she's only climbed as high as No. 70, with "Breathe" in 2003. Oops!
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9
Bo Bice
INSIDE YOUR HEAVEN
Bo Bice won the hearts of "American Idol" viewers with "Inside Your Heaven," which peaked at No. 2 in July 2005. After the cameras turned off, voters quickly tuned out. His next highest-charting single, "The Real Thing," peaked at No. 56 in May 2006.
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10
Dream
HE LOVES U NOT
Dream lived up to their name with "He Loves U Not," which climbed to No. 2 in December 2000. After that, the manufactured girl group woke up and only rose to No. 39 with their next single, "This Is Me," in the summer of 2001.
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