Greatest One-Hit Wonders: 2005

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, claiming more than 1,800 lives and causing billions in property damage. Suicide bombers attacked the London transport system, resulting in 56 fatalities and 775 casualties. The trial of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein began. Pope John Paul II died at the age of 84.

Google Maps, YouTube, and Reddit all launched in 2005. The highest-grossing films of the year were Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and War of the Worlds. The top five Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles were “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey, “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani, “Let Me Love You” by Mario, “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, and “1, 2 Step” by Ciara (featuring Missy Elliott).

2005 produced more than 25 one-hit wonders. These artists meet 360’s definition of a one-hit wonder because they notched just one career Top 40 entry in the Billboard Hot 100. Hope you enjoy this hip-hop and R&B-heavy list (with a sprinkling of pop-rock) of the greatest one-hit wonders from 2005.

Trillville (feat. Cutty) – “Some Cut”

Songwriters: Donnell Prince, Dirty Mouth, Lil Atlanta, Lil Jon, Craig Love, and LaMarquis Jefferson
Genre: Rap
Billboard Hot 100:  #14 on March 26

Atlanta-based hip hop group Trillville were founded by Donnell Don P Prince, LA, and Dirty Mouth. Producer, rapper, and crunk music progenitor Lil Jon discovered Trillville in 2003 and signed them to BME Recordings. Their first single with the label, “Neva Eva,” peaked at #28 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs but failed to make the Top 40.

“Some Cut,” however, proved to be a huge hit in the spring of 2005, and many people used it as the ringtone for their “dumbphone.” Remember those? Critics would derisively refer to crunk and snap music as “ringtone rap.” Produced by Lil Jon, the beat to “Some Cut” is based on a creaking bed sound, and the lyrics are too raunchy to type out on a family-friendly music site.

Howie Day – “Collide”

Songwriters: Howie Day and Kevin Griffin
Genre: Pop rock
Hot 100: #20 on June 18

A singer-songwriter hailing from Bangor, Maine, Howie Day cut his teeth on Boston’s coffeehouse folk scene. Day played acoustic guitar, using loop effects to create a more layered sound. His well-received live sets led to a record deal with Sony Music. Day’s platinum-selling second album, Stop All the World Now, featured the heartfelt hit “Collide,” and peaked at #20 on the pop charts in the summer of 2005. The single’s success was bolstered by its inclusion in such hit TV shows as Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill.

In the fall of 2005, I visited my cousin, who was then a student at Mississippi State University. I saw Day live at Bulldog Bash, the school’s annual outdoor festival. I remember recognizing “Collide,” but the highlight was his cover of Toto’s “Africa,” which got a rapturous response from the drunken frat bros in attendance. Mind you, this was about a decade before the yacht-rock classic enjoyed a resurgence with bands like Weezer recording it.

The Click Five – “Just the Girl”

Songwriter: Adam Schlesinger
Genre: Power pop
Hot 100: #11 on September 3

The late great songwriter Adam Schlesinger, a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and a master of writing catchy hooks, penned the power-pop hit “Just the Girl” for The Click Five’s debut album Greetings From Imirie House. A quintet from Boston, The Click Five rocked a retro ‘60s mod look with their matching suits and moptop haircuts, and they garnered a huge teenage girl following with the success of “Just the Girl.” In 2018, the song was ranked #55 on Billboard’s “100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time.”

More recently, The Click Five reunited with a surprise appearance at an Emo Nite event and a guest spot at a Jonas Brothers concert. We shall see if they can notch their second Top 40 hit two decades later.

Natalie – “Goin’ Crazy”

Songwriters: Natalie Alvarado, Eddie Montgomery, and Davion Botts
Genre: R&B
Hot 100: #13 on July 16

Texas native Natalie Alvarado, better known as Natalie, began her career as a cheerleader for the Houston Rockets. She then started dancing for local hip-hop acts and writing her own rhymes on the side. She signed to Latium Entertainment as a rapper but pivoted to singing hooks on other artists’ rap songs. “Goin’ Crazy” was the first song Natalie wrote as a singer. It got picked up by a radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma and quickly spread throughout the country.

Mike Jones – “Back Then”

Songwriters: Mike Jones and Salih Williams
Genre: Hip-hop
Hot 100: #22 on August 6

The chorus on Houston rapper Mike Jones’s “Back Then” might be the best hook to capture how a rapper’s life changes once they hit it big: “Back then hoes didn’t want me, now I’m hot, hoes all on me.” Jones is limited as a lyricist and MC, but his flow is perfect for the beat, which is powered by a hypnotic organ line and sample of the gangsta rap classic “Boyz-N-The-Hood” by Eazy-E.

I’m partial to Jones’s debut single, “Still Tippin’”, which has a star-making feature from fellow Bayou City rapper Paul Wall. “Still Tippin’” went to #26 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart but peaked at #60 on the Hot 100. In many of his songs, Jones freely gave out his cell phone number: (281) 330-8004. I just called it, and 20 years later, it went straight to voice mail.

Teairra Mari – “Make Her Feel Good”

Songwriters: Neely Dinkins Jr., Sean Garrett, and Vito Colapietro
Genre: R&B
Hot 100: #35 on August 27

A Detroit native, R&B singer Teairra Mari was recruited by rapper Jay-Z and signed to Def Jam at the age of 16. Her debut single, “Make Her Feel Good,” received heavy airplay on BET, peaking at #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and cracking the Top 40. Despite the song’s chart success, she was dropped by Def Jam before she finished her second album. Today, she’s perhaps best known for her role on the reality show Love & Hip Hop.