# one-hit wonder

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/one-hit-wonder
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A recording artist known for only one hit song, especially after failing at subsequent attempts at success.

## Examples

- That band was just a one-hit wonder.
- She became a one-hit wonder in the nineties and never released another successful single.
- Critics dismissed him as a one-hit wonder after his second album flopped, though he spent years trying to prove them wrong.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.