It’s One-Hit Wonder Wednesday! Each week, I’ll pick a one-hit wonder to stir nostalgia and make us all ask “what were people thinking?”
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that one-hit wonders can sometimes rise above their status when they signal the start of a new musical trend. And this week’s choice ushered in the last big trend of the 20th Century.
In 1997, the teen trio Hanson hit the top of the charts in 27 countries with “MMMBop,” the lead single off their debut album. Almost overnight, the three Hanson brothers became global pop superstars – and launched the teen pop trend that dominated music for several years around the turn of the 21st Century.
Numerous teen pop acts followed Hanson’s footsteps to the top of the charts over the next few years, including the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, 98 Degrees, Mandy Moore, and many others.
So three home-schooled teenagers who write, record, and perform their own music kick started a music trend that overwhelmed pop culture. Who would have thought that could happen?
Today, the Hanson brothers continue as successful musicians but have yet to approach the superstar days of “MMMBop.” But they’re still young. It could happen again.
Check back next week for another edition of “One-Hot Wonder Wednesday.”
