5 One Hit Wonders That Made A Fortune (And 5 That Didn't)

The pop charts have yielded tons of one-hit wonders over the years, and it's always interesting to see where some of these artists end up. For example, these 5 artists have managed to maintain pretty steady careers in music, or at the very least not blow all of their money.

Bobby McFerrin - "Don't Worry Be Happy"

McFerrin was already an accomplished jazz musician before his big break, and he continues to work in the recording industry. He's performed with dozens of orchestras, and even wrote the theme song for The Cosby Show.

Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"

Fun fact: "Baby Got Back" was actually banned from MTV and several radio stations upon release, and even despite that, it sold over 2 million copies. Mix-A-Lot was able to keep a bunch of that money thanks to some solid contract negotiations, and he's been rich ever since.

Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U"

Before her infamous shot against the Pope on SNL, O'Connor was a genuine star thanks to this song. Even after her public panning, she's made a successful career for herself in the music industry.

House of Pain / Everlast - "Jump Around"

The band made it huge with "Jump Around," and Everlast has had a pretty extensive solo career since then, releasing 7 albums that have done pretty respectably.

However, there are also plenty that haven't stayed successful...

Baha Men - "Who Let The Dogs Out"

This song was inescapable after it came out, but despite being one of the most recognizable hits of the early 2000s, the band is still embattled in lawsuits with the record label, apparently being owed over $200,000 in royalties. Lead singer Isaiah Taylor claims to have "lost his home to the bank for lack of funding."

J-Kwon - "Tipsy"

Errybody in the club might've been getting tipsssss, but J-Kwon was getting in trouble with the law. His own label couldn't find him for some time; turned out he was in jail for failing to pay child support.

Crazy Town - "Butterfly"

One of the best rap-rock jams of all time, Crazy Town fizzled out and its members didn't really go anywhere. In fact, several of its members have either died of heart failure or drug overdoses.

Afroman - "Because I Got High"

While Afroman does seem content with his life looking after his children, he still claims to be an active rapper, which seems dubious at best.

MIMS - "This Is Why I'm Hot"

Before you say this doesn't count as a "throwback," remember that this song came out in 2007, which at the time of writing this is 10 years ago. Yeah.

The song that more or less defined "ringtone rap" was one of the biggest songs in the country, but apparently that did very little for MIMS, who claims his label still owes him $15 Million in royalties.