one-hit wonder
noun
variants
or less commonly one hit wonder
or one-hit-wonder
plural one-hit wonders also one hit wonders or one-hit-wonders
1
: a musical group that has achieved recognition on the basis of only one widely popular song
Such folks as John Lennon, the Byrds, Lou Rawls, the Hollies, Cyndi Lauper and one-hit wonder Peter McCann will entertain you via a radio played at an unobtrusive level.—Pete Bishop
also
: the widely popular song of a one-hit wonder
Their 1994 hit "Macarena" has often been voted as the top one-hit-wonder of all time. —Kathryn Williams
2
: a person, group, or organization that is known only for a single notable event, product, etc.
But without Pat Croce or Maurice Cheeks to mediate the Larry Brown-Allen Iverson relationship, the Sixers could easily be a one-hit wonder.—Mike Wise
Years later, [Steve] Jobs famously described how devastated he felt, only to realize that getting fired from Apple helped him develop the sustained creativity that turned him from a one-hit wonder into a great business leader.—Rick Newman
also
: the notable event, product, etc. of a one-hit wonder
For readers who aren't as head-over-heels for poetry as I am, The Bell Jar might seem like writer Sylvia Plath's one hit wonder. —E. Ce Miller
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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