Best One-Hit Wonders of the Decade

By Amy Wilkinson Posted Dec 25th 2009 06:00AM

With Daniel Powter's 'American Idol' farewell song 'Bad Day,' earning the dubious distinction of Billboard's top one-hit wonder of the decade, we got to thinking of the other blink-and-you-missed-it stars of the aughts-from actors and musicians to authors and reality-show hosts. Their popularity may have fizzled as quickly as William Hung's, but here at PopEater, we'll always remember them for their contribution to the crazy first decade of the 2000s.

Actor: Brandon Routh
Brandon Routh beat out some of Hollywood's hottest young hunks to don Clark Kent's Coke-bottle glasses in "Superman Returns." Though the film soared like a bird (and/or a plane) at the box office, the role may have been career kryptonite for the actor seeing as he's been in little since.

Actress: Lindsay Lohan
As a child actress, Lindsay Lohan gained moderate fame playing scheming twins in the 'Parent Trap' remake, but it was as transfer student Cady Heron in 2004's 'Mean Girls' that the New York-native gained starlet status, for better or for worse. Nowadays, LiLo's known more for her addiction problems and relationship quarrels than her acting chops, with her last effort 'Labor Pains,' released directly to the ABC Family channel.

Singer: Vanessa Carlton
American audiences must have a thing for unrequited love. Much like James Blunt's 2005 hit 'You're Beautiful,' Vanessa Carlton's popular piano ballad 'A Thousand Miles' dealt with the loss of a lover, and just like Blunt's song, became a staple of radio airwaves. Follow-up singles 'Ordinary Day' and 'Pretty Baby' just couldn't go the distance.

Author: James Frey

Technically, author James Frey scored two bestsellers in the aughts with his gripping addiction memoir 'A Million Little Pieces' and its follow-up 'My Friend Leonard,' though the former eclipse the latter by leaps and bounds when it was dubbed one of Oprah Winfrey's book club picks. When it came to light portions of the work had been fabricated, Frey was dropped by his publisher and received quite the rebuke from Winfrey. Reemerging as a novelist, Frey recently published the fictional 'Bright Shiny Morning' and is reportedly working on a second novel based on the Bible.

Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Debut novelist Audrey Niffenegger single-handedly supported the facial tissue industry in 2004 with her weepy sci-fi romance 'The Time Traveler's Wife.' Though it became a bestseller, the film version starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana didn't fair so well at the box office. Her hotly anticipated and similarly fantastical follow-up 'Her Fearful Symmetry' also failed to garner the same reception as her stunning debut.

Documentarian: Morgan Spurlock
If you forsake Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets in the mid-00s, it likely had something to do with a little documentary called 'Super Size Me,' in which intrepid filmmaker Morgan Spurlock set out to see what would happen if he subsisted on a McDonald's-only diet for 30 days. Spurlock went on to produce a spin-off TV series called '30 Days' and film other docs like 2008's 'Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?' but neither left us with the McSweats quite like 'Super Size Me.'

Reality Show: 'Joe Millionaire'

Reality shows come and go, but nothing tickled the zeitgeist in 2003 quite like 'Joe Millionaire.' The show followed faux millionaire Evan Marriott-he was really a construction worker-on his search for love, wining and dining women who had no idea he wasn't loaded. The show's finale garnered 40 million viewers, but a follow-up 'The Next Joe Millionaire' didn't attract viewers quite like the original.

Reality Show Host: Brian Dunkleman
'American Idol''s youngest fans likely can't recall a time when Ryan Seacrest shared hosting duties for the wildly popular talent competition. But he did. And that co-host's name was Brian Dunkleman. The one-time emcee left after the show's first season and went on to appear on VH1's 'Celebrity Fit Club.' With Seacrest pulling in a reported $15 million a year hosting the FOX series, Dunkleman's gotta wonder 'What if?' every now and then.

Television Maid/Butler: Jane Leeves
Perhaps the poor economy is to blame, but hired help just isn't as de rigueur as it used to be. No one did it better in the aughts than Jane Leeves, who played quirky housekeeper/physical therapist Daphne Moon on the series 'Frasier.' We couldn't have been happier when her and neurotic Niles finally tied the knot.

'Friends' Star: David Schwimmer
Everyone's favorite Central Perk patrons have had mixed success since the end of their series in 2004. Courtney Cox has seemingly found a home in "Cougar Town," Jennifer Aniston's rife with movie roles (and tabloid covers) and Matthew Perry had a hit with "17 Again" (though we think Zac Efron might have had something to do with that one). Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc have had series of their own that didn't last, but it's David Schwimmer who's kept the lowest profile of the bunch, sticking largely to directing and stage productions. Could we be any more bummed the 'Friends' star hasn't become a fixture on our television sets?

Who are your favorite one-hit wonders of the 00s?

Comments

(96)

Friday 25 December

By dietcherry

Vote down Vote up Report this

You almost got it; when you start counting, do you start with zero? No, you start with one. Just as the first year EVER would have been year 1, NOT YEAR 0. The new millenium started January, 1st, 2001. :) God, how old are you ids?

By gobluespartyon

Rita is right on unlike Hurley & Dietcherry the new decade begins in 7 days Jan, 1, 2010 not 2011. New Millennium began Jan, 1, 2000 that is a fact.

By Blake

On the other hand, 2000 - 2009 is the first decade of the 2000's, and a decade is any period of 10 years. So, while I did not read every word of the article, I didn't actually see any mention of the 21st century. Correct me if I'm wrong, Nate.

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

No, Gina. According to all credible sources, wikipedia being one you may be familiar with, the 21st century started on 01/01/2001. 2000 was the last year of the 20th century. Again, I don't think that the author actually said 21st century.

By Jeff Ryan

Wikipedia a credible source? Considering they reported several LIVING celebrities as being dead? Hmm...one wonders.

Saturday 26 December

21st century began Jan, 1, 2000 that was when the new millennium happen not 2001.

By TvTroz

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

So funny... so here's the deal, youngsters. I think we can all agree there was no year 0, right? So years 1-10 were the first decade ever in the Gregorian calendar (although by then a different calendar was in use), and by that logic, the current decade is 2001-2010. And yes, most of you are too young to remember (sorry for generalizing my assumption of your ages based on the posts so far but I think I'm pretty close) but back in 1999, a lot of people tried to remind everyone that the 20th Century did indeed end at the end of 2000, not 1999. But turning from 2000 to 2001 doesn't really have the same ring as 1999 to 2000. Plus, there was the whole Y2K thing, which really would have hit at the end of 1999. It's really more of a perception thing. It's hard to imagine that 1990 was actually part of the 80's... Think about it this way: calendars are made up anyway, might as well say 2000-2009 is the current decade, it won't hurt. Peace, and carpe diem (there's a whole world out there, kiddies).

By Hosh

Every count, up or down starts at 01 and ends at 00 or starts at 00 and ends at 01. Example: The count from a referee at a boxing match or the countdown for the space shuttle take off. But 2000 to 2009 or 2001 to 2010 is ten years either way. LOL!

There are a few things wrong with this article.
1. Vanessa Carlton-if my memory serves me, methinks you forget her vocals on "Big Yellow Taxi" with Counting Crows.
2. David Schwimmer-Anybody remember a Dreamworks Pictures movie called "Madagascar"? It spawned a sequel...he provided one of the voices, if I am not mistaken.

Now that that's out of the way, Nate my friend, you have got to switch to decaf. True some people believe that the 21st Century didn't start until 2001. However, for the sake of sanity, lets just say it started in 2000 and leave it at that..which would make 2010 the start of a new decade. Sheesh!

By runnaman3

Yes, Mike, that's what we're saying...unless, of course, you believe that there was a year zero (0). The first year of the Christian era was 1--so start counting your ten from there and see where it ends. Like the phrase went in 1999, "It's all arbitrary anyway, and besides, we're in it for the zeros."

New Millennium & 21ST century began in Jan, 1, 2000 and a new decade begins in 6 days.

By bill

Hey on that note just remember the "60's" went from mid 1967 through 1972. 1960 to 1966 was still the 50's and after 1972 well I'm not sure what. Don't you forget it

By anonymoose

after 72, we departed from any known numeral system (and reality) and called the next 8 years "disco"(nine years if Nate is counting), then the 80s, then the nineties, and I buried my head after that until this post.

Anyway...Happy New Year! Or can I not say that for this year until next year? Or did I already say it for this year last year?

Oh well, Time to bury mt head again...still looking for reality...

By Pete

Wow,
The next decade does start at 12:01 am Jan. 1st. 2011.
I should know this it's my job but just google for info to learn this on your own.
That's all from me,there is no argument!

By Angela

Actually 12:00am is the start of a new day. As is 0000 military time, so zeros do count in many ways.

By Biff

By definition, 12:00 can be neither "AM" nor "PM," but instead, is either "noon" or midnight. "AM" means "ante meridiem, which means "before noon," and PM" means "post meridiem," which means "after noon." To say "12:00 PM" means 12 hours after noon, which would be midnight, and "12:00 AM" means 12 hours after noon, which would also be midnight. Safer to use "noon" and "midnight," which is correct anyway.

Yes Angela you are right, I stand corrected!

Everything you have said is wrong Pete the new Decade begins in 6 days Jan, 1, 2010. New Millennium 21ST century began Jan. 1, 2000.

By wyattspoppa

So by Nate and a few of you other CHOWDERHEADS "MONKEY MATH" the year 1990 is part of the 80's? Sorry knotheads, 2010 belongs to the new decade, just like 80-89 was the "80's, 'cause there's a friggin 8 in it!

You are simply incorrect. 1990 WAS part of the 80's, as 2000 was part of the 90's, and 2010 WILIL BE part of the 00's. Probably the hardest for people to grasp was the fact that 2000 was the last year of the 20th Century, and not the first year of the 21st. Calling people names because you don't/won't agree with what is correct--even if it doesn't seem correct on the surface--is pretty lame, dude.

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