5 One-Hit Wonders From The 90's That Belong On Every Road Trip Playlist

On a road trip, you've got nothing but time. Time to ponder some of the poor life choices you've made or reminisce with a friend about the good old days, when life felt simpler and the music felt bigger. Whether you were a '90s kid or simply appreciate a good nostalgic track, the 1990s delivered club bangers and soulful storytelling that seem almost tailor-made for a soundtrack to any number of road trips, whether that's a spring break trip to the beach with friends or a cross-country trek in the RV with the fam. 

While some decades were defined by one or two dominant genres, the 1990s saw a diverse range of mainstream hits spanning everything from grunge and punk-pop to hip hop and alternative rock. And like any decade, the dot-com decade also spawned a slew of one-hit wonders — songs that slammed the airwaves for weeks or months before falling off the proverbial music cliff, heading straight into oblivion. Using VH1's List of 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders as a guide, we rounded up five of the most popular flash-in-the-pan tracks from the '90s that also work well in a road trip playlist. All are family-friendly and have a timeless quality that has lent them staying power, making them catchy little earworms, even all these years later.

If you've heard the 4 Non Blondes' song "What's Up" recently, it may have been at a karaoke bar. That's because the "massive, neo-hippie anthem," as AllMusic editor Tom Demalon once described it, is one of those popular karaoke songs whose chorus of "hey ey-ey-ey's" just begs to be enthusiastically hollered at full volume. This is in part what makes it a fun sing-along song for the car, whether you're driving solo or with a group of friends. 

While the song has some angsty lyrics about crying while you're lying in bed and screaming from the top of your lungs, the real emotion is conveyed not in words but in lead singer Linda Perry's powerful vocals. The inflection in her voice captures the intensity of early adulthood in a way that still resonates. It's an ideal song to listen to as a pick-me-up on early-morning drives or when you're feeling in the mood for a little self-reflection. 

Although "What's Up" was 4 Non Blondes' only Billboard Hot 100 hit (peaking at No. 14), Perry has had tremendous success as a songwriter, writing hits for artists including Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Alicia Keys. In 2015, she was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

When Blind Melon bassist Brad Smith first started writing what would become the band's most popular song, he believed he was writing about his then-girlfriend, who was experiencing depression at the time. As the lyrics suggest, she would "sleep all day" and "complain that there's no rain" (they lived in sunny California). But over the course of writing it, Smith realized the song was also about his own depression and his struggles to adjust to life in Los Angeles. 

Although the song's lyrics are melancholic, the melody and tempo are upbeat, which means you may just find yourself tapping your fingers on your steering wheel as you drive. The drawn-out repeated refrain of "escape" will appeal to the traveler in you, and the complaint of "no rain" works well as a soundtrack to a drive across the desert, like to Utah's overlooked, unique desert canyon of alien-like sandstone sculptures.

"No Rain" peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the band's only Top 40 hit, in part due to the untimely death of their lead singer, Shannon Hoon, who died of a drug overdose in 1995. In 2011, Rolling Stone readers ranked the song among the top one-hit wonders of all time.

You can be forgiven if you don't readily recognize the song "Lovefool" by its title. The pop song from Swedish rock band The Cardigans seemingly came out of nowhere, shoved into the international spotlight after it was included in the 1996 film adaptation of "Romeo + Juliet." But as soon as you hear the infectious chorus of "Love me love me / Say that you love me," you'll likely remember it as that glittery, candy-sweet song from 1996. Even if you don't, the song's chorus is catchy and repetitive enough that you'll find yourself singing along in no time. The cheerful melody with the dainty vocals has just enough of a disco vibe to feel vintage without feeling stuck in the '90s. 

Though the song's central message is somewhat bleak (it's about a woman coming to terms with loving a man she knows is no good for her), the song is also "dressed ... in a chirpy sheen to make it accessible," noted Americansongwriter.com. It's an ideal song to blast as you're first hitting the road and in the mood for a nostalgic, I-haven't-heard-this-in-forever track to set the tone for a carefree vacation. "Lovefool" peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay Only Chart. 

With lyrics like "I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down" and a music video that features the lead singer Richard Ashcroft walking down a seemingly endless, crowded East London street, the song "Bitter Sweet Symphony" feels built for long, arduous journeys. 

While it's not a track you'll likely want to dance in your seat to, the swelling string orchestra helps reinforce the poignant lyrics about struggling to make ends meet and breaking free of restricting life circumstances. The Grammy Award-nominated song packs a lot of emotion and is ideal to listen to when you're driving solo at night along desolate highways, or when you need a reminder that you're not alone in your struggles.

In 1998, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" reached the No. 12 spot on Billboard Hot 100. Although the band got back together a few times over the years, The Verve broke up for good in 2009, reportedly due to internal struggles between the bandmates.

In 1996, it was nearly impossible to escape "Macarena." It played on constant rotation everywhere and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. The song's Latin pop rhythm makes it a great song to bop your head to while driving somewhere tropical, like Miami or one of the secret beaches in the Florida Keys. 

While "Macarena" has landed on several worst song lists over the years, its top-seller status lands it in the No. 1 spot on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders. This fact alone made it worth a mention on this list. It was written and performed by the pop group Los del Río, who'd been performing together since 1962 and had long careers in Spain before "Macarena" brought them international fame. While the song is catchy, the accompanying dance and the fun, colorful music video helped propel it to superstar status. The song broke records and remained on the Billboard Hot 100 list for over a year. 

For more blasts from the past to listen to on your drive, check out: 5 Flop Songs From the '80s That Belong On Every Road Trip Playlist.