Being among the one hit wonders can have its perks. It's a double-edged sword. With only one big hit to your credit before you skidded into obscurity, you are sort of a footnote in music annals, the answer to a trivia question. On the other hand, you might have raked in enough money to retire gracefully, with a Ferrari or two parked in front of a lavish mansion. Here are some of the wealthier OHWs we know who made hay while the sun briefly shined on them. Psy, Morten Harket, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Vanilla Ice, you are solid gold one hit wonders, congratulations!
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Psy ($60 Million)
The song "Gangnam Style" nabbed "over 4.1 billion views on YouTube," per marketrealist.com. Its once-sizzling popularity helped Psy put together a massive fortune worth some $60 million. Plus he owns P Nation, a record label. Not bad for just one hit.
Morten Harket ($60 Million)
You are probably scratching your head wondering who Morten Harket is. He was the frontman of a group called A-ha, which had a buzzy hit with "Take On Me." It gained enough traction with fans to earn Harket a tidy $60 million haul.
Sir Mix-A-Lot ($30 Million)
Remember a song called "Baby Got Back"? According to the outlet, it was "the second best-selling single of the year" in 1992. It was reportedly mentioned on Friends, which assures anything of immortality. Along the way, it made plenty of money for Sir Mix-A-Lot to the tune of $30 million.
Billy Ray Cyrus ($20 Million)
I have a theory that anything or anybody that becomes super popular too fast becomes equally unpopular with similar speed. (Think of the late 1970s disco craze fueled by the film Saturday Night Fever. People couldn't dump their mirror balls quickly enough when that dance fad faded. Enough said.) Billy Ray is known now more for being Miley Cyrus's dad. In his glory days, however, "Achy Breaky Heart" was all over the place. It was a giant blockbuster that deservedly made Billy Ray a household name - plus lots of money. He is a very wealthy one hit wonder.
Vanilla Ice ($12 Million)
His song "Ice Ice Baby" has been described as "a groundbreaking hip-hop song" that landed Vanilla Ice a pile of money. He is a very rich dude with $12 million bucks in the bank. Pretty cool, eh?
