The Best 90's One Hit Wonder

By Spence Blazak

There is a seemingly never ending smorgasbord of musical genres: country, alterna-pop, sex- metal-punk (smunk), and the most important of all, 90's one hit wonders. This is a genre that includes some of humanities greatest travesties that have defined a generation along with Rachel's haircut on Friends and Whoopie Goldberg's wit on Hollywood Squares. These songs include "I'm Too Sexy", "Make Em Say Ugh," and the always subtle "I Touch Myself."

The good news is that these rotten apples don't ruin the whole bushel of a great genre. There are also songs that show the beauty the 90's offered. A simple time of Furbies, dial tone modems, and Dilbert comic strips that were groundbreaking. Beautiful one-ders like "Lovefool," "Jump," and "What Is Love" showed all the good in the world. But just what is the best song of the genre? I'll tell you.

"The Way" by Fastball

Not "Baby Got Back" or that song by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, no, my pick is for this little gem. Let me explain. I completely forgot about this song until a month ago. Its one of those songs that defined your spring of 1998, then disappeared off the face of the earth. It was completely absent from VH1's "Best 90's One-ders" list and took a disappointing number 94 on their "top 100 songs of the 90's" list.

The song is about a true legend. A couple went on a trip through the desert, and their car broke down. Instead of staying in their car and flagging someone down, they decided to walk to civilization. Or did they just walk into the middle of the desert on purpose? Instead of turning out like that episode of Spongebob where Squidward and the titular sponge deliver pizza and get lost in the wilderness, they died of heat exhaustion. It was a minor news story for a weekend, then was soon forgotten (much like the song the story inspired).

The song has everything. A simple chord progression, a certain mythos surrounding it, a catchy bridge, a lame little guitar solo, and the message that death is a big fun party!

"Everyone could see the road that they walk on was paved in gold

Its always summer, they'll never get cold

They'll never get hungry, they'll never get old and gray"

Its about forgone youth, the pride and glory surrounding recklessness, and living it up. Besides, with a name like "Fastball," how could you say no?