After weeks and weeks of resistance, I finally gave in this past weekend and watched the video for "Gangnam Style," the Korean pop song that has taken America by storm ever since late summer. I have to admit, I didn't completely hate it. It's catchy as hell, and I'm actually not surprised that it caught on the way it did. I have a sneaking suspicion that I liked the song more because I couldn't understand the lyrics, though. Put it this way: it reminded me a lot of LMFAO, and I think those guys are worse off because I do know what they're saying.

So, yeah, PSY is basically the prototype - in the States anyways - for a one-hit wonder. But this got me thinking; what are the signs that someone is going to be a flash in the pan on the charts. There's a few that are undeniable and keep coming up again and again. These are the most common signs of one-hit-wonderdom.

1. The Song Is Bigger Than The Performer

This is why I don't think Carly Rae Jepsen is long for the pop music world. No one really cared about her this summer, they just cared about "Call Me Maybe," the irritating-yet-infectious song that tore up the radio for months. In this case, Mick Jagger's claim that it's "the singer, not the song" ultimately proved false; the song was huge, the chirpy Canadian woman singing it was an afterthought.

2. It's A Little Too Ubiquitous

This is what sunk Semisonic, and of course, Daniel Powter. You never want your first hit single to be too much of a smash, because if it is, people will have a hard time accepting your follow-up. In the summer of 1998, everyone got so sick to death of "Closing Time" that they had no interest in hearing anything else by the band, and they faded out soon after (luckily, frontman Dan Wilson has wound up with a surprisingly successful solo career). Performers need to have a few minor hits in the can before they have their big smash, otherwise fans will grow tired of them before they ever really had a shot.
3. Getting Famous With A Really Stupid Song

Anyone remember D4L? In early 2006, they had a surprise hit with "Laffy Taffy," a song that commanded listeners to "shake" the chewy candy from which the song derives its title. It hit #1, and the group vanished just about immediately. Artists can have novelty hits, and still have respectable careers, but they have to establish themselves as legitimate artists first. Consider the Black Eyed Peas. They've been responsible for more stupid hits than any band in existence, but before they got there, they earned a reputation as a respectable pop/R&B group. Basically, you can have monumentally idiotic hits and still hang around, but you have to establish some credibility first. Otherwise, you'll just be known as a novelty act.