Most artists spend years chasing a defining song. A few get it on the very first try, and then spend the rest of their careers living alongside it. Sometimes that’s a gift, and sometimes it’s a long shadow.
The nine songs below were all first singles, and each one still stands as the track people name first when the artist comes up. They’re listed in order of release, and each claim is backed by chart history, awards, or well documented release details.
Kate Bush, Wuthering Heights (1978)
Kate Bush was only nineteen when her first single reached number one in the UK in 1978. Inspired by Emily Brontë’s novel, it was an odd choice for a debut, with a soaring vocal and a literary narrator. Record buyers didn’t seem to mind.
It’s widely recognized as the first UK number one written and performed by a woman. Bush went on to a far more experimental career, yet this is still the song most listeners connect to her name first.
Rick Astley, Never Gonna Give You Up (1987)
Rick Astley’s first single was produced by the team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman. It climbed to number one in the UK in 1987 and later topped charts in numerous other countries, including the United States in 1988. It was a polished, instantly recognizable dance pop record.
Decades later, the internet gave it a second life through the Rickroll prank, which took off around 2007. Astley leaned into it, and the song’s reach has arguably grown well beyond its original chart run.
Tracy Chapman, Fast Car (1988)
Tracy Chapman’s first single, from her self titled debut album, was a quiet acoustic story about escape and economic struggle. It reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, peaking at number six. The simplicity of the arrangement is part of why it has lasted.
In 2023, Luke Combs released a country cover that climbed to number two on the Hot 100 and won Song of the Year at the CMA Awards. Chapman, who wrote the song, joined Combs onstage at the 2024 Grammy Awards, giving her debut a remarkable late chapter.
Spice Girls, Wannabe (1996)
Wannabe introduced the Spice Girls to the world in 1996. It spent seven weeks at number one in the UK and went on to top the charts in dozens of countries, including the United States. The tune was bright, chaotic, and built around a group chant.
The song captured the group’s friendship driven image better than anything they released afterward. When the group reunited for a stadium tour in 2019, it remained the song fans waited for.
Britney Spears, …Baby One More Time (1998)
Britney Spears was a teenager when this single arrived in late 1998, written and produced by Max Martin and his team in Sweden. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1999. The school uniform video became as famous as the song itself.
The title track of her first album set the template for late nineties teen pop. Spears released many bigger productions later, but this remains her most cited song, and it’s the one the public tends to associate with her first.
Lady Gaga, Just Dance (2008)
Lady Gaga’s first single, featuring Colby O’Donis, came out in 2008. It didn’t explode right away, but it slowly climbed and reached number one on the Hot 100 in January 2009. It also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording.
The track introduced her club ready sound before the theatrical looks and bigger hits like Poker Face took over. Even with a catalog full of huge songs, Just Dance is still where her pop story begins.
Lorde, Royals (2013)
Lorde wrote Royals as a teenager in New Zealand, and the sparse, finger snap production felt unlike anything on pop radio in 2013. The song spent nine weeks at number one on the Hot 100. It was a rare case of a minimalist debut topping the American chart for so long.
At the 2014 Grammy Awards, it won Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. Her later albums moved in different directions, but Royals still anchors how most listeners first think of her.
Hozier, Take Me to Church (2013)
Irish singer Hozier released Take Me to Church in late 2013, and it built slowly before breaking through worldwide in 2014 and 2015. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s gospel flavored sound carried a pointed critique of institutional religion’s treatment of love and sexuality.
It earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Hozier has since scored other successes, but this debut remains the song most people use to introduce him.
Olivia Rodrigo, Drivers License (2021)
Olivia Rodrigo’s first single arrived in January 2021 and debuted at number one on the Hot 100. At the time, it also set a Spotify record for the most streams in a single day for a non holiday song. She co-wrote it with producer Dan Nigro, and its bridge became a viral moment.
The song was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammys. Rodrigo won Best New Artist that year, and she has since released several hits, yet this ballad is still the song most tied to her breakthrough.
