High Five We were merely freshmen: One-hit wonders of the ’90s who are still touring

Don’t want to spoil anything, but in this summer’s hit comedy Friends With Benefits, the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic plays a fairly big role. Perhaps (or perhaps not) it’s a subtle reference to the totally awful Yes Man, which utilized had Third Eye Blind’s “Jumper” in a distressingly similar way. (Or perhaps we draw this conclusion because we really want to post these clips.)

The inescapable mid-’90s alternative power-pop hits are lodged in the minds of the 18-35-year-old demographic, gestating over decades to be reborn on road trips, at drunken dance parties, and, of course, in commercials, soundtracks, and romantic comedies cannily aimed at a generation that has a lot more disposable cash now that its members are no longer 14 years old.

The fruits of nostalgia are ripe, and low hanging! So it’s no surprise that while Semisonic remains on its decade-long hiatus, it seems like all of the other one-ish-hit wonder band of the ’90s are still out there, dragging their now-saggy asses on national tours. In honor of Hanson's impending show—Saturday, Sept. 17 at Fox Theatre— Here are five examples of the phenomenon, along with their big hits:

Local H, “Bound For The Floor”

Oh? You think you don’t remember this song? Maybe you know it as “Born To Be Down,” or maybe “How I Learned What The Word ‘Copacetic’ Means.” Local H has recently been getting some good press for its newer stuff in its hometown of Chicago. In the current model of Chi-town’s music history, the band is cast as an intrinsic part of the local music scene—which, as anyone who’s spent time there can tell you, means you see the band live approximately 13 times a year, regardless of whether you want to. That said, if you see the band live, you’re pretty much guaranteed to hear the 15-minute extended version of “Bound To The Floor,” which wouldn’t be so bad if it amounted to more than a really long chorus.

Toad The Wet Sprocket, “All I Want”
At one point, the four members of Toad the Wet Sprocket were high school students who came together to start a band. That point was in 1986. If they had children then instead of picking up musical instruments, their children could now run for Congress. (Constitutionally speaking, that is.) The band’s chart topper “All I Want” conveys pretty much what you thought “feelings” meant as you were scribbling intense poetry in a Lisa Frank journal. That’s awfully deep for a band that got its name from a Monty Python sketch.

The Verve Pipe, “The Freshman” 
Speaking of deep 13-year-olds, this heartbreaker off of the 1992 album I’ve Suffered A Head Injury reads like it’s about suicide, but it’s actually about The Verve Pipe’s lead singer, Brian Vander Ark, feeling guilty over his ex-girlfriend’s abortion. The band followed it up with an album called Pop Smear, which ... ew, and then released 2009’s A Family Album, intended, with apparently zero sense of irony, for children.

Guster, “Fa Fa”

Technically, Guster is not a one-hit wonder; the group managed to get on the charts for a second time (in the aughts, even!) with 2003’s single “Amsterdam.” But Guster is definitely known for 1999’s “Fa Fa.” Like Local H, the band hasn’t stopped touring since it formed. Unlike most bands on this list, Guster played a number of comedy cruise ship shows, along with such stellar artists such as Barenaked Ladies and John Mayer. We’ve often thought that all of this music would sound better on a cruise.

Hanson, “MMMBop”

Before Justin Bieber was even born, the three Hanson brothers came together to funnel the protosexual yearnings of preteens everywhere into the only song of the ’90s with a stupider chorus than “Fa Fa.” Yes, Hanson did end up with a total of six charting songs, but be honest: You can’t remember any of the other ones. Hanson holds the special position of being the only band we just couldn’t listen to while compiling this list.