{{Short description|Entertainment product that becomes successful gradually with little promotion}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
In the entertainment industry, a '''sleeper hit''' is a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have had little to no promotion or lack a successful launch, but gradually develops a fandom and spreads via word of mouth, media coverage, or unexpected internet virality.{{sfn|Berra|2008|p=68}} As ''Variety'' puts it, "A 'sleeper hit' can be defined as the kind of show that catches us by surprise—programs whose popularity grows over time and can ultimately outshine the preordained hits."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=31 October 2022 |title=Streaming Platforms Can Turn Slow-Burn Shows into Red-Hot Hits |url=https://variety.com/2022/biz/news/streaming-platforms-turn-slow-burn-shows-into-red-hot-hits-1235417515/ |work=Variety}}</ref>
A sleeper hit often lacks star performers or high production values, but prevails, at times against its makers' expectations, on the strength of such qualities as narrative, approach, or novelty, as well as market accidents.<ref>{{Cite web |title=6 sleeper hits of Bollywood from recent years! |url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/6-sleeper-hits-of-bollywood-from-recent-years-28661.html |website=filmfare.com}}</ref> Sleeper hit films benefit theater owners because the owners keep a larger percentage of the money from ticket sales.<ref name=Haupert2006>{{Cite book |last=Haupert |first=Michael J. |date=2006 |title=The Entertainment Industry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbzOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA123 |publisher=Bloomsbury |page=123 |isbn=9781573566322}}</ref>
==In film== Some sleeper hits in the film industry are strategically marketed for audiences subtly, such as with sneak previews a couple of weeks prior to release, without making them feel obliged to see a heavily promoted film. This alternative form of marketing strategy has been used in sleeper hits such as ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), the Oscar winner ''Forrest Gump'' (1994), ''My Best Friend's Wedding'' (1997), ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ''The Blair Witch Project'' (1999), and ''The Sixth Sense'' (1999).{{sfn|Berra|2008|p=68}}
Screenings for these films are held in an area conducive to the film's demographic. In the case of ''Sleepless in Seattle'', a romantic comedy, screenings were held at suburban shopping malls where romantic couples in their mid-20s to early 30s spent Saturday afternoons before seeing a new film. In theory, a successful screening leads to word-of-mouth marketing, as it compels viewers to discuss an interesting, low-key film with co-workers when they return to work after their weekend.{{sfn|Berra|2008|p=68}}
''Easy Rider'' (1969), which was created on a budget of less than $400,000 ({{Inflation|US|400000|1969|r=-3|fmt=eq}}){{Inflation-fn|US}}, became a sleeper hit by earning $50 million and garnering attention from younger audiences with its combination of drugs, violence, motorcycles, counter-culture stance, and rock music.{{sfn|Ganeri|Bergan|2006|p=458}} It was also one of the successful films during the beginnings of the American New Wave of cinema.<ref name=Crawford>{{cite news|last=Crawford|first=Travis|title=Criterion: American Lost and Found: The BBS Story|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/16844-america-lost-and-found-the-bbs-story/|access-date=February 19, 2013|newspaper=Filmmaker Magazine|date=16 December 2010}}</ref>
''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975) was considered a failure<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200618-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-the-film-thats-saved-lives|title=The Rocky Horror Picture Show: The film that's saved lives|first=Larushka|last=Ivan-Zadeh|website=www.bbc.com|date=19 June 2020 }}</ref> for the first 6 months of its release until it found popularity in midnight screenings afterwards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/midnight-movies-from-the-margin-to-the-mainstream-1200525884/|title=Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream|first1=Robert|last1=Koehler|date=14 May 2005}}</ref>
''A Christmas Story'' (1983) was initially a modest success with little promotion,<ref>{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=IN THE ARTS: CRITICS' CHOICES |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 8, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/08/arts/in-the-arts-critics-choices-162681.html |access-date=December 1, 2009 |quote=Popular misconceptions can get a movie off to a slow start, and they may have helped turn 'A Christmas Story' into the sleeper of this season.}}</ref> but after Ted Turner purchased the MGM pre-may 1986 back-catalog a few years later and began rerunning the film on his cable networks every December, it became an iconic Christmas classic.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/how-a-christmas-story-became-an-american-tradition|title=How A Christmas Story Went from Low-Budget Fluke to an American Tradition|date=30 November 2016|magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref>
The 1979 Australian film ''Mad Max'', which sprung from the Ozploitation movement and helped to popularize the post-apocalyptic dystopia genre, held the record for the biggest profit-to-cost ratio for several years until it was broken in 1999 by ''The Blair Witch Project'', also a sleeper hit.<ref name=Haupert2006/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/gallery/summer-sleepers-14-unexpected-movie-hits/|title=Summer Sleepers: 14 Unexpected Movie Hits|first=Lanford|last=Beard|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=13 July 2016}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20141227125432/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20828245_30188940,00.html Originally published 22 July 2014].</ref>
The independent film ''Halloween'', which played over the course of fall 1978 through fall 1979 and relied almost completely on word-of-mouth as marketing, was also a sleeper hit, having a box office take of $70 million on a budget of only $325,000. Its success caused other slasher films to try the same approach, although few fared as well since horror films heavily rely on opening weekend box office and quickly fall from theaters. Other notable examples of horror sleeper-hits to follow in ''Halloween''{{'s}} wake include ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' in 1984, ''Scream'' in 1996, ''The Blair Witch Project'' in 1999, ''Saw'' in 2004, and ''Paranormal Activity'' in 2007.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kerswell|first1=J.A.|title=The slasher movie book|date=2012|publisher=Chicago Review Press|location=Chicago, Ill.|isbn=978-1556520105}}</ref>
''Hocus Pocus'' (1993) underperformed at the box office but eventually became a sleeper hit through television airings on the ''13 Nights of Halloween'' block on what is now Freeform.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chaney|first1=Jen|title=The Magical Tale of How 'Hocus Pocus' Went From Box-Office Flop to Halloween Favorite|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-magical-tale-of-how-hocus-pocus-went-from-144105863.html|access-date=October 28, 2015|work=Yahoo.com|date=October 28, 2015}}</ref>
''The Iron Giant'' (1999) was a box-office failure due to lack of marketing from distributor Warner Bros., who did not have faith in the film. However, it received universal acclaim and earned a cult following once it arrived on home video and television, and is now considered a modern animation classic and one of the greatest animated films ever made.<ref name=remastered>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/iron-giant-new-scenes-remastered-edition-release-date-1201601135/|title=Duncan Studios Adds New 'Iron Giant' Scenes for Remastered Re-release|quote=Brad Bird’s 1999 '''animated classic''' ''The Iron Giant''...|work=Variety|date=September 24, 2015|access-date=October 5, 2015|first=Terry|last=Flores|archive-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006024108/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/iron-giant-new-scenes-remastered-edition-release-date-1201601135/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2014/01/the_iron_giant_a_modern_classi.html|title='The Iron Giant,' a modern classic of animation returns: Indie & art house films|publisher=OregonLive.com|quote=Released in 1999, this '''modern classic''' of hand-drawn animation|date=January 20, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2015|first=Jamie S.|last=Rich|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007182823/http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2014/01/the_iron_giant_a_modern_classi.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-brad-birds-the-iron-giant-20120806|title=5 Things You Might Not Know About Brad Bird's 'The Iron Giant'|quote=is now widely recognized as a '''modern classic'''|work=IndieWire|date=August 6, 2012|access-date=October 5, 2015|first=Oliver|last=Lyttelton|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006043238/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-brad-birds-the-iron-giant-20120806|archive-date=2015-10-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>
''Napoleon Dynamite'' made back its $500,000 budget and became a phenomenon in 2004, grossing almost $45 million within a year of its release, and became the basis for a short-lived animated series featuring the film's entire cast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitaledition.baltimoresun.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=f9b71a9d-ce41-4978-bfe3-90f9afcf042a|title=What'll become of the cult movie? - Baltimore Sun|website=digitaledition.baltimoresun.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2556724737/ | title=Napoleon Dynamite }}</ref>
''The Peanut Butter Falcon'' (2019) also went on to become a sleeper hit,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url=https://www.inquirer.com/entertainment/movies/aaron-scotti-peanut-butter-falcon-movie-20190822.html |title=How 'Friends' inspired Conshohocken's Aaron Scotti to start making movies, like the delightful 'Peanut Butter Falcon' |date=August 22, 2019 |access-date=October 9, 2019 |last=Thompson |first=Gary}}</ref> expanding the following weekend to 1,249 theaters and earning $3 million, as well as $1.1 million on Labor Day.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/angel-has-fallen-dont-let-go-blumhouse-labor-day-weekend-box-office-1202708288/ |title='Angel Has Fallen' Still In Flight At Sluggish Labor Day Box Office With $16M+ 4-Day |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=September 1, 2019 |access-date=September 3, 2019 }}</ref>
''Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'' (2022) grossed $12.4 million in its opening weekend, and ultimately became a sleeper hit by March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last2=Lang |first2=Brent |last1=Rubin |first1=Rebecca |date=March 8, 2023 |title=How TikTok and Cat Lovers Helped Propel ''Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'' to Box Office Glory |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/puss-in-boots-the-last-wish-box-office-tiktok-trend-1235546015/ |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=Variety |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230422/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/puss-in-boots-the-last-wish-box-office-tiktok-trend-1235546015/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Elemental'' (2023) originally opened below projections, earning $29.5 million in its opening weekend. However, positive word-of-mouth led the movie to become a sleeper hit by managing to make a drastic turnaround, with many news outlets noting Pixar Animation Studios' box office comeback upon the film crossing $400 million worldwide by early August 2023, which ultimately became Disney's biggest animated success during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also performed well internationally, particularly in South Korea, which became the film's third-largest market. This was attributed to director Peter Sohn's Korean-American background and the incorporation of elements that resonated with Korean audiences. Upon hearing this news, Sohn stated "I think my heart burst with joy."<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1682251646104129536|user=PEETSOWN|title=I think my heart burst with joy.}}</ref> By August 20, 2023, ''Elemental'' had surpassed ''Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse''{{'}}s international box office total and in January 2024, the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.joblo.com/elemental-disney-box-office/|title=Elemental: Disney defends Pixar's latest feature after misleading reports about the film's underperformance |website=JoBlo.com|last=Seigh|first=Steve|date=August 9, 2023|access-date=September 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/disney-defends-elemental-box-office-flop/|title= Disney Defends Elemental From Box Office Flop Reports |website=CBR|last= Goyal |first= Aman|date=August 9, 2023|access-date=September 2, 2023 |quote= Pixar's animated film Elemental continues gaining traction at the box office even in its seventh week, on track to becoming a sleeper hit.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/elemental-pixar-box-office-comeback/|title='Elemental' and Pixar Have Quietly Made a Box Office Comeback|website=The Wrap|last=Fuster|first=Jeremy|date=August 8, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/entertainment/elemental-box-office-legs/index.html|title='Elemental' was written off as a box-office flop. Then it sprouted legs|website=CNN|last=Lowry|first=Brian|date=July 31, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/pixars-elemental-crossed-another-box-office-milestone-stop-calling-bomb|title=Pixar's Elemental Has Crossed Another Box Office Milestone, So Can We Stop Calling It A Bomb Now?|website=Cinema Blend|last=Reyes|first=Mike|date=August 3, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/elemental-movie-box-office-pixar-redemption-double-budget/|title=Pixar Box Office Redemption: Elemental Box Office Doubles Budget After Initially Being Declared A Flop|website=Screen Rant|last=Rudoy|first=Matthew|date=August 1, 2023|access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bizwire |first=Korea |date=July 5, 2023 |title=Pixar's 'Elemental' Enjoys Popularity in S. Korea Despite Struggles in the U.S. |url=http://koreabizwire.com/pixars-elemental-enjoys-popularity-in-s-korea-despite-struggles-in-the-u-s/252777 |access-date=July 8, 2023 |website=The Koran Bizwire |language=en-US |archive-date=July 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707233115/http://koreabizwire.com/pixars-elemental-enjoys-popularity-in-s-korea-despite-struggles-in-the-u-s/252777 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Drum|first=Nicole|url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/disneys-elemental-just-passed-spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-at-international-box-office/|title=Disney's Elemental Just Passed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse at International Box Office|website=comicbook.com|date=August 20, 2023|accessdate=August 21, 2023|archive-date=August 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821161125/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/disneys-elemental-just-passed-spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-at-international-box-office/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Eddy |first=Cheryl |date=August 3, 2023 |title=Pixar's Slow-Burn Hit ''Elemental'' Is Coming Home Soon, With Tons of Extras |url=https://gizmodo.com/pixar-disney-elemental-digital-bluray-4k-release-extras-1850705473 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803225102/https://gizmodo.com/pixar-disney-elemental-digital-bluray-4k-release-extras-1850705473 |archive-date=August 3, 2023 |access-date=January 28, 2024 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2023 |title=How to Stream ''Elemental'', One of the Summer's Stealth Box Office Hits |url=https://tvline.com/news/how-to-watch-elemental-online-streaming-disney-plus-1235038956/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906134516/https://tvline.com/news/how-to-watch-elemental-online-streaming-disney-plus-1235038956/ |archive-date=September 6, 2023 |access-date=September 16, 2023 |website=TVLine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2023 |title=''Barbie'', opisyal nang highest-grossing movie of 2023 |trans-title=''Barbie'' is officially the highest-grossing movie of 2023 |url=https://www.pep.ph/pepalerts/pep-troika/175708/barbie-highest-grossing-movie-2023-a4118-20230906 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916003659/https://www.pep.ph/pepalerts/pep-troika/175708/barbie-highest-grossing-movie-2023-a4118-20230906 |archive-date=September 16, 2023 |access-date=September 16, 2023 |website=Philippine Entertainment Portal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lorenzo |first=Nick |date=September 21, 2023 |title=''Elemental'' Viewing Surpasses ''The Little Mermaid'' on Disney+ {{!}} Chart |url=https://www.thewrap.com/top-streaming-movies-elemental-little-mermaid-disney-plus/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924222055/https://www.thewrap.com/top-streaming-movies-elemental-little-mermaid-disney-plus/ |archive-date=September 24, 2023 |access-date=January 28, 2024 |website=TheWrap}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Devon |first1=Dayna |last2=Samra |first2=Christine |date=December 11, 2023 |title=''Elemental'' director Peter Sohn calls Golden Globes nomination 'incredible' |url=https://ktla.com/entertainment/elemental-director-peter-sohn-calls-golden-globes-nomination-incredible/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101072510/https://ktla.com/entertainment/elemental-director-peter-sohn-calls-golden-globes-nomination-incredible/ |archive-date=January 1, 2024 |access-date=January 28, 2024 |website=KTLA}}</ref>}}
''Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken'' (2023) was a box-office bomb, grossing $46 million against a $70 million budget, losing projections of up to $80 million. However, it became a success on Netflix, beating out the competition, and caught on with the target audience, which was teens and young adults. ''Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken'' would reach the top of Netflix's Top 10 and was seen by 12,300,000 viewers over the course of three weeks.<ref>{{Cite web |title= thanksgiving beaten by Dreamworks flop Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken netflix |url= https://movieweb.com/thanksgiving-beaten-by-dreamworks-flop-ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-netflix/ |access-date=February 23, 2024|website=Movieweb.com|date= 22 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken Netflix Viewership Chart Ranking|url=https://screenrant.com/ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-netflix-viewership-numbers-chart-ranking/|access-date=February 23, 2024|website=screenrant.com}}</ref>
The romantic comedy ''Anyone but You'' (2023)<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sony Lands Surprise Box Office Hit With 'Anyone But You' |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-10/-anyone-but-you-with-sydney-sweeney-glen-powell-exceeds-sales-expectations |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Bloomberg |last1=Shaw |first1=Lucas |last2=Buckley |first2=Thomas |date=10 January 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> also opened below projections. It was projected to gross around $7 million during its opening weekend,<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=December 19, 2023 |title= 'Aquaman 2' The Big Fish In Warner Bros Christmas Troika With 'Wonka' & 'Color Purple', But Holiday Box Office Not Looking Bright – Preview |url= https://deadline.com/2023/12/box-office-christmas-aquaman-2-the-color-purple-1235677638/ |access-date=December 20, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}}</ref> but opened to $6.3 million instead.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=December 24, 2023 |title= Christmas Box Office Slows Down: 'Aquaman 2' $38M-$39M, 'Wonka' $26M, 'Migration' $17M & More – Sunday Update |url= https://deadline.com/2023/12/box-office-aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-migration-color-purple-1235680766/ |access-date=December 24, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}}</ref> However, the film experienced a gradual increase in weekend gross and stayed within the top five.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=December 31, 2023 |title= 'Aquaman 2', 'Wonka' & More Propel Christmas Week Box Office To $281M, +14% Over 2022 |url= https://deadline.com/2023/12/box-office-christmas-week-aquaman-2-wonka-1235683131/ |access-date=December 31, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=January 7, 2024 |title= First Weekend Of 2024 Down 16%, As 'Wonka' Leads, 'Night Swim' Paddles To $12M+, 'Aquaman 2' Nears $100M – Saturday AM Box Office |url= https://deadline.com/2024/01/box-office-night-swim-wonka-1235695828/ |access-date=January 7, 2024|website=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref> The film led the box office from January 8, 2024, to January 11,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Anyone-But-You-(2023)#tab=box-office |title=Anyone But You (2023) - Financial Information |website=The Numbers |access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref> which saw the debut of new films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=January 13, 2024 |title='Mean Girls' Too Cool For School With $33M+ Opening – Monday Box Office Update |url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/box-office-mean-girls-mlk-2024-1235726596/ |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114220741/https://deadline.com/2024/01/box-office-mean-girls-mlk-2024-1235726596/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate'' (2025), an Indian Gujarati devotional drama film, struggled upon the release but a strong word-of-mouth resulted in the uptick in the audience from the third week. The film went on to become the highest-grossing Gujarati film of all-time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gujarati film with Rs 50 lakh budget makes 176x profit, earns Rs 1 cr for first time on Day 24 of release|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/gujarati-film-rs-50-lakh-budget-176x-profit-earns-rs-1-cr-for-first-time-day-24-of-release-10387258/|website=The Indian Express|date=2025-11-26|access-date=2025-11-27|language=en}}</ref>
==In music== Don Howard's 1952 recording of "Oh Happy Day" was one of the earliest sleeper hits. Featuring only Howard's baritone vocals and his acoustic guitar played at an amateur level, it was initially released regionally and was never expected to become a hit. A massive groundswell of support from teenagers in Howard's home base of Cleveland, Ohio, led to the song rapidly rising in popularity,<ref name="TIME">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,889646,00.html?iid=digg_share |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222110743/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,889646,00.html?iid=digg_share |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 December 2008 |title=Mystery Hit – |date=9 February 1953 |magazine=Time |access-date=9 October 2008}}</ref> despite music industry scorn;<ref name="Galvestonfeb53">{{cite news |title=No One Likes 'Happy Day' Except Public |first = Richard N. |last = Smith |date=19 February 1953 |work=Galveston Daily News}}</ref> cover versions (including one by Larry Hooper and the Lawrence Welk orchestra) were quickly rushed into production, and by 1953, there were no fewer than four hit recordings of the same song circulating, including Howard's original.
The Romantics' 1980 single "What I Like About You" was a minor hit upon its release, charting at number 49 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, while not charting at all in the United Kingdom. It eventually became one of the most popular songs of the 1980s thanks to its use in various advertising campaigns.{{sfn|Gimarc|2005|p=287}}
The Waterboys 1985 single "The Whole of the Moon" charted initially in several countries on the lower end of charts including No. 26 in the UK. The song was re-released in 1991 to much acclaim peaking at No. 3 in the UK and No. 3 in Europe, and becoming certified platinum in the UK.<ref name="BPI">"[https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/ Certified Awards Search]". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on 27 August 2023. Note: User needs to enter ''Waterboys'' in the "Search BPI Awards" field and press Enter</ref> The song became one of their most successful songs and well known.<ref name="rs whole of the moon">{{cite web |last1=Ehrlich |first1=Brenna |title=The Waterboys' 'Whole of the Moon' Is Having a Moment |date=20 November 2019 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/waterboys-whole-of-the-moon-moment-915340/ |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref>
The 1987 single "Welcome to the Jungle" by American rock band Guns N' Roses performed poorly in both the United States and the United Kingdom when first released in September of that year. As the band's popularity grew steadily in 1988, it became a sleeper hit in the US and reached the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' charts. It was then re-released in the UK, charting within the top 40 there.<ref>{{cite book|last=Masterton|first=James|title=The Top 40 Annual 1988|chapter=Guns N' Roses|publisher=James Masterton|year=2015}}</ref>
The 1990 single "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole became a sleeper hit after being featured in numerous film and TV soundtracks throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the song eventually charted across Europe in 2010 and 2011, finishing 16th on Germany's decade-end charts for the 2010s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/chartsoffiziell/status/1206603596223131653|title=Weiter geht's mit den Plätzen 17 und 16 unseres Jahrzehnte-Rankings. Diese sichern sich Bonez MC/ RAF Camora/ Maxwell ("Ohne mein Team") & Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ("Over The Rainbow") bei den Singles sowie @rsprachrohr ("Rammstein") & Santiano ("Mit den Gezeiten") bei den Alben.|via=Twitter|publisher=GfK Entertainment|language=de|access-date=December 31, 2019}}</ref>
Nirvana's second album ''Nevermind'' was released in September 1991 with low expectations, hoping to sell 500,000 copies. The album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 144, but slowly climbed up the charts over the following months, entering the top 40 in November. The album was selling 300,000 copies a week by December, before in January 1992, it even replaced Michael Jackson's ''Dangerous'' at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' charts.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Newman|first=Melinda|title=Nirvana's 'Nevermind' Turns 25: How It Changed The Record Business|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/melindanewman/2016/09/24/nirvanas-nevermind-turns-25-how-it-changed-the-record-business/|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> The album went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, and has since become one of the world's best-selling albums of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-25|title=The baby from Nirvana's Nevermind cover recreates the pose for its 25th anniversary|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nevermind-anniversary-nirvana-baby-kurt-cobain-dave-grohl-a7328811.html|access-date=2021-02-22|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>
"Thank You" by Dido was first featured in the movie ''Sliding Doors'' in 1998 and released as a single in September 2000 but did not chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 until Eminem sampled the track for his hit single "Stan", which helped propel "Thank You" and Dido's debut album ''No Angel,'' which was released in 1999, to mainstream success. The single debuted on the chart at No. 80 in January 2001,<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2001-01-13 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> and eventually peaked at number three in April 2001.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2001-05-12 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2001-05-19 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> ''No Angel'' entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 144,<ref name="Billboard II">{{cite magazine |date=10 January 2001 |title=No Stopping Beatles' '1' On Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80775/no-stopping-beatles-1-on-billboard-200 |access-date=25 September 2017 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> where it eventually reached its peak position of No. 4 on the chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=21 February 2001 |title=Shaggy Tightens Grip on No. 1 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80511/shaggy-tightens-grip-on-no-1 |access-date=25 September 2017 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
Maroon 5's debut studio album, ''Songs About Jane'', was originally released in June 2002 but did not enter the chart until 11 months later in May 2003, where it underperformed on the chart, debuting at just No. 170, and staying beneath the top 40 for 8 months. However, with their popular hit single, "This Love," released in 2004, and the equally popular follow-up, "She Will Be Loved," both peaking at No. 5, with the former spending 14 weeks in the top ten and 43 weeks on the chart, it gave new hype for the album at the beginning of 2004, being certified platinum in February, and finally making the top 10 a month later.<ref>{{cite web |last1=WJJY |title=It would be loved: 20 years ago, Maroon 5 released debut album 'Songs About Jane' |url=https://1067wjjy.com/it-would-be-loved-20-years-ago-maroon-5-released-debut-album-songs-about-jane/ |website=WJJY-FM |date=24 June 2022 |access-date=24 June 2022}}</ref><ref>[https://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,15643,00.html E! – News] E! Online. Retrieved on 05-22-2007. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321193956/http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0%2C1%2C15643%2C00.html |date=March 21, 2006 }}</ref>
The R&B singer Raphael Saadiq's classic soul-inspired album ''The Way I See It'' was a sleeper hit.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Sless-Kitain|first=Areif|date=6 August 2010|title=Raphael Saadiq + Balkan Beat Box + Javelin at Lollapalooza 2010: Live review|magazine=Time Out|location=Chicago}}</ref> Overlooked upon its release in 2008,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Watson|first=Margeaux|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2008/12/24/raphael-saadiqs/|title=Raphael Saadiq's 'The Way I See It': Most overlooked CD of the year|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|location=New York|date=24 December 2008|access-date=7 April 2012|archive-date=30 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730175135/http://music-mix.ew.com/2008/12/24/raphael-saadiqs/|url-status=dead}}</ref> it ended up charting for 41 weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200.<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=raphael saadiq|chart=Billboard 200}}|title=Raphael Saadiq Album & Song Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref>
"Just Dance" and "Poker Face" by pop singer Lady Gaga were both released in 2008 but did not become popular hits until the following year in early 2009 in some countries, including the US and the UK, eventually becoming No. 1 hits in those countries. "Poker Face", in particular, went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording and become the world's best-selling single of 2009 overall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJQvMRtelYIC&dq=lady+gaga+poker+face+sleeper+hit&pg=PT15|title=Lady Gaga Superstar|page=7|publisher=epubli|via=Google Books}}</ref>
R&B singer Miguel's 2010 debut album ''All I Want Is You'' performed poorly at first, debuting at number 109 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with sales of 11,000 copies,<ref name="Lipshutz"/> while underpromoted by his record label.<ref name="Rytlewski">{{cite news|last=Rytlewski|first=Evan|date=9 October 2012|url=https://www.avclub.com/miguel-kaleidoscope-dream-1798174517|title=Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream|journal=The A.V. Club|location=Chicago|access-date=19 October 2012}}</ref> As its singles achieved radio airplay and Miguel toured in the record's promotion,<ref name="Lipshutz">{{cite magazine|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=21 September 2012|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/474985/miguels-kaleidoscope-dream-inside-the-rb-dynamos-fresh-start|title=Miguel's 'Kaleidoscope Dream': Inside The R&B Dynamo's Fresh Start|magazine=Billboard|access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref> ''All I Want Is You'' became a sleeper hit<ref>{{cite web|last=Graham|first=Nadine|date=24 March 2011|url=http://soultrain.com/2011/03/24/qa-miguel/|title=Q&A: Miguel|publisher=Soul Train|access-date=17 October 2012}}</ref> and reached 404,000 copies sold by 2012.<ref name="Lipshutz"/> As of November 2017, the album has been certified platinum in the US.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=MIGUEL&ti=ALL+I+WANT+IS+YOU/|title=Gold & Platinum|website=RIAA}}</ref>
"Trap Queen" by Fetty Wap was released online in March 2014 and independently in April 2014 but did not gain any recognition until December 2014. It entered on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2015 and ultimately went on to be a top ten hit, peaking at number two; the song spent 25 consecutive weeks in the top ten. Outside the United States, "Trap Queen" peaked within the top ten of the charts in Denmark and the United Kingdom. An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Nitt Da Gritt, was released on his YouTube page that features Wap and his girlfriend partying at their apartment. He first performed the song on television at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards with Fall Out Boy and would make later appearances at ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'', ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', ''Wild 'n Out'' and the BET Awards 2015 to perform the song. The song received two nominations at the 58th Grammy Awards: Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
"Truth Hurts" by Lizzo was released in September 2017, and did not chart until its appearance in the 2019 romantic comedy film ''Someone Great'' led to the single debuting at the number 50 position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. As the song became a sleeper hit on the chart, the music video—featuring the singer in a "wedding-gone-wild" concept—went viral. By September 2019, the single had reached number one on the chart, while picking up 93 million views. The single also benefited from its use in TikTok videos by users who lip-synced or referenced the lyric "I just took a DNA test, turns out, I'm 100 percent that bitch".<ref name="paper">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.papermag.com/lizzo-truth-hurts-number-one-america-2640176924.html?rebelltitem=6#rebelltitem6|title=How Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts' Became the No. 1 Song in America|last=Love|first=Michael Love|date=September 3, 2019|magazine=Paper|access-date=November 5, 2019}}</ref> During its chart run, Gary Trust, the senior director of charts at ''Billboard'', noted the rarity of a song topping the Hot 100 almost two years after its release, but explained that, "in the digital era, it's much easier than ever before for music fans to be exposed to older songs that might've been overlooked the first time around."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/friday-aug-30-2019-geena-davis-lizzo-and-more-1.5264345/how-lizzo-s-truth-hurts-could-hit-no-1-on-billboard-hot-100-despite-2017-release-1.5264351|title=How Lizzo's Truth Hurts could hit No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 despite 2017 release|publisher=CBC Radio|access-date=November 5, 2019|date=August 30, 2019}}</ref> According to ''Paper'' magazine's Michael Love Michael, Lizzo's sleeper hit can also be explained by a more inclusive popular media since the song's original release: "Black women are more visible than ever on magazine covers; fashion is having broader conversations about size, racial, and ethnic diversity. Lizzo's presence in these spaces signals a future of greater inclusion."<ref name="paper"/>
In the 2020s, Lostwave grew in popularity, spearheaded by the search for "Subways of Your Mind" by Fex - known for many years as "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet".<ref name = RollingStone>{{Cite magazine| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/most-mysterious-song-internet-identified-subways-of-your-mind-1235153685/| title = Case Closed: One of the internet's biggest musical mysteries has likely been solved| last = Blistein| first = Jon| date = November 5, 2024| magazine = Rolling Stone| publisher = | access-date = November 6, 2024| quote = A 'lost' New Wave track stumping listeners for over 15 years was identified as 'Subways of Your Mind' by the German band FEX| archive-date = 5 November 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241105195851/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/most-mysterious-song-internet-identified-subways-of-your-mind-1235153685/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name = TheVerge>{{Cite web| url = https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/5/24288782/unidentified-song-mystery-reddit-fex-subways-of-the-mind| title = Reddit sleuths track down the band behind the internet's most mysterious song| last = Davis| first = Wes| date = November 5, 2024| website = The Verge| publisher = | access-date = November 6, 2024| quote = Now we know that the song is called 'Subways Of the Mind' by a band named FEX. Here's a recording provided by Michael Hädrich, a 68-year-old former band member.| archive-date = 8 November 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241108214940/https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/5/24288782/unidentified-song-mystery-reddit-fex-subways-of-the-mind| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name = DerSpiegel>{{Cite web| url = https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/the-most-mysterious-song-on-the-internet-netzraetsel-nach-jahren-geloest-a-458f113c-64a0-468d-a1bc-5cba9e22b4ad| title = Netzrätsel nach Jahren gelöst: Hinter dem »geheimnisvollsten Lied des Internets« steckt eine deutsche Band| trans-title = Internet mystery solved after years: A German band was behind the 'most mysterious song on the Internet'.| last1 = Böhm| first1 = Markus| last2 = Kleinz| first2 = Torsten| date = November 5, 2024| website = Der Spiegel| language = de| access-date = November 6, 2024| quote = Es ist ein historischer Tag. Nicht etwa wegen der US-Wahl. Sondern, weil etwas anderes geschehen ist, das sich für einige Menschen offenbar ähnlich weltbewegend anfühlt: Das Geheimnis um den »most mysterious Song on the Internet«, und damit eines der bekanntesten Netzrätsel überhaupt, ist gelüftet worden. Nach 17 Jahren. [It's a historic day. Not because of the US election. But because something else happened that apparently felt equally earth-shattering to some people: The secret of the 'most mysterious song on the Internet', and thus one of the most famous online mysteries of all time, has been revealed. After 17 years.]}}</ref> This and other songs which went unheralded at the time of their original release saw a resultant increase in popularity.
===COVID-19 pandemic and TikTok=== The COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in audiences' rediscovery of previously released media, including music, primarily through video sharing service TikTok and other social media platforms. Songs which were released up to several years prior but failed to make an immediate impression commercially have gained renewed popularity and chart success.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCathie |first=William |date=23 April 2020 |title=Say So, TikTok, and the 'Viral Sleeper Hit' |url=https://www.cherwell.org/2020/04/23/say-so-tiktok-and-the-viral-sleeper-hit/ |access-date=23 March 2022 |website=Cherwell |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=Variety2022>{{Cite web |last=Wass |first=Mike |date=14 July 2022 |title=Viral Revivals: From Kate Bush to Tom Odell, Inside the Business of Oldies as New Hit Songs |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kate-bush-tom-odell-catalog-songs-tiktok-business-1235317069/ |access-date=17 July 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2023, ''Billboard'' introduced the TikTok ''Billboard'' Top 50 chart, which keeps track of songs from how many plays they get on TikTok.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Cabison |first=Rosalie |date=2023-08-30 |title=TikTok Billboard Top 50 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/tiktok-billboard-top-50/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> Examples of TikTok sleeper hits since 2020 include: * "Pretty Little Baby" by Connie Francis (released in 1962, went viral in 2025 shortly before Francis's death)<ref name="Billboard 1">{{cite magazine |last1=Knopper |first1=Steve |date=May 20, 2025 |title=Connie Francis Says 'Pretty Little Baby' Going Viral 'Gives Me a New Lease on Life' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/connie-francis-viral-hit-pretty-little-baby-1235976736/ |access-date=June 1, 2025 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> *"Misty" (jazz-standard written by Erroll Garner) by Lesley Gore (released as a non-single from the 1963 album ''I'll Cry If I Want To'')<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fuentes |first=Emily |date=2024-01-11 |title=Lesley Gore's 1963 'Misty' Reaches No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50 {{!}} Billboard News |url=https://www.billboard.com/video/lesley-gore-misty-number-1-tiktok-billboard-top-50-billboard-news/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> *"Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" by Miki Matsubara (released November 1979; went viral on TikTok in 2020 during the city pop revival)<ref>{{Cite news |last=St. Michel |first=Patrick |date=11 March 2021 |title=How TikTok resurrected a Japanese pop star's defining hit |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2021/03/11/music/tiktok-miki-matsubara/ |access-date=7 September 2025 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> *"Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush (released 1985; also appeared in ''Stranger Things'' on Netflix)<ref name=Variety2022/> *"Dead Man" by Self (released as a song from the 2000 album ''Gizmodgery'')<ref>{{cite web |last=Dih |first=Gerald |url=https://audiophix.com/dissecting-song-broke-self-back-mainstream-decades-later |title=Dissecting the song that broke Self back into the mainstream decades later |website=AudioPhix |language=en |date=November 6, 2025 |access-date=November 24, 2025}}</ref> *"Murder on the Dancefloor" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (released December 2001; also featured in the 2023 film ''Saltburn'')<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-05 |title=Saltburn sends Murder on the Dancefloor back into top 10 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-67881277 |access-date=2024-01-25 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cavender |first=Elena |date=2024-01-04 |title='Saltburn' gives 'Murder On The Dancefloor' new life 20 years after its release |url=https://mashable.com/article/saltburn-murder-on-the-dancefloor |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref> *"Who Is She?" by I Monster (released as a non-single from the 2003 album ''Neveroddoreven'')<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Staci |title=What is the TikTok 'Who is She?' song? |url=https://wegotthiscovered.com/music/what-is-the-tiktok-who-is-she-song/ |website=WeGotThisCovered |date=15 November 2022 |access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> *"505" by Arctic Monkeys (a non-single from the 2007 album ''Favourite Worst Nightmare'')<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skinner |first=Tom |date=21 October 2022 |title=Alex Turner tells us about Arctic Monkeys' '505' going viral on TikTok |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/alex-turner-tells-us-about-arctic-monkeys-505-going-viral-on-tiktok-3333522 |access-date=6 March 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/rock-songs-tiktok-revivals-2000s-emo-pop-punk-list-feature/arctic-monkeys-505/|title=10 Rock Songs from the Mid-2000s That Have Gotten TikTok Revivals|last=Goldberg|first=Madison E.|date=13 October 2022|magazine=Billboard|access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref> *"Bloody Mary" by Lady Gaga (originally a non-single from the 2011 album ''Born This Way'' but released as a single 11 years later, after becoming popular on TikTok as a feature edit from ''Wednesday'' on Netflix)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Lady-GaGa/news-123269.html|title=Lady Gaga: son titre "Bloody Mary" explose dans les charts grâce à "''Mercredi''" sur Netflix|last=Ruelle|first=Yohann|date=2 December 2022|publisher=Pure Charts|language=fr|access-date=11 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202220112/http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Lady-GaGa/news-123269.html|archive-date=December 2, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Dailey|first=Hannah|date=2 December 2022|title=Lady Gaga Reacts to {{'}}''Wednesday''{{'}} 'Bloody Mary' TikTok Dance Trend|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/lady-gaga-reacts-wednesday-bloody-mary-tiktok-dance-trend-1235180074/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=11 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203084640/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/lady-gaga-reacts-wednesday-bloody-mary-tiktok-dance-trend-1235180074/|archive-date=3 December 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/wednesday-netflix-lady-gaga-bloody-mary/|title=Netflix's {{'}}''Wednesday''{{'}} Has Everyone Streaming Lady Gaga's 'Bloody Mary'|last=Roberts|first=Savannah|date=29 November 2022|publisher=Capital|access-date=11 December 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130030448/https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/wednesday-netflix-lady-gaga-bloody-mary/|archive-date=30 November 2022}}</ref> *"Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood (released 2012)<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The Neighbourhood Score Best On-Demand Streaming Weeks Yet For 'Sweater Weather' & 'Daddy Issues'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9477079/neighbourhood-sweater-weather-daddy-issues-streaming-gain|access-date=2020-11-17|magazine=Billboard|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Here's the real meaning behind TikTok's 'Sweater Weather' trend |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/real-meaning-behind-tiktok-sweater-173051074.html |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.yahoo.com |date=8 December 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> *"Another Love" by Tom Odell<ref name=Variety2022/> *"Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship)" by Studio Killers (released 2013)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://muumuse.com/2021/01/studio-killers-jenny-ruin-our-friendship-tiktok-interview.html/#google_vignette | title=How Studio Killers' "Jenny" Became a Queer TikTok Hit (Interview) | date=9 January 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.idolator.com/7916610/studio-killers-go-viral-with-jenny-i-wanna-ruin-our-friendship | archive-url=https://archive.today/20201215005848/https://www.idolator.com/7916610/studio-killers-go-viral-with-jenny-i-wanna-ruin-our-friendship | url-status=dead | archive-date=15 December 2020 | title=Studio Killers Go Viral with "Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship)" | date=14 December 2020 }}</ref> *"Freaks" by Surf Curse (released 2013)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/surf-curse-continue-connecting-to-freaks-10-years-later/|title=Surf Curse Continue Connecting to "Freaks" 10 Years Later|work=American Songwriter|last=Benitez-Eves|first=Tina|date=August 31, 2021|access-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-07-19/surf-curse-freaks-tik-tok|title=These indie-rock lifers went from obscurity to scandal to a major-label deal in 10 months|work=Los Angeles Times|last=Brown|first=August|date=July 19, 2021|access-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref> *"Doubt" by Twenty One Pilots (originally a non-single from the 2015 album ''Blurryface'' but its demo version was released as a single in 2025 when it went viral on TikTok)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twenty One Pilots: Demo of "Doubt" Goes Viral on TikTok |url=https://www.impericon.com/blogs/magazine/twenty-one-pilots-demo-of-doubt-goes-viral-on-tiktok |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=Impericon |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-10 |title=twenty one pilots officially release Doubt demo after it goes viral… |url=https://www.kerrang.com/twenty-one-pilots-officially-release-doubt-demo-after-it-goes-viral-on-tiktok-blurryface-stressed-out-tyler-joseph-josh-dun |access-date=2025-07-16 |website=Kerrang! |language=en}}</ref> *"Space Song" by Beach House (released 2015)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-18 |title=TikTok Has Made Shoegaze Bigger Than Ever |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2245469/tiktok-has-made-shoegaze-bigger-than-ever/columns/sounding-board/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref> *"Makeba" by Jain (released as the second single for her debut studio album ''Zanaka'' released in 2015)<ref name="siriusxm.com">{{cite web |title=12 Sleeper Hits That Gained Popularity Late, From 'Cruel Summer' to 'Running Up That Hill' |url=https://www.siriusxm.com/blog/sleeper-hits |website=Sirius XM |date=7 November 2023 |access-date=June 3, 2024}}</ref> *"Them Changes" by Thundercat (released in 2015 as a single for the album ''The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam'', and later for the 2017 album ''Drunk'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/features/music-features/sped-up-songs-tiktok-hits-raye-oliver-tree-sza-coldplay-jovynn-3382579|title=Sped up songs: why are music fans becoming captivated by quick TikTok hits?|last=Campbell|first=Erica|date=January 17, 2023|website=NME|access-date=September 26, 2023}}</ref> *"Little Dark Age" by MGMT (released 2017)<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=March 10, 2022|title=How MGMT's 'Little Dark Age' Became An Unstoppable TikTok Meme|url=https://www.spin.com/2022/03/mgmt-little-dark-age-tiktok-meme/|access-date=March 31, 2022|website=Spin}}</ref> *"Buttercup" by Jack Stauber (released 2017)<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Serra|first=Maria|date=2020-11-05|title=10 artists you've heard on TikTok who you actually need to listen to|url=https://www.altpress.com/features/popular-tiktok-songs-alternative/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=Alternative Press|language=en-US|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216155555/https://www.altpress.com/features/popular-tiktok-songs-alternative/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ainsworth|first=Harry|date=September 24, 2020|title=Seriously, why is everyone dressing up as ghosts on TikTok right now?|url=https://thetab.com/uk/2020/09/24/dressing-up-as-ghosts-tiktok-176311|url-status=live|access-date=May 18, 2021|website=The Tab|archive-date=May 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518160827/https://thetab.com/uk/2020/09/24/dressing-up-as-ghosts-tiktok-176311}}</ref> *"Beggin'{{-"}} (The Four Seasons cover) by Måneskin (released December 2017; band also won Eurovision Song Contest 2021 representing Italy)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/maneskin-beggin-august-chartbreaker/|title=Chartbreaker: Inside Måneskin's Unlikely, TikTok-Assisted Journey to Rock Stardom|magazine=Billboard|access-date=5 August 2021|date=3 August 2021}}</ref> * "Mary on a Cross" by Ghost (released September 2019)<ref name="siriusxm.com"/> *"Middle of the Night" by Elley Duhé (released in 2020, went viral on TikTok in 2021–22)<ref name=Variety2022/> * "Snap" by Rosa Linn (released March 2022 as the Armenian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=William Lee |date=2022-07-16 |title=The summer of SNAP! Rosa Linn hits Top 100 in Germany, U.K. and Italy as TikTok continues to buoy popularity |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2022/07/16/the-summer-of-snap-rosa-linn-hits-top-100-in-u-k-and-italy-as-tiktok-continues-to-buoy-popularity/272948/ |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=wiwibloggs |language=en-US}}</ref> * "End of Beginning" by Djo (released September 2022)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hudson |first1=Alex |title=Watch the Beaches Cover Djo's "End of Beginning" for 'Like a Version' |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/watch-the-beaches-cover-djo-s-end-of-beginning-for-like-a-version |website=Exclaim! |access-date=June 3, 2024}}</ref> * "Go Away" by Weezer (released July 2015)<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Josh|date=March 10, 2026|url=https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/weezer-premieres-new-lyric-video-resurgent-go-away-song|title=Weezer premieres new lyric video for resurgent 'Go Away' song|website=Digital.abcaudio.com|access-date=April 8, 2026}}</ref>
==In video games== ''Pocket Monster Red'' and ''Green'' were released in 1996 in Japan, and later released as ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' in 1998. They followed several years of development and became sleeper hits.<ref name="honey">{{Cite web | first=Matt | last=Knodle | url=https://honeysanime.com/top-10-sleeper-hit-games-best-recommendations/ | title=Top 10 Sleeper Hit Games | website=Honey's Anime | date=2 January 2018 | access-date=26 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | first1=Kate | last1=Berens | first2=Geoff | last2=Howard | title=The Rough Guide to Videogames | year=2008 | page=21 | publisher=Rough Guides | isbn=978-1848362291 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=676lvisP2zMC&q=Pok%C3%A9mon+sleeper+hit&pg=PT32}}</ref> Believing it to be a one-time product, Nintendo initially shipped 200,000 copies, a relatively low amount. Most media ignored the games, but largely by word-of-mouth stemming from the hidden character Mew's introduction,<ref name="honey"/> their popularity gradually spread throughout Japan, selling a million units by the end of 1996.<ref>{{Cite book | first=Steven | last=Kent | authorlink = Steven L. Kent| title=The Ultimate History of Video Games | date=2001 | pages=566–567 | publisher=Three Rivers Press | isbn=978-0761536437}} See [https://books.google.com/books?id=C2MH05ogU9oC&q=%22By+the+end+of+1996,+we+reached+around%22 this] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=C2MH05ogU9oC&q=%22But+we+originally+thought+of+it+as+a+one-time+product%22 this] link.</ref> They eventually became the best-selling video games ever in Japan, with 7.8 million copies sold,<ref>{{Cite web | author=Master Blaster | title=Japan's 30 Best Selling Video Games of All Time | website=SoraNews24 | date=8 July 2012 | url=https://soranews24.com/2012/07/08/japans-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221191821/https://soranews24.com/2012/07/08/japans-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time/ | archive-date=21 December 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref> and 45 million sold worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Jeremy | last=Parish | title=Pokémon: The 20-year fad | website=Polygon | date=24 September 2018 | url=https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2018/9/24/17874620/pokemon-legacy-20-years-red-blue | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926040859/https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2018/9/24/17874620/pokemon-legacy-20-years-red-blue | archive-date=26 September 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref> After becoming a national sensation in Japan, the franchise was introduced to the United States in September 1998,<ref>{{Cite press release | title=Pokémon Craze Zeros In On the United States | publisher=Nintendo of America Inc. | location=Atlanta, Georgia, US | date=27 May 1998 | url=http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/052798k.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980610060224/http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/052798k.html | archive-date=10 June 1998 | url-status=dead}}</ref> going on to start a worldwide craze dubbed "Pokémania".<ref>{{Cite magazine | first1=Howard | last1=Chua-Eoan | first2=Tim | last2=Larimer | title=Beware of the Pokemania | magazine=Time Asia | date=22 November 1999 | volume=154 | issue=20 | pages=80–93 | url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,34342-3,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010220055311/http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/1122/cover2.html | archive-date=20 February 2001 | url-status=dead | quote=While best-selling games like Final Fantasy grabbed the top slot for a couple of dramatic months and then faded, Pokémon sales grew slowly and steadily--and they did not stop. | access-date=25 December 2018 }}</ref>
''Portal'' was released in 2007 with little fanfare as part of the game compilation ''The Orange Box'', but eventually became a "phenomenon".<ref>{{Cite magazine | title=Indies Take the Cake at Game Developers Conference | url=https://www.wired.com/2008/02/indies-take-the-cake-at-game-developers-conference/ | magazine=WIRED}}</ref>
''SteamWorld Dig'' (2013) was released on the 3DS by little-known developer Image & Form. It became one of the first indie games mentioned in a Nintendo Direct, and ultimately sold over a million copies on all platforms. If the game had not succeeded, the studio would have been forced to close.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Gita | last=Jackson | title=The Making of a Switch Sleeper Hit | url=https://kotaku.com/the-making-of-a-switch-sleeper-hit-1820022642 | website=Kotaku| date=November 2017 }}</ref>
''Among Us'' was released in June 2018 and received little mainstream attention at first, with the game only averaging at around 30 to 50 concurrent players. It received a sudden and significant jump in popularity in mid-2020 after being popularized by streamers on Twitch and YouTube. In November 2020, SuperData Research reported that the game had over half a billion users, proclaiming it to be "by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players."<ref>{{Cite web|title=November 2020 worldwide digital games market|url=https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222193038/https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market|archive-date=2020-12-22|access-date=2020-12-23|website=SuperData Research|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=December 2020|first=Hope Bellingham 23|title=Among Us gained almost half a billion players in 2020|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/among-us-gained-almost-half-a-billion-players-in-2020/|access-date=2020-12-23|website=GamesRadar|date=23 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
''Helldivers 2'', the sequel to ''Helldivers'' by developer Arrowhead Game Studios, began to have server issues because it was not designed to have a player base exceeding 250,000; at the time, the player base reached over 450,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=Helldivers 2 Increases Server Cap To 700,000 Players, But It Might Not Be Enough |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/helldivers-2-increases-server-cap-to-700000-players-but-it-might-not-be-enough/1100-6521321/ |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref> Because of its unforeseen success, ''Helldivers 2'' became one of the biggest sleeper hits of all time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Helldivers 2 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Top Features and Videos |website=Bleacher Report |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10109116-helldivers-2-review-gameplay-impressions-top-features-and-videos |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Helldivers 2 Review |date=21 February 2024 |url=https://www.well-played.com.au/helldivers-2-review/ |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref>
==See also== * Art film * Blockbuster (entertainment) * Cult following * Hit song * Fandom * Sleeper (car) * Sleeper agent
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Bibliography== * {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/declarationsofin0000berr|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/declarationsofin0000berr/page/68 68]|title=Declarations of Independence: American Cinema and the Partiality of Independent Production|last=Berra|first=John|year=2008|publisher=Intellect Books|isbn=978-1841501857}} * {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WpBwRbtq8cEC&pg=PA458|title=Eyewitness Companions: Film|publisher=Penguin|last1=Ganeri|first1=Anita|last2=Bergan|first2=Ronald|year=2006|isbn=0756643465}} * {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4WM6Cb1z-PwC&pg=PA287|title=Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide To Underground Rock, 1970-1982|last=Gimarc|first=George|author-link=George Gimarc|year=2005|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=0879308486}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20021014182324/http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/timeto1.htm "Movies Taking the Longest to Hit #1 at the Box Office"] by Box Office Mojo * [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/10/04/the-science-of-the-sleeper "The Science of the Sleeper"] by ''The New Yorker'' * [https://mubi.com/en/us/collections/sleeperhits MUBI Collection: SLEEPER HITS]
Category:Film and video terminology Category:Musical terminology Category:Video game terminology Category:Recorded music Category:Song forms