The 1970s were weird. Honestly, there’s no other way to put it. You had the tail end of hippie idealism crashing into the cynicism of Watergate, all while disco was warming up to steamroll everything in its path. In the middle of that chaos, we got some of the strangest, most beautiful, and occasionally most annoying songs ever recorded. If you’re building a 70s one hit wonders playlist, you probably have the usual suspects. "Play That Funky Music." "My Sharona." Maybe "Spirit in the Sky" if you’re feeling spiritual.
But most people get the 70s wrong.
They treat it like a costume party. Bell bottoms and polyester. In reality, the 70s was the last era where a weirdo with a flute or a guy singing about a horse with no name could actually dominate the Billboard Hot 100 for a week before vanishing into the ether of a "where are they now" segment. It was a democratic time for radio. If the hook was catchy enough, you were in.
The anatomy of a perfect 70s one hit wonders playlist
What makes a song a "one hit wonder" anyway? Strictly speaking, it’s an artist who has one Top 40 hit and then never smells the charts again. But the 70s complicates things. Take King Harvest. They gave us "Dancing in the Moonlight" in 1972. It’s a stone-cold classic. It’s the vibe of every summer BBQ you’ve ever been to. Did they have another hit? Not really. But that one song has lived a thousand lives in commercials and movies.
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Then you have the "novelty" trap.
Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots dropped "Disco Duck" in 1976. It hit number one. It’s a song about a duck. In a disco. It sold millions of copies. This is the danger zone of the 70s one hit wonders playlist. If you fill your tracklist with too many ducks and kung fu fighters (looking at you, Carl Douglas), your ears will start to bleed by track five. You have to balance the cheese with the genuine "lost" masterpieces.
Think about "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry. Ray Dorset wrote that in ten minutes. It’s got that skiffle, jug-band energy that feels totally out of place in 1970, yet it’s one of the best-selling singles of all time. It’s got a stomp. It’s got a weird mouth-breathing sound effect. It’s perfect.
The songs that defined a singular moment
We have to talk about "Stuck in the Middle with You" by Stealers Wheel. Most people think it’s Bob Dylan. It’s not. It’s Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan. Rafferty eventually had huge success with "Baker Street," so some purists argue Stealers Wheel shouldn't be on a one-hit-wonder list. But as a band? They were a flash in the pan. They broke up before the song even peaked.
Then there’s the pure, unadulterated angst of "Black Betty" by Ram Jam. 1977. It’s a rework of an old lead Belly work song. It shouldn't work as a hard rock anthem, but it does. It’s two minutes and thirty seconds of pure adrenaline that basically defined the "tough guy" movie trailer for the next forty years.
- "The Hustle" by Van McCoy (1975): The ultimate disco instrumental. McCoy was a prolific producer, but this was his moment in the sun as a performer.
- "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward (1979): Originally written for a teenager about talking on the phone, Ward turned it into a massive disco smash.
- "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears (1978): Often mistaken for a Dire Straits B-side, this song has one of the coolest synth-driven grooves of the decade.
Why the 1970s was the peak of the "Flash in the Pan"
It was the technology. Or lack of it.
Back then, you didn't have TikTok algorithms. You had regional DJs. A song could start in a basement in Detroit, get picked up by a station in Cincinatti, and be a national anthem by the time it hit Los Angeles. This "grassroots" radio culture allowed for anomalies. It allowed a song like "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles (1979) to usher in a whole new decade. Ironically, the song about the end of the radio era was a massive radio hit.
The 70s also loved a gimmick.
C.W. McCall’s "Convoy" hit #1 in 1975. It’s basically a three-minute spoken word poem about truckers using CB radios. You can't make this up. It sparked a literal nationwide craze for CB radios. People were buying them just so they could say "10-4, good buddy." It’s a time capsule. If you put "Convoy" on your 70s one hit wonders playlist, you aren't just playing a song; you're playing a historical document of a very specific American mania.
The tragic side of the charts
It’s not all ducks and truckers. Some one-hit wonders are genuinely haunting. Minnie Riperton’s "Lovin' You" from 1975 is a masterpiece of vocal range. That whistle register? Unmatched. Riperton was a powerhouse who unfortunately passed away just a few years later. It’s a "one hit" because life was cut short, not because the talent wasn't there.
Same goes for Nick Drake. Well, he didn't even have a hit while he was alive. His "one hit" moment arguably came decades later via a Volkswagen commercial using "Pink Moon." But in the spirit of the 70s, we look at artists like Terry Jacks. "Seasons in the Sun" is one of the most depressing songs to ever reach number one. It’s a dying man saying goodbye. In 1974, people couldn't get enough of it. Why? Maybe because the 70s were an emotional rollercoaster.
Building a flow that doesn't suck
If you just throw seventy songs into a folder and hit shuffle, you’re doing it wrong. A great 70s one hit wonders playlist needs a narrative arc.
You start with the "Wake Up" tracks. High energy.
- "Fox on the Run" by Sweet (They had other hits in the UK, but in the US, they’re often pegged to this or "Ballroom Blitz").
- "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas.
- "Magic" by Pilot (Oh, oh, oh, it’s magic!).
Then you move into the "Groove" phase.
This is where you put the soulful one-offs. "Love Jones" by Brighter Side of Darkness. "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul (technically he had other minor hits, but this is the one). This keeps the listener from getting "kitsch fatigue."
Finally, you hit the "Late Night" vibes.
"Wildflower" by Skylark. "Feelings" by Morris Albert. You want the songs that make people say, "Oh man, I haven't heard this in thirty years," while they stare into their drink. That’s the power of the 70s. It’s nostalgia for a time that half the people listening weren't even alive for.
The "Wait, They Only Had One Hit?" Club
This is the most controversial part of any playlist. Some artists are huge "brands" but only had one massive chart-topper in the US.
Take The Grateful Dead. They aren't a one-hit wonder band, but they didn't have a Top 10 hit until the 80s with "Touch of Grey." In the 70s, they were a touring juggernaut, not a singles band.
But look at Ram Jam. "Black Betty" is it. That’s the whole story.
Look at The Knack. "My Sharona" was the fastest-selling debut single since the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Then... nothing. The "Knuke the Knack" campaign started almost immediately. People turned on them for being too manufactured. It’s a brutal industry.
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Technical nuances of 70s production
If you’re a hifi nerd, the 70s is your playground. This was the era of analog tape warmth. When you listen to "Brother Louie" by Stories (1973), you can hear the room. You can hear the grit. Compare that to the overly sanitized pop of the late 80s.
Most of these one-hit wonders were recorded in legendary studios like Sound City or Muscle Shoals. Even if the lyrics were silly, the musicianship was often top-tier. These were session pros playing on "Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band. You might hate the "skyrockets in flight" chorus, but the vocal harmonies are technically perfect. They won the Grammy for Best New Artist for a reason (and then, in classic fashion, never had another hit).
Forgotten Gems for your playlist
- "Pop Muzik" by M (1979): Robin Scott’s New Wave masterpiece. It’s the bridge between disco and the synth-pop of the 80s.
- "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry: Rob Parissi wrote this after a fan at a club asked, "Are you white boys gonna play some funky music?" It went to number one and stayed there.
- "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum: A Jewish man wrote the most famous "Jesus" rock song of the decade. It’s got that fuzzy, distorted guitar riff that sounds like nothing else from 1970.
Dealing with the "Disco Sucks" fallout
By 1979, the "one hit wonder" machine was heavily tilted toward disco. When the "Disco Demolition Night" happened at Comiskey Park, it effectively murdered the careers of dozen of artists. "Le Freak" by Chic survived because they were geniuses, but smaller acts like Anita Ward or Patrick Hernandez ("Born to Be Alive") became casualties of the backlash.
When you add these to your 70s one hit wonders playlist, you’re seeing the tail end of a cultural explosion. These songs are high-energy because they were designed for the dance floor, oblivious to the fact that a rock-and-roll stadium was about to literalize the "death of disco" with a crate of explosives.
Acknowledge the weirdness
Don't be afraid of the weird stuff. "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band isn't a one-hit wonder (he had tons), but "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence is. Yes, the lady from The Carol Burnett Show. It’s a Southern Gothic murder ballad that topped the charts.
The 70s was a decade where a TV comedian could have a darker, more compelling hit than most "serious" rock bands.
Actionable Steps for your Playlist
If you want to create the definitive collection, follow these steps to ensure it’s not just another generic "Best of" list that Google has seen a million times.
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- Deep Catalog Search: Don't just search "one hit wonders." Look for "Billboard Year-End Hot 100" from 1970 to 1979. Pick the songs at positions 40 through 80. Those are the ones people remember subconsciously but haven't heard in years.
- Check the Artist's UK Status: Often, a US one-hit wonder was a superstar in the UK (like T. Rex or Slade). Adding "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" gives your playlist international flavor.
- Vary the Genre: A real 70s playlist must include: 1 Bubblegum Pop track, 2 Outlaw Country crossovers, 3 Disco floor-fillers, and at least 1 Progressive Rock song that somehow got edited down to 3 minutes for the radio.
- Audio Quality: Look for "Remastered" versions. 70s tracks can sometimes sound "thin" on modern Spotify or Apple Music playlists compared to modern bass-heavy tracks. The 2016-2022 remasters usually preserve the dynamics while boosting the signal for modern earbuds.
- Contextualize: If you’re sharing this playlist, group the songs by "The Year of the CB Radio" or "The Summer of the Saxophone Solo." It gives the listener a reason to keep listening.
The 70s wasn't just a decade; it was a fever dream. The one-hit wonders are the clearest evidence of that. They are the moments when the mainstream accidentally let something unique, bizarre, or heart-wrenching slip through the cracks and stay at the top long enough to become immortal. Keep digging. There’s always another "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" waiting to be rediscovered.