One-hit wonders come and go. The singular hits they leave behind, though, tend to be loved (or maybe hated) for decades to come. For the following one-hit wonders from the 1970s, the artists behind these songs were so talented that they really should have scored additional hits. But, sadly, the Billboard charts are fickle, and they never quite got the success they should have. Let’s revisit some 70s classics, shall we?
“All The Young Dudes” by Mott The Hoople (1972)
Some might remember this band through their connection to David Bowie. He was the songwriter and producer behind their only major hit, “All The Young Dudes”. However, this band was much more than just a Bowie-adjacent entity. Mott The Hoople was a pretty solid glam rock outfit, even if they were somewhat short-lived, ultimately breaking up in 1980. The band released quite a few singles after their 1972 claim to fame. Sadly, none of them made it to the Top 40 in the US again.
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence (1972)
This country one-hit wonder crooner has an amazing voice. I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that she never enjoyed more mainstream success. Vicki Lawrence had a huge hit on her hands with the 1972 Southern gothic classic, “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia”. The now-legendary tune was written by her husband at the time, Bobby Russell. The song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart and did similarly well on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it peaked at No. 12. Despite “He Did With Me” and “The Other Woman” being genuinely great tunes, Lawrence never hit the Top 40 on the Hot 100 again.
“Happy Days” by Pratt & McClain (1976)
As a kid, I used to watch Happy Days regularly on cable. And to this day, that theme song absolutely slaps. In fact, it’s downright shocking that the performers behind this iconic rock theme song are considered one-hit wonders of the 1970s. Pratt & McClain made it all the way to No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart with “Happy Days” in 1976 and did quite well in the UK, too. And yet, it would be the musical duo’s only successful song. Their follow-up single, “Devil With A Blue Dress On”, would be their last, and it only made it to No. 71. And that’s a shame, because that follow-up was a solid song, too.
