One-hit wonders burst onto the scene like that friend who makes a spectacular entrance to a party and then immediately spills red wine on the white carpet. Strap in for ten defining one-hit wonders of the 1970s that deserve a spot on your playlist (and yes, they’re all on Spotify, so you can’t use that excuse anymore).
10. “The Hustle” by Van McCoy
“The Hustle” is disco’s equivalent of that friend who shows up uninvited to parties yet somehow makes everyone glad they came. Released on April 18, 1975, this instrumental groove was inspired by dancers at New York City nightclubs (who were probably wearing more sequins than a craft store explosion). The track sprinted up the Billboard Hot 100 faster than your dad running to change the thermostat when someone touches it, while simultaneously conquering the Hot Soul Singles chart.
McCoy snagged a Grammy in 1976 for creating what would become the soundtrack to approximately 8 million awkward wedding receptions. Despite his untimely death in 1979 (the universe cruelly taking back what it had loaned us), this quintessential disco groove endures like that one plastic container in your kitchen that refuses to stain no matter what you put in it.
9. “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry
“Play That Funky Music” strutted onto the scene in 1976 like a peacock that somehow learned to play bass. This Ohio-born band recorded their funk-rock fusion masterpiece in just one take (while the rest of us need 17 attempts to record a decent voicemail greeting). The track shot up Billboard’s charts with the subtlety of a confetti cannon at a library.
The band disbanded in 1979 faster than a group project after final grades are posted, but their groovy ghost haunts us still. Sampled more times than your patience at the DMV (over 90 and counting), most notoriously in Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”.
8. “Smoke From a Distant Fire” by Sanford and Townsend
“Smoke From a Distant Fire” wafts into your ears like that mysterious smell in your apartment you can never quite locate. Released in 1977, this heartbreak tale peaked at number nine on Billboard’s charts—the musical equivalent of getting silver in an Olympic event nobody watches.
Sanford and Townsend, session musicians with the technical prowess of surgeons, named this tune after a chance roadside sighting. Which, let’s be honest, is a far more poetic inspiration than most modern hits that seem birthed from focus groups and TikTok algorithms.
7. “Hot Child in the City” by Nick Gilder
Nick Gilder’s “Hot Child in the City” infiltrated airwaves in June 1978 like that earworm you get from a department store soundtrack that follows you for days. The song describes a young girl’s urban experiences with an upbeat tempo that disguises its serious themes—like serving broccoli hidden in a cheese sauce to unsuspecting children.
It topped Billboard charts in both the US and Canada, achieving the rare cross-border appeal usually reserved for maple syrup and apologies. Before becoming temporarily famous, Gilder fronted Sweeney Todd, a popular Canadian band.
The track’s combo of power-pop catchiness and glam-rock swagger created a blueprint that bands like The Killers would follow decades later, making it the architectural grandmother of “Mr. Brightside”.
6. “My Sharona” by The Knack
“My Sharona” crashed into existence on June 18, 1979, like that friend who shows up to your quiet dinner party with six more people and somehow improves the night. This anthem of hormonal hysteria, wrapped in an unforgettable guitar riff, dominated Billboard for six straight weeks—approximately the same time it takes to get this earworm out of your head after hearing it once.
Hailing from Los Angeles (where else?), The Knack reportedly wrote this track in 15 minutes and recorded it in one take, which is either impressively efficient or the music industry’s greatest humble brag. Their guitar-driven power pop stood in the disco-saturated landscape of 1979 like a mullet at a formal wedding, foreshadowing the garage rock revival that artists like The Strokes would champion decades later.
5. “Chevy Van” by Sammy Johns
“Chevy Van” is the musical equivalent of that vintage jacket you find at a thrift store that somehow makes you look cooler than anything you’ve bought new. Released in 1973 but not charting until 1975, this rolling ode to mobile romance captures the essence of 70s freedom when gas was cheap and background checks weren’t a thing.
The song eventually cruised to number five on Billboard’s chart, with Sammy Johns crafting lyrics about a spontaneous romantic encounter that would definitely get you canceled on Twitter today. The 1977 film “The Van” featured this track, cementing its place in history as the anthem for every teenager who convinced their parents they “just needed a vehicle for school.”
Its nostalgic Americana vibe continues influencing country-crossover artists like Kacey Musgraves, though modern versions notably lack references to shag carpeting (mercifully) and have considerably more seatbelts. Physics and traffic laws remain undefeated, but this song still makes you momentarily believe otherwise.
4. “In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry
“In the Summertime” exploded onto 1970’s global charts like a beach ball that escaped its owners and is now bouncing through a crowded boardwalk. Mungo Jerry (named after a T.S. Eliot character, because nothing says “party time” like modernist poetry) created this sunshine-injected earworm that’s basically vitamin D in audio form.
Frontman Ray Dorset reportedly wrote it in just 10 minutes—approximately the time it takes the rest of us to decide what to watch on Netflix. The song’s skiffle-influenced rhythm and unusual lack of drums created its distinctive sound, like a band that forgot half their equipment but decided to perform anyway and accidentally created a masterpiece.
3. “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel
“Stuck in the Middle With You” is the musical equivalent of that perfectly broken-in pair of jeans that somehow survived multiple fashion cycles. This 1972 earworm crawled to number six on the charts, making it technically less successful than Pet Rocks but significantly more enduring.
Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan penned lyrics about feeling trapped in bizarre circumstances—essentially the theme song for every office meeting that could have been an email. Stealers Wheel disbanded in 1975 faster than a political discussion at Thanksgiving dinner, but the song refused to die, like that subscription service you keep forgetting to cancel.
It gained immortality when Quentin Tarantino featured it in his 1992 film “Reservoir Dogs,” forever associating this gentle folk-rock tune with… well, something involving an ear that we won’t detail here (you’re welcome). This Beatles-on-a-budget sound with its harmonic DNA continues to populate the musical genome of every bearded indie band with an acoustic guitar and feelings, from Mumford & Sons to The Lumineers—proof that musical recycling was environmentally friendly before it was cool.
2. “Loving You” by Minnie Riperton
Released in 1975, “Loving You” showcases Minnie Riperton’s extraordinary five-octave vocal range—a voice like a vocal Swiss Army knife that could climb heights that make mountain goats nervous. That famous high F whistle note has been shattering wine glasses and triggering dog anxiety since its release.
The song, which Riperton dedicated to her daughter, flew to number one on Billboard. Stevie Wonder co-produced under the pseudonym “El Toro Negro”.
Birds chirping in the background add a Disney princess vibe to this soul ballad, making it sound like Riperton could summon woodland creatures with her voice. Though she tragically passed away in 1979, her vocal acrobatics laid the groundwork for the melismatic Olympics performed by everyone from Mariah Carey to Ariana Grande, who are essentially just trying to keep up with what Riperton did while probably sipping tea and not breaking a sweat.
1. “Driver’s Seat” by Sniff ‘n’ the Tears
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears—a band name that sounds like a discontinued tissue brand for emotional people—released “Driver’s Seat” in 1978. This track about post-breakup feelings is basically therapy disguised as a catchy pop song (and significantly cheaper at $1.29 on iTunes).
Reaching number 15 on the charts, this British band somehow created an enduring new wave classic despite a name that actively discourages being taken seriously. Lead singer Paul Roberts later focused on his painting career—apparently deciding that one hit song fulfilled his musical bucket list—while the song experienced an unexpected revival in the Netherlands in 1991, proving the Dutch have excellent taste in forgotten music.
Its driving rhythm (pun absolutely intended) and synth elements foreshadowed 80s production styles the way your weird uncle’s conspiracy theories occasionally turn out to be right. Modern retro-obsessed bands like The War on Drugs continue mining this sonic territory, making “Driver’s Seat” the grandparent that younger bands still raid the closet of, looking for vintage cool to repurpose.
