What do you get when you combine one of the greatest years in music with one of the highest honors in the art form and one of the most interesting sects of songs? Well, you get these three tracks listed here! That’s right, below, we wanted to explore three one-hit wonders from 1976 that peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Why? Well, in order to understand the greatness of 1976—that crucial year in the mid-1970s when classic rock was as strong as ever—we need to get a sense of the songs that hit No. 1 then on the Hot 100. Not only that, but we can understand the era even better when we know the one-hit wonders. So, let’s dive in!
“Welcome Back” by John Sebastian from ‘Welcome Back’ (1976)
This acoustic-driven song was used as the theme for the popular 70s sitcom, Welcome Back, Kotter. Back when soundtracks and theme songs ruled the airwaves, John Sebastian (not to be confused with the classical pianist Johann Sebastian Bach, of course) got a big hit with this pleasant release that everyone could get behind. We all want to be welcomed into a space, and Sebastian created the soundtrack for that moment!
“Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band from ‘Starland Vocal Band’ (1976)
A song that sounds like a nursery rhyme but is really about getting intimate during the daytime, this track hit No. 1 in 1976 and remains one of the most head-scratching chart-toppers ever. It’s not that the song is bad—far from it. It’s just… almost inconceivable. It’s like the cutest, silliest glitch in the matrix. But it’s one we don’t ever need fixed!
“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry from ‘Wild Cherry’ (1976)
The song that was written after a request, this track came about when Wild Cherry was playing a gig, and a patron at the club asked if they knew or could play anything funky. Well, the band went back into the lab one night and came out with this song. It might have been the greatest song request of all time as it led to this No. 1. And of course, the classic rock song truly is funky—even from a band of white boys!
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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