3 Classic Rock One-Hit Wonders to Sing Along to

There is something just so fun about a one-hit wonder. You’re seeing a band at its best. The single biggest mark they made on the musical world. While none of their other tunes cracked the Billboard Hot 100, they did have that one track that rocketed up the chart—perhaps even to No. 1—and because they aren’t perennial hitmakers, you know it’s a catchy song.

Here below, we wanted to explore three such examples. A trio of classic rock one-hit wonders that have big legacies and big sounds. Songs that are also fun to sing along to, the lyrics belting out on the highway or in a favorite watering hole. Indeed, these are three classic rock one-hit wonders perfect to sing along to.

[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of the Song “Black Betty” by Ram Jam]

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam from Ram Jam (1977)

Boasting nearly 400 million views on YouTube alone, this Ram Jam song, which has roots that go way back to 1939 and songwriter Lead Belly, hit No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release in 1977. It also earned a resurgence in the early 2000s with its inclusion on the fabulous soundtrack for the 2001 Johnny Depp movie Blow. The propulsive track is thick and buzzes, and its chorus is just a fun one to let leap off the lips. On it, lead vocalist Bill Bartlett sings,

Whoa Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam)
Yeah Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam)
Black Betty had a child (Bam-ba-lam)
Damn thing gone wild (Bam-ba-lam)
She’s always ready (Bam-ba-lam)
She’s so rock steady (Bam-ba-lam)
Whoa Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam)
Yeah Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam)

“Come on Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners and The Emerald Express from Too-Rye-Ay (1982)

A classic bar song that combines rock music with Irish folk songs, this 1982 song from Dexys Midnight Runners and The Emerald Express just bounces along and brings joy to anyone listening or singing along. It opens with traditional violin and then moves into a rhythmic rock tune. The song, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, is about leaving the old behind and embracing both love and modernity. But beyond any deep meaning, what’s most fun about this song is singing the chorus, which includes the lyrics,

Come on Eileen oh I swear (well he means)
At this moment you mean everything
Come on Eileen too-loo rye-aye
Come on Eileen too-loo rye-aye
Toora toora-too-loora

“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor from Rocky III (1979)

This is one of those songs you can sing from beginning to end. Written for the third installment of the Rocky film franchise, the track is inspirational and it’s still used today to hype up crowds at sporting events or those individuals in a gym looking to pump iron. But more than anything, it’s just a classic song about making the most of yourself and thus, it’s one everyone loves to sing along to. Sings Survivor lead vocalist Dave Bickler on the track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100,

Risin’ up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger

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