The 1970s isn’t exactly known as the era of one-hit wonders. If anything, a ton of talented artists made it big in the 70s and went on to have long and successful careers for decades after. However, a few one-hit wonders made the 70s their only big career decade, and we think they deserve some love. Let’s dive in!
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “The Night Chicago Died” by Paper Lace
English pop-rockers Paper Lace have been together since 1967, and they’re pretty well-loved in their native UK. However, the band only had one international hit that made it big in the states: The 1974 signature hit “The Night Chicago Died”. That song made it to no. 1 in the US, and none of their songs cracked the Top 40 in the US again.
The strange story behind this song is pretty funny. “The Night Chicago Died” is an ode to a city that none of the members of Paper Lace were from. Because of that, there were some factual inaccuracies in the song. Specifically, the band references “East Chicago”. However, “East Chicago” doesn’t exist. There are the north, south, and west sides. To the east of the city, there’s only Lake Michigan’s murky waters.
2. “Brandy” by Looking Glass
Out of all the one-hit wonders of the 70s, Looking Glass is a pretty unfortunate case of making pop rock music in a sea of other pop rock musicians all attempting to be visible. This New Jersey band’s only claim to fame was “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” from 1972, which topped the US Hot 100 chart that year.
Funnily enough, this song became a massive radio hit… Despite not selling a single copy yet. When the band eventually released the song on vinyl, it gained certified gold status pretty quickly.
3. “Float On” by The Floaters
Ever heard of The Floaters? If not, we don’t blame you. This R&B soul outfit was only around for a few years and had one sole chart-topping hit: “Float On” from 1977. The American band got pretty big internationally for a minute. Sadly, though, The Floaters broke up just a few years after their hit catapulted them to fame.
This song got a new breath of life in 1988 when Stetsasonic covered it for their album In Full Gear. Then, it got another breath of life in 1996 when the Dream Warriors covered it. It has been used in commercials in the years since, proving that even one-hit wonders can have staying power for decades.
Photo by Dezo Hoffman/Shutterstock
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