Were you a teen at some point in the 1970s? You certainly got to enjoy some killer music, that’s for sure. And I’m going to make a big assumption and say that the following three one-hit wonders from the 1970s were a big part of your life soundtrack as a teen. Let’s take a look at some classic gems, shall we?
“Toast And Marmalade For Tea” by Tin Tin (1970)
If you were a bit of an emotional teenager in 1970, you probably listened to this song on your record player while lying on your shag carpet, reminisicing over puppy love that inevitably fizzled out. No judgment here.
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“Toast And Marmalade For Tea” by Tin Tin peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the Top 20 in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Sadly, the Australian outfit never had another Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 again. The 1971 song “Is That The Way” only made it to No. 59.
“Walk On The Wild Side” by Lou Reed (1972)
I know what you’re thinking. Lou Reed? A one-hit wonder? Blasphemy! This is an excellent example of one’s cultural and musical influence majorly outweighing their charting success. Technically, Lou Reed, the famed Velvet Underground frontman, only had one successful single on the Hot 100. That song is the 1972 track “Walk On The Wild Side”, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Certified Platinum. None of Reed’s other singles would make it to that chart again. But back in 1972, teens (and adults, honestly) were jamming out to this glam rock classic.
“Beach Baby” by The First Class (1974)
I wasn’t even a teen in the 1970s, and I think this is one of the catchiest one-hit wonders of the 1970s. “Beach Baby” dropped in 1974, a bubblegum pop tune that resonated with teens and adults alike. It also helps that the song itself is about two high school students and their broken love affair, which likely resonated with teens at the time.
“Beach Baby” was The First Class’ debut single, and it peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart. The follow-up singles “Dreams Are Ten A Penny” (1974) and “Funny How Love Can Be” (1975) made it to that chart, too, but none of them made it to the Top 40.
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