3 One-Hit Wonders Every 70s Kid Secretly Loved

One-hit wonders were not in short supply throughout the 70s, and anyone who was a kid during that decade likely remembers most of them. However, there’s something so special about the following iconic one-hit wonders. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit a few stellar one-hit wonders that any 70s kid would remember, shall we?

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“The Hustle” by Van McCoy

Honestly, when I think of disco, I think of this song. “The Hustle” by Van McCoy was an enormous hit back in 1975. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts that summer, and it also topped the charts in other countries like Canada. It even won a Grammy Award!

Unfortunately, Van McCoy struggled to maintain his charting success. While a few of his songs would make it to the Hot 100 chart by 1976, he never reached the Top 40 again. McCoy would later pass away far too young in 1979.

“Smokin’ In The Boys Room” by Brownsville Station

You might remember this song from the cover that Mötley Crüe released in 1985. That version was a pretty hefty glam metal hit. However, the original song was nothing to sneeze at, either. Hard rock band Brownsville Station originally recorded the song in 1973. That boogie rock tune made it to No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart and did similarly well in Canada. If you were a naughty kid, you might have just related to this song about smoking in the school restroom.

“The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence

This country pop hit is still quite loved among fans of country music and the Southern gothic vibe today. “The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia” was originally written in 1972 by Bobby Russell and was recorded by his wife, Vicki Lawrence. Any 70s kid who listened to country radio will recognize this entry on our list of one-hit wonders easily. In fact, plenty of people who weren’t even alive in the 70s can clock this tune.

Vicki Lawrence is an incredible vocalist, but she struggled to maintain her charting success. “The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100, but Lawrence never saw another Top 40 hit on that chart again.

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