If you were a kid at the tail-end of the 1960s in 1969, you probably heard the following three one-hit wonders at least a few times growing up. These songs were all over the radio for a hot minute. Sadly, each band never saw as big a hit again once the 70s rolled around. Let’s celebrate these one-hit wonders from 1969, shall we?
“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum
“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum is, in my opinion, one of the best songs of 1969. It’s so culturally significant, memorable, and catchy. Few boogie rock songs from that era slap as hard as “Spirit In The Sky”. I’d be bold enough to say that this is the best of all one-hit wonders to come out in 1969.
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Unfortunately for Greenbaum, despite being such a talented musician, the music industry was not easy to navigate. After “Spirit In The Sky” hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 in other countries, the singer/songwriter wasn’t able to hit the Top 40 in the US again.
“Smile A Little Smile For Me” by The Flying Machine
Remember The Flying Machine? This obscure British bubblegum pop group didn’t last long, but they did make a big impression with the 1969 song, “Smile A Little Smile For Me”. That tune made it to No. 5 in the US.
Sadly, though, their follow-up single from that year, “Baby Make It Soon”, only peaked at No. 87. The band released a handful of other non-charting singles before disbanding in 1971. Fun fact: The Flying Machine’s Stuart Colman would later find a successful career as a session musician and DJ for BBC Radio.
“Something In The Air” by Thunderclap Newman
It’s kind of wild to me that the band Thunderclap Newman was technically a one-hit wonder. The 1969 song “Something In The Air” was a No. 1 hit in the UK, and the group was set to be the next big thing. Only their follow-up single from 1970, “Accidents”, barely managed to peak at No. 46.
This British rock group is definitely one of the most underrated one-hit wonders to find success in 1969. “Something In The Air” is still quite a bop today, especially for anyone who was a young kid in late-1960s England.
Photo by Chris Morphet/Redferns