In 1972, quite a few one-hit wonders hit the charts. Some of them were quite surprising, as they are still household names today despite only having one hit. And for many of those one-hit wonders, teenagers in the early 1970s contributed to their (albeit short-lived) charting successes. Let’s take a look at a few one-hit wonders from 1972 that teens loved.
“All The Young Dudes” by Mott The Hoople
Mott The Hoople was the hot new glam rock band on the block. Naturally, a lot of rock-loving teens were into them and had a hand in propelling their hit, “All The Young Dudes”, to chart stardom in 1972. It also helped that David Bowie wrote the song, too. Today, this jam is considered a bona fide anthem of the glam rock movement.
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Mott The Hoople hit No. 37 with “All The Young Dudes” in 1972 on the Hot 100 chart. After that, they never appeared on that chart’s Top 40 again. Though, they enjoyed success on the UK charts through 1974.
“Me And Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul
Teens who were very into the Philadelphia soul movement definitely vibed with this chart-topper from Billy Paul. Though, I imagine quite a few parents weren’t particularly happy about their teens jamming out to “Me And Mrs. Jones”. This song is all about an extramarital affair.
Soul icon Billy Paul played an important role in the Philadelphia soul movement, but he technically only had one major chart hit. “Me And Mrs. Jones” topped the Hot 100, and he would never make it to the Top 30 again.
“Walk On The Wild Side” by Lou Reed
Lou Reed was ahead of his time in so many ways. Despite being a well-known name today, both in and out of The Velvet Underground, Reed technically only had one major hit. And that hit was “Walk On The Wild Side”, another glam rock hit that resonated with teens who were involved in counterculture at the time.
Reed makes it to our list of one-hit wonders from 1972 because, surprisingly, “Walk On The Wild Side” was his only Top 20 hit on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 16. In fact, it was his only entry to the Hot 100, period.
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