If you were a teen or young adult in the 1970s, these one-hit wonders from 1976 are definitely buried somewhere in your brain today. Each of these tunes is a classic. And it’s still wild to me that a couple of them were the only major hits from their makers. Let’s take a look!
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“Happy Days” by Pratt & McClain
Any 70s kid alive today knows the theme from the television series Happy Days like the back of their hand. This theme song with a rock edge was written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, and performed by musical duo Pratt & McClain. Today, it’s known as one of the most memorable TV theme songs of the 20th century. Unfortunately for Pratt & McClain, though, this nostalgic delight would be their only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 5.
“The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy
Young hard rock fans in the 1970s heard this hit from Thin Lizzy and ran with it. “The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy dropped in 1976 and was a massive hit for the Irish rock band. It was a standout tune from their album Jailbreak. “The Boys Are Back In Town” reached No. 1 in Ireland and No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart. Despite being legends today, Thin Lizzy technically never had as big of a hit on the Hot 100 again. Only one follow-up single would make it to the Bottom 60 of the chart. Though, they would continue to chart decently in the UK and Ireland well into the 1990s, even after Phil Lynott’s tragic death in 1986.
“Junk Food Junkie” by Larry Groce
This novelty song dropped in 1975 but became a charting hit in 1976. So, I’ll include it on our list of one-hit wonders from 1976. And part of that charting success likely came from junk food-loving teens in the mid-1970s. “Junk Food Junkie” by Larry Groce peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100. It stayed on the chart for a whopping 15 weeks. Sadly for Groce, this song would be his only song to chart at all, landing him firmly in 70s one-hit wonder territory.
Photo by Jack Kay/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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