3 One-Hit Wonders From 1977 With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later

It can take a lot to be remembered. Even some of the most popular songs in a given day, month, or year can be forgotten easily—indeed, often without even trying. There are so many things that demand our attention, it’s not always easy to recall a tune.

Here below, though, we wanted to dive into three songs that bucked that trend. These are three tracks that were not only popular in the moment but that have since stood the test of time. These are three one-hit wonders from 1977 with melodies that still echo decades later.

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam from ‘Ram Jam’ (1977)

While this song was included in the 2001 film, Blow, which helped introduce it to a whole new, more modern audience, the rock track would be a fan favorite even if it wasn’t part of that hit Johnny Depp movie. “Black Betty” by Ram Jam is urgency personified. It buzzes, rattles, and shakes. It enlivens and urges. While the original is credited to the legendary blues artist Lead Belly, in many ways, Ram Jam made the offering their own with their 1977 recording.

“Undercover Angel” by Alan O’Day from ‘Appetizers’ (1977)

Some songs are like time capsules—and that’s why we love them. Somehow, they just embody the time in which they were released. Take, for example, “Undercover Angel” by Alan O’Day from his 1977 LP, Appetizers. While the song boasts a lot of fun energy, it also, in many ways, very much sounds like the late 1970s. It’s one part-Paul Simon rock and one part-disco funk. But in the end, O’Day shows why a recording studio in the late 1970s was simply the place to be!

“Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” by Meco from ‘Star Wars And Other Galactic Funk’ (1977)

The Star Wars film franchise will never leave us. And neither will its music. But that’s a good thing, right? There is so much to love from the outer-space saga. In 1977, Meco released a medley of Star Wars music that both rose up the ranks of the Billboard charts and reminded fans why the songs from the series are so great. Even today, some 50 years later, the music still hits us in the heart, recalling a time in childhood when movies felt their most significant.

Photo by Echoes/Redferns