The 1970s saw the rise of some of music history’s greatest artists. And some of those artists were one-hit wonders with big hits in 1978. And if you were a teen around that time, I bet you listened to them on repeat. Let’s revisit a few classics to jog your memory, shall we?
“Werewolves Of London” by Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon was pretty niche in the 1970s, and nobody vibes with underrated niches quite like teens. Zevon gets more love retrospectively in today’s world compared to the 1970s, specifically for his contributions to songwriting. And, sadly, he is technically a one-hit wonder with the comedy rock classic, “Werewolves Of London”.
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The song was a hit for Zevon, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Shockingly, Zevon never hit the Top 40 of that chart again.
“Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” by Chris Rea
If the charts are any indication, just about everybody loved this soft rock tune in 1978. However, considering Chris Rea was new on the block and won a Grammy for Best New Artist because of this tune, I’ll go ahead and assume that teens vibed with him quite a bit.
It’s worth noting that Rea is about as far from a one-hit wonder as one could be in the UK and Europe. There, he continued to chart well into the 1990s. However, in the US, Rea only made it to the Top 40 one time with “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)”, which peaked at No. 12.
“Because The Night” by Patti Smith
Patti Smith is one of those musicians that just shouldn’t be a one-hit wonder. And, spiritually, she isn’t. She’s one of the most well-known individuals in early punk rock music. However, she does technically fit the bill and makes it to our list of one-hit wonders for a song she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen in 1978.
Not only would Smith be considered a one-hit wonder in the US with “Because The Night” (No. 13 on the Hot 100), but she would also be considered a one-hit wonder in the UK. “Because The Night” peaked at No. 5 there, and she wouldn’t hit the Top 40 in the US or UK again. Clearly charts don’t matter, because Smith is still considered a legend today.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
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