3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s That I Just Wanted More From

Songs can be wonderful forms of entertainment. They can dazzle and enliven. But songs can be more than just something to listen to for fun. They can also be portals into another time, into another world. They can even be portals into another way of thinking altogether.

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Sometimes when you hear a song, you know you instantly want to hear more from the artist—their live shows, their other releases. Below, that’s just what we wanted to highlight. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1970s we instantly wanted to hear more from.

“In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry from ‘Electronically Tested’ (1970)

This is a song that a person could listen to every day and not get tired of it. The track is bubbly and fun, but it’s also encouraging and warm. It feels like a friend walking by your side as you strut and stroll down the city sidewalk. Is there any better feeling than that? The breeze at your back, the melody on your mind—that’s the gift Mungo Jerry gives listeners with this track. And it makes us want to hear more and more from him.

“Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang from ‘Sugarhill Gang’ (1979)

Where would rap music be without this track? While the genre began humbly in the early 1970s, it was this song at the end of the decade that helped introduce the sound of hip-hop to a mainstream audience. This song made the charts in the United States, Canada, and several other countries around the world—that’s an astonishing feat when you consider the beginnings of rap music in small homes and city parks. But thanks to The Sugarhill Gang, the world wanted more.

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

How can you hear this song and not want more from Ram Jam? The buzzy rock group from New York City knocked this track out of the park. Covering an old Lead Belly composition, Ram Jam breathed new life into the offering. They raised new rock fans thanks to their interpretation of the now-100-year-old blues number. We wanted more from them, but sadly, after 1978, Ram Jam was no more.

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