3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s Who Are Still Touring Today

The 1970s were a fantastic decade for one-hit wonders. The period saw the rise of music collection and the increase in music celebrity. What started in the 1950s developed in spades in the following decade. By the 1970s, there were artists everywhere trying to make it big. And some even became one-hit wonders, garnering that one breakout song that rose to the top of the charts.

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From that success can come a lifetime more for certain bands. If you played your cards right as a one-hit wonder from the 1970s, you could establish a multi-decades-long career as a touring artist. In fact, several one-hit wonders from that generation are still on the road. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1970s who are still touring today.

Kraftwerk

The German electronic group Kraftwerk’s signature song is the driving single, “Autobahn”, which hit No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fans of the band know that there are many more beloved tracks from the group, including “Man Machine” and “Computer Love”. They know the lyrics by heart and sing them out loud when seeing them on tour. Kraftwerk, which was just recently on the road in America, was an early adopter of computer-made songs. They played with ideas of technology in their tracks, and they’ve been sampled by artists like Jay-Z. For those reasons and more, they can still sell a hot ticket.

Thin Lizzy

Rockers Thin Lizzy are known for their signature track “The Boys Are Back In Town”, which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. That song is still played often today in bars and other places where classic rock is king. As a result, the band continues to have fans both young and old. And it’s those fans who continue to snatch up tickets when the band hits the road, as they are doing this summer with tour dates in July in the United Kingdom. Not only will the boys be back in town, but so will the band!

Patti Smith

Beloved folk rocker Patti Smith is known for her poetry, her rebellious nature, and her history in New York City as a groundbreaking artist in the 1970s. Famously, while her music is adored, her single top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 is the song “Because The Night”, which hit No. 13 and was originally written by Bruce Springsteen. The piano-driven number has since been covered by many artists, including 10,000 Maniacs in the 1990s. Smith continues to tour the world, both on the back of her cerebral work and her smash single.

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