3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s Your Dad Would Love

Sometimes it can be hard to connect with fathers. Dads historically are quieter people. Perhaps they’re closed off emotionally. Perhaps it’s hard to get a read on them, or maybe they’ve never quite been willing to open up for you. That can be a hard situation. But we may just have the ice-breaker that you’ve been looking for.

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Enter: one-hit wonders from the 1970s. Who doesn’t love them? Well, the group of people who perhaps love them the most are dads. Indeed, we believe dads love one-hit wonders from the 1970s so much that we made an entire list dedicated to them. So, without further ado, let’s dive into those fantastic songs right here.

“Autobahn” by Kraftwerk from ‘Autobahn’ (1975)

Dads love cars, dads love highways, dads love simple things. German things. Dads like computers, too. So, what do you get when you put all that together? Well, you get the electronic music by the 1970s German group Kraftwerk, whose song “Autobahn”, which is named after the famed German highway, hit No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s like a sonic collage of all the things dads love. Trust us on this one!

“Love Hurts” by Nazareth from ‘Hair Of The Dog’ (1974)

This song, which was originally released in 1960 by The Everly Brothers, was covered by Nazareth in 1974. Their version hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. And believe us when we say, this is a song dads love. Not only does it combine the touch and tone of tried and true classic rock, but it’s also a song he can belt out with his buddies at the bar at 1:55 a.m. It’s nostalgic and rockin’, and those are the two things lots of dads look for in their music more than anything.

“The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy from ‘Jailbreak’ (1976)

Did someone mention classic rock? Oh, that’s right, we did! Yes, speaking of classic rock, this track from Thin Lizzy, which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, fits that description perfectly. Not only that, but the tune doubles as an anthemic theme song for a guys’ night out. This is something dads love. They may come home a little earlier in their older age, they may not chase the party as hard, but they still like—every once in a while—to cut loose and sing about the boys and how they are coming back to the town. Good stuff!

Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns