3 One-Hit Wonders From the 70s That Have Unmistakable Choruses

Don’t you just love it when two great things come together to form something even better? Like chocolate and peanut butter or jelly and peanut butter or your mouth and peanut butter—when perfect pairs unite, the world is a better place. But tasty spreads aside, another example of that lovely unity is music and the 1970s.

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Or to get even more specific, great choruses and the 1970s. The decade just boasted something special when it came to sonics. The technology was still a bit rudimentary, but that also gave the songs some muscle and some texture. Either way, we wanted to explore three one-hit wonders from the era that offer listeners fantastic choruses. Choruses you won’t ever forget.

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

This song, which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, is one of those incredible numbers that begin ringing in your mind as soon as you hear the title. And the title also just so happens to be the song’s chorus, too, so it’s a double-whammy. Who knows what’s really going on, but what we can be sure of is the boys—whoever they are—are back in town. What else really matters, anyway? The song and its chorus have done their magic tricks.

“One Toke Over The Line” by Brewer And Shipley from ‘Tarkio’ (1971)

There are a lot of reasons why this song is so memorable. To start, it’s a sweet-sounding acoustic-driven number that could just as easily be about flowers and young love prancing through the fields. Instead, though, it’s about being at a train station and going a bit out of your mind. But the main reason it’s so memorable is because of the delivery of the chorus. Talking so openly about illicit things was bold, but to do it so sweetly made the whole thing stick to your ribs.

“Right Place, Wrong Time” by Dr. John from ‘In The Right Place’ (1973)

Of course, Dr. John is a cultural icon. He is a New Orleans legend. His voice should be in the Smithsonian. But the indelible artist also only boasted one song on the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40, and that was his iconic part-party and part-foreboding tune, “Right Place, Wrong Time”. The keys-playing master hit No. 9 on the Hot 100 for that one thanks to his unique voice, sterling keys playing, and his ability to bring you in closer with the true as scripture chorus.

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