3 One-Word Title One-Hit Wonders From 1971

Sometimes all you need is a word to get your idea across. Sure, there are movies or television shows or albums or tracks with titles so long you can’t remember them. But then there are the concise writers, those care about brevity and memorability. They have our memory banks in mind when they put together a name.

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We wanted to do them a favor right back and explore a few of those songs now—those one-word title songs. Here below, we wanted to dive into three one-hit wonders from 1971 that only go by a single word. Why 1971? That’s the time period when commercial music really started to get eclectic. So, let’s check it out! Indeed, these are three one-word title one-hit wonders from 1971.

“Sunshine” by Jonathan Edwards from ‘Jonathan Edwards’ (1971)

Just one of the sweetest sounding songs of its era. You can tell that songwriter Jonathan Edwards is still influenced by the late 1960s in this track. The reflective, conjuring vibe of the acoustic folk rock song. But there is something propulsive to the tune, too. Something about it that knows the future is here. There is no running, so lean into it. No wonder this tune, which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, shows up in so many movies and TV shows today—it’s a one-word title classic!

“Joy” by Apollo 100 (Single, 1971)

This song, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, was something of a shocking hit. Not only is it an instrumental pop hit—that’s very rare—it’s a version of a Johann Sebastian Bach composition, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. In that way, it’s a song that’ very familiar to most of us. But it’s enlivened. Made faster and more contemporary. The result is a magnificent track and another you’ve heard many times in movies and TV shows.

“Suavecito” by Malo from ‘Malo’ (1971)

Not only did the early 1970s boast a lot of great rock and pop music, but there was a movement back then that prized lounge music. Specifically, lounge music influenced by Latin sounds. Enter: Malo, which garnered a hit with their tune, “Suavecito”. The track, which hit No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, is one that sets the mood perfectly. Grab a drink, lounge on the sofa. It’s your time, baby!