3 Songs You Didn’t Know Were One-Hit Wonders in the 60s

These one-hit wonders from the 60s really shocked me when I first looked at their chart data. I could have sworn these rock bands were bigger and more commercially successful than they actually were. They’re just that good. Clearly, charting success isn’t everything.

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“I Got A Line On You” by Spirit

Maybe I thought Spirit was bigger than they were because I grew up with a few prog-rock fans during my childhood. I feel like I’ve heard “I Got A Line On You” a million times, among other tracks from The Family That Plays Together. In reality, this proggy hard rock outfit that made it big with their 1968 tune, “I Got A Line On You”, are actually considered one-hit wonders. That song is their only one to make it to the Top 40 in both the US and Canada. I think they deserved a little bit more. But maybe I’m just being nostalgic.

“For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield

It’s insane to me that folk-rock supergroup Buffalo Springfield is technically considered a one-hit wonder band. It’s certainly not deserved; all of their music was stellar. Still, “For What It’s Worth” was their only single to see substantial success on the charts.

Buffalo Springfield, famously made up of folk-rock icons like Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and many others, only hit the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with one song, “For What It’s Worth”. While they continued to make it to the US charts until their inevitable breakup in 1968, they never produced a song that charted as well again.

“Different Drum” by The Stone Poneys

Considering this was the band that introduced Linda Ronstadt to the world, I thought the folk-rock outfit The Stone Poneys were way bigger than they actually were. The band was popular, don’t get me wrong. But when it comes to charting success, this band is firmly placed in the 60s sections of historical one-hit wonders.

“Different Drum” by The Stone Poneys was released in 1967 and became a massive hit for the group. It made it to No. 13 on the Hot 100, among other charts that year. Their follow-up single from 1968, “Up To My Neck In Muddy Water”, just barely made it to the chart at No. 93. The band would break up later that year, and Ronstadt would kick off a legendary multi-genre solo recording career.

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