3 Timeless One-Hit Wonders From the 1960s That 60s Kids Can’t Forget

Need some one-hit wonders from the 1960s to transport you back to a truly amazing time for pop and rock music? The following three solitary hits were massively popular back in the day, and I bet any 60s kid reading this has heard them many, many times. Let’s dive in!

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“Incense And Peppermints” by Strawberry Alarm Clock

I couldn’t leave this psychedelic pop jam off our list of one-hit wonders from the 1960s. “Incense And Peppermints” by Strawberry Alarm Clock is one of the best songs to come out of the Summer of Love, and I still find a lot of fresh interest in this song today.

Unfortunately, Strawberry Alarm Clock struggled to thrive after hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. Their follow-up singles certainly charted, but none reached the Top 20 on that coveted chart quite like “Incense And Peppermints” did. The band would call it quits in 1971, but have since gotten back together and are still active today.

“Cool Jerk” by The Capitols

Remember this R&B classic from 1966? The Capitols’ only hit, “Cool Jerk”, was all over the radio that year. The song made it to No. 2 on the R&B Single chart and No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart. “Cool Jerk” also did well in Canada, too.

Despite how successful “Cool Jerk” was, The Capitols struggled to maintain an upward trajectory. They released two albums in 1966 that failed commercially, and only two of their follow-up singles made it to any Billboard chart. The group would dissolve in 1969.

“Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen

Even if you weren’t alive in the 1960s, this song is one of the few one-hit wonders from that era that you probably know very well. “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen has stood the test of time, which is surprising, as the song’s origins are even older than 1963. The OG “Louie Louie” is an R&B song written by Richard Berry in 1957. And yet, most people know that chart-topping Kingsmen version today.

“Louie Louie” hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 and topped numerous charts elsewhere. Sadly, their success would run out fairly quickly. If you look at the chart details, The Kingsmen had a couple of subsequent hits after “Louie Louie”, such as the No. 4 song “The Jolly Green Giant” from 1964 and the No. 16 song “Money”, also from 1964. However, The Kingsmen are known in popular culture for “Louie Louie” above all else, so I think their spot on this list is justified.

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