Making it big as a musician is hard enough. Maintaining that success is even harder. For the following four bands and artists from the 1970s, maintaining a career was just too difficult, and they virtually disappeared after hitting the charts. Let’s revisit a few real powerhouses in 70s music, shall we?
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1. Andrea True Connection
Andrew True was a bit of a controversial pop culture figure in the 1970s. She is known for her hit disco-pop tune “More, More, More” under the project The Andrea True Connection. However, she is also known for working as an adult film star. The label didn’t limit her, though. “More, More, More” was an enormous hit that peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard US Hot 100 and no. 5 on the UK Singles chart.
Sadly, her album of the same name only did moderately well stateside, and her follow-up single “Party Line” was only a minor hit. True would eventually leave the music industry and become a substance abuse counselor.
2. Terry Jacks
Terry Jacks’ hit soft rock tune “Seasons In The Sun” was a major hit in 1974, making him one of the most memorable artists from the 1970s that disappeared. Originally intended to go to The Beach Boys, Jacks recorded the song on his own label. It became the highest-selling international single by a Canadian musician at the time and sold millions of copies globally. It was a no. 1 hit across the board in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Jacks had a few minor hits after that song came out. However, he notably hated the music industry and stopped making music (more or less) by the end of the 1970s. He returned off and on with music in the 1980s and 2010s.
3. Pilot
Remember Pilot? This Scottish rock band had a major hit with the 1975 song “Magic”. The tune peaked at no. 5 on the Hot 100, no. 1 in Canada, and no. 6 in Ireland. Their follow-up single “January” also charted quite well. However, by 1976, the band experienced a decline, and core member Billy Lyall passed away in 1989. The remaining members have reunited off and on through the years.
4. Mary MacGregor
This example of 1970s artists who disappeared was really something to behold in the world of country-pop. Mary MacGregor is best known for the 1976 tune “Torn Between Two Lovers”. That song topped the charts worldwide for weeks.
Interestingly enough, MacGregor apparently hated the song, mainly because its success caused a rift with her husband, leading to a divorce. She released a few more songs and albums that did moderately well, but has more or less been retired since the 2000s.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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