4 One-Hit Folk Wonders That Defined the Counterculture of the 1960s

Folk music’s golden age of the 1960s may have passed, but so many songs from that era are still loved today… and have aged surprisingly well. That being said, there are a few great folk songs from the 1960s that landed in “one-hit wonder” status, and the bands and musicians that produced them never had hits quite as successful again. Let’s have a quick music history lesson and explore four one-hit wonders of folk that defined the 1960s!

1. “Reach Out Of The Darkness” by Friend & Lover

This song has to be one of the most memorable one-hit wonders in folk to come out of the 1960s. It’s a certified flower power track from 1968 that helped popularize the “husband and wife” duo trope in popular music. It’s a little bit folk, a little bit sunshine pop, and it was a no. 10 hit in the US. Sadly, Friend & Lover never had a Top 40 hit again.

2. “In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)” by Zager And Evans

This 1969 folk rock song leans on the psychedelic side, and that surreal vibe landed it at no. 1 on the Hot 100 the year it was released. It’s an epic song about the journey of human beings over thousands of years and was quite ahead of its time.  Even though it’s one of many folk one-hit wonders from the 1960s, it stands out for being particularly unique.

“In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)” by Zager And Evans was the band’s only major hit. Their follow-up, “Mr. Turnkey”, only managed to peak at no. 41 in Canada.

3. “Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire

Barry McGuire enjoyed a couple of hits after “Eve Of Destruction” peaked at no. 1 in 1965, but none of those hits got close to the success of the former song. “Eve Of Destruction” is a folk rock protest song that was originally written by P.F. Sloan. It’s been covered many times through the years, but Barry McGuire’s powerful version is by far the most well-known.

4. “Walk Right In” by The Rooftop Singers

This 1962 hit song is a little bit country blues, a little bit folk-pop, and a whole lot of power. Out of all the one-hit wonders of folk on this list, this one is particularly underrated. The Rooftop Singers didn’t write this one; it was penned by Gus Cannon back in the 1920s. However, The Rooftop Singers’ version was a pretty big hit in the 1960s. It spent several weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1963 and was nominated for a Grammy. 

The Rooftop Singers had a few other hits that year hit the charts, but none of them even broke the Top 10.

Photo by Dezo Hoffman/Shutterstock

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