In the mood to get transported back to the 1960s? These four one-hit wonders will do the trick, and I bet you won’t be able to stop yourself from singing along. Let’s take a look! A few of these are pretty good deep cuts, too.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Put A Little Love In Your Heart” by Jackie DeShannon
This lovely little pop hit from Jackie DeShannon was released in 1969. The song was a huge hit for the singer, as it hit No. 2 on the Billboard US Adult Contemporary chart, as well as No. 4 on the coveted Hot 100 chart. Sadly, DeShannon struggled to maintain her trajectory with follow-up singles. The song “Love Will Find A Way” was released that same year and was her final Top 40 hit.
“Baby Come Back” by The Equals
Few one-hit wonders will have you singing along quite like “Baby Come Back”. This song is such a vibe, decades after it was released in 1967. The Equals debuted this garage rock bubblegum pop hit with great success, hitting No. 1 on the UK Singles charts and No. 26 on the US Cash Box Top 100. Personally, I think this group deserved so much better. Following the release of “Baby Come Back”, the band struggled on the charts and failed to chart in the US at all. Maybe Americans just weren’t ready for what they were cooking up.
“I Fought The Law” by The Bobby Fuller Four
This memorable rock and roll tune was originally written by Sonny Curtis (The Crickets) in 1959. The song gained quite a bit of popularity when it was covered by The Bobby Fuller Four in 1966. In fact, their cover hit No. 9 on the Hot 100 chart that year. Unfortunately, none of their follow-up songs hit the Top 20 again.
“Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen
Of all the one-hit wonders from the 1960s out there that will get you singing along, nothing matches the earworm addictiveness of “Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen. This 1963 oddball tune (often considered a proto-punk masterpiece) features very repetitive lyrics. If you haven’t heard this one before, tread with caution. I guarantee “the bird is the word” will be stuck in your head for days and might just drive you insane.
Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images










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