4 Rock Songs That Prove Even One-Hit Wonders Were Better in the 1970s

One-hit wonders often get an unfairly bad rap. Sure, they’re an artist or band’s only commercially successful single by definition. And sure, they’re often so indicative of a particular musical era that they can come across as dated or cheesy only a few years later.

But the one-hit wonders in question come out of a decade as chock-full of great music as the 1970s, it’s hard to judge them just because they were the only hits these bands had. Indeed, even in the 1970s, the one-hit wonders were incredible, and these four rock songs prove it.

“Mississippi Queen” by Mountain

Mountain released “Mississippi Queen” in February 1970, and rock ‘n’ roll was never the same since. With its powerful guitar and signature cowbell, the track became an instant classic that hits just as hard today. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. But if I’m being honest, this was one of the one-hit wonders from the 1970s that deserved an even higher ranking. Chalk it up to the wellspring of other great music coming out that same year.

“Come And Get Your Love” by Redbone

Redbone made history as the first Native American band to hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their 1974 single, “Come And Get Your Love”. In the decades since, the song has appeared in multiple commercials, television shows, and films, proving its long-lasting staying power far beyond the 1970s alone.

(Though, we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that Redbone had some other great tracks. They just technically never achieved the same success as “Come And Get You Love” in the United States.)

“All Right Now” by Free

For a song that came out of a particularly terrible gig, “All Right Now” by Free is a certified bop. Apparently, there really can be a silver lining to walking off the stage to metaphorical crickets. Free’s 1970 track peaked at No. 2 in their native United Kingdom and at No. 4 in the United States. Their tenure as a band was short-lived. But this 1970s one-hit wonder lives on all these decades later.

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam

American band Ram Jam joined the tradition of covering old blues tunes with a rock ‘n’ roll twist with their 1977 take on Lead Belly’s “Black Betty”. And while we mean no disrespect to Lead Belly, the Ram Jam version might just be our favorite. This 1970s one-hit wonder is full of driving guitar riffs and a jam interlude that feels like it’s about to go off the rails at any minute. Just when you think the chaos has reached a breaking point, the band falls back into the groove. Perfection.

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