5 One-Hit Wonders That Captured the Spirit of the 1970s

There weren’t a ton of memorable one-hit wonders to come out of the 1970s, but the ones that did make it briefly should have enjoyed even longer and more successful careers. We’re particularly fond of these five hitmakers who put out some of the most memorable songs of the era. Let’s take a look!

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1. “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas

This legendary disco track from 1974 is one of the most easily recognizable songs from that era, and it’s honestly still quite a fun song today. 

Carl Douglas is definitely one of the greatest one-hit wonders of all time, especially in disco. Sadly, though, “Kung Fu Fighting” was his only no. 1 hit across the board, and his only Top 5 hit in the United States.

2. “Me And Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul

Remember this Philadelphia soul-soaked tune from 1972? Billy Paul is one of the most underrated one-hit wonders of the 1970s, but he did find some pretty substantial success with “Me And Mrs. Jones”.

Despite the song becoming a no. 1 hit single for Paul, he struggled to capitalize on the success of the song. “Me And Mrs. Jones” was a no. 1 hit in the US, but none of Paul’s subsequent singles made it to the Top 30 of the Hot 100 again. However, he did do pretty well on the US R&B charts for a hot minute.

3. “The Hustle” by Van McCoy

“The Hustle” could easily be described as the most recognizable disco dance song of the 1970s. This 1975 hit from Van McCoy could have been a preview of the singer/songwriter’s long and lucrative career. Sadly, McCoy died quite young and did not score another Top 40 hit again during his career.

4. “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry

You might remember this song via Vanilla Ice’s cover of it. However, if you’re a little bit older or possibly just a fan of funk rock, you might already know that the OG tune was released by one of the most iconic one-hit wonders of the 1970s. 

Wild Cherry debuted this song in 1976, and “Play That Funky Music” made it to no. 1 on the Hot 100 chart that year. Unfortunately, Wild Cherry failed to hit the Top 30 again.

5. “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” by Brownsville Station

Brownsville Station released this boogie rock track back in 1973. It quickly became a chart-topper on the Hot 100 and other international charts. It’s a classic that was made popular again by Mötley Crüe over a decade later. 

Brownsville struggled to stay relevant after “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” was released, and they couldn’t quite nab a Top 30 single on the Hot 100 again.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns

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