One-hit wonders happen in every genre, but they’re particularly prevalent in pop music. That’s not a new thing, either. Even back in the 1970s, pop one-hit wonders were in abundance. Let’s take a look at just a few solitary hits from that era that would probably not chart nearly as well in the modern age, for one reason or another.
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“Disco Duck” by Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots
To be honest, most novelty pop songs from the 1970s, especially one-hit wonders, would probably never do well today. Humor has changed, musical tastes have changed, and this particular type of music has more or less been left in the 20th century. “Disco Duck” by Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots, released in 1976, was quite a popular song about a talking duck. But today’s audiences probably wouldn’t be that into it, except for a niche group of people who are still really into disco in the 2020s.
“Seasons In The Sun” by Terry Jacks
This tune is technically a cover. Terry Jacks turned this English reimagining of a Belgian classic tune into a worldwide hit in 1974. Honestly, the song itself was a bit ahead of its time in terms of composition. It makes sense why so many people loved it. However, plenty of pop songs that came out after “Seasons In The Sun” followed its formula until it got a bit stale. Through no fault of its own, I don’t think this one would chart well in the 2020s.
“Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas
Alright, this song is legendary. And while many one-hit wonders of this era hated the label, Carl Douglas seemed to lean into it. In fact, he had so much energy when performing “Kung Fu Fighting” through the years, that it seems as if he loved this song as much as his fans. Sadly, though, this is another example of mid-1970s disco that probably wouldn’t resonate that well with audiences in today’s world. But man, is it still a fun song.
“Convoy” by C.W. McCall
Part of what made this entry on our list of 1970s pop one-hit wonders such a hit at the time was the fact that it capitalized on the CB radio craze of its era. “Convoy” by C.W. McCall is all about cross-country truck convoys. While this 1975 truck-driving country song (yes, that’s considered a real genre) was perfect for its time, it probably wouldn’t resonate much with listeners today. Again, the age of novelty songs like this one is far in the past.
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
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