When it comes to the 1970s, the decade boasts many a memorable hit. Whether you think about bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd or even one-hit wonders like Mungo Jerry and Blue Swede, there are many songs and acts that remain emblazoned on your mind from the decade. But some tunes from the 1970s just haven’t had the same staying power.
Videos by American Songwriter
Case in point: these three songs below. While their composers are today considered one-hit wonders for the success these three classic rock tracks had, we guarantee you that you have no idea who or what they are. For whatever reason, the tail of their memories has not extended into the 2020s. Indeed, these are three classic rock hits from the 1970s that we’re sure you’ve never heard of.
“Cherry Baby” by Starz from ‘Violation’ (1977)
This enlivening classic rock track hit No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the band’s sixth tune to hit the chart but their only one to break the Top 40. You can almost hear the 1980s coming down the road in this tune. It’s a song that bridges the two decades. Big rock riffs mix with a stylized vocal harmony that seems both impassioned and a bit cheesy. Still, this song was popular in its time and the New Jersey-born band gets props for that!
“I’m Gonna Take Care of Everything” by Rubicon from ‘America Dreams’ (1979)
This track, which hit No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, has a nice big beat. It also offers a big soulful vocal delivery. But there is no chance you’ve ever heard it in your life. How is that possible? Either way, released on Rubicon’s 1979 LP, America Dreams, you could easily imagine this tune on some movie soundtrack from the 1970s. Some guy with big lapels strutting down the street, feeling good about himself before the fall comes. It’s a fine track.
“I Will Still Love You” by Stonebolt from ‘Stonebolt’ (1978)
This song, which hit No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, sounds like easy-listening music you might hear in an elevator or at a store that sells porcelain angels. It’s catchy in its own right, in that if you heard it a few times in a row you’d probably start singing it. But there is no chance anyone has heard this song in the past 30 years. But that’s what happens. Some tunes just get stuck in their moment and then they fade away. That’s surely what happened to this 1978 track.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns












Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.