3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s Who Should Have Been Huge

The 1970s gave music fans classic rock. The decade gave fans disco, soul, and R&B. It was the era when hip-hop was born. But despite this influx of new tunes, the decade also boasted some bands that should have been even bigger than they were. And that’s what we wanted to investigate below.

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Sometimes it happens. Sometimes a band breaks up too soon or is too ahead of their time. There are myriad reasons. But these three groups below—we wanted to see what their reasons were. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1970s who should have been huge!

Ram Jam

Sometimes a hit song can be a curse. Sometimes success can come too soon, when you’re not ready. Who knows exactly what happened with the New York City-born rock band Ram Jam, but despite the success of their 1977 hit single “Black Betty”, the group broke up just a year later. That’s right, one of the most beloved classic rock songs of all time came from a band that was only around for a year or two. Make it make sense!

Mungo Jerry

While the British-born Ray Dorset (a.k.a. Mungo Jerry) has garnered success overseas, he never quite had the breakthrough in America that he deserved. His biggest hit was the bouncy “In the Summertime”, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. But Mungo Jerry seems tailor-made for more success in the United States. He was part-Pied Piper and part-pro wrestler. Look at those sideburns! Either way, “In The Summertime” remains an all-time classic.

Nazareth

Love does totally freaking hurt. It’s awesome, of course. The butterflies that come with falling in love are unmatched. But Nazareth knew what they were talking about when they sang their hit about the pains of love, too. (The song was originally written by The Everly Brothers.) But why didn’t the band have more success after that? Who knows—audiences are fickle. But thank goodness for their notes on matters of the heart!

Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns