Country fans have been treated to a whole slew of musicians through the years who have enjoyed long and storied careers. One-hit wonders aren’t really that common in the music world; if a country band or artist is great at what they do, historically, they’ve continued producing charting successes for years. That’s not always the case, though, and quite a few country one-hit wonders from the 60s definitely deserved more success. Let’s dive into just a few examples.
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“Yesterday When I Was Young” by Roy Clark
Honestly, I’ve heard enough Roy Clark on the radio to think he wasn’t actually a one-hit wonder. However, when you crunch the numbers, this country and rockabilly musician would actually be considered a one-hit wonder. Clark’s 1969 hit “Yesterday When I Was Young” peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it was his only song to make it to the Top 40 of that coveted chart. Though, he wouldn’t disappear completely, as a number of his other works did well on the US and Canadian country charts, such as “The Tips Of My Fingers” and “September Song”.
“Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley
I couldn’t skip this country-pop classic. “Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley was released in 1968 and might just be one of the most famous country one-hit wonders of the 60s. Written by Tom T. Hall, Jeannie C. Riley popularized this song and made it all the way to No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the Hot Country Singles chart, the first woman to do so with one song at two different times. Riley would vanish from the Top 40 on the Hot 100 after her one big hit and would pivot to Christian gospel music later in her career.
“Different Drum” by The Stone Poneys
How about a little bit of country rock on our list of country one-hit wonders from the 60s? The Stone Poneys dropped “Different Drum” in 1967, and it peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100 chart. Their follow-up singles either did poorly or failed to chart, and by 1968, The Stone Poney had disappeared and subsequently broke up. Famed member Linda Ronstadt didn’t disappear, though. She went on to enjoy one of the biggest and most successful careers in country and rock music.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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