3 One-Hit Wonders That 1970s Movie Fans Will Recognize

There wasn’t a whole lot to do in the 1970s. No internet, no cell phones, fewer TV channels—the only thing you could really do to have a good time for a few bucks was to go to the movies. What was playing? Who cares!

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As a result, along with the actors and directors in a film, the music a movie offered was often key. Sometimes those songs even raced up the Billboard charts. Below, we wanted to dive into three examples of that. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders that 1970s movie fans will surely know.

“Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” by Meco from ‘Star Wars And Other Galactic Funk’ (197)

In the late 1970s, there was no escaping this franchise, just like there was no escaping one-hit wonders. Star Wars was everywhere. Kind of like how it’s everywhere today, too. But we digress. Meco earned a No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 for this disco mashup of some of the important songs from the original Star Wars movie, A New Hope. From the swelling starscapes to the intimate, dangerous cantinas—these are your sounds, movie fans.

“Gone” by Joey Heatherton from ‘The Joey Heatherton Album’ (1972)

Those of a certain age will know the name Joey Heatherton. The picturesque figure was one of the great beauties of the decade. But she was also known for her talent on the silver screen. Fans of her career, which included roles in films like My Blood Runs Cold, will enjoy her hit single “Gone”, which hit No. 24 on the Hot 100 in 1972. This is definitely one of Joey Heatherton’s best.

“Theme Song From ‘Which Way Is Up’” by Stargard from ‘Stargard’ (1977)

R&B group Stargard garnered a hit single when they recorded the theme for the Richard Pryor movie, Which Way Is Up. The song will get your heart racing and have you wondering if you should start an R&B group with a 70s feel. The trio’s offering, which hit No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, still enlivens today. You just can’t beat the theme song from Which Way Is Up.

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