3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s That Still Hit Hard Today, Even Though No One Listens to Classic Rock Anymore

Alright, a lot of people still listen to classic rock. I’d be bold enough to say the majority of our reader base enjoys classic rock daily. But the young listeners of today’s modern pop tunes might have never even heard the following three classic rock one-hit wonders from the 1970s. That’s a shame, because these solitary hits were a big part of what made classic rock in the 1970s so unbelievably good. Let’s revisit a few classics that will send you back in time, shall we?

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“All Right Now” by Free from ‘Fire And Water’ (1970)

Anyone who was alive at any point in the later 20th century knows the introduction to this song like the back of their hand. The youths of today, though, may have never heard the upbeat magic of Free’s 1970 hit, “All Right Now”. A hard rock delight with tons of bluesy elements, this song was a huge hit for the band. Unfortunately, it was more or less their only hit. “All Right Now” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and none of the group’s subsequent singles would make it to the Top 40 on that chart again. They would, however, earn a handful more hits on the charts in their native UK.

“Layla” by Derek And The Dominos from ‘Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs’ (1971)

Eric Clapton is definitely not a one-hit wonder. However, his short-lived band with Jim Gordon, Derek And The Dominos, would be considered a one-hit wonder group. Their solitary claim to fame is “Layla”, a blues-rock delight with some pretty dramatic inspirations. Clapton wrote this song about his affair with Pattie Boyd, who was married to his friend and former Beatle, George Harrison. “Layla” wouldn’t breach the Top 40 with its first release. However, in 1972, the re-release of the song catapulted it to No. 10 on the Hot 100. None of the band’s subsequent songs did as well, though it’s worth noting that the band itself was very short-lived.

“Kiss You All Over” by Exile from ‘Mixed Emotions’ (1978)

“Kiss You All Over” has a touch of pop-rock and disco, but it’s a classic rock jam all the same. This song from the American group Exile was a fast hit on the charts in 1978. It peaked at No. 1 in the US and the Top 10 in Canada, the UK, and elsewhere. Sadly, none of their other singles would make it nearly as high as “Kiss You All Over”. Exile would later pivot to country music in the 1980s, but none of their subsequent releases would touch the power of “Kiss You All Over”, one of the best classic rock one-hit wonders of the late 1970s.

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