They Only Had One Hit, but These 3 Singer-Songwriters From the 1970s Deserved Stardom

One-hit wonders come and go, but some stay with us for years, simply because they’re that good. Many singer-songwriter one-hit wonders hit the airwaves in the 1970s, specifically, and remain sorely loved today. I can’t help but think a few of those artists deserved more charting success. Maybe you’ll agree with me on the following three.

“I’m Not Lisa” by Jessi Colter from ‘I’m Jessi Colter’ (1975)

This outlaw country singer-songwriter deserves so much more love than she got back in the 1970s. It’s still shocking to me that her song, “I’m Not Lisa”, is still her sole entry in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. “I’m Not Lisa” peaked at No. 4 on the coveted chart and also topped both the US and Canadian country charts. She would enjoy charting success on the country charts for years after, but Colter never made it to the pop Top 40 again. A travesty, I say!

“Welcome Back” by John Sebastian from ‘Welcome Back’ (1976)

John Sebastian isn’t exactly underrated. He made waves as a member of Lovin’ Spoonful, after all. But, as a solo singer-songwriter, he only scored one major hit. That major hit was the bluesy folk rock tune “Welcome Back”, which also served as the theme song for the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. This ultra-memorable tune peaked at No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. He would never make it to the Top 40 again. The charts really don’t reflect authentic talent, do they?

“Werewolves Of London” by Warren Zevon from ‘Excitable Boy’ (1978)

Warren Zevon has become something of a cultural icon since his heyday in the 1970s. He dished out a lot of cult classic songs, from “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner” to “Lawyers, Guns And Money”. His third record, Excitable Boy, has been praised quite a bit in retrospect. And yet, just one song of his made it to the Top 40. That song is the 1978 comedy rock classic, “Werewolves Of London”. This tune peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100, and none of the singer-songwriter’s subsequent releases in the 1970s and beyond made it to the Top 40, landing him in the territory of one-hit wonders.

(Photo by Charlie Gillett Collection/Redferns)