Iconic one-hit wonders of the 70s

"Talk about… Pop Muzik!" This catchy tune by the British project M was a playful critique of the music industry and the rise of pop culture. While M, led by English musician Robin Scott, released several more singles and two albums, they weren’t big hits. However, Scott is set to release the first new single by M in 41 in June 2023, aptly titled 'Break the Silence.'

"In the Summertime, when the weather is high…" Who could forget this catchy diddy? It was the debut single of the British rock band and soared to number one on charts worldwide. Although Mungo Jerry had other singles on the charts, with one potential hit being temporarily blocked for promoting drug use, the first hit was by far the biggest.

Possessing one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock history, this song hit No. 1 in the US for six weeks. The band itself only had a few moderately successful follow-ups. It fell into obscurity until the song’s resurgence in the 1994 movie 'Reality Bites', which inspired them to reunite and release two more albums.

This soft-rock quartet went straight to the top of the charts with this suggestive song. Although they won two Grammys and even had their own variety show on CBS, the Starland Vocal Band struggled to follow up their initial success, broke up in 1981, and became a staple on one-hit wonder lists.

This novelty song rode the waves of the then-popular kung fu movie craze. The disco track was recorded in just ten minutes at the end of a studio session in just two takes, with those involved thinking it would be a silly B-side track. It wasn’t a big hit immediately but started getting played in clubs and the Jamaican artist ended up selling eleven million records worldwide.

This funky disco track, initially written in five minutes, ended up being a massive hit that continues getting air time to this day. Despite releasing three albums after this hit, Ohio band Wild Cherry could not replicate its success and broke up in 1975, got back together, and disbanded in 1979.

Recorded by actress-comedian Vicki Lawrence, this Southern Gothic tune became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Lawrence never had another chart-topping single, but she has been nominated for Emmys and a Goolden Globe for her acting and is best known from the CBS show 'Mama's Family' (pictured), based on a character she first made famous on 'The Carol Burnett Show.'

This bubbly pop hit was an instant success, shooting to No. 1 in the UK and No. 5 in the US. Despite this success, their follow-up singles failed to become international hits, and the group dissolved in 1972. However, the band (sans some original members) is back together and still on tour!

Image: Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)/ DemonMusicGroup / YouTube

Despite starting as a slow seller, this single eventually reached No. 1 in the US and Canada. The British-Canadian musician, who first came to prominence as the frontman of Sweeney Todd, released multiple albums in the years that followed, but none of his other songs managed to top the charts.

This disco anthem was a No. 1 hit in the United States and sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Despite releasing several more singles, Ward’s career never took off beyond this initial hit, but the former school teacher is still performing this beloved track around the globe.

This Scottish folk-rock band performed this track as a parody of Bob Dylan's style, but people ate it up. The band was surprised by the track's mega-success but broke up in 1975. The breezy song will be forever remembered as starkly contrasting the torture scene in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut film 'Reservoir Dogs.'

This instrumental dance track was one of the disco era's biggest hits, even earning a Grammy award. While Van McCoy continued to work successfully as a producer and songwriter — he had around 700 song copywrites to his credit — he never managed another hit of this magnitude as a solo artist. He died of a heart attack, at age 39, in 1979.

This melancholic folk-pop tune is a cover of a Jacques Brel song and was originally intended for the Beach Boys. Despite its dark theme of dying, it became a huge international hit and one of the biggest-selling Canadian singles ever. Terry Jacks released several more tracks, but none achieved the same success, and he gradually backed away from the music world.

This soft rock hit tells the tale of a barmaid in a busy seaport town. While the song was a huge hit, the New Jersey band broke up in 1974 after they finished college. They did reunite in 2003, although bass player Pieter Sweval (pictured) died of AIDS in 1990.

This guitar-heavy anthem has become a staple classic rock anthem… "you know what I mean?" Although Mountain released eight albums, none came close to the same popular success as this hard-hitting track.

This breezy tune was a cover of a lesser-known version by Boffalongo. This timeless track is a radio staple to this day, but the French-American rock band couldn’t live up to its initial success. Although they released ‘A Little Bit Like Magic’ a year later, it wasn’t nearly as popular.

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