If you were a kid in 1976 (or at any part of the 1970s) and are feeling a little bit nostalgic nowadays, the following dance and funk one-hit wonders from that year might just ring a bell. The following artists only ever made it big in the US with a sole charting hit each. And those tunes are still major jams today. Let’s take a look, shall we?
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Thelma Houston
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” was originally released in 1975 by the soul group known as Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. That song did quite well on the disco chart. However, Thelma Houston’s version from 1976 (as well as the British group The Communards’ version in 1986) really hit the charts hard.
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Houston’s disco soul version of this addictive song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also did well across Europe and Canada. The talented American singer enjoyed continuous success on the R&B charts well into the late 1980s. However, she never scored another Top 30 hit on the Hot 100 again.
“Turn The Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson
How about some more disco? The mid-1970s were quite the time for that genre. “Turn The Beat Around” was released by singer Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976. It ended up being a standout track from her debut record, Never Gonna Let You Go. This gem was quite popular on the radio.
Robinson hit No. 10 on the Hot 100 with this memorable little tune, and the song also charted well across other US charts, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. Sadly, though, Robinson struggled to release another single that charted nearly as well. Her follow-up, “Common Thief”, didn’t make it to the Hot 100 at all. Robinson never made it to the Top 60 again, but her name popped up on the Dance charts throughout the 1990s.
“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry
This has to be one of the most memorable one-hit wonders to come out of the year 1976. In fact, even if you weren’t alive or conscious during the 1970s, you probably recognize this song immediately. “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry is a funky ride from start to finish, and it also ended up being Wild Cherry’s only big hit. The band topped the Hot 100 chart with this tune, but never made it to the Top 40 again. Though, they did pretty well in New Zealand with the 1977 song “Hot To Trot”.
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