These iconic 1970s one-hit wonders did some numbers back in their day. They haven’t earned the same success in the streaming market, though. To remedy that, check out these staple hits today to be reminded of or introduced to some forgotten throwbacks.
[RELATED: 3 Niche Songs From 1972 That Every 70s Teen Seemed To Know by Heart]
Videos by American Songwriter
“Billy Don’t Be A Hero” — Paper Lace
“Billy Don’t Be A Hero” is kind of a weird song to be a hit. Thematically, it’s about a Civil War soldier who is begged by his fiancée not to go to war. “Billy, don’t be a hero, don’t be a fool with your life / Billy, don’t be a hero, come back and make me your wife,” the chorus read. This story is coupled with colonial-style flutes and other instrumentation. On paper, it shouldn’t have done as well as it did.
But in practice, it’s not hard to see why this song earned hit status. It’s endlessly catchy and surprisingly upbeat for a song about war. One listen, and it’ll be stuck in your head for days; be warned. Even so, this song doesn’t have the streaming stats to match its popularity in the 70s.
“Seasons In The Sun” — Terry Jacks
Speaking of hits with morose undertones, the next one-hit wonder that doesn’t get enough attention today is Terry Jacks’ “Seasons In The Sun”. The singer plays a dying man as he says goodbye to a dear friend. “Goodbye to you, my trusted friend / We’ve known each other since we were nine or ten / Together we’ve climbed hills and trees / Learned of love and ABCs,” the lyrics read.
Despite being a real bummer lyrically, the song’s catchiness made it a chart-topping hit. Even today, it boasts some impressive streams, but not as many as its original success would suggest.
“Beach Baby” — The First Class
Despite hailing from England, The First Class perfectly captured the sunny disposition of West Coast rock, a la The Beach Boys. Their most famous effort, “Beach Baby”, plays nearly like a parody of that iconic band but nevertheless rose to the top of the charts.
“Do you remember back in old L.A. / When everybody drove a Chevrolet? / Whatever happened to the boy next door? / The sun-tanned, crew-cut, all-American male,” the lyrics read. This simple Californian story is paired with surf rock instrumentation, which was deeply impressive given how far away from that setting this band was. Today, this song isn’t talked about as much as other 1970s one-hit wonders, but it was an important piece of the pop music puzzle back then.
(Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)