List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

This is a list of musical artists whose one hit came out in the 1970s.

Tony Burrows in 2008. He was a member of several one-hit wonder bands, including Edison Lighthouse, White Plains, The Pipkins, The Brotherhood of Man and The First Class.

The list contains recording artists who reached the Top 40 of the U.S. pop chart (the Billboard Hot 100) with just one single.

Artists in italics have only one Top 40 hit, but either

• had other songs chart on genre-specific charts
• have had success and influence within their genre or the annals of popular music and/or
  • a long-lasting and devoted cult following
  • wider success in other fields of the music industry
• are a non-American act who have had wider success in their homeland

Years

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

Notes

Several artists in the list (marked in italics on the main tables) are worth noting for achieving success or popularity outside of the Billboard Hot 100:

• A The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on other American genre-specific singles charts:
  • A1 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart.
  • A2 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on the Hot Black Singles chart.
  • A3 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on the Hot Country Singles chart.
  • A4 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on the Hot Dance/Disco chart.
  • A5 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
  • A6 ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
• B ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had multiple Top 40 albums on the American Billboard 200 albums chart.
• C Had two or more Top 40 hits on charts of other countries, in many cases the artist's native country:
  • C1 ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in Australia.
  • C2 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in Canada.
  • C3 ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in France.
  • C4 ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in Ireland.
  • C5 ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in Japan.
  • C6 ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in the Netherlands.
  • C7 ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in New Zealand.
  • C8 ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in Spain.
  • C9 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in the United Kingdom.
  • C10 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist had two or more Top 40 hits in multiple countries in Europe.
• D The artist has connections to other influential or commercially successful artists.
  • D1 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ A studio band featuring singer Tony Burrows, who also sang lead vocals for four different groups, each of which charted exactly once in the United States.
  • D2 ^ The leader of American folk rock group The Mamas & the Papas.
  • D3 ^ A studio band produced by the Shondells' leader Tommy James. Bruce Sudano later joined Brooklyn Dreams (also a one-hit wonder).
  • D4 ^ Later added Graham Gouldman to the line-up, and morphed into 10cc, which had numerous hits.
  • D5 ^ Nesmith is best known as the guitarist for pop rock band The Monkees.
  • D6 ^ Two of its members, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, became founding members of English rock supergroup Bad Company.
  • D7 ^ A former member of previous one-hit wonder Big Brother & the Holding Company.
  • D8 ^ Frontman Iain Matthews was a member of seminal folk-rock group Fairport Convention.
  • D9 ^ Other additional members joined with The Nite-Liters to morph into New Birth.
  • D10 ^ ^ ^ A studio group assembled and produced by Dickie Goodman, the pioneer of the "break-in" novelty record.
  • D11 ^ One-third of folk-rock trio Peter, Paul and Mary.
  • D12 ^ A studio group formed by Al Ham, otherwise better known for his television news themes (most famously Move Closer to Your World, on which the Hillside Singers also sing).
  • D13 ^ Included personnel from American rock and roll band The Outsiders.
  • D14 ^ Both are best known as members of folk-rock trio Crosby, Stills and Nash.
  • D15 ^ Occasional member of The Osmonds; he is the youngest child of Osmond family founders George and Olive Osmond.
  • D16 ^ The son of folk singer Woody Guthrie.
  • D17 ^ The year after this song, guitarist Mick Ralphs left the band and became a founding member of English rock supergroup Bad Company.
  • D18 ^ The father of singer-songwriters Rufus and Martha Wainwright.
  • D19 ^ Frontman for the influential The Velvet Underground, with albums The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light White Heat.
  • D20 ^ One-half of R&B duo and previous one-hit wonder Mickey & Sylvia, she later found fame as an executive for pioneering rap label Sugarhill Records.
  • D21 ^ The backing band for soul singer James Brown.
  • D22 ^ A member of R&B band The Sylvers.
  • D23 ^ Keyboardist Michael Brown was formerly of baroque pop band The Left Banke.
  • D24 ^ A band made up of members from doo-wop group The Tokens.
  • D25 ^ A member of The Allman Brothers Band.
  • D26 ^ A member of The McCoys.
  • D27 ^ A studio band responsible for the backing music to dozens of chart hits, including many associated with producer-songwriters Gamble & Huff.
  • D28 ^ The cousin of rock singer Kenny Loggins.
  • D29 ^ A country rock supergroup led by former members of Buffalo Springfield, Poco, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Longbranch Pennywhistle.
  • D30 ^ The inventor of the palm pedal, a device used by guitarists. He is also the founder of BNA Records.
  • D31 ^ The founder of The Lovin' Spoonful.
  • D32 ^ Former guitarist with the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band; lead singer Mickey Thomas later had numerous hits with rock band (Jefferson) Starship.
  • D33 ^ A band composed mostly of former members of pop group Looking Glass.
  • D34 ^ A member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.
  • D35 ^ A member of 1960s one-hit wonder The Amboy Dukes and 1990s supergroup Damn Yankees.
  • D36 ^ The granddaughter of country singer Red Foley and daughter of pop singer Pat Boone.
  • D37 ^ A former member of surf rock group The Beach Boys.
  • D38 ^ "The Toot Uncommons" are actually the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, an American country act with more critical than mainstream commercial success.
  • D39 ^ One-half of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Parliament-Funkadelic, two influential funk bands fronted by George Clinton.
  • D40 ^ A member of American rock band Kiss.
  • D41 ^ Formerly of English folk rock group Fairport Convention and previous Matthews' Southern Comfort.
  • D42 ^ A band that features Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
  • D43 ^ The lead singer of English rock band and previous one-hit wonder Smokie.
  • D44 ^ Former members of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer inductee The Byrds.
  • D45 ^ Formerly of British pub rock band The Motors.
  • D46 ^ A former member of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer inductee (and earlier one hit wonders) Buffalo Springfield.
  • D47 ^ A band featuring guitarists Eric Clapton and Duane Allman (the latter a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band).
• E The artist achieved critical success or multiple awards and/or is considered to be an influential figure in a specific genre or field.
  • E1 ^ One of the pioneers of country rock.
  • E2 ^ Acclaimed as the first woman to be successful in the male-dominated rock scene.
  • E3 ^ A seminal blues rock band.
  • E4 ^ One of the leaders in the glam rock movement.
  • E5 ^ One of the first female singer/songwriters.
  • E6 ^ Regarded as one of the first prog metal bands by many listeners.
  • E7 ^ An experimental folk singer more critically than commercially lauded, best known for his 1967 piece "Alice's Restaurant," which did not qualify for the singles charts on account of its length.
  • E8 ^ A highly influential prog-rock band.
  • E9 ^ A seminal blues musician.
  • E10 ^ A seminal Cameroonian musician often regarded as the father of disco.
  • E11 ^ ^ A member of country music's acclaimed "Outlaw" movement during the 1970s.
  • E12 ^ ^ A critically acclaimed Grammy and Oscar-winning film composer.
  • E13 ^ One of the most influential bands in electronic music.
  • E14 ^ A seminal art-rock band and major influence on synthpop and new wave.
  • E15 ^ An influential hard rock band.
  • E16 ^ A seminal country music performer; best known for truck-driving songs.
  • E17 ^ An important influence on straight edge movement.
  • E18 ^ A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; critically acclaimed live performer and spoken word artist.
  • E19 ^ A highly influential funk musician.
  • E20 ^ One of the major influences of women in punk rock.
  • E21 ^ A legendary rock musician in his native Netherlands.
• F The artist has connections to other noted people outside of the music industry:
  • F1 ^ ^ A fictional character created by well-known puppeteer Jim Henson.
  • F2 ^ A fictional character played by advertising executive Jay Huguely.
• G The artist achieved success in other fields of the music industry:
  • G1 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist is well known as a producer.
  • G2 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist is well known as a songwriter.

Several other artists are worth noting for achieving success or popularity in other fields outside of the music industry:

• H Success in other fields of the entertainment industry:
  • H1 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist is well known in the field of acting.
  • H2 ^ ^ The artist is well known in the field of comedy.
  • H3 ^ ^ ^ ^ The artist is well known in the field of composing film music.
  • H4 ^ ^ ^ The artist is well known as a radio host.
  • H5 ^ The artist is well known as a talk show host.
  • H6 ^ Pink Lady are today more notable in the U.S. for their ill-fated variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.

Several songs on the list also feature credited appearances by artists with two or more Top 40 hits, either as featured artists or collaborating artists (I).

• I1 ^ Jerry Butler is credited as a collaborating artist alongside Eager.
• I2 ^ Elton John is credited as a collaborating artist alongside Dee.
• I3 ^ Donna Summer is credited as a collaborating artist alongside Brooklyn Dreams.

Additional notes

• J1 ^ ^ Despite the fact that The Brotherhood of Man (1969–72) and the similarly named Brotherhood of Man (no article, 1973–present) had no personnel in common other than producer/founder Tony Hiller, some sources list the two bands as two different lineups of the same band.
• J2 ^ One-hit wonder status unclear. Runt is sometimes regarded as a three-piece band featuring Todd Rundgren — but all reissues of their work credit Rundgren, and not Runt, as the artist. Runt is therefore usually regarded not as a band, but as a pseudonym for Rundgren. Regardless, under his own name, Rundgren had several top 40 hits. (Rundgren's collaborators on the record, Hunt and Tony Sales, later charted internationally with "Lust for Life," a record credited solely to Iggy Pop.)
• J3 ^ ^ Spoken-word radio commentary, not originally intended for release as a single. Gordon Sinclair originally wrote and read the commentary in 1973; Byron MacGregor reread Sinclair's script (without Sinclair's permission) and released it as a single, prompting Sinclair to release the original as a single as well.
• J4 ^ This song's video was the first ever aired on America's MTV.

See also

• List of 1950s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of 1990s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of 2000s one-hit wonders in the United States
• List of 2010s one-hit wonders in the United States