From Glam to Punk:

The 1970s were a time of great social, cultural, and economic change. The decade was one of the most turbulent in history but also one that produced incredible creativity, particularly in the worlds of pop music, fashion and culture... and One Hit Wonders!

Music and fashion at the start of the 70s had a lot to do with the hangover from the hippie movement of the late 1960s. The youth had become socially aware and were interested in exploring personal freedoms and expressing themselves through their music, clothing and political choices. This open-minded attitude sowed the seeds for artists to have the creative freedom to either create or evolve new musical genres as diverse as Disco, Funk, Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, Hip Hop and New Wave. Bands and artists that either started or became big in the 70s include Led Zepellin, David Bowie, The Clash, Parliament, Pink Floyd, The Sex Pistols, ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, The Eagles, Queen, Marvin Gaye, Fleetwood Mac, Bee Gees, Kiss, Bob Marley... the list goes on and on!

The 1970s were a decade of drastic change in terms of music fashion and highlights from the decade include the glam, disco and punk trends. Music and fashion choices were very much about the individual and the right to self expression. There was everything from glam and its androgynous dressing with makeup for both men and women, tight body hugging outfitscomplete with gold chains for disco to ripped clothes and safety pins through noses for the punk rockers.

It was also the start of mega album sales. In 1973 Pink Floyd released “Dark Side of the Moon”. The album went on to sell over 50 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Also, in 1977, Fleetwood Mac released their album “Rumours” which became another of the best-selling albums of all time. With songs like "Dreams" and "Don't Stop" the album went on to sell over 40 million copies and made the band and its members international mega-stars for decades to come. The 70s was when pop music became really big business and the record companies really started to be taken seriously by big corporations around the globe.

It seemed like the youth of the 70s became increasingly tribal with their fashion and music preferences. The early hippy music was disowned by the new heavier rock music fans, the rock fans were then overlooked by the disco fans and the punk fans were disgusted by the disco fans. Rivalry was (generally) all in good fun and it made for exciting competition in the charts as the different genres of music fought it out for the attention and loyalty of the music buying public.

It’s hard to imagine another time when music and fashion styles were as diverse and also so globally huge. Imagine punk rock and disco developing simultaneously and both creating such massive youth movements. Punk rock emerged during the 1970s and was seen by many as a reaction to the disco scene that had become so massive during the decade. Punk rockers were generally not happy with how mainstream pop had become so they rebelled against it by playing stripped-down, fast-paced music with angry lyrics. They wanted to show their discontent with society and the political climate at the time. This was in complete contrast to disco which wasnot about overthinking it and simply having a good time all of the time. They were seemingly at odds yet managed to co-exist happily on the charts.

Whilst the careers of so many mega-artists were born in the 70s there is also another side to this coin. Yes, the bands and singers who, try as they may, didn’t have the giant careers of Fleetwood Mac or Pink Floyd. We’re talking about the great unsung heroes of the pop world, the ones forgotten and fallen from the tops of the charts. So, please, a moment’s silence for the ones who almost made it... Here is our list of One Hit Wonders of the 70s that you should definitely have a listen to right now!

“My Sharona” - The Knack - 1979

The song was written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre and it tells the story of 25 year old Doug’s relationship with the then 17 year old Sharona. It apparently took 15 minutes to write and some detractors are keen to say “it sounds like it”. However, there’s no denying the catchiness of that riff, even though some detractors say it is very close to “Gimme Some Lovin” by the Spencer Davis Group. Enough of the detractors! Most important is how huge this song was in its day and how totally unable the group were to achieve anything remotely like this success ever again. Maybe if they’d only allotted 15 minutes to writing their follow-ups they would have had more hits? We’ll never know...

"Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band - 1976

It may sound like something that these days would be played by the Hillsong band in one of their mega-churches but, Afternoon Delight by the Starland Vocal Band, had in fact a very un-PC message. It seems the Afternoon Delight was a metaphor for having a bonk in the arvo, we guess sometime between lunch and dinner. Good for them. Even though most of the record buying public at the time were unaware of this it still became a mega-hit in many countries around the world and secured the group a position in the holy halls of one hit wonder stardom. Bless them.

“Play That Funky Music” - Wild Cherry - 1976

“Play the funky music white boy!” Never before had someone so white sounded so black. Ohio born singer and writer Rob Parisi created this rock and disco crossover classic that was as equally at home in a New Jersey City beer hall as it was over the river at Studio 54 in midtown Manhattan. With one of the funkiest guitar riffs in the history of funky guitar this little ditty had everyone dancing to this hit in the US, Canada, Australia and parts of Europe. Unfortunately, Rob and the Wild Cherry boys were unable to write another hit like this and were soon overtaken by other funky white guys trying to sound black such as KC and The Sunshine Band.

“Radar Love” - Golden Earring - 1973

No list of one hit wonders of the 70s is complete without Radar Love by Golden Earring. Firstly, not many bands can come up with such a catchy tune whilst simultaneously coming up with such a terrible band name. Secondly, it’s not often bands from Holland can top the charts in the US, UK, Australia, Germany and Spain, Thirdly, who else would write a lyric about a truck driver with ESP who, after getting a psychic “come home to me baby” from his girlfriend, decides to drive like a lunatic to get there quickly and crashes and kills himself... we love it! No wonder they could never write a follow-up to that and, consequently, the band also crashed on the rock highway never to roll again.

“Born To Be Alive” - Patrick Hernandez - 1979

In 1979 disco may have “sucked” to many and felt like it was on the way out, until good ol’ Patrick Hernandez came along and whacked those punks and rockers over the head with his walking stick and taught them “it’s good to be alive!” From its opening rockin’ funk guitar lick, disco bass and mechanical groove it hooks you in. And then the vocal! So earnest...and sung in a way only a half Spanish, half Italian (and raised in France) guy like Patrick could. It was number 1 in the US dance charts and number 1 across most of Europe and Australia. Unfortunately Patrick’s cane did not offer him the support he needed and he was never able to come up with anything as funky ever again, fading from the dance floor and into 70s one hit wonder obscurity.

“Pop Muzik” - M - 1979

As electronic influences within music genres like Krautrock gave way to bands like Kraftwerk, a new style of synthpop gradually made its presence felt on the mainstream pop charts. Englishman Robin Scott was quick to catch the wave with his blend of Krautrock and disco with the appropriately titled Pop Muzik.

It was hard to escape this song at the time. Even if you’d never travelled outside of Oklahoma you’d likely be at your local bar singing “New York, London, Paris, Munich...” whilst attempting to robot dance after downing twelve Pabst Blue Ribbons. Pop Muzik was an international mega monster that dominated charts around the world and made M a household name... well not quite.

Whilst everyone remembers the song not many remember M (and nobody has heard of Robin Scott). As is often the case, the song was huge but M failed to maintain their driving, machine-like momentum and faded into obsolescence.

“Video Killed The Radio Star” - The Buggles - 1979

This slice of synthpop genius was sung, co-written and produced by Trevor Horn, who went on to become a legendary 80s mega producer. He is also famous for having, quite possibly, the largest and most nerdy glasses of any pop star in history.

Interestingly, the song talks about how technology changes music and the music business and how video is bound to replace the importance of radio. This was a good prediction and was created two years before the introduction of MTV. So relevant was the song that MTV ended up choosing it as the first song they ever played on their network!

Equal parts cheesy and brilliant, it’s an amazing hybrid of styles and production techniques that illustrate Horn’s true genius. And, whilst it introduced Horn as a producer to countless artists from David Bowie to Paul McCartney, it was a one hit wonder and The Buggles died right along with the radio star, never to grace MTV or radio again.

“Ring My Bell” - Anita Ward - 1979

Ring My Bell was originally written as a song about teens having a chat on the telephone. However, a producer at Juana Records came across an unrecorded kids song and re-purposed it for the adult Anita Ward, giving the lyrics a very different meaning. Anyway, it worked and Ring My Bell became a number 1 hit on the US Billboard 100, number 1 on the UK top forty and number 1 around the world!

Anita Ward was nominated for a Grammy and things were really looking up for her. Unfortunately Ring My Bell was her only hit and her bell stopped ringing very soon after the song left the charts.

“Driver’s Seat” - Sniff ‘n’ The Tears - 1978

Sniffing the tears? Sniff and the tears? If so, who is Sniff? Regardless of their cryptic name and the fact that they sound American when they actually come from England, this is a great rock’n’roll song from the band's debut album Fickle Heart. And it was a 70s one hit wonder around the world for Sniff and the lads .... and that’s definitely not to be sniffed at.

“Gold” - John Stewart - 1979

“There’s people out there turning music into gold” sings John on this 1979 hit. So there is John, so there is... as long as they keep writing the hits. Unfortunately for John this was the only hit he had so he may not have been able to turn his music into the aforementioned gold, more likely bronze.