The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1970s
We celebrate Absolute Radio's The Best Decade
Last updated 11th Apr 2022
As part of our celebrations for Absolute Radio’s The Best Decade, we proudly present some of the UK's greatest one-hit wonders of the 1970s!
Featuring novelty songs, disco bangers, rock stompers and bona fide classics, the musically eclectic list includes artists like The Buggles, The Knack and the totally frightful Bobby "Boris" Pickett.
Voting for The Best Decade is now closed!
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1970s:
The Buggles – ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ (1979):
Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes’ synth-pop anthem ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ reached Number 1 in the UK in 1979 and sold more than 5 million copies internationally. The video was the first ever video to be played on MTV in August 1981 giving it a fresh wave of exposure across the world. Unfortunately, The Buggles failed to dent the Top 10 again and they split in 1982 shortly after their second album ‘Adventures in Modern Recording’ flopped.
Bobby "Boris" Pickett – ‘Monster Mash’ (1973):
Bobby "Boris" Pickett’s novelty song ‘Monster Mash’ was a chart-topping smash in America upon its original release in 1962, however it took another 11 years to dent the UK charts when it peaked at No.3 upon its re-release in 1973. Bobby "Boris" Pickett never scored another hit before his death in 2007, however ‘Monster Mash’ remains an ever-popular Halloween favourite to this day.
The Knack – ‘My Sharona’ (1979):
Written by vocalist and guitarist Doug Fieger in just 15 minutes in homage to his close friend Sharona Alperin, The Knack’s infectious debut single ‘My Sharona’ peaked at Number 6 in the UK in 1979. A classic case of peaking too early, The Knack sadly never reached the Top 40 again but ‘My Sharona’ remains an irrefutable pop rock classic. In case you’re wondering whatever happened to Sharona Alperin, she went on to become a successful estate agent in Los Angeles.
Carl Douglas – ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ (1974):
Capitalising on the Bruce Lee fuelled kung fu craze of the 1970s, Jamaican-born singer-songwriter Carl Douglas released his disco celebration of martial arts, ‘Kung Fu Fighting.’ Gloriously cheesy and the staple of parties across the land, ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ reached Number 1 in the UK and more than a dozen other countries. In fact, it’s one of the best-selling singles of all time having shifted a whopping 11 million units. A cover by dance act Bus Stop in 1998 (featuring Carl Douglas’ vocals) reached No.8 but Carl Douglas himself never scored another Top 20 hit again.
M – ‘Pop Musik’ (1979):
M, the electronic music project led by Robin Scott, reached the dizzy heights of Number 2 with their synth-pop anthem ‘Pop Musik.’ It was an even bigger hit Stateside where it topped the Billboard 100 and sold more than a million copies. Follow-up single ‘Moonlight and Muzak’ peaked at No.33 but M never graced the Top 40 again. U2 later used a remixed version of ‘Pop Musik’ as their intro music on their PopMart Tour in the late nineties.
Typically Tropical – ‘Barbados’ (1975):
Typical Tropical, aka Trojan Records audio engineers Jeff Calvert and Max West, reached Number 1 in 1975 with their reggae-pop homage to Barbados. It was the duo’s only hit, however three years later they penned ‘I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper’ for Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip, which was a Number 6 smash. In 1999, Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys released a cover of ‘Barbados’, retitled ‘We’re Going To Ibiza.’
Wild Cherry – ‘Play That Funky Music’ (1976):
Formed in Ohio in 1970, Wild Cherry were initially a hard rock band, but they decided to broaden their musical palette when disco exploded later in the decade. It proved to be an astute move as funk-rock gem ‘Play That Funky Music’ was a colossal global hit that sold over 2.5 million copies in the band’s native US alone. It reached No.7 in the UK and was Wild Cherry’s only Top 40 song. Vanilla Ice, however, dented the Top 10 with his cover in 1990.
Anita Ward – ‘Ring My Bell’ (1979):
American R&B producer Frederick Knight originally wrote ‘Ring My Bell’ as a teenybopper song for teenage singer Stacy Lattisaw (who scored a No.3 hit a year later with ‘Jump to the Beat’), however when Lattisaw moved record labels Anita Ward was asked to sing it instead. Fusing Ward’s high-pitched vocals with infectious electro-disco grooves, ‘Ring My Bell’ was an instant smash hit in all corners of the world and reached Number 1 over here. Anita Ward, sadly, didn’t chart again.
The Floaters – ‘Float On’ (1977):
The Floaters’ slick and smooth soul gem ‘Float On’ reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart in 1977, but follow-ups including a cover of Dusty Springfield’s ‘You Don't Have to Say You Love Me’ didn’t fare so well. Despite not achieving mainstream success again, The Floaters went on to release four studio albums before their split in 1982.
Lee Marvin – ‘Wand’rin Star’ (1970):
Lee Marvin was one of the biggest actors on the planet when he released ‘Wand’rin Star’ in 1969. Recorded for the western movie Paint Your Wagon, an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, Lee Marvin took up residency at Number 1 in the UK for three weeks in 1970. Not a natural singer, Marvin didn’t release any more songs before his death in 1987. Poignantly, ‘Wand’rin Star’ was played a Joe Strummer’s funeral in 2002.
Norman Greenbaum - ‘Spirit in the Sky’ (1969/1970):
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that Norman Greenbaum’s ‘Spirit in the Sky’ also featured in our 60s one-hit wonders feature, however, although it was released in 1969 it didn’t actually hit the charts until 1970 so we’ve decided to include it in both! Widely regarded as one of the finest one-hit wonders ever, ‘Spirit in the Sky’ was recently voted as among the greatest 500 songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. Proof of its popularity, ‘Spirit in the Sky’ reached Number 1 in the UK again in 1986 and 2003 thanks to covers by Doctor and the Medics and Gareth Gates.
The Simon Park Orchestra – ‘Eye Level’ (1973):
The Simon Park Orchestra recorded the impossibly chirpy instrumental track ‘Eye Level’ for the soundtrack to the British detective series Van der Valk, which was set in Amsterdam. Something of a surprise blockbuster hit, it climbed to Number 1 on the singles chart and remained there for four consecutive weeks. Simon Park went on to write the theme music for more TV shows but he never achieved the same success again.
Brian and Michael – ‘Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs’ (1978):
Manchester folk duo Brian Burke and Michael Coleman reached Number 1 in April 1978 with their musical homage to artist L. S. Lowry, who had died in 1976. The single stayed at Number 1 for three weeks and Coleman later scooped an Ivor Novello award for 'The Outstanding Lyric of the Year'.
Althea & Donna – ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ (1978):
Jamaican teenagers Althea Rose Forrest and Donna Marie Reid caused a sensation when they hit Number 1 in February 1978 with ‘Uptown Top Ranking’. The reggae classic’s success is widely attributed to John Peel who championed it on his Radio 1 show, which led to a coveted appearance for Althea & Donna on Top of the Pops. The duo released several other singles but with minimal success.
Thelma Houston - 'Don't Leave Me This Way' (1976):
Originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, a year later Mississippi soul singer Thelma Houston score a No.13 hit with her version of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' in 1976. It was her only charting song on these shores. The Communards reached Number 1 with their version of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' in 1986.
Vote for The Best Decade
Now read:
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1960s
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1980s
The greatest one-hit wonders of the 1990s