One-Hit Wonders of the 70s

There's just something special about a one-hit wonder.  There are millions of aspiring singers and bands who never make it out of the garage or the local bar, and there are thousands more who produce hits that consistently climb to the top of the charts.  But there are only so many of that rare breed of performer who are seemingly blessed by the music gods only once in their career.  For them, fame may be fleeting, but their work lives on in quirky and nostalgia-inducing ways, often encapsulating both the five weeks spent at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and years to come.

So without further ado, my three favorite one-hit wonders of the 1970s:
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Harry Chapin: "Cat's in the Cradle"

This folksy classic from 1974 tells the poignant story of the strained relationship between a son and his dad, and features a final verse that really packs a punch.  Despite being Chapin's only number one hit, this song is considered a staple of the folk-rock genre.  And what did Chapin do after his music career?  He went on to become a humanitarian and vocal advocate in the fight against world hunger, and has event won a Congressional Gold Medal- not too shabby.

Don McLean: "American Pie"

I know, I know- Don McLean isn't technically a one-hit wonder (he has a second #1 hit: "Vincent") but I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of Americans know McLean only for his epic masterpiece "American Pie," which cryptically recounts the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richarson in 1959.  Despite being composed of mostly nonsensical (yet iconic) lyrics, the song is still easily recognizable on both an emotional level and an "I just want to dance and sing along" level.  It's also one of the most musically diverse songs I've ever heard, featuring a tone that shifts from somber to jubilant and back to somber again over the course of its eight-minute runtime. "American Pie" spent four weeks at number one in 1972, and has since been named the #5 song of the century by RIAA.

Norman Greenbaum: "Spirit in the Sky"

Norman Greenbaum is my favorite one-hit wonder of all time.  Of course, I love "Spirit in the Sky," but I love the story behind it so much more.  For anyone unfamiliar with the perennial hit, the song is basically this folksy singer/songwriter gospel mashup.  Many find the lyrics odd, especially one in particular ("I'm not a sinner // I've never sinned // I've got a friend in Jesus").  Anyone familiar with Christianity knows that one of the religion's basic pillars is that all humans sin.  So why would Greenbaum include a line like this in his song?  Because he's Jewish!  His inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky" came from watching Dolly Parton sing a gospel on TV- Greenbaum got out his pencil and wrote the lyrics to his most famous hit in less than 15 minutes.
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