This list is an extremely curated version of the list of the article One Hit Wonders In The U.S. on Wikipedia. It is idiosyncratic, in the sense that any song from the 60s and 70s that I had not heard of I did not consider a hit. I also eliminated the novelty songs; I mean, who, besides Alan Sherman and Al Yankovic, had either a hit or more than one hit novelty song.
On the one hand, feel sorry for Brewer & Shipley that they never had another hit after One Toke Over the Line. On the other hand, at least they had one hit.
Mark Dinning |
Teen Angel |
Lou Reed |
Walk on the Wild Side |
Little Peggy March |
I Will Follow Him |
B. W. Stevenson |
My Maria |
Doris Troy |
Just One Look |
Carl Douglas |
Kung Fu Fighting |
The Singing Nun |
Dominique |
Pilot |
Magic |
The Surfaris |
Wipe Out |
Van McCoy |
The Hustle |
Jewel Akens |
The Birds and the Bees |
R.B. Greaves |
Take A Letter Maria |
Barry McGuire |
Eve of Destruction |
Elvin Bishop |
Fooled Around and Fell in Love |
Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler |
Ballad of the Green Berets |
Wild Cherry |
Play That Funky Music |
Iron Butterfly |
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida |
Starland Vocal Band |
Afternoon Delight |
Steam |
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye |
Debby Boone |
You Light Up My Life |
Roy Clark |
Yesterday When I Was Young |
Alicia Bridges |
I Love the Nightlife |
Norman Greenbaum |
Spirit in the Sky |
Anita Ward |
Ring My Bell |
Five Stairsteps |
O-o-h Child |
The Knack |
My Sharona |
Edison Lighthouse |
Love Grows |
Sugarloaf |
Green-Eyed Lady |
Brewer & Shipley |
One Toke Over the Line |
Peter McCann |
Do You Wanna Make Love |
Mungo Jerry |
In the Summertime |
Paper Lace |
The Night Chicago Died |
Billy Paul |
Me and Mrs. Jones |
The Original Caste |
One Tin Soldier (Theme from Billy Jack) |
Arlo Guthrie |
City of New Orleans |
Looking Glass |
Brandy (You're A Fine Girl |
King Harvest |
Dancing in the Moonlight |
Brooks & Dunn |
My Maria |
T. Rex |
Bang A Gong |
Andrea True Connection |
More, More, More |
Dr. John |
Right Place, Wrong Time |
Vanilla Ice |
Ice Ice Baby |
Dexys Midnight Runners |
Come On Eileen |
Baha Men |
Who Let the Dogs Out |
Ian Whitcomb | You Really Turned Me On |
Hey Mickey |
Toni Basil |