You may remember the epic “Black Betty” from the soundtrack of ‘Blow,’ the famous film by Ted Demme. Ram Jam was a rock band formed around lead guitarist Bill Bartlett. He had over ten years of experience in the music industry since he had been playing with other ’70s bands. One of them was Lemon Pipers, the band that topped the charts with 1968’s ‘Green Tambourine’.
Ram Jam was definitely a one-hit-wonder, but they still managed to cause a stir. Their hit “Black Betty” is a true rock ‘n roll song that just makes your bones jump. It may have been a rework of a shorter song by master blues guitarist Lead Belly, but Ram Jam certainly made it special. Even though it became a worldwide hit, it caused a lot of problems. The NAACP wasn’t happy with the bold lyrics and even tried to boycott the band!
"Layla" by Derek and the Dominos
OK, so Eric Clapton is definitely not a one-hit-wonder, but his band Derek and the Dominos kind of were. Their 1971 hit single "Layla" was released on an album titled 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,' which pretty much says it all.
A fun little fact that many people probably don't know is that "Layla" was a song written by Clapton about his unrequited feelings of love for a woman that was the then-wife of The Beatles George Harrison! And Clapton was one of his best friends back then. Even though Clapton went on to have a massively successful career, this single was Derek and the Dominos' only claim to fame.
"Rock On" by David Essex
David Essex may be a well-known English singer in the UK, but in the US, he only ever scored one major hit - "Rock On". Recorded and released in 1973, the song reached number 5 on the music charts and even got a cover by American singer Michael Damian fifteen years later, in 1989.
"Rock On" was a very cool tune, with a particularly minimal sound that almost made it feel like ambient music, all the while sounding as heavy as any good rock song. Unfortunately, this Brit didn't see another chart-topper in the U.S. ever again. But don't feel bad for him; he's a legend in the UK!
"Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks
Ironically, everybody remembers "Seasons in the Sun" for its happy guitar sounds, but it was actually an incredibly sad song. The 1974 chart-topper featured some very gloomy lyrics, but it was still the hit that made Terry Jacks famous. For about 15 minutes, but still.
The song was originally written by a Belgian jazz singer called Jacques Brel in 1961. Two years later, it was translated and somewhat rewritten by an American singer and finally sung and made famous by Canadian-born Terry Jacks.
"Which Way You Goin', Billy?" by The Poppy Family
Another Canadian band that hit it big back in the 70s was The Poppy Family. Released in 1969 in Canada, their hit single and incredibly sad song, "Which Way You Goin', Billy?" topped charts in Canada and Ireland. One year later, it reached number 2 on the US Billboard pop chart.
The four-member psychedelic pop group sold millions of records worldwide, proving they were truly talented musicians. Married couple Susan and Terry Jacks were two of the members and a unique Tabla player and sitar strummer gave The Poppy Family a very special sound. The only member of the band that would produce another hit was Terry Jacks, but that was about it.