Back in the ’70s, Pilot was one of Scotland’s most famous rock bands, and their hit “Magic” won a gold record just a few short months after its release in 1974. Not only is it an extremely catchy tune, but it also makes you think like you’re in a magic show. Whether you agree or not, the song definitely had a certain kind of magic to it since it sold nearly a million copies worldwide.
“Magic” made it to number 5 in the U.S. music charts, but their following hit, “January,” only made it big in the UK. Funnily enough, “Magic” made a big comeback more than 30 years later, in 2007, as the theme song for a Pillsbury commercial.
"Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder
Nick Gilder's "Hot Child in the City" was one of those wildly misunderstood songs. Its rhythm is upbeat and carefree, but if you ever took a second to read the lyrics, you'd realize the song is about young girls working in the streets. Gilder wrote the song after an eye-opening experience he had on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Gilder was a London-born Canadian musician who topped the charts with this 1978 hit. Even though he was wildly successful with his rock band, Sweeney Todd, and as a songwriter for A-list artists, this was as high as he got in terms of his solo career.
"Pop Muzik" by M
If you ever want a perfect example of what new wave music sounds like, listen to "Pop Muzik" by M. It may be incredibly bizarre and catchy at the same time, but this 1979 hit by English group M was certainly a success.
The band was a collaborative project that centered around Robin Scott, a known English musician of the time. "Pop Muzik" had synthesizers that made it a perfect mix of disco and electronic pop, a style that would define the '80s. The famous '90s band U2 has remixed and performed the song many times.
"Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)" by Daddy Dewdrop
"Chick-A-Boom" is a song that everyone has heard at least once in their life. And if you haven't, you surely remember the lyrics: "Last night I had a crazy dream about a chick in a black bikini"..." She must be a magic genie." The hit song that reached number 9 on the US Billboard Pop chart in 1971 was performed by Dick Monda, better known by his fantastic moniker, Daddy Dewdrop. In the photo below, you can see Daddy Dewdrop in all his glory - with a huge mustache and a train conductor's hat.
As it turns out, Monda was a music producer for an animated TV series called the 'Groovy Goolies'. The famous "Chick-A-Boom" was originally written and recorded for the show, and producers had no idea it would become a chart-topping hit.
"The Rapper" by The Jaggerz
Many people still believe that this band's name was a play on Mick Jagger's name, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The rock band from Pennsylvania released their hit song "The Rapper" right in the middle of Rolling Stones mania in 1970, so it's not surprising that people got confused at first.
However, the band explained that they chose the name after Pittsburgh slang word for a type of thorny bush. The hit song was a fun boogie with groovy electric guitar riffs that was only surpassed in popularity by "bridge Over Troubled Water", by Simon & Garfunkel. The Jaggerz wrote many other singles that made the Billboard Hot 100 charts, but they never topped them like "The Rapper."