What is your favorite 1 hit wonder from the 70's?


Many on Audiogon agree the 1970's was the best decade for popular music. Whether it was the quality of songwriting or the diversity of music. The decade also produced many unforgettable 1 hit wonders. My personal favorite is Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band, what's yours?
dayglow
oh happy day-the edwin hawkins singers....when i die-motherlode...baby, its you-smith
Most of the truly one-hit wonders, were that because the music really wasn't that good. I don't know about best, or what constitutes a hit, but here goes:

T Rex: Bang a Gong
Blue Image: Ride Captain Ride
Argent: Hold Your Head Up
Stories: Brother Louie
Malo: Suavecito
Norman Greenbaum: Spirt in the Sky
Vicki Lawrence: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Rick Derringer: Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo
Thin Lizzy: The Boys are Back in Town
The Buggles: Video Killed the Radio Star
Reunion: Life is a Rock
Wild Cherry: Play that Funky Music
Might be "Hallelujah" by Sweathog.
Or "Don't Walk Away Renee" by The Left Banke.
Or "Gold" by John Stewart.
Or "Venus" by Shocking Blue.
Or "The Rapper" by Jaggerz.
Or "Lay a Little Lovin' On Me" by Robin McNamara.
Or "All Right Now" by Free.
Or "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jeannie Knight
Or "All The Young Dudes" by Mott The Hoople.
Or "I Can't Stand The Rain" Ann Peebles (Willie Mitchell)

In the end, I'll go with the immortal "Kung Fu Fighting" by Karl Douglas (or......).
David Essex - Rock On
Ram Jam - Black Betty
Sniff 'n the Tears - Driver's Seat
Billy Thorpe - Children Of The Sun
"Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest. It is just such a slick POP song!

For clarity, Bands mentioned above that are not one hit:

Mott the Hoople, Argent, Thin Lizzy, Black Oak Arkansas, T-Rex. Technically, Billy Thorpe had another hit, "In My Room". And to pick nits, one of the guys from Free went to the band Bad Company.

Great list start.
Bgpowell,

I think you're a bit too purist here (for my taste, anyway) in defining "one hit wonder". MTH, had several albums, but I don't think they ever charted top 40 beyond "Dudes". Post band careers (Paul Rodgers of Free) wouldn't seem relevant to me.

I believe that King Harvest released one LP, broke up, reformed, released a second LP and then went away. They had one single chart that I know of. One of their members, (the drummer Kay Wells or something like that), went on to the band Orleans. On that basis, I'm not sure that they meet your own definition, but they still qualify in my book.

Either way, "Dancing In the Moonlight" is a great call.
No one's mentioned "867-5309" yet.

Also, "I'll Drink To You" by Duke Jupiter.

Another is "Hey, St. Peter" by Flash and The Pan. But honestly, that is nothing near my favorite Flash And The Pan song.

"Driver's Seat" by Sniff And The Tears was mentioned above.

Chuck
"Hey Mickey", by Toni Basil. Hey Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey!
Yea, Spirit in the Sky is a great choice.
Over the years, one that would always just pop into my head out of nowhere was "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman. Released in 1970.
72s Stuck in the middle with you was Stealers Wheels only big hit correct? Great scene in a movie too!
Martykl,
I was going to suggest Kenny Rodgers @ The First Edition "Just Dropped In", then realized it was the 60's also.
"Smoke from a Distant Fire" by The Sanford Townsend Band. Quintessential late 70s pop ballad.
"Does anyone remember the hit Chris Rea had around this time?"

Fool if you think it's over
How can one list just one one hit wonder from the supposedly best musical decade?
I will stop short of adding;

Grandad- Clive Dunn
Ernie the fastest Milkman in the west- Benny Hill
Funky Moped- Jasper Carrot
Funky Gibbon- The Goodies.
Float on- the Floaters (you must check it out on youtube).

45's I have bought and loved when I was a scrawny nipper.

Radar Love by Golden Earring.
Spirit in the Sky-Norman Greenbaum.
Indian Reservation- Don Fardon .
Gimme dat ting- The Pipkins.
Resurrection Shuffle- Ashton,Gardener & Dyke.
Popcorn- Hot butter.
Liquidator- Harry J & the Allstars (1969, but close enough).
Suger Suger- The archies.
Band of Gold-Freda Pain.
Hot Butter-Popcorn.
Magic Fly-Space.
Pop Musik-M.
Personally, I think most of the music in the 70's sucked, maybe that's why there were so many one hit wonders??
For an interesting discussion of what constitutes a one hit wonder, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_hit_wonder and scroll down to 'Questions of definition'

Anyway, a thread after my own heart, my pre-teen and teen years were during the 70s and I LOVE 70s music. Some (most?) great 70s one-hit-wonders are already mentioned.

I'll add:
Mississippi Queen-Mountain
Focus-Hocus Pocus
Turn the Beat Around-Vicki Robinson

BTW Mickey and 867-5309 are 80s songs. I love 80s as well.
The night the lights went out in Georgia by Mamas familys Vicki Lawerence lol
I stand corrected on the "Mickey" choice. I actually thought it was "Hey Nikki". Shows how much I know.
"Fool if you think it's over" is the song I was trying to remember. Thanks.