Top 10 60's One Hit Wonders You Forgot Were AWESOME

#10: “Harper Valley PTA” (1968)Jeannie C. Riley

The world of country music received an injection of pop sensibility with this novelty hit from 1968. “Harper Valley PTA” was written by industry legend Tom T. Hall and performed with charm by Jeannie C. Riley, who made history by becoming the first woman to top both the Billboard Top 100 and U.S. Hot Country Singles charts. The meteoric success of “Harper Valley PTA” made a star out of Riley, whose natural beauty and charm imbued each performance of the song with contemporary sexiness that mirrored its fictional subject matter. “Harper Valley PTA” was even adapted into a 1978 movie starring Barbara Eden, and it remained a career defining moment for Jeannie C. Riley.

#9: “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” (1966)The Electric Prunes

There isn’t one, defining decade that retains a lock on one-hit wonders. Yet, it should also be said that the disposable nature of many garage and bubblegum acts from the 1960s made it possible for even the most casual of artists to fly-by-night and attain a hit. The most successful commercial period for The Electric Prunes was with this collaboration with songwriters Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz on this tune, titled “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night).” The song proved to be one of the early psychedelic period’s defining cult hits, although The Electric Prunes would struggle to keep up musically with future collaborators like David Axelrod. This latter material, though certainly the most accomplished, featured little involvement from the actual Electric Prunes.

#8: “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” (1961)Barry Mann

There’s a surprising amount of metal charm present within this anachronistic hit tune from Barry Mann. “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” may have been released in 1961, but its retroactive appreciation of 1950s doo-wop songs and songwriters made it feel like a hit charmingly out of time. “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” banks on the nostalgia bug, and comes out on top, despite 1961 not really being all that removed from doo-wop’s golden era. Still, Mann’s earnest performance, combined with the song’s impeccable arrangements, make this one a major winner in our book.

#7: “Fire” (1968)The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

The progressive rock landscape isn’t one that’s generally known for one-hit-wonderdom, but The Crazy World of Arthur Brown also wasn’t an average, everyday group. Brown’s career is one that still continues today, although it’s “Fire” from which the man’s proto-shock rock legend was forged. The tune is strange and intense for 1968, thanks to Brown’s red-hot stage show and penchant for vocal caterwauling. “Fire” is all about that memorable, earworm chorus, the occult-drenched visual trappings, psychedelic organ and swelling horn arrangements. It was here where Arthur Brown affirmed himself as the “God of Hellfire,” and you know what? We believe him!

#6: “Do You Love Me” (1962)The Contours

A great song is a great song, often living through multiple iterations as it becomes covered by newer, younger artists. “Do You Love Me” by The Contours is another one of those songs that feels as if it’s from two eras. The R&B grooves still feel indebted to the 1950s, albeit with a certain musical urgency that allows The Contours to adapt to their new decade. “Do You Love Me” was also recorded and released two more times during the 1960s, charting for both The Dave Clark Five as well as Brian Poole and The Tremeloes.

#5: “Wipe Out” (1963)The Surfaris

Whoever said that you needed lyrics to be a hit? “Wipe Out” was part of the surf rock boom of the 1960s, and became one of the defining tunes of this era. It was also The Surfaris’ biggest hit, an irrepressible song that features minimal vocals, driving drums and that instantly recognizable surf rock reverb. “Wipe Out” also feels cinematic, and its inclusion to this end has allowed for The Surfaris to remain relevant within the mediums of film and television. The surf rock genre can be a great rabbit hole to venture down for adventurous fans, but you just gotta start with the classics, right?

#4: “Angel of the Morning” (1968)Merilee Rush & The Turnabouts

This is a song that’s been covered numerous times, by many different artists, often to great success. “Angel of the Morning” was originally composed back in 1967 by songwriter Chip Taylor, but its third release proved to be the charm with regards to chart success. Merilee Rush & The Turnabouts struck gold with their version in ‘68, while Juice Newton also earned a hit in 1981 with her take on the song. The Merilee Rush version is soft, gentle and full of warm sixties sunshine; a great example of a lyrically driven ballad that also possesses plenty of dynamic and memorable melodies.

#3: “Spirit in the Sky” (1969)Norman Greenbaum

There were a lot of moving musical parts that went into the construction of “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum. From session musicians to the inclusion of additional gospel singers to back Greenbaum up on the chorus, “Spirit in the Sky” proved to be a truly collaborative effort. This was despite the comparatively brief time this former member of Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band spent writing the lyrics. “Spirit in the Sky” possesses quasi-spiritual connotations while also retaining a mid-paced, fuzz-rock groove. It’s a rootsy tune that’s retained its popularity decades after first being released in 1969, although Greenbaum’s flirtation with the pop charts was never replicated with any subsequent singles.

#2: “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” (1969)Steam

Man, that’s one great chorus, isn’t it? Songwriters Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo, and Dale Frashue certainly seemed to know what they had with “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.” The only thing they didn’t have was an actual band, but that didn’t stop this song from being released under the moniker of Steam. A group of musicians was eventually brought together to support the subsequent Steam album, although these folks weren’t the ones who recorded “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.” Does it really matter at the end of the day, however? One hit is better than none, after all, and the Steam follow-up single, “I've Gotta Make You Love Me,” only managed to make it to 46 on the Billboard Top 200.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions

“Grazing in the Grass” (1969) Hugh Masekela

Groovy, Feel-Good Jazziness

“Bend Me, Shape Me” (1967) The American Breed

Handclaps, Horns and Pop Grooves, Oh My!

“Psychotic Reaction” (1966) Count Five

Fuzzed Out Rawk from the Early Psychedelic Era

#1: “Sugar, Sugar” (1969)The Archies

The golden age of bubblegum pop featured a number of stellar studio groups masquerading as fictional, animated bands. The Banana Splits come to mind, as do The Archies, who earned a number of memorable hits over the course of their recorded discography. It’s “Sugar, Sugar” that’s lived on the best, however, an ultimate earworm that feels Sixties with a capital “S,” but in the best possible way. The studio talents of Jeff Barry, Toni Wine, Ron Dante and more all contributed to The Archies’ success, while this fictional group’s comic book and Saturday morning cartoon origins have kept them in the public eye…right on through to the modern day.

Were you around during the sixties? Or do you wish you were? Let us know some of your favorite pop jams in the comments!