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10 gloriously gooey one-hit-wonder love songs of the 1970s
"Love Is in the Air," indeed.
Image: YouTube / Thinkstock
Love was in the air in the 1970s. Or maybe that was just all the musk people were wearing. It's no wonder that the decade that gave us unbuttoned polyester shirts, mood rings, shag carpeting and leisure suits would also be the golden era of the love ballad.
The radio was filled with sunset-hued ballads, syrupy strings, fireside acoustic guitars and earnest pleas to "make love."
Of course, it was also the disco era, and love was certainly in the air. In fact, there was a disco song called "Love Is in the Air." We've included it below in our list of romantic one-hit wonders.
It's time for a couples skate at the roller rink!
1. Minnie Ripperton - "Lovin' You"
Riperton could hit notes that few could hit (until Mariah Carey came along). The chorus of "Loving You" soars so high, it's technically in the "whistle register" of the human voice. The single similarly soared to No. 1. It would be her only hit.
Image: Epic / Discogs
2. Morris Albert - "Feelings"
In 1976, The Gong Show ran a gag in which every contestant on the show sang this goopy ballad. The song has been covered dozens of times since its release in 1974, and not just by game show contestants.
Image: Discogs
3. Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
"The thought of lovin' you is getting so exciting." For lyrics like that, the D.C.–born band won the 1977 Grammy for Best New Artist, beating out Boston, the Brothers Johnson and Wild Cherry. Starland also briefly landed their own variety show, too.
Image: Windsong Records / Discogs
4. David Soul - "Don't Give Up on Us"
Eat your heart out, Starsky. Soul, who portrayed "Hutch" on the hit action series Starsky & Hutch, scored a massive hit with this widely known love song. The B-side (bean side?) was "Black Bean Soup," which hardly sounds romantic.
Image: Private Stock / Discogs
5. Peter McCann - "Do You Wanna Make Love"
There might be nothing more 1970s than Peter McCann with his big mustache, tinted aviator shades and fly collar asking, "Do you wanna make love," over a gentle bed of twangy guitars.
Image: 20th Century / Discogs
6. Samantha Sang - "Emotion"
Most might remember this as a Bee Gees song, and it essentially is. Robin and Barry Gibb wrote the track, and the latter slathered his distinct falsetto all over the choruses. Everything the Bee Gees touched in the '70s turned to gold, including this obscure Australian singer.
Image: Private Stock / Discogs
7. Toby Beau - "My Angel Baby"
A poor man's Pablo Cruise, this Texas act, which can also be confused with a man's name, rode the warm glow of its love song all the way to No. 13. It was undoubtedly heard during couples' skate at your local roller rink.
Image: RCA / Discogs
8. John Paul Young - "Love Is in the Air"
Every time you press play on this song, a disco ball lights up, somewhere. Probably in Australian. The Aussie was huge down under, though this was his only hit in the States. Believe it or not, it was co-written by George Young (no relation), the elder brother to Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC. Yes, this song has the same producers as Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
Image: Eurodisc / Discogs
9. Bobby Caldwell - "What You Won't Do for Love"
It seems like Bobby Caldwell had far more top hits than this funky number, probably because half of the hip-hop acts of the 1990s sampled this gem.
Image: Discogs
10. France Joli - "Come to Me"
The Canadian scored a disco hit just before the '80s came sweeping in, and the song managed to blend the folky balladry of the past ten years with the futuristic dance to come.
Image: Prelude Records / Discogs
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29 Comments
I wondered why Kenny Nolan's 1977 hit "I Like Dreamin'" wasn't on this list, but then I remembered he had another hit, "Love's Grown Deep." "I Like Dreamin'" makes me think of a girl back in high school I liked, but I was too shy in trying to get to know her. Shame!
It is "The thought of LOVING you is getting so exciting." Geez.
"Rubbin' sticks and stones together makes the sparks ignite" is the lyric that mentions that word. Geez again.
1. Minnie Riperton originally sang with the group Rotary Connection. Her daughter is Maya Rudolph - formerly of SNL.
2. "Feelings" (for me) is one of those songs that triggers a gag reflex, as does "You Light up My Life"...
3. Didn't we all want - or look forward to - a little Afternoon Delight"?
4. Nice song...
5. "Do You Wanna Make Love"... I'm sure many guys sang this line to a woman, only to get a frosty "No!" in return...
6. The Bee Gees seemed to own the Disco Era, including "Emotions"...
7. "My Angel Baby" - I remember the song title, but can't recall the song itself. That should tell you something...
8. "Love is In the Air" - Great beat, great melody, fun and pleasant...
9. "What You Won't Do for Love" - a great pop/jazz fusion - originally distributed on the Clouds label from TK Records in Miami.
Many 45s were issued as heart-shaped discs. One of my old employers (former singer/producer/TV host Steve Alaimo) owns part of the publishing. The song has had well over TWO MILLION radio station plays!
10. "Come to Me" - not a bad song, but no powerhouse single...
A side note on Bobby Caldwell. That was his one hit from the 1970s. but he co-wrote two top ten hits in the 80s: Peter Cetera and Amy Grant's #1 hit 'The Next Time I Fall' and Chicago's 'What Kind of Man Would I Be' that topped at #5.
"It was first recorded in 1972 by Willis Alan Ramsey for his sole album release 'Willis Alan Ramsey'. The song was originally titled "Muskrat Candlelight" referencing the song's opening lyric."
