10 Best One-Hit Wonders In Rock Music History
2. Black Betty - Ram Jam
American band Ram Jam's second album was called Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram.
And nobody bought it.
That is a crime.
Before that brilliantly-titled record was released, Ram Jam put out their self-titled debut and, with it, their biggest ever tune.
Black Betty is a staple of classic rock radio, compilation CDs, and the Spotify playlists of dads around the world. But did you know it's a cover?
It can actually trace its roots back to the early 20th Century and to famous blues guitarist Lead Belly. There's some dispute over whether the song is in fact even older.
However, Lead Belly's version didn't have a kickass electric guitar solo in it.
Ram Jam definitely left their own mark on the standard and their version is easily the most well-known today. The single went platinum in the UK on its way to a number seven finish in the charts.
They released just three more singles after this, before splitting in 1978 after less than two years together.
A remixed version of Black Betty did chart at number 13 in the UK in 1990, but that doesn't count.
Nice try.