One Hit Wonder Wednesday on the Night Shift – 1979

It's another One Hit Wonder Wednesday on the Night Shift with Craig Allen starting at 7 tonight on WFGR.

We spent the last few months going through the 1980s. Now we take a step backward and hit the last year of the '70s and highlight 1979.

NICK LOWE CRUEL TO BE KIND: Nick is considered a Rock-a-Billy singer even though he is from England. That goes back to him being married to Carlene Carter. Although he only had one Top 40 hit, he produced albums for Elvis Costello. "Cruel To Be Kind" went to #12 in July of '79.

SUGARHILL GANG – RAPPERS DELIGHT: This Rap Trio from Harlem, New York City took a hit song as background - Chic's "Good Times" and put a rap over an instrumental version, setting up a trend that would be copied for decades by artists like Puff Daddy and Tupac. And although only reaching #36, it became the first rap song on the Top 100 chart ever! Talk about being a trail-blazing band. Here is the video with the words, if you can do this song at karaoke you're a god!

KNACK – MY SHARONA: This LA Rock band actually did have another Top 40 hit - "Good Girls Don't" but the KNACK is so well known for one song they are considered a one hit wonder. The band only stayed together for just over three years. "My Sharona" reached #1 in June.

M –POP MUZIK: The first band listed under the letter M in pop. M is Robin Scott, not sure how he came up with M, but reached #1 in August.

SNIFF N TEARS – DRIVERS SEAT: The Rock band hails from London, England. They reached #15 with "Driver's Seat". And only one other song charted at #108 called "New Lines of Love". (Nope, I've never heard it either.)

Facts and chart positions verified by Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual.