Unearth The Voyage
Some songs are so ridiculous, so cheesy, or so over-the-top that they should have disappeared forever. Instead, they became earworms you can still sing word-for-word decades later.
The 1970s gave us a treasure trove of these guilty-pleasure hits that critics hated but the public couldn’t stop humming. Get ready to revisit 13 tracks that are wonderfully, hilariously unforgettable.
1. Disco Duck by Rick Dees (1976)
Rolling Stone readers crowned this the absolute worst song of the entire decade, which is kind of impressive when you think about it. Rick Dees, a radio DJ, created a novelty track featuring duck quacks over a disco beat, and somehow it shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
That ridiculous quacking sound became impossible to forget once you heard it. The song is basically a comedy sketch set to music, yet it dominated dance floors and radio stations across America.
Decades later, people still remember every silly syllable and that unforgettable waterfowl hook that defined 1976’s weirdest musical moment.
2. Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band (1976)
Critics placed this harmony-heavy tune on their worst-of lists, but good luck getting that chorus out of your head once it starts playing. The Starland Vocal Band sang about afternoon romance with such innocent-sounding vocals that many listeners initially missed the suggestive lyrics entirely.
It won a Grammy for Best New Artist, which still baffles music historians today. The song’s cheerful melody and sing-along quality made it a massive radio hit despite the eye-rolls from serious music fans.
That sweetly obvious chorus practically forces you to hum along, proving that catchiness trumps coolness every single time in pop music history.
3. Having My Baby by Paul Anka (1974)
Paul Anka’s sentimental ballad about impending fatherhood landed on multiple worst-songs lists, yet it became a number one smash hit anyway. The lyrics celebrate pregnancy and family in such an earnest, dramatic way that modern listeners often cringe at the old-fashioned sentimentality.
Despite the criticism, people absolutely loved belting out this emotional anthem in 1974. The sweeping orchestration and Anka’s passionate delivery made it perfect for dramatic sing-alongs in cars and living rooms everywhere.
Even now, when it plays on oldies stations, you’ll catch yourself singing along to every melodramatic word, proving its staying power.
4. Muskrat Love by Captain & Tennille (1976)
Rolling Stone readers had strong opinions about this peculiar love song featuring muskrat characters named Susie and Sam. Captain & Tennille’s cover version included actual animal sound effects and lyrics describing muskrat romance in surprisingly specific detail, which understandably divided listeners.
The song’s novelty factor made it both annoying and oddly charming at the same time. It climbed to number four on the charts despite being ruthlessly mocked by critics and comedy shows.
Once you’ve heard those squeaky sound effects and memorized the bizarre storyline, you’ll never fully forget this strange sing-along novelty that defined mid-seventies weirdness.
5. Escape (The Piña Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes (1979)
Rupert Holmes created a story-song about a bored couple who unknowingly answer each other’s personal ads, only to rediscover their relationship. Critics placed it on worst-songs lists for being too cute and contrived, yet it became the last number one hit of the entire decade.
Everyone knows that chorus about piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, even if they’ve never heard the full verses. The song’s cheerful twist ending and tropical imagery made it impossible to resist singing along.
It remains pop music’s most famous plot twist wrapped in an earworm melody that refuses to fade from collective memory.
6. Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks (1974)
Terry Jacks adapted a French song into this English-language ballad about saying goodbye to loved ones before dying. Rolling Stone readers flagged it as one of the decade’s least-loved hits, calling it maudlin and simplistic with its nursery-rhyme-style melody.
That childlike simplicity is precisely why the song embedded itself so deeply in popular memory. It spent three weeks at number one despite the negative reviews and became a massive international success.
The straightforward lyrics and memorable tune made it easy to learn and impossible to forget, even for people who found it overly sentimental and manipulative.
7. The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace (1974)
Paper Lace, a British band, sang about a fictional shootout between Chicago police and Al Capone’s gang that never actually happened. Music retrospectives frequently describe it as annoying bubblegum-pop with historically questionable lyrics, yet it somehow reached number one in the United States.
The dramatic storytelling and cinematic quality made it irresistible to radio programmers and young listeners alike. Its sing-along chorus and action-movie narrative turned historical fiction into a massive commercial success.
Even knowing the story is completely made up, you probably still remember every word of that urgent chorus about that fateful night in Chicago’s imaginary gangster history.
8. Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? by Rod Stewart (1978)
Rod Stewart shocked his rock fanbase by releasing this disco-influenced track with a ridiculously chantable chorus. Rock circles hated it for decades, accusing Stewart of selling out his blues-rock roots for commercial disco success during the genre’s peak popularity.
Despite all the criticism from purists, it climbed to number one in the United States and became a massive international hit. The infectious hook and danceable beat made it impossible to resist on dance floors everywhere.
Even Stewart’s harshest critics probably caught themselves singing along to that unforgettable question in the chorus, proving that catchiness conquers credibility in the pop music world.
9. My Ding-a-Ling by Chuck Berry (1972)
Chuck Berry, a rock and roll pioneer, somehow made his only Billboard Hot 100 number one hit with this juvenile novelty song about a childhood toy. Stereogum’s column memorably described it as a godawful novelty song, which captures how many music historians feel about this unlikely chart-topper.
The live recording features audience participation and double-entendre lyrics that walked the line of radio acceptability. Its success remains baffling given Berry’s catalog of genuinely groundbreaking rock classics that never reached number one.
Yet the song’s unstoppable momentum and sing-along quality made it a massive hit, proving that sometimes the silliest songs become the most commercially successful ones in music history.
10. Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas (1974)
Carl Douglas recorded this martial arts tribute in just ten minutes as a B-side, never expecting it to become anything special. Lists of worst one-hit wonders regularly include it, yet the song became a global phenomenon and topped charts in multiple countries simultaneously.
The kung fu craze of the early seventies made this track perfectly timed for massive commercial success. That hook functions like musical Velcro, attaching itself permanently to your brain after just one listen.
Everyone knows those opening lines and that distinctive chopping sound effect, making it one of the most recognizable and singable tracks from the entire decade despite its novelty status.
11. Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) by Rod Stewart (1976)
Sultry whispers meet slow-jam swagger in this eyebrow-raising time capsule. The lyrics tiptoe along the edge of awkward, yet the groove slides like satin.
You might blush at parts, but that slick chorus makes you sway anyway.
Rod croons with a wink you can practically hear, guitars purring under dim-lamp ambience. It is cheesy candlelight energy, the kind that turns living rooms into makeshift lounges.
You know every line, even if you pretend you do not.
12. You’re Sixteen by Ringo Starr (1973)
This bouncy throwback covers from the 60s playbook, doo-wop sweetness smoothed into 70s gloss. The melody is candy-coated, harmonicas and handclaps making it hop along.
It is catchy enough to lodge in your brain after one chorus.
Listening now, the lyrics raise eyebrows, yet the arrangement feels like a vintage diner jukebox. Ringo’s friendly vocal and the sing-song hook keep it chugging.
You cringe a little, then catch yourself humming the refrain anyway.
13. In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry (1970)
Skiffle-strum guitars and that unforgettable jug-band rhythm make this a sun-baked anthem. The carefree delivery, hiccupy ad-libs, and breezy whistling feel like sunglasses for your ears.
It is impossible not to toe-tap as the chorus bounces in again.
The lyrics are loose, cheeky, and very of-the-moment, riding a beat that rattles like a beach cooler. You remember every line the second the engine rev starts.
Summer arrives instantly, windows down, grin up.
