# 3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s That Parents Were Actually Scared Of

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/3-one-hit-wonders-from-the-1970s-that-parents-were-actually-scared-of/
- Published: 2026-10-23T10:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T11:53:23+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/3-one-hit-wonders-from-the-1970s-that-parents-were-actually-scared-of/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Three 1970s songs unsettled parents for different reasons.
- One was associated with smoking at school.
- Another drew on horror, while “Black Betty” embodied rock’s youthful energy.

## Summary

The article revisits three 1970s songs it says worried parents, reflecting concerns about youthful rule-breaking, frightening themes and the influence of rock music. It presents them as examples of how music could unsettle adults, though for different reasons.

Brownsville Station’s “Smoking in the Boys Room” is linked to school rule-breaking and cigarettes; the instrumental theme from 1973 horror film *The Exorcist* to supernatural fears; and Ram Jam’s “Black Betty” to rock’s energising effect on young people. The article does not give chart figures or specific evidence of parents’ reactions.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.