3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s We Hear All the Time in Shopping Malls and Grocery Stores
Three frequently played 1970s one-hit wonders are highlighted as familiar background music in shopping centres and supermarkets.
– “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight: an assertive, empowering song suited to everyday shopping. – “Hooked On A Feeling” by Blue Swede: a 1974 track presented as especially cheerful and uplifting. – “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin, performed by Marvin Hamlisch: revived for 1973 film The Sting, winning a Grammy and an Oscar.
- Three 1970s songs remain common in shops.
- “Mr. Big Stuff” offers an empowering mood.
- “The Entertainer” gained acclaim through The Sting.
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A one-hit wonder is a song that became widely known even though the artist did not have another hit of similar scale. Songs from the 1970s still turn up in shops because their familiar tunes can provide background music for people browsing or doing their weekly food shop.
Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” and Blue Swede’s 1974 version of “Hooked On A Feeling” are examples of popular songs from that era. Scott Joplin wrote “The Entertainer” decades earlier; pianist and arranger Marvin Hamlisch brought it back to public attention in his score for the 1973 film The Sting, which received major music awards.