Ram Jam’s 1977 song “Black Betty” catapulted the band to massive fame, but it also turned them into one-hit wonders of the ’70s.
Despite the rock group’s relatively short-lived career, the five-piece band, formed by Bill Bartlett on guitar and lead vocals, Myke Scavone on lead vocals and percussion, Howie Arthur Blauvelt on bass guitar, Pete Charles on drums and Jimmy Santoro on guitar, left a lasting legacy in music, earning a spot among Collider’s “10 Greatest Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time.”
In a ranking released by the outlet, Collider named 10 acts whose music careers were defined by a single massive hit that achieved widespread popularity despite their inability to sustain that success.
Claiming No. 7 on the list was Ram Jam’s “Black Betty,” released in 1977 as part of their self-titled debut album.
Rock band Ram Jam in the ’70sEchoes/Redferns
Collider praised the band’s singer and guitarist Bill Bartlett, whose prominent guitar sound helped create a “blues and southern hard rock fuse” in the song and gave that “infectious energy.”
The popularity of the song prompted the band to score its only charting hit, peaking at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
However, despite the song’s popularity, which folk singer Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter recorded commercially in 1939, Ram Jam failed to sustain its fame and momentum, leading the group to disband in 1978 after releasing two albums during its brief run.
Decades later, “Black Betty” is still making waves and was even included in Grunge’s “15 Best Rock Songs Used in Super Bowl Ads,” ranking at No. 8.
The song was famously featured in a Volkswagen Super Bowl XLV commercial.
@lazlowrav3Super Bowl VW Beetle Black Betty commercial. #dasauto #blackbetty #commercial #funny
♬ original sound – LazlowRaveIn addition, the song was also used in several TV shows, including Quantum Leap, the revival of Moonshine, Lost in Space, Eastbound & Down and more, as well as in movies like The Short Game, The Losers, Cop Out, The Brave One, The Dukes of Hazzard and Blow, as cited by Songfacts.
The publications’ recognition of and features on the song showed that, despite Ram Jam being a one-hit wonder, “Black Betty” has remained a memorable rock classic decades after its release.
Related: 1964 Iconic Ballad, With 20-Year-Old Singer of The Moody Blues, Is Still a Generational Hit 62 Years Later
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