Everyone likes bubblegum, right? It’s fun, it’s sugary and sweet, and when the flavor runs out, you throw it away. But we’re not talking about the chewy confection that is still a prominent essential for many a ballplayer. No, we’re talking about bubblegum pop one-hit wonders.
Coined by producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz, bubblegum pop was aimed at the pre-teen and teen audience and especially from 1968 to 1972, when the genre ruled the AM radio waves. Though it’s usually dismissed as disposable, and in truth, most bubblegum acts were one-hit wonders, the best bubblegum music had a lasting and timeless effect. And believe it or not, the simplicity of bubblegum music had an influence on the emergence in the 1970s of punk rock, new wave, and even glam rock.
In this episode, “But I Like Bubblegum!”, we’ll revisit some of the biggest bubblegum hits and the interesting stories behind the bubblegum factories that produced those sticky hits.