1972 Glam Rock Anthem Became a Hit Twice Thanks to a Supergroup
In 1972, T. Rex had a hit single with "Bang a Gong (Get it On)." The song, which appeared on the group's second album Electric Warrior, peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 4, 1972, making the pioneering English glam rock band a one-hit wonder in the United States.
Written by Marc Bolan, "Bang a Gong" was once ranked one of the Top 100 classic rock songs of all time by Ultimate Classic Rock. The outlet paid homage to the song's "hypnotic groove" and described it as T. Rex's "shining moment." "Bolan found rhythm in his language and will long be remembered as a poet turned superstar …. ‘Bang A Gong (Get It On)' still plays a crucial part in pop culture," UCR noted.
Producer Tony Visconti once explained T. Rex's status as a one-hit wonder in the U.S. "When [Bolan] came over, he would play 'Get It On' with a 20-minute guitar solo, like he was Jimi Hendrix," he told The Guardian in a 2023 interview. "The kids wanted to hear basic rock'n'roll. His attendance at shows dropped immediately."
Bolan died in a car accident in 1977 at age 29, and T. Rex disbanded soon after.
The song found a new life in 1985
Eight years after Bolan's death, "Bang a Gong" found a new life in the music video era. In 1985, The Power Station released a cover of the T. Rex hit, with the flipped-around title "Get it On (Bang a Gong)." The song went to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1985 and received heavy rotation on MTV.
The Power Station supergroup featured singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor. The group was formed after John Taylor agreed to help his then-girlfriend, Bebe Buell, produce a cover version of the T. Rex classic with a few of his rock star friends.
"I was dating her at the tail end of [the 1984] Duran tour," Taylor told Variety in a January 2026 interview. "She was an artiste who'd already had a record out by that time, and I thought it could be fun producing something with her. …. So we got the green light for studio time to develop the idea, then she and I fell out. But by then the horse was running, and Andy and I took the bit between our teeth…"
While Taylor and Buell broke up before their project was finished, The Power Station went on to record their debut album, which also featured the hit single "Some Like It Hot." The album hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and singer Michael Des Barres joined the supergroup when they went on tour.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 3:00 AM.