We have reached the next level of progression in the History class that everyone has come to love. We aren’t studying treaties, declarations of war, explorers, presidents, or world leaders. The only important dates in this course are 1970 through 1979.
Put your textbooks and pencils away. Take a seat and open your ears and your mind. We have reached that point in musical history that doesn’t seem as distant as the ’50s and ’60s sections of this course. This is the musical history in which you or your parents have actually participated, either actively by purchasing vinyl albums, 8-track tapes, cassettes, and concert tickets, or passively as your parents listened on car radios and home stereos as the music unwittingly became the ambient background – the musical soundtrack of your youth.
I’ve lived this musical history passively and actively, yesterday and today, so we’ve turned into my neighborhood on the music evolution timeline. It is not quite yet one of those retirement communities as far as neighborhoods go, although that inevitability is much closer and tangible than it was when I was first introduced to these songs years ago.
When that time does arrive, hopefully, these songs that have rocked for over thirty years will live on as the soundtrack for generations yet to come.*
Put on your earphones, or turn up the volume for everyone to hear and let’s learn some not too distant history.
Vehicle – Ides of March
25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
Who Are You? – The Who
Long Cool Woman – The Hollies
Beginnings – Chicago
I’m Eighteen – Alice Cooper
Stranglehold – Ted Nugent
Rock Lobster – B-52s
Dreaming – Blondie
Slow Ride – Foghat
Radar Love – Golden Earring
Shotgun Blues – The Blues Brothers
Heroes – David Bowie
Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
Shelter from the Storm – Bob Dylan
Oye Como Va – Santana
Night Moves – Bob Seger
Cowboy Song – Thin Lizzy
Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
Key to the Highway – Derek and the Dominos
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
It’s Late – Queen
Like a Hurricane – Neil Young
Do you Feel Like We Do – Peter Frampton
Lola – The Kinks
Gloria: In Excelsis Deo – Patti Smith
Never Been Any Reason – Head East
Proud Mary – Ike and Tina Turner
Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
Rocky Mountain Way – Joe Walsh
Instant Karma – John Lennon
Lights – Journey
My Sharona – The Knack
The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
Tuesday’s Gone – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann
Can’t You See – Marshall Tucker Band
Bat Out of Hell – Meat Loaf
Flirtin’ With Disaster – Molly Hatchet
Heartbreaker – Pat Benatar
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five – Paul McCartney and Wings
Brain Damage/Eclipse – Pink Floyd
So Lonely – The Police
Roll With the Changes – REO Speedwagon
Devil Woman – Ringo Starr
Every Picture Tells a Story – Rod Stewart
Beast of Burden – The Rolling Stones
Working Man – Rush
Rock ‘N’ Me – The Steve Miller Band
All Right Now – Free
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp
Backstreets – Bruce Springsteen
Love is Like Oxygen – Sweet
Roll Over Beethoven – Electric Light Orchestra
Thank You For Sending An Angel – Talking Heads
American Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Mr. Siegal – Tom Waits
Black Cloud – Trapeze
Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love – Van Halen
Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
Oh! Sweet Nothin’ – Velvet Underground
Tush – ZZ Top
It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) – AC/DC
Green Grass and High Tides – The Outlaws
Heartache Tonight – The Eagles
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters – Elton John
*These songs are for educational and reference purposes only and are performed and written by the credited artists.
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