Arena rock began to take shape in the late 1960s, but it really planted its flag in the 1970s. Anthemic rockers from this era were committed to sharing songs with enough gravitas to excite thousands of listeners all at once and to make it feel personal enough to be an intimate experience. The three songs below, from the 1970s, were pivotal in the formation of arena rock. Even today, they feel like massive efforts, befitting their sacred place in rock history. We all know these era-defining hits, but revisiting them today will remind you just how special they are.
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“Baba O’Riley” — The Who
Massive in the 1970s, The Who were arena rock before the term had really taken shape. Often considered pioneers of this genre, the band mastered large-scale songwriting and sweeping theatricality, two things needed to fill arenas with sound. The best example of this talent? “Baba O’Riley”.
This era-defining hit was years ahead of its time. It still feels fairly forward-thinking today. The iconic opening riff and drum fill are the stuff of arena rock’s 1980s heyday, a decade before that would come to fruition.
“More Than A Feeling” — Boston
Another forefather of arena rock was Boston. This AOR band left no corner untouched by sound with their releases. They knew just how to excite audiences with big hits and great musicianship.
“More Than A Feeling” remains their name-making track. Many listeners are more familiar with this song than they are with Boston as a whole. This mammoth song helped to epitomize the state of arena rock in the 1970s. Artists of subsequent decades could look back to this track for cues on how to evolve arena rock with the times.
“Dream On” – Aerosmith
Long before Aerosmith would adopt their gritty, shrieking style later on in the 1970s, they were proving themselves to be balladeers with this early hit. “Dream On” is famous for being Steven Tyler’s pivotal moment, wherein he let his unique vocals be what they were. He dropped any softening of his voice in favor of full-throttle gravel.
This song has no trouble filling arenas. It has done so for decades. In fact, any venue smaller would be blown away by the power of Tyler’s voice here. Even today, this song feels larger than life, befitting rockers as influential as Aerosmith.
(Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)