3 Classic Rock Radio Hits From 1977 That Practically Disappeared Overnight

Some of the greatest classic rock hits from 1977 became enormously popular on the radio, only to fade away fairly fast. Even on classic rock radio today, I rarely hear the following three gems. That’s a huge shame, because I think they’re some of the best songs of the mid-1970s. Let’s revisit some classics!

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“Point Of Know Return” by Kansas

When one thinks of Kansas, one thinks of classic rock radio go-tos like “Carry On Wayward Son” from 1976 or “Dust In The Wind” from 1978. Released in between those hits was “Point Of Know Return”, a song with charting success that shouldn’t be sneezed at. Sadly, I hear those other two hits way more often than “Point Of Know Return”.

This progressive pop-rock gem was the title track of Kansas’ 1977 album of the same name. And it did get some love when it first dropped. This high-energy tune was a No. 28 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and it reached the Top 20 in Canada, too.

“Telephone Line” by Electric Light Orchestra

This symphonic prog rock gem was quite a hit in 1977, but nowadays, I hear “Mr. Blue Sky” way more often than “Telephone Line” on classic rock radio. It’s a shame, because “Telephone Line” is a solid song.

“Telephone Line” dropped in mid-1977 from ELO’s album A New World Record. An excellent orchestral pop ballad a la Jeff Lynne, “Telephone Line” peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart. It was also a No. 8 hit on the UK Singles chart. It would later be used as the theme song of the 1977 film Joyride.

“Jet Airliner” by Steve Miller Band

Sometimes, a very good song will get overshadowed by bigger career hits. I think that’s what happened to this entry on our list of classic rock hits from 1977. “Jet Airliner” was quite popular on the radio, but after “Abracadabra” dropped a few years later, that’s all radio stations wanted to play.

“Jet Airliner” was released in April 1977 as a single from Book Of Dreams. The song was originally composed by Paul Pena for an album that, because of label conflicts, wouldn’t see the light of day until the year 2000. Steve Miller opted to record it in 1975, and in 1977, it became a No. 8 hit on the Hot 100.

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