3 Classic Rock Songs From 1971 That Still Shake the Ground We Stand On

The year 1971 is arguably one of the most transitional years in rock ‘n’ roll history. The Beatles were gone, The Rolling Stones changed their sound, and Led Zeppelin’s entry into the scene had flipped rock ‘n’ roll on its head. This year and this year alone, arguably changed the trajectory of 1970s rock ‘n’ roll. That being said, here are three classic rock songs from 1971 that still shake the ground we stand on.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin

There is a lot of resentment surrounding this song, particularly amongst guitar players. Respectfully so, as folks overplay this song quite a bit, and as a result, Guitar Center has unofficially banned it. Despite that humorous resentment towards this song, everyone should acknowledge it for what it is: one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll songs of all time.

Released in 1971, this Led Zeppelin single is an epic rock classic that jams several songs into one. With a lengthy eight-minute runtime, the single inspired a new format that showed musicians that ambition and non-radio-friendly singles can still be successful and incredibly influential.

“Life On Mars?” by David Bowie

In 1969, David Bowie scored his first major hit with the single “Space Oddity”. Two years later, Bowie further solidified himself as a major force in the music industry with the single “Life On Mars?” Following the release of this single, Bowie landed yet another major hit in the United Kingdom, as it landed at No. 3.

More importantly, this single foreshadowed what was to come of Bowie’s career. After the release of “Life On Mars?”, Bowie released his album, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. In essence, “Life On Mars?” ultimately kicked off the movement we know as glam-rock.

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who

The Who, more or less, established themselves as one of the top five rock bands in the world following their 1971 album, Who’s Next. Don’t get us wrong, they had quite the track record before this album. But The Who reached an untouchable status with this album, and arguably the most popular and influential track on that record was this one.

After its release as a single, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a combination of 1960s psychedelic and new-wave hard-nosed 1970s rock ‘n’ roll. To an extent, it set the framework for the sound of the 1970s.

Photo by The Visualeyes Archive/Redferns