When you’re really young, certain songs just catch your ear. It’s as if they’re speaking directly to you. Maybe there’s something about the simplicity of the lyrics or something so magnetic about the music—whatever it is, it’s exciting. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into here below. We wanted to explore three songs from back in the day that found people at an early age. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs from the 1970s that most people learn before they turn 10.
“We Are The Champions” by Queen from ‘News Of The World’ (1977)
One thing young people do often is play sports. Parents sign their kids up at early ages to play soccer, little league, or any other number of activities. But when you’re young and playing sports, there is one song above all the others that rises to your attention, and that’s “We Are The Champions” by Queen. Kids love games, and kids love competition. That’s why this classic rock song, which is all about coming out on top, finds their young ears early on. Indeed, this song is the anthem for all youth sports!
Videos by American Songwriter
“American Pie” by Don McLean from ‘American Pie’ (1971)
When your song has the word “pie” in it, kids will pay attention. Suddenly, the tune conjures ideas of vanilla ice cream a la mode. It conjures ideas of apple, blueberry, and other types of delicious pies you consume around the holidays. Heck, it’s not every classic rock song that gets named after a dessert. So, it’s no wonder kids learn and remember this 1971 song by Don McLean at an early age. Not only is “American Pie” named after a confection, but the acoustic-driven song is smooth and catchy, too.
“ABC” by The Jackson 5 from ‘ABC’ (1970)
When they listen to music, young people often want to hear or see themselves in the work. Well, when it comes to “ABC” by The Jackson 5, the 1970s song literally provided them with that. The family group’s lead singer—Michael Jackson—was just 12 when the hit single came out on the airwaves. And with that, young fans saw someone who looked just like them on the microphone. Add to that the fact that the song was about the alphabet and counting numbers, and kids paid attention to every note and every word!
Photo by kpa/United Archives via Getty Images








