3 Folk Rock Songs From the 1970s That Still Sound Fresh, Despite Being 50+ Years Old

In the mood for some folk rock from the 1970s that still sounds fresh today? The following three tracks are the gift that keeps on giving.

“Pink Moon” by Nick Drake from ‘Pink Moon’ (1972)

Nick Drake dropped this gorgeous album with little more than his haunting voice and beautiful acoustic guitar arrangements in 1972. The whole of Pink Moon is well-aged and still sounds beautiful today. But that title track is the song I keep coming back to, and it’s a song that still shocks me when I remember that bedroom pop wasn’t even a thing back in the 1970s. Drake’s restraint is palpable, and this song will probably never go out of style.

Nick Drake’s Pink Moon album has been named one of the greatest works of the 1970s. But at the time, the album itself didn’t sell many copies, though reviews were favorable. Some musicians are just way too ahead of their time.

“Heart Of Gold” by Neil Young from ‘Harvest’ (1972)

Unsurprising to anyone who has heard this song, Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold” makes it to our list of folk rock tunes from the 1970s that still sound fresh today. Young really put together a tune that embodied the essence of “warm” with this hit single, and the combination of his vocals, that harmonica, and that rich acoustic guitar just hits so good after all these years.

“Heart Of Gold” by Neil Young was a smash hit when it was released as a single in 1972. The song made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 on the UK Singles chart.

“California” by Joni Mitchell from ‘Blue’ (1971)

Joni Mitchell could have made it to this list with quite a few songs. However, I wanted to go with “California”, a somewhat underrated work on Blue, because of how candid and inventive the whole song is. There’s something insanely personal about “California”, both to Mitchell and any listener who enjoys it.

“California” was not a charting hit when it was first released, and its predecessor “Carey” also earned modest success in the US. But soon after, Mitchell would reach the Top 40 internationally with a number of singles throughout the 1970s.

Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns