The 1970s was an amazing time to be a music fan. Rock and roll was in full swing. Disco and punk rock were bubbling up in clubs all over cities like New York and London. Rap music was being invented in real time in the parks in the Big Apple, and there were sonic celebrities everywhere you looked. If you liked music, the decade was for you. Let’s explore a trio of tracks that showcase that fact. Indeed, these are three forgotten classic rock tracks from the 70s worth belting out!
Videos by American Songwriter
[RELATED: One Classic Rock Song for Every Color of the Rainbow]
“Shelter From The Storm” by Bob Dylan from ‘Blood On The Tracks’ (1975)
Bob Dylan rose to fame in the 1960s, thanks to incredibly beautiful songs like “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Mr. Tambourine Man”. But he didn’t stop there. In total, the Bard has released dozens of albums, and as a result, some of his songs get lost in the shuffle. This track, which is all about salvation and safe spaces, might just be one of them. Released on his 1975 LP, Blood On The Tracks, Dylan sings over an acoustic guitar, explaining how he’s been beaten by the world and yet there was another there who gifted him with shelter from the storm. The phrase acts as the refrain, and it’s one you’ll be singing over and over with the poet.
“Ben” by Michael Jackson from ‘Ben’ (1972)
Michael Jackson was 14 years old when he recorded this song for the film soundtrack of the same name. That’s almost impossible to believe. How could a teenager perform with such emotion and feel that it seemed like a 40-year-old was on the microphone? There is such humanity in this song, such a cry for connection. And the young teenage Jackson delivers it as if he has been walking on this Earth for decades. How did he do it? Where does that emotive soul come from? Of course, the lead vocalist for the Jackson 5 would go on to have a decades-long career. But this might just be his most impressive song.
“That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd from ‘Street Survivors’ (1977)
If you asked music fans today to name their favorite songs from the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, they would almost instantly quote tracks like “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Free Bird”. Rarely does “That Smell” come up in conversations, and that’s why it earns a spot on this list of forgotten rock songs from the 70. This tune might just be the Jacksonville, Florida-born band’s best song. It’s not overplayed like the other famed tracks from the group today, and it boasts a singular mood that can put you in the kind of mindset that might even make you want to pick up your own guitar and play. But without fail, you’re bound to sing along to the chorus.
Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images









Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.