3 Forgotten Guitar Anthems From the 1970s That Need To Be Revisited Today

Remember these somewhat forgotten guitar anthems from the 1970s? The youngest among us may have never heard them at all, and some of them really don’t make it to classic rock radio much nowadays. That’s a shame, and I think they deserve to be revisited. Let’s take a look!

“Hold Your Head Up” by Argent from ‘All Together Now’ (1971)

The 1970s boasted plenty of riff-driven tunes, and one of the best has to be this big and chunky prog-rock classic from Argent. Written by Rod Argent and Chris White, “Hold Your Head Up” was quite a big hit for the band, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles charts. It really is the sum of its parts. Argent’s killer Hammond B3 solo is incredible, as is that fantastic bassline from Jim Rodford. But the guitar riff, a la Russ Ballard, is on another level.

“Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo” by Rick Derringer from ‘All American Boy’ (1973)

I don’t hear this guitar-showcasing song on classic rock radio much nowadays, and that’s a real shame. This is one of the most definitive guitar-focused rock tunes of the 1970s, in my opinion. “Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo” by Rick Derringer is actually a rendition of a Johnny Winter tune from a few years prior that Derringer wrote. Derringer was a member of Winter’s band at the time. His solo version was a funky hard rock hit, though, and peaked at No. 23 on the Hot 100. Derringer’s riff on the solo version is soaring and memorable, even after all these years.

“Can’t Get Enough” by Bad Company from ‘Bad Company’ (1974)

I don’t know if I’d call this entry on our list of 1970s forgotten guitar anthems underrated. It certainly makes the rounds on classic rock radio, still. But the younger rock fans out there might have missed it, and that staple guitar riff of the era just can’t be beat. “Can’t Get Enough” by the hard rock supergroup Bad Company remains the group’s biggest hit. It peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Cashbox Top 100 as well. Mick Ralphs wrote the song and played lead, and it’s the kind of bluesy rock gold that never seems to lose its shine.

(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)