3 Iconic Rock Vocal Performances From the 1970s That Make You Ask Yourself, “How Is That Even Possible?”

When we talk about the 1970s, we often talk about the guitar playing and songwriting. As a result, we have criminally underrepresented the vocal talents of the 1970s. When it comes to rock stars, there are very few who have truly incredible voices. Don’t get us wrong, the voices of artists such as Glenn Frey, Mick Jagger, and Bruce Springsteen are incredible and unique in their own right, but could their voices and voices alone carry an audience? In other words, voices such as the one listed above do not always strike an internal ethereal chord, if you know what we mean. All that being said, here are three iconic rock vocal performances from the 1970s that likely make you ask yourself, “How is that even possible?”

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“Somebody To Love” by Queen

What is there not to love about Freddie Mercury‘s voice? To us, he is undeniably the greatest male vocalist of all time, and one of the very few who has such a versatile range. Thanks to that range, Freddie Mercury helped Queen put together one of the most masterful hits of the 1970s, “Somebody To Love”.

We are certainly not alone in thinking that this isn’t just one of the best vocal performances of the 1970s, but also of all time. It just feels good to listen to, and Mercury’s voice articulates an epicness that nearly no one can replicate. Hence, it is no surprise that this single peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its release.

“Dream On” by Aerosmith

Alright, before you put us on blast, hear us out. We know that Steven Tyler‘s vocals on the majority of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” are not acrobatic or overly ambitious. However, they are appropriate and fill the song with the right amount of anticipation for arguably one of the greatest crescendos in rock ‘n’ roll history. That crescendo is when Steven Tyler screams to the point where you believe he blows a blood vessel.

Other than maybe Robert Plant and Paul McCartney, there are very few rock ‘n’ roll musicians who can reach that same note by screaming. Well, as clearly as one can scream. Nevertheless, when this single dropped, it went on to peak at No. 6 on the Hot 100 following its rerelease in 1975.

“Highway To Hell” by AC/DC

Sung by the late frontman, Bon Scott, “Highway To Hell” is one of the most unique vocal performances in the 1970s rock ‘n’ roll catalog. In all of rock ‘n’ roll, Bon Scott just might have one of the most unique voices, as its greatest quality is its raspy yet crystal clear contradiction. There are several songs where this contradiction shines, but we believe it shines the brightest on “Highway To Hell”.

Following this single’s 1979 release, AC/DC became a major player in rock ‘n’ roll after this single ended up peaking at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, the album on which it resides, Highway To Hell, landed at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, their first album to crack the top 20 on the chart.

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