3 Nostalgic Songs You’ll Remember if You Were a Kid in 1977

Good ol’ 1977 was a great year for music, particularly rock music. The following three very nostalgic songs from 1977 are probably still burned into your brain if you were a youngin’ that year. And I doubt you’re complaining about that. Honestly, even if you weren’t a kid in the late 1970s, these three songs are probably instantly recognizable. They’re just that good. Let’s dive in!

Videos by American Songwriter

“We Are The Champions” by Queen

This one is such a classic. And its B-side, “We Will Rock You”, could have also easily made it to this list as well. “We Are The Champions” was released in October 1977 and has since become an enormously popular song at sports events in the decades since it was released. The tune peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the year it was released, as well as No. 2 on the UK charts. It’s really an addictive tune, and one of the more positive and uplifting rock songs to come out of the late 1970s.

“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett

Even if you were too young to be drinking margaritas back in 1977, you probably remember all too well how much fun this song was (and still is) back then. It’s one of the most nostalgic songs of 1977! “Margaritaville” was released in February of 1977 by the incomparable fun-time-having Jimmy Buffett, and it’s an ode to drinking a margarita (or two, or twenty), chilling out, strumming the ol’ guitar, and boiling shrimp. There’s an undertone of heartbreak following a breakup here that has led our narrator to drink, but I doubt any kid was even picking up on that notion when this song came out. It’s such a feel-good tropical rock song.

“Feels Like The First Time” by Foreigner

This was the song that started it all for hard rock outfit Foreigner. “Feels Like The First Time” is also one of the most nostalgic songs to come out of 1977. This song was Foreigner’s debut single, and it launched the band into superstardom almost immediately. “Feels Like The First Time” comes from the band’s self-titled debut album and made it all the way to No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart in 1977. Those booming guitars, Lou Gramm’s strong vocals, Mick Jones’ top-notch songwriting… This song was one heck of a way to debut one of the most legendary bands in rock music.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images