For the last three years or so, a common trend in popular music has been for pop musicians and rappers to dip into country music. Post Malone, BigXthaPlug, Lana Del Rey, Chappell Roan, and Beyoncé are just a few to name in the 2020s. In reality, this has been happening for years, but on a much smaller scale. While the new additions to country music have been great, could you imagine if this were more of a common practice in the 1970s? We can, and that is why we think these three rock and roll bands from the decade could have easily made the switch.
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The Eagles
The Eagles are arguably the greatest and most successful rock band of the 1970s. Their music has a very distinct style, and part of that style is a country twang; hence, we are featuring them on their list. There are a plethora of Eagles songs that prove these guys had the capacity to make the jump, but to us, there are only three you need to listen to.
The three Eagles songs that we believe prove our case are the following: “Seven Bridges Road”, “Take It Easy,” and “Lyin’ Eyes”. Not only are these country-inspired tracks, but they are incredibly successful country-inspired tracks. Following their respective release dates, all three of these songs went on to reach the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Allman Brothers Band
You probably saw this selection coming from more than a thousand miles away. However, how could we not feature The Allman Brothers Band, as they were certainly one of the most talented southern rock bands of the 1970s and owned the swamp rock genre.
Frankly, we probably don’t need to list off any songs to prove our point. So, we will shorten our lengthy list and leave you with one: “Midnight Rider”. Need we say more? If we had a chance to go back in time, we might just use that chance to encourage Duane and Greg Allman to create a country album.
The Marshall Tucker Band
We’ve listed The Marshall Tucker Band for the same reason we listed The Allman Brothers Band. That reason is that both these bands fundamentally understand country music. It might not be incredibly evident, but if you listen closely enough, then you will understand where we are coming from.
The several songs that show The Marshall Tucker Band’s clear understanding of the genre include “Can’t You See”, “Ramblin’”, “Take The Highway”, “24 Hours At A Time”, and “See You Later, I’m Gone.” You might disagree, but if these guys made a country album, they could have hung with the likes of good ole’ Willie and Waylon.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images






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