3 Rock Songs From 1974 That Still Make Me Smile Today

Years after the rock music scene of the 1970s, some of the best songs from the decade are still being sung. Especially in 1974, some of the most incredible rock songs of all time were released, including these three, which still make me smile today.

“Clap For The Wolfman” by The Guess Who

Among The Guess Who’s biggest hits is “Clap For The Wolfman”. Written by band members Burton Cummings, Bill Wallace, and Kurt Winter, “Clap For The Wolfman” is on their Road Food record.

A tribute to famed disc jockey Wolfman Jack, “Clap For The Wolfman” begins with, “Clap for the Wolfman / He gonna rate your record high / Clap for the Wolfman / You gonna dig him ’til the day you die.”

“Clap For The Wolfman” is The Guess Who’s final Top 10 single.

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” is by Canadian band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Randy Bachman is the only writer of the song. It’s Randy Bachman who formed Bachman-Turner Overdrive with his siblings Robbie Bachman and Tim Bachman, and their friend, Fred Turner.  “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” is Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s only No. 1 single in the United States. The song is on Not Fragile, the band’s third studio album. 

Not Fragile was actually completed without “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”. But a record label executive wasn’t blown away by the finished product. He asked if they had anything else, which prompted Bachman to play him “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”.

 “We have this one song, but it’s a joke,” Randy Bachman recalls telling him. “I’m laughing at the end. I sang it on the first take. It’s sharp, it’s flat, I’m stuttering to do this thing for my brother.”

Fortunately, the record label executive heard what Randy Bachman did not. Still, it took three weeks after Not Fragile was released for Randy Bachman to be convinced to release it as a single.

“Some Kind Of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad

Before Grand Funk Railroad released “Some Kind Of Wonderful”, it was first released by Soul Brothers Six. But it wasn’t until Grand Funk Railroad released it, as part of their All The Girls In The World Beware!!! record that it became a big hit.

“Some Kind Of Wonderful” says, “Well my baby, she’s alright. Well my baby, she’s clean out-of-sight / Don’t you know that she’s / She’s some kind of wonderful / She’s some kind of wonderful, yes she is, she’s / She’s some kind of wonderful.”

Surprisingly, this is not one of Grand Funk Railroad’s No. 1 singles, even though it remains their signature song today.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images