We could all use a little help. Even when we hope to sit down and write a new song with all of our best intentions, sometimes the necessary inspiration just isn’t there. Sometimes we need a kick-start to get going. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into here below. We wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that will get your pen flowing. Indeed, these are three rock songs from the 1970s that will inspire any songwriter to write more.
“Going To California” by Led Zeppelin from ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ (1971)
Led Zeppelin is known for giant, buzzing rock tracks that blow your hair back. But every once in a while, the band recorded some stunning acoustic tunes that fans also loved. The songs get the gears of your brain turning. You start to think about your own acoustic six-string back home and how you need to tune it. Maybe you should go get it and start plucking away. Maybe something will come to mind. And maybe Led Zeppelin really is the ultimate inspiration!
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“Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads from ‘Talking Heads: 77’ (1977)
This 1977 song from David Byrne and his band Talking Heads is so simple that it’s almost confounding. Byrne is a master at creating compelling, complex work that seems like it just flowed out of him that morning. And the song “Psycho Killer” is one of those pieces. Bonus points: the song is also bilingual. It features French and English, proving again how cerebral Byrne is. And yet, even with all that, when you put this track on loudly in your studio, you are bound to feel the vibes and start writing.
“Crazy On You” by Heart from ‘Dreamboat Annie’ (1975)
This song came out of a time of conflict. Indeed, in the 1970s, the Vietnam War was raging on. That inspired singer Ann Wilson to write about what it would be like to forget about all the fear and instead leap onto your romantic partner and, well, go a little crazy! If that isn’t inspiring, we don’t know what is! Passion is often at the root of some of the most memorable songs of all time. So, find those moments in your own life when passion ruled the day. Be like Heart. Go a little crazy!
Photo by Stephanie Chernikowski/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
More The List
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Waylon Jennings, who had a major hit with a Ray Pennington song -
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American Country musicians Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (1938 – 2020) perform together onstage at Brendan Byrne Arena (later Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, October 20, 1988. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
SInger songwriter Harry Nilsson (1941 – 1994), 1972. (Photo by Stan Meagher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
Britney Spears during 2004 NRJ Music Awards – Arrivals at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. (Photo by Toni Anne Barson/WireImage) -
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LONDON, ENGLAND – 1966: American singer and songwriter Scott McKenzie (1939-2012) poses for a portrait circa 1966 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images)
