3 Rock Songs That Defined the 1970s Without Being the Obvious Picks

Only a small group of songs can represent a musical era in hindsight. The top tier of music from a particular decade is a hard thing to clinch. But beneath the biggest hits are songs that are equally important to an era’s sound, though not as celebrated. The three rock songs below all helped define the 1970s, even though none were the decade’s biggest hits. These songs aren’t unknown by any means, but they aren’t the first ones that come to mind when the mainstream thinks of 70s rock.

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“Make It With You” — Bread

Coming in at the top of the decade, the first song on this list represents the soft rock of the 70s. In this era, folk and rock began to morph into one, subdued genre. Bread was an important piece of this sub-genre’s development. Their music was immensely popular at the time, and many still listen to these mellow legends today. But, in terms of the mainstream, non-rock fans, their music isn’t on quick draw.

“Make It With You” quietly helped define the 1970s folk rock scene. Few other bands were as instrumental in turning away from the 60s psychedelic era into something far more subtle. If you want a song that is indicative of the uniquely 70s genre-bending sound of rock, this song is your gateway.

“Cold, Cold, Cold” — Little Feat

Little Feat’s “Cold, Cold, Cold” exemplifies the genre-bending sound that rock was starting to lean toward in the 1970s. This song blends funk, R&B, jam-band looseness, and classic-rock roots. The 70s saw a focus on virtuoso musicanship rather than huge anthems. This song exemplifies that mindset.

Little Feat was a band’s band. Their instrumentation was endlessly influential on their fellow rockers, giving them another reason to be featured on this list. Mainstream, rock dabblers may not know these 70s giants, but superfans and their peers certainly do.

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” — Bruce Springsteen

While much of the 60s was focused on larger-than-life psychedelia, the 1970s saw artists shrink back down to earth. Many rockers turned away from writing about heady topics and instead focused on real stories and humanity. Bruce Springsteen’s rise was emblematic of that shift.

His 1975 release “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” features everything great about a grounded rock anthem from this era. Springsteen tells the story of forming The E Street Band in the lyrics, bottling up their legacy into one, level-headed track.

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