3 Songs From 1970 That Teens Couldn’t Stop Playing in Their First Car

Back in 1970, many teens finally got to enjoy the privilege of owning their very first car; and, of course, the “car mixtape” of popular songs of the era soon followed. There really is nothing like listening to your favorite tunes while on the open road. Not much has changed in that respect since the 70s. But if you were a teen in 1970, specifically, I bet the following three classic hits made it to your rotation regularly.

“American Woman” by The Guess Who from ‘American Woman’

This song was a smash hit on the rock and pop charts, so naturally many a 70s teen loved it, too. And even if you were born in a totally different era, you probably still know the killer chorus of “American Woman” by The Guess Who. This bluesy hard rock tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 20 across multiple other countries.

“All Right Now” by Free from ‘Fire And Water’

Another smash hit for rock-loving teenagers, Free reached the Top 10 across the globe with “All Right Now”. Like “American Woman”, this hard rock classic has the kind of earworm chorus that you just can’t forget. Personally, I love listening to this one while driving down the highway. I bet many a 70s teen had the same feeling as they drove to high school with “All Right Now” blasting.

“All Right Now” by Free reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the UK Singles chart.

“Hitchin’ A Ride” by Vanity Fare from ‘Early In The Morning’

This entry on our list of 1970 songs that teens jammed out to in their first car was a pop-rock favorite among the youngins’ and adults alike. “Hitchin’ A Ride” by Vanity Fare is a sort of ode to hitchhiking. And while many 70s teens didn’t really have much experience in that department (what with the new car and all), “Hitchin’ A Ride” was still quite the hit with the younger crowd. This song peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and No. 16 on the UK Singles chart.

Photo by Gems/Redferns