3 Songs From 1971 That 70s Teens Loved To Blast in Their First Car on the Way to High School

If you were a teenager in the early 1970s, a ton of great music likely made it to your first car’s radio on the way to school. The following three songs from 1971, specifically, might just send you way back in time. Let’s take a look at just a few songs from 1971 that teens loved to blast from their car radio on the way to high school.

“Joy To The World” by Three Dog Night from ‘Naturally’

This track was easily the biggest song of the year in 1971, and it remains extremely fun to sing along to. Naturally, teens loved it. “Joy To The World” by Three Dog Night was inescapable on the radio, and that was reflected on the charts. This rock classic made it all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the Top 40 in the UK, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere.

“Maggie May” by Rod Stewart from ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’

Released in the summer of 1971, this classic from Rod Stewart had so much teen appeal that it basically became the unofficial anthem of many older high school students later that year. Though it’s certainly a taboo song, one about a younger guy who is involved with an older woman. I’m sure parents weren’t happy about the popularity of “Maggie May”.

Regardless of how more conservative listeners felt about it, this soft rock song was a smash hit in 1971. “Maggie May” peaked at No. 1 in the US, UK, Canada, and elsewhere. It remains one of Stewart’s most popular songs to date.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver from ‘Poems, Prayers & Promises’

If you were one of many teens in 1971 who grew up in a rural town, chances are you sang along to this entry on our list of songs on your way to high school. How could you not? This anthemic country-folk jam is one for the ages. In fact, plenty of teens who weren’t even alive in 1971 still jam out to this sing-along classic. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 back in 1971.

(Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)