3 Songs from the 1970s That Were Decades Ahead of Their Time

Some artists seem prescient. Their musical skills are so far ahead of their time, that they feel as though they must have a crystal ball giving them sneak peeks of the future. The three artists below have earned that compliment. Check out three songs from the ’70s that were decades ahead of their time, below.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen)

We can’t imagine an era where “Bohemian Rhapsody” would be common place, truthfully, but we know no one else was making a rock epic like this in the ’70s. Queen was massively ahead of their time, splicing together this wild ride of a song. From operatic sections to driving guitar solos, “Bohemian Rhapsody” truly has it all. It was a marvel of recording techniques and impossibly innovative. We’re still waiting on someone to pick up where Queen left off…

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he’s dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh, didn’t mean to make you cry
If I’m not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters

“Big Yellow Taxi” (Joni Mitchell)

On top of the themes of “Big Yellow Taxi” being forward-thinking, the way Joni Mitchell structured this song was ahead of its time as well. Mitchell relied heavily on her guitar skills for this track, rounding out the recording with riffs alone. There’s a reason this song is learned by so many guitar players. It’s a surefire way to show off your skills on your instrument–if you can keep up with Mitchell, that is…

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone?
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

“God Save The Queen” (Sex Pistols)

Punk was just getting started in the ’70s, effectively making every punk song ahead of its time in one way or another. However, the Sex Pistols hold a special place in the hearts of punk fans. They were one of the groups that gave this burgeoning genre legs. Take “God Save The Queen” for example. We can’t think of any other band in that era (or now for that matter) being quite as explicitly anti-establishment. Their boldness put them leagues ahead of their peers.

God save the Queen
The fascist regime
It made you a moron
Potential H-bomb
God save the Queen
She ain’t no human being
There is no future
In England’s dreaming

(Photo by Gill Allen/Shutterstock)