Remember what summertime was like in the 1970s? No internet, no phones, just endless beach time and plenty of killer music. Baby boomers likely remember summer in the 1970s well, but if you can’t quite recall what it was like, these three songs will instantly transport you back to that time. Let’s dive into a few iconic summer soundtrack hits from the 1970s, shall we?
“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett from ‘Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes’ (1977)
Nobody knew how to encapsulate the sheer essence of chillin’ quite like Jimmy Buffett. There has been no one quite like him since, either. And back in the late 1970s, many a summertime vacationer got to enjoy the spoils of tropical rock at its best with Buffett’s legendary album, Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes. “Margaritaville” is easily the biggest song from that album, and it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also topped the Adult Contemporary chart in 1977 as well.
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“My Sharona” by The Knack from ‘Get The Knack’ (1979)
They might have been something of a one-hit wonder, but I’m not surprised that The Knack’s biggest claim to fame was “My Sharona”. Released in June 1979, this power pop new wave jam was an absolute smash hit across the board. It was, without a doubt, the song of the summer. “My Sharona” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on the UK Singles chart. Sadly, The Knack would never make it to the Top 10 in the US again.
“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry from ‘Wild Cherry’ (1976)
Another surprising one-hit wonder makes it to our list of 1970s summer songs that baby boomers still remember. “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry is an insanely catchy funk rock jam from 1976, and it was inescapable on the radio that year. Especially during the summertime. “Play That Funky Music” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 7 on the UK Singles chart, and reached the Top 10 in several other countries. Wild Cherry struggled to reach the Top 40 in the US again, and they would end up disbanding just a few years later.
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