3 Songs That Launched These 1970s Classic Rock Bands Into the Stratosphere

Success can rarely be attributed to just one thing, but in the music business, it doesn’t seem that way. How often have we all seen an artist or a band explode overnight because of one song or album? A lot, right? However, what about the practice, the hustling, and the sheer exhaustion these musicians put themselves through to even get the chance for their work to get published? That’s not negligible. Regardless, in this business, success is often defined by one’s. With that in mind, here are three songs that launched these 1970s classic rock bands into the stratosphere.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Take It Easy” by The Eagles

Before The Eagles became one of the biggest bands of the 1970s, they were the backing band for Linda Ronstadt. However, in 1971, they all figured they had enough chemistry to start their own gig. A few additions and a year later, The Eagles dropped their debut single, “Take It Easy”, and were then shot out of a cannon.

While it may seem common, The Eagles’ climb to the top isn’t. To an extent, it is dumb luck that their first official single reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it did, and after that, well, The Eagles went on one of the greatest runs in music history.

“Dream On” by Aerosmith

After Aerosmith released “Dream On” in 1973, they didn’t go straight to headlining shows and playing in some of the world’s most popular venues. Rather, they were openers, and their self-titled debut album only scored moderate chart and commercial success. Although after the re-release of “Dream On”, Steven Tyler and the rest of the band won over America.

Re-released in 1975, “Dream On” perfectly supplemented the success of Aerosmith’s album, Toys In The Attic. Specifically, “Dream On” went on to land at No. 6 on the Hot 100 following its previous placement of No. 59. After that, they fully established themselves as a fixture of 1970s rock ‘n’ roll.

“Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac

Thanks to Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood, Fleetwood Mac had already established themselves as a significant player in the United Kingdom. However, in the United States, they were in line with the rest of the long-haired 1970s rock ‘n’ rollers waiting for an appearance on the chart. After Buckingham and Nicks joined the band in 1975, they skipped that line.

While “Dreams” certainly established Fleetwood Mac as a pop culture deity, their 1975 single, “Rhinannon” put them in the A-list celebrity category. Following the release of the single, it went on to peak at No. 11 on the Hot 100 in June of 1976.

Ron Pownall/Getty Images