The decade of the 1970s was such a gorgeous era for music. So many evolutions in sound and culture happened during that time. Countless timeless songs released during the 70s are still loved today, too. I think the following three songs would be worthy of a time capsule dedicated to the 1970s, if only to show future generations what the decade was all about. Though, this list could easily feature hundreds more. Let’s take a look!
“Imagine” by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
This was, to many fans and people who were alive and conscious in the 70s, the song of the decade. Released by former Beatle, John Lennon, in 1971, “Imagine” became a soft rock anthem of hope for the future during trying times. It’s a celebration of the rejection of materialism, a thoughtful dream of what the world would be like if there were no borders separating us. Lennon would later admit that a lot of the song was a co-written effort with his wife, Yoko Ono. She eventually received an actual credit decades later.
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“Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
Another definitive song of the 1970s, “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin has endured the test of time in a major way. Released in 1971, this prog-rock staple is almost always included on lists of the greatest songs of the 20th century. I can see why. Those souring riffs, those killer vocals, the storytelling, the vibe. “Stairway To Heaven” is a masterclass on what putting together a timeless rock song should involve. It’ll probably never fall out of favor among the masses.
“Dust In The Wind” by Kansas
This tune really is flawless. It’s not as popular as the other songs on our list of time capsule songs of the 1970s, but I think it deserves an entry. This soft rock tune was released back in 1978 and was written by Kerry Livgren. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart upon its release, and it remains Kansas’ only single to hit the Top 10 in the US. I’m personally a bigger fan of “Carry On Wayward Son”, but I can’t ignore the fact that this existential song about one’s own mortality isn’t one of the finest examples of what bands were doing, both musically and creatively, in the 1970s.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
More The List
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Steve Earle performs at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 16, 1986. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
English singer, songwriter and musician, George Michael (1963-2016) performs live on stage at an Aids awareness charity concert at Wembley Arena in London in April 1987. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
John Lennon, Beatles associate Alexis Mardas (aka Magic Alex), Paul McCartney, and John's driver Les Anthony at London Airport, 11 May 1968. John and Paul were bound for New York to launch the Beatles company Apple. (Photo by Mirrorpix via Getty Images) -
MORRISTOWN, NJ – AUGUST 20: Elliot Lurie and Jeff Grob of Looking Glass perform at Rock The Yacht 2019 at Mayo Center Performing Arts on August 20, 2019 in Morristown, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images) -
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Axl Rose, Charlie Watts, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler on the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour in 1989, Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
