Between disco and the slow rise of new wave, there was quite a bit of music to dance to in the 1970s. As heavy metal and hard rock came to mainstream levels of popularity, though, not many classic rock fans were shaking it to the biggest hits of the era. But when it came to the following four 1970s rock music tunes, fans were definitely out there dancing. Let’s take a look at a few 70s rock classics that made dancing cool again!
“Summer Night City” by ABBA (1978)
This ABBA jam isn’t solely a rock tune. It has elements of rock, pop, and disco, as one would expect from this famous group. And it’s absolutely a fun track to dance to, even today.
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“Summer Night City” was one of many hits for ABBA, though it never got a proper release in the US. The song made it all the way to No. 1 in Sweden and No. 5 in the UK.
“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry (1976)
This might just be one of the most famous one-hit wonders in classic rock history. A little funk, a little rock, it was hard for fans of either genre to stay still when “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry came on the radio in 1976.
The only major charting hit for Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Old Time Rock And Roll” by Bob Seger (1979)
Even if you aren’t a Bob Seger megafan, I bet you feel the urge to get up and dance when this classic from 1979 comes on the radio. Just watch literally any live performance of this song—everyone in the audience loses their minds.
This rock and roll classic was a decent hit for Seger, peaking at No. 28 on the Hot 100 chart.
“Rock And Roll” by Led Zeppelin (1972)
Led Zeppelin is better known for songs that make you want to headbang over dancing. However, the 1972 hard rock classic “Rock And Roll” is one of the legendary band’s more dance-friendly tunes. And this 1970s rock music jam made dancing cool again among fans of the genre.
“Rock And Roll” by Led Zeppelin was only a minor hit for the band, peaking at No. 47 on the Hot 100 and No. 38 in Canada.
Photo by Brian McLaughlin/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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