4 Rock Songs From 1970 That Give Me Goosebumps Every Time

The year 1970 had no shortage of incredible rock songs, all of which still leave me with goosebumps when I listen, no matter if it’s the fifth time or the 500th time I spin the record.

“Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

The first track to make my list of songs from 1970 that give me instant goosebumps is a folk-rock protest classic: “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Historically, the song gives me chills because of the real events that inspired the track, which took place only one month before CSNY released it. The Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, sparked intense rage and grief among the public, and “Ohio” encapsulated those feelings perfectly. Sadly, the song remains as relevant and goosebump-inducing as ever.

“Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors

The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” might not be the most obvious choice for goosebump-inducing rock songs from 1970, but let me explain. First, the sheer power of a driving blues groove is something we simply cannot underestimate here. But secondly, there are also some incredible—if not a bit nihilistic—lyrics in this song that give me chills every time I scream-sing them in my car. “Woke up this morning and got myself a beer / The future’s uncertain and the end is always near.”

“War Pigs / Luke’s Wall” by Black Sabbath

Another stunning rock song from 1970 that remains as topical as ever is the Black Sabbath mega-hit “War Pigs / Luke’s Wall”. From the doom-and-gloom instrumentation to Ozzy Osbourne’s poignant lyricism, this Paranoid cut is as powerful in sound as it is in spirit. “Politicians hide themselves away, they only started the war / Why should they go out to fight? They leave that role to the poor.” Decades and many, many wars later, those lyrics never fail to send goosebumps up my arms.

“Southern Man” by Neil Young

Finally, I’ll wrap my list of rock songs from 1970 that leave me with goosebumps with another Neil Young track. (Because this is all about songs that give me goosebumps, so I’m allowed to do a Neil Young sandwich if I want.) “Southern Man” is one of the most emotionally moving songs off After The Gold Rush, which is saying something, given the rest of the tracklist. Indeed, Young’s protest song about the remnants of civil unrest in the American South is as much a great listen as it is a gut-wrenching message to those clinging to the Jim Crow era.

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