You might think it would be easy to predict which songs will stand the test of time. Looking at the hits of today, it’s hard to imagine everyone could forget about them one day. Similarly, looking at the deep cuts that fail to reach the charts, it’s hard to imagine they could one day be considered era-defining songs. The four rock songs from the 1970s below didn’t chart very well, but they’ve proven to be classic tracks. Revisit them below.
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“Baba O’Riley” (The Who)
“Baba O’Riley” is one of The Who‘s most instantly recognizable songs. Younger listeners might not be able to attribute this rock classic to the group, but they do know the melody. It doesn’t take a rock superfan to understand the legacy of this track.
Despite its popularity over the decades, this song was never released as a single in the U.S. Consequently, it never charted. It did get single status in several European countries, but its chart performance was only middling even then. Sometimes numerical accolades don’t mean that much. This song exceeded expectations. Though it didn’t chart back in the early 1970s, this rock song would have no trouble taking the top spot today.
“Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin)
“Immigrant Song” has one of the most famous refrains in 1970s rock. The opening vocal trill is known all over the world, even by those who don’t listen to Led Zeppelin. Surprisingly, though, this track only reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Moreover, it didn’t take No. 1 in any country.
Led Zeppelin was assured as time went on, though. It remains one of their most popular songs, proving that initial chart performance isn’t everything.
“Sweet Emotion” (Aerosmith)
Not only did Aerosmith‘s “Sweet Emotion” not reach No. 1, it didn’t even crack the top 20. Given how famous this song is now, it’s hard to believe it performed so poorly upon its release.
Although it did not achieve a great chart run, by comparison to other rock hits of its caliber, “Sweet Emotion” marked Aerosmith’s first Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It also marked the beginning of a streak of similarly successful singles from the rock group throughout the 1970s.
“Landslide” (Fleetwood Mac)
“Landslide” is one of the most beautiful ballads of all time. Stevie Nicks outdid herself with this introspective track. While it would shoot straight to No. 1 today, it didn’t earn the top spot on any chart upon its release.
Though it didn’t go No. 1, “Landslide” did pretty well. It was within the top 10 and top 5 on a couple of U.S.-based charts. While not all great songs get appreciated in their day, Nicks and her Fleetwood Mac bandmates were lucky in that this one did.
(Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
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