4 Rock Songs From the 70s That Are Always More Fun To Hear Live

Some songs are just simply meant for the stage. Here are four songs from the 70s I would practically sell my soul to hear in concert, live in action.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac

If you think the studio version of “Silver Springs” is dramatic, the live version will knock your socks off. In 1997, Fleetwood Mac performed this song at one of their reunion tour concerts. It’s still one of the most iconic live performances to this day. The main reason being that Nicks stares into Buckingham’s soul for half of the song. If you know about these two performers’ relationship history, you know how significant this moment feels. However, according to Nicks, it’s just her and Buckingham’s way of putting on a show.

In 2009, while on Fallon, she explained this perfectly.

“When [Lindsey and I] walk onstage, we are still able to pull back that love affair, and we can have it, the audience gets to have it, and everybody enjoys it,” she shared. “When we walk off the stage, we go to our own separate limousine and we go to our own separate hotel and we’re cool. And then we do it again the next night.” 

“Rock and Roll All Nite” by Kiss

Neil Bogart, the head of Kiss’ label, actually had the group write this song in the middle of their Hotter Than Hell tour in 1974. Apparently, they needed a song that would solidify who they were as a group. It ended up becoming the signature encore song for many of their concerts.

Paul Stanley of Kiss said of the song, “‘Rock And Roll All Night’ came about because we felt we needed an anthem, a song that could be the rallying cry for all of our fans.”

Especially because “Rock and Roll All Nite” was created to give Kiss fans something to latch onto, I think this would have been such a fun song to hear in concert.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

Considering that every time this song comes on anywhere, it’s a mosh pit waiting to happen, I can only imagine what seeing the live version would be like.

Apparently, the live version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is different than the studio version. It still included the opera section of the song, but on a backing track. You can see that version of it in the video above.

“I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick

Ironically, the first version of this song actually didn’t chart. It was the live version, released about 19 months later, that gave Cheap Trick one of their most enduring hits.

This song, originally from Cheap Trick’s album In Color, was clearly meant to be played live.

Photo by: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images