4 Songs From 1971 That Every Baby Boomer Knows by Heart

If you’re a baby boomer, you were privileged enough to hear these four iconic 1971 songs drop back in the day. I have to say, I’m a little jealous. Let’s look at a few iconic songs from 1971 that every baby boomer alive can sing the words to today!

“How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” by Bee Gees from ‘Trafalgar’

The Bee Gees dropped this surprising country soul track back in 1971, and it was a fast hit on the radio and on the charts. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also had success in Canada, Australia, and a number of other countries.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver from ‘Poems, Prayers & Promises’

Baby boomers and everybody else know this country tune by heart. Karaoke bars would be out of a gig if it weren’t for this perfect sing-along tune from the legendary John Denver. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” has all the makings of a hit. It’s catchy, those lyrics are divine, and it has that country-folk feel that any American feels inclined to ease into, like a warm hug. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart back in 1971. It remains John Denver’s most memorable hit of his career.

“Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin from ‘Pearl’

This classic was originally written by Kris Kristofferson and performed by Roger Miller. But when Janis Joplin’s posthumous version dropped in 1971, it immediately became her song. Joplin’s version is a bluesy rock delight from start to finish, and it remains one of her definitive songs. I wish she had gotten to see just how huge this song blew up with the release of her album Pearl. “Me And Bobby McGee” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It also reached the Top 10 in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye from ‘What’s Going On’

“What’s Going On” is an absolutely stunning progressive soul song, one that has come to define the genre. Marvin Gaye’s iconic hit was a protest song of sorts inspired by the singer Renaldo “Obie” Benson of The Four Tops. He witnessed police brutality in Berkeley, California, during a Vietnam War protest. Gaye, Benson, and Al Cleveland wrote “What’s Going On” as a response to the madness that had parents pitted against their children. And it became one of Gaye’s most fondly remembered hits in an instant. This entry on our list of baby boomer songs from 1971 peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart.

Photo by John Byrne Cooke Estate/Getty Images