4 Songs From 1975 That Forever Changed Rock History

Midway through the 1970s, rock music was changing. Some artists grew more ambitious, creating concept albums and popularizing progressive rock. And others stayed true to the blues rock of the previous decade, with the reach of album-oriented radio to spin it all. This expansion would lead to a backlash and the rise of punk. But before the punk insurgency, these four songs arrived in 1975 and forever changed rock history.

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“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith

Toys In The Attic had a profound effect on the future of rock music. You can hear its influence in the guitar playing of Slash and on Guns N’ Roses’ blockbuster debut, Appetite For Destruction. But “Walk This Way” also changed music when Rick Rubin recycled Steven Tyler’s rap rock in a crossover hit for Run-DMC in 1986. Rubin helped bring hip-hop to mainstream audiences, and Run-DMC’s “Walk This Way” collab rejuvenated Aerosmith’s stalled career. But the original had to happen first.

“Fame” by David Bowie

It’s one thing to reinvent your look and sound before commercial success. But David Bowie shape-shifted to R&B and funk in 1975, following his groundbreaking glam rock run. Though he’d later perfect his funk and soul turn on Station To Station, “Fame”, written with John Lennon and Carlos Alomar, inspired everyone from Roxy Music to Talking Heads as well as West Coast G-Funk. Check out how “Fame” gave Parliament its P-Funk groove on “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)”.

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd

Many rightly point to Pink Floyd’s masterpieces like The Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall as proof of the band’s enduring influence. But “Wish You Were Here” was a radio staple and a digestible track showcasing the band’s genius. David Gilmour’s scat singing helped turn Roger Waters’s longing poetry into an anthem. While writing Pink Floyd’s ninth studio album, Waters reflected on the mental decline of Syd Barrett and how his friend had disappeared behind his own “wall.” Though Pink Floyd is known for big concepts, one of its most beloved songs remains a zoomed-in folk tune about losing a friend.

“Born To Run” by Bruce Springsteen

The title track to Bruce Springsteen’s third album became his first hit in 1975. It also marked a change in sound, becoming the first of his many iconic albums. Critics saw Springsteen as the likely successor to Bob Dylan. But on “Born To Run”, Springsteen is a songwriter in his own class. His love letter to Wendy has the universality to be anyone’s romance anthem. It’s also a highway song: Let’s leave this dead-end town; there must be something, anything better than this. To a place where “tramps like us” can experience the American dream.

Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns