No decade produced more classic albums within the rock genre than the 70s. Some of the finest bands and artists of the genre battled to one-up each other with LPs that redefined excellence and greatness. You couldn’t really claim to have a classic album without a classic closing track. Here are four songs that ended some of the best records of the 70s with a bang.
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“Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who from ‘Who’s Next’ (1971)
It’s amazing to think that the Who’s Next album represented a capitulation of sorts by The Who. Pete Townshend had much bigger things planned as a follow-up to Tommy. But his Lifehouse project fell by the wayside. Luckily, Townshend salvaged most of the songs and turned them into Who’s Next, generally regarded as the band’s best ever record. And it wouldn’t be quite the same without “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. Townshend’s immortal lines, “Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss,” perfectly evoke generational dissatisfaction. When Roger Daltrey lets loose with a primordial scream, it articulates the frustration just as well.
“When The Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin from Untitled (1971)
Led Zep’s first three albums each showed off different sides of their unique musical chemistry. When they reached their fourth album, they were prepared to flex and do a little bit of everything. That untitled record is one of those classic rock albums to which people point when they look for ones without a weak track. “When The Levee Breaks” needed to be monumental to keep up with everything that preceded it. Once you hear John Bonham’s cavernous drumbeat, you know that there aren’t going to be any problems. Not only does Robert Plant deliver his typically potent vocals, but he also does yeoman’s work on the harmonica.
“Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd from ‘Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd’ (1973)
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut album doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the most brilliant first LPs in classic rock history. “Free Bird” made sure that at least one of its songs would be celebrated in the annals of classic rock forever. It takes a lot of instrumental dexterity to keep a nearly ten-minute song from coming off as tiresome. Luckily, Skynyrd had Gary Rossington and Allen Collins at their disposal. The band does an outstanding job of building towards those guitar pyrotechnics, while Ronnie Van Zant’s lyrics keep things high and lonesome. There’s a reason that people have been calling for this song from bar bands practically since the moment it was released.
“Jungleland” by Bruce Springsteen from ‘Born To Run’ (1975)
Springsteen had his back against the wall in terms of his career prospects when he released the album Born To Run. The title track had already been building buzz for quite some time when the full LP was released. But what about the rest? Luckily, Springsteen had the goods. His incredible song cycle all led to the epic “Jungleland”. For three albums, he had been writing about youths out on the streets, in all their glory and folly. It felt like he made sure with this track that he was going to say everything he needed to say. And if he didn’t do it with his lyrics, he knew that Clarence Clemons would get it done with his sax solo for the ages.
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