Making it big with a song is one of the hardest things to do as a musician. Releasing a song that changes the course of music history is, to many, impossible. However, these four songs that changed rock music history just seemed to happen at the right time.
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Keep in mind that this list isn’t exhaustive by any means. I’m just quite fond of these four songs and their historical significance. Let’s take a look!
1. “Baba O’Riley” by The Who
Few songs scratch that rock music itch like “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. This hit 1971 hard rock tune is about the downfall of youth at the time, and it couldn’t have come at a more poignant moment.
As the 1970s kicked off, the hippie peace-and-love mentality of the Summer of Love was fading. Pete Townshend saw the writing on the wall and penned this song about the abysmal existence that a lot of teenagers at the time were dealing with. It became an anthem for the young and downtrodden, and it still is today. One could say “Baba O’Riley” was one of the first anthems for young people in rock.
2. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd is more than deserving of a spot on this list of songs that changed rock music. Released in 1975, this long-winded composition is one of the most authentically heartfelt prog-rock songs of its time.
This loving, sweet tribute to Syd Barrett plays more like a soundtrack to a psychedelic funeral, but the sound of the whole thing is very Pink Floyd. This song kicked off when progressive rock was at its peak, and it ended up defining the genre in the most human way possible.
3. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
I’ll be bold and say it: This is the greatest rock opera ever written. It’s the blueprint for rock operas that followed, but nothing has matched the complex “Bohemian Rhapsody” in terms of sheer power. Nobody had tried to combine rock music with classical music elements in as big of a way as Queen did, and the result was a truly unforgettable song.
4. “A Day In The Life” by The Beatles
Almost any of The Beatles’ hit songs could have made it to this list of tracks that changed rock music. However, I went with “A Day In The Life” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band because it really encompasses everything the band had accomplished in the 1960s.
The track features some of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s finest songwriting, the orchestral elements are not like anything else from its time, and that final chord that punctuates the end of the album was a masterful touch.
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