3 Songs From 1971 That Were Euphoric To Listen to for the First Time

Some songs just wiggle their way into your subconscious after just one listen. That’s usually how one’s favorite song comes to be. After just one euphoric listen, it becomes a staple that just won’t leave your brain. I imagine that the following songs from 1971, specifically, were absolutely euphoric to listen to for the very first time. Let’s revisit your favorites, shall we?

Videos by American Songwriter

“Imagine” by John Lennon

This might just be the biggest song of the 1970s, and it kicked off in the early years of the decade. Released in October 1971, John Lennon’s famous soft rock call to action, “Imagine”, hit the airwaves for the first time. The song begs the listener to imagine a better world, where no wars claim lives, materialism and consumerism aren’t at the core of our lives, and nations live in peace without the influence of religion. It was both influential and controversial at the time of its release. “Imagine” has since become one of the most well-known songs of all time. The whole of the album Imagine is essential listening, but this really is the greatest track of them all.

“Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin

“Me And Bobby McGee” was originally written by Kris Kristofferson and performed by Roger Miller. However, once Janis Joplin got her hands on this song, it became hers. Joplin’s version of this blues rock song dropped in early 1971 after she had passed away, and it became a massive posthumous hit for the talented crooner. Her voice is on another level on this track, and I can imagine it was an arresting experience to hear for the first time back in 1971.

“Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin

Well, there was no leaving this Led Zeppelin magnum opus from our list of euphoric songs from 1971. This is by far English rock band Led Zeppelin’s most famous song, and it’s probably been covered a million times since it debuted in November 1971. This prog-rock classic clocks in at eight minutes long, and not a second is wasted. I can only imagine what it was like to be a grungy little teenager in 1971 in front of the radio when this song played for the first time. It was probably life-changing and led more than a few listeners to pick up the guitar themselves.

Photo by John Byrne Cooke Estate/Getty Images