3 Songs From the 1970s That Deserve Way More Attention

It’s amazing how many great songs get overlooked in any decade, and the 1970s were no different. While some rock bands filled arenas, others struggled to sell enough tickets to put gas in the van to get to the next town. Meanwhile, future legends and Hall of Fame inductees picked up guitars and formed their own bands because of overlooked or obscure albums.

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Commercial success and greatness don’t always align, and these three songs from the 1970s deserve more attention than they received then. And now.

“Fallin’ Rain” by Link Wray

Most remember Link Wray for his 1958 instrumental “Rumble”, a song once banned by some radio stations for its noisy tremolo guitar and supposed incitement to violence. But “Fallin’ Rain”, by comparison, is much more serene. It’s a country and folk rock classic, often overlooked in a decade dominated by the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Led Zeppelin. Let “Fallin’ Rain” be your way in to Wray’s excellent 1971 self-titled release.

I hear a sound
It’s going through my brain
I hear talk of people
I feel the fallin’ rain.

“September Gurls” by Big Star

I could point you toward Big Star’s entire 1970s catalog to highlight songs that deserve more attention. But we’ll focus on “September Gurls”, a power pop gem showing why Alex Chilton inspired everyone from R.E.M. to The Replacements. Even Paul Stanley from Kiss was a Chilton disciple. Unfortunately for Big Star, the band suffered from its own tumult and the failures of a fledgling record label. Still, I envy those who get to discover Chilton’s songs and voice for the first time.

September gurls, I don’t know why
How can I deny what’s inside?
Even though I’ll keep away
They will love all our days.

“Accidentally Like A Martyr” by Warren Zevon

To become a martyr means to die for something you love. One does it willingly, but here, Warren Zevon sings about blundering his way into crushing pain. “Accidentally Like A Martyr” describes a broken relationship in multiple stages. Cascading events like making mad love, shadow love, random love, before abandoning love. The types of love say a lot, but it’s the “shadow love” that’s the most heartbreaking. Barely there, hiding, an outline of what used to be. But what really lurked was inevitable loss. This song also gave Bob Dylan the title to his mortality masterpiece, Time Out Of Mind. And unbearable loss happens when the mind realizes it’s run out of time.

The days slide by
Should have done, should have done, we all sigh
Never thought I’d ever be so lonely
After such a long, long time
Time out of mind.

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