Great music is like great comedy. When it’s right, it causes the body to react. You almost don’t notice it until it’s happening. However, certain classic rock songs (from 1974, specifically) seem designed to implore us to dance. Whether you can dance or not is beside the point. And who am I to judge? There’s freedom to dancing. It’s as freeing as an activity gets. Pure expressing.
Videos by American Songwriter
We don’t immediately think of classic rock as danceable music. Especially compared to the groundbreaking funk and soul music of the 1970s. Yet these three classic rock jams from 1974 have a groove deep enough to inspire even the shyest wallflower to head toward the dance floor.
“Same Old Song And Dance” by Aerosmith
One of Aerosmith’s early classics finds the Boston band leaning on its R&B roots. But the interesting thing is how they took the British blues revival of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and returned it to its homeland. Absorbing American roots music through the lens of the Brits. Auditioning to be their own version of the Glimmer Twins, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry’s swaggering tune, and the accompanying horn section, showed that even Bostonians could—or at least wanted to—boogie.
“Strutter” by KISS
Disco KISS, which diehards perhaps loathe, was still a few years away. But the band’s later turn toward the dance floor shouldn’t have shocked anyone. The groove in “Strutter” is deep. And check out “Strutter ’78”, where KISS reworks the song with a disco beat. It fits seamlessly with the glam rock riff. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love to imagine Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons rolling into Studio 54 and dropping the rework on a DJ. Apart from all the dancing, Ace Frehley’s guitar solo launched countless future rock stars. As this is a 1974 piece, we’ll stick with the original here.
“You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt’s cover of Betty Everett’s R&B hit opens Heart Like A Wheel. The album, Ronstadt’s fifth as a solo artist, was a reinvention for the singer—from country-rock singer to chart-topping pop star. “You’re No Good” is the first track, and reimagines the 1960s breakup tune as a blues-rock anthem. Her cover reached No. 1, as did the album, and with her extraordinary voice, Ronstadt became a superstar. You can find footage of Ronstadt performing it live in the 1970s, complete with the singer’s tambourine and cowbell combo. Dare you not to move.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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