3 Folk Rock Artists From the 70s That You Need on Your Playlist

In the 70s, folk rock took an introspective turn. Especially thanks to the minds of artists like Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, and James Taylor. It was also albums like Joni Mitchell‘s Blue that really set the precedent for creatives during this time. Artists started to bare their souls as deeply as they thought about the chords they would play. Here are some folk rock artists that, if you aren’t obsessed with them already, you will be after hearing their songs.

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Jim Croce 

Personally, the song “Photographs and Memories” is what really made me fall in love with Jim Croce’s sound. It’s the kind of music you hear in a 2000s rom-com when the characters start falling in love for the first time. Jim Croce started releasing music in the late 60s. However, it was You Don’t Mess Around With Jim in 1972 that really helped him break through. Although “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” is the only No. 1 hit from Croce’s catalog, there’s several hidden gems in there if you’re willing to sit and take a listen. 

Cat Stevens

Yusuf Islam, formerly Steven Demetre Georgiou and Cat Stevens, dominated the 70s with projects like Teaser And The Firecat and Catch Bull At Four. If you’ve never heard of Stevens’ work before now, you might know him via songs like “The First Cut Is The Deepest”. This song has been covered by several artists, including Sheryl Crow and Rod Stewart. There’s something about Stevens’ lyricism that’s not only introspective but also hilariously playful in some ways. Just take a listen to “Hard Headed Woman” and you’ll see what I mean. 

James Taylor

James Taylor is a songwriter who makes you fall in love with his voice at first listen. So much so, you almost forget what a stellar lyricist he is. While “Sweet Baby James” and “Carolina in My Mind” are the songs that made me absolutely go head over heels for this artist, there are countless songs from Taylor’s catalog that can have the same effect without a doubt. When Bud Scoppa said that “James Taylor pretty much wrote the book for the singer/songwriters of the Seventies,” he was definitely onto something.

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