3 Soul Classics From 1973 That Also Rock Surprisingly Hard

Soul music had entered a golden age in the 1970s. Defined by social consciousness, funk grooves, gritty production, and eventually disco, it transformed the future of pop music. And as the grooves hit harder, and the lyrics aimed for awareness and social change, many of the decade’s most iconic soul songs also rocked. Undoubtedly heard—and felt—in these eternal classics from 1973.

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“Living For The City” by Stevie Wonder

As Stevie Wonder moved through the masterpieces of his “classic period,” he also navigated a violent and despairing 1970s. His marriage to Syreeta Wright had ended. And the fading ideals of the 1960s were replaced by mounting scandals within the Nixon administration and a persistent cynicism in the country. Meanwhile, “Living For The City” reveals Wonder’s anger as he describes a broken system and culture that are ruining the lives of young Black families. Over melancholic chords and a deep groove, Wonder howls, at times shredding his voice, on one of the most emotional tunes of his career.

I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow,
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow.
This place is cruel; nowhere could be much colder.
If we don’t change, the world will soon be over.

“What Is Hip?” by Tower Of Power

“Been seen in all the right places / Seen with just the right faces,” sings Lenny Williams on Tower Of Power’s 1973 hit. On “What Is Hip?”, he explains what’s cool. Lists trips (of various kinds), people, locales, and even admits hip is likewise “what it ain’t.” Now I cannot tell you what’s hip. But I can tell you this self-improvement anthem, with its bluesy guitar work, stabbing horns, and searching bass, does indeed rock. Tower Of Power was Williams’s first album with the band. And knowing what’s hip, he led the Oakland group to its commercial peak.

“Yes We Can Can” by The Pointer Sisters

Long before Barack Obama adopted “Yes We Can” as a rallying cry for his 2008 presidential run, The Pointer Sisters opened their debut album with the same phrase. The song, which was written by Allen Toussaint and originally released in 1970 by Lee Dorsey, became The Pointer Sisters’ first hit. The recording features the group singing into the same microphone, giving the track its live, organic feel. Moreover, The Pointer Sisters reinforce each other’s optimism amid call-and-response gospel vocals, deep-pocket bass and drums, and an additional can, can in the hook.

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