Traffic is a regularly overlooked band, but it is ultimately a must-know among the classic rock outfits that came out of the late 1960s and early ’70s. The group was formed in 1967 when a young Steve Winwood – post-Spencer Davis Group and pre-Blind Faith – joined forces with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Dave Mason.
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Together, they would make great music, crafting an inventive style that built psychedelic and more progressive sounds upon their folk and jazz-leaning pop-rock foundation. For nearly a decade, Traffic – which disbanded in 1974 with the occasional reunion here and there – churned out some pretty iconic hits, amassing a wildly diverse catalog that has proved timeless. Get to know the band with these five essential songs.
5. “Empty Pages”
From their 1970 album, John Barleycorn Must Die, “Empty Pages” is a shining example of the band’s funked-up jazz-rock prowess. Emerging from building keys and hammering bass, the song is part smooth groove, part powerful swing, swaying between the two extremes for a head-spinning edge-of-your-seat listening experience.
4. “Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring”
“Empty Pages” was a more sophisticated, almost high-brow departure from an early hit like “Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring.” Appearing on Traffic’s 1968 self-titled sophomore release, the song is full of bluesy, psychedelic whimsy. It showed off a burgeoning band’s innate talents for complex arrangements and hook-speckled lyrics.
3. “Light Up or Leave Me Alone”
On the 1971 release of The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys came “Light Up or Leave Me Alone.” The song showcased the band’s maturity as they dove into a progressive style that fuzed experimental jazz with a sturdy rock sound, but it also called back to the group’s early days and their natural ability to craft undeniably catchy hits.
2. “Feelin’ Alright”
Another from their eponymous second album, “Feelin’ Alright” would not be as big of a hit for Traffic as it was for Joe Cocker when he covered the tune in 1969. Nonetheless, the Mason-penned rock track – jazz-flecked with subtle funk flourishes – would solidify them as a band with a style worth emulating.
1. “Dear Mr. Fantasy”
One of Traffic’s biggest hits would come from their 1967 debut album Mr. Fantasy. Titled “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” the muddied psych-rock-soul classic would introduce to the world a band with an undeniable, albeit sometimes unnoticed it-factor. The song would define the band’s early sound, a unique tone that would eventually evolve with the group album by album, but whispers of which would remain in everything they created.
(Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
