These 4 Staples Never Charted, but Still Unlock Core Memories if You Were a Kid in 70s

Appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 do not automatically mean that a song’s legacy is immortalized. As a matter of fact, a good deal of songs that have appeared on the chart have been forgotten, as they were seemingly just trendy topical songs of the time and didn’t hold much of a presence outside their respective year or decade.

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Similarly, there is a myriad of songs that have done the complete opposite. Here are four staples that never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 but still unlock core memories if you were a kid in the 1970s.

“Gimme Three Steps” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 single “Gimme Three Steps” is arguably one of the most notable songs in their catalog. But upon its release, it seems the masses didn’t care for it much, as it never appeared on the Billboard Hot 100.

Given the song’s strong ties to the decade, it’s mind-boggling that it never charted on the most popular chart in the world. However, in this specific instance, Skynyrd didn’t and hasn’t needed a chart placement because this single is still a staple of the decade.

“American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

What? How? Why? If those words are running through your head, we don’t blame you. Those are incredibly fair questions, as Tom Petty‘s “American Girl” is the epitome of 70s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s in the backdrop of nearly every other movie about the 70s. Thus, its legacy is strongly attached to the decade.

Many would consider this Tom Petty single to be one of the most iconic singles of the 1970s. However, it seems the public didn’t agree. To this day, we, and many other people, are probably still asking ourselves the three questions mentioned above.

“Jamie’s Cryin’” by Van Halen

Van Halen stormed onto the music scene with their debut album and their highly influential 1978 single, “Jamie’s Cryin’”. As we know, influence and experimentation don’t always lead to chart success, and that was the case for this single, because it never appeared on the Billboard Hot 100.

To be frank, if the chart were to go belly up tomorrow, people of the distant future would probably go on to remember “Jamie’s Cryin’” over the Billboard Hot 100. That might be a hot take, but that is just how transformative and memorable this 1970s classic is.

“Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd‘s influence on music post-1970s is truly insurmountable. Though, as we just mentioned, that doesn’t mean chart success. Well, Pink Floyd was no stranger to getting robbed by the charts, and one of those times transpired when “Comfortably Numb” failed to appear on the Billboard Hot 100.

This is one of Pink Floyd’s most notable tracks. For that reason, it is also one of the most notable tracks of the 1970s. Despite its no-show appearance on the chart, it is still a crowd favorite for those who grew up in the 1970s.

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