Most evocative '70s songs
 

Speaking personally for myself and what triggers flashbacks... some may be from the '60s but I heard them in the '70s... yes, I do have way too much time on my hands (while trying to download old record albums on rapidshare)

Witchita Lineman - Glen Campbell
Operator - Jim Croce
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
Mississippi - Pussycat
Jingle Jangle - The Archies
Candida - Tony Orlando & Dawn
Over My Head - Fleetwood Mac
If - Bread
Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard
Car Wash - Rose Royce
Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks
I Got A Name - Jim Croce
Crystal Chandelier - Charley Pride
New Kid In Town - The Eagles
Le Freak - Chic
I Feel Love - Donna Summer
Hot Butter - Popcorn
You Got A Friend - James Taylor
Get Back Honkeycat - Elton John
My Elusive Dream - Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry
Undun - The Guess Who
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple (?)
Me & You And A Dog Named Boo - Lobo
Born On The Bayou - Crredence Clearwater Revival
Time For Everyone - Northwest Company
Stairway To Heaven - Leed Zeppelin
What Are You Doing Sunday - Tony Orlando & Dawn
With A Little Luck - Wings
Beautiful Sunday - Danile Boone
Stuck In The Middle With You - Steeler's Wheel
Broken Souvenirs - Pussycat
Ma Baker - Boney M
Dancing Queen - Abba
Tonight Is A Wonderful Time to Fall In Love - April Wine
I'd Like To Get To Know You - Spanky & Our Gang
Cinnamon - Derek
Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
The Hustle - Van McCoy (?)
Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkle
Diary - Bread
Welcome Back - John Sebastian
Lodi - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rasputin - Boney M
Santa Maria - Trooper
Who, If Not You - Dr. Hook
Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell
I Nnever Promised You A Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
Secondhand News - Fleetwood Mac
Up, Up And Away - Fifth Dimension
Gonna Hitch A Ride - Boston
Angel Eyes - Abba
Rich Girl - Hall & Oates
Which Way You Goin' Billy - The Poppy Family
Better Love Next time - Dr. Hook
Warm Ways - Fleetwood Mac
Ventura Highway - America
Dust In The Wind - Kansas
Roundabout - Yes

gasp... and here... here is the puzzler of the ages, unsolved by muisc geeks to this very day... I have fond memories of listening to a song on am radio during the summer of 1978 while driving relatives visiting from Holland for the first time around town... here are some lines as I remember them...

"I heard the ocean calling your name, carolina, caar-ooo-liiina,
I never will be the same, carolina, caar-ooo-liiina"
"This old wagon, ain't/it's no carriage"
"but we can listen, we can listen, to carolina all day"

The singer sounded a bit like the guy in Dr. Hook during their 'disco' period. Very mellow and kind of sad.

Be welcomed to add your own '70s time travel inducers even if you aren't a sad boring old hag like me. :D

I wish I could play, but I was born at the late part of 79. the first song I remember is Islands in the Stream when I was 4 or 5.

Keep It Comin Love-Kc And The Sunshine Band
Right Back Where We Started From-Maxine Nightingale
Lotta Love-Nicolette Larson
Lonely Boy-Andrew Gold
It's So Easy-Linda Ronstadt
Sad Eyes-Robert John
How Deep Is Your Love-Bee Gees
Rocky Mountain High-John Denver
Alone Again Naturally-Gilbert O'Sullivan

Anything that gives you that '70s feeling...

Changes - David Bowie
Crazy On You - Heart
Country Roads, Take Me Home - John Denver
Day By Day - Godspell
Aquarius - The Fifth Dimension
Tin Man - America
Arms Of Mary - Chilliwack
Calling Occupants - The Carpenters
Round Round We Go - Trooper
On The Road - John Denver
Paper Roses - Marie Osmond
Dog & Butterfly - Heart
I Wish I Was A Teddy Bear - Donna Fargo (?)
There's A Kind Of Hush - The Carpenters
Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Band
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
Logical Song - Supertramp
Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
Nobody Gets To Much Heaven - Bee Gees

Oh, that's a great one, I haven't heard that song in a long time!

Great song.

"I'm Not In Love" by 10cc always takes me back to the 70s - very evocative.

I know. I've always loved it! But Keep It Comin Love will always be my #1 favorite song from that decade,(Non-Fleetwood Mac of course:laugh: ) It's just such a happy song.

Here's some more I just thought of:

Afternoon Delight-Starland Vocal Band
Cruel To Be Kind-Nick Lowe
Send In The Clowns-Judy Collins
I Just Want To Be Your Everything-Andy Gibb
Hot Child In The City-Nick Gilder
Clair-Gilbert O'Sullivan

I'm feelin' It!

Day After Day - Badfinger
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
Something Better - Chilliwack
Waterloo - Abba
Just Another Day - Paul McCartney
Listen To The Rhythm Of the Falling Rain - The Cascades
Magnet & Steel - Walter Egan
Before The Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender
Indian Lake - The Cowsills
Emotion - Bee Gees
Photograph - Ringo Starr
Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is - Chicago
Never Ending Song Of Love - Delany & Bonnie
Roll On - Chilliwack
This Flight Tonite - Nazareth
I Believe In Angels - Abba
Rubberband Man - (? = some funk group like Parliament)
Rock On - David Essex
It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr
Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy
Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon
Daeggin' The Line - Tommy James
Sunshine Go Away Today - Jonathan Edwards
Slowride - Foghat

Cool song indeed - but have you heard any of the Godley & Creme solo stuff? It is the weirdest **** I have ever heard in all my days - TERRIBLE!!

I'm not sure if I'm thinking about the same thing, but if I am, youre right!

Yeah - a lot of it was very odd, and it's not dated well either! They are strange British musical genius types... these people do churn out a lot of guff in proportion to every decent song ;) But they made SO MANY of those 80s music videos we all know and love...

Odd is one word for it ;) "Cry" was the one decent song that they ever did!!

Welcome Back - John Sebastian Weeelcome ba-hack, your dreams were your ticket ouuu-houuut! They took away my Welcome Back, Kotter reruns on Prime when they merged with TVTropolis. :( Idiots.

There are a bunch, but for some reason, I've had these two songs stuck in my head all day:
Wildfire : Michael Murphy
Shannon : Henry Gross

Alot of people give me **** for liking Gilbert O'Sullivan but I think the guys a good singer. I really enjoy his music. Is he still popular over there?

Yes all those songs bring back sweet memories.
But I am sick of "Seasons in the sun".
I have met Terry jacks on a few occasions.

I can't say that he is popular, although he is still going. He was never cool, to be fair, always a bit sorry for himself. It worked for James Taylor, but O'Sullivan was a bit of an old ladies' favourite. Good voice though, and a good songwriter. Still is. Apparently he still has some success in Japan, where being good still counts for something.

A lot of people here associate him with a bizarre segment on the BBC Top 40 show 'Top of the Pops' when they played his single "Get Down" while a very popular group of mindnumbingly attractive and usually-scantily-clad dancing girls (named 'Pan's People') tried to get a pack of dogs to participate in some kind of choreographed performance. The dogs were having none of it and did exactly what they wanted - either they wandered off or just sat motionless looking unhappy, and the whole thing was a total farce. It might be 35 years ago, but they still repeat it fairly regularly...

The only reason I'm "big in Japan" is because they're almost all shorter than me. :D

Got a few more I just have to add...
Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
Love Is Like A Butterfly - Dolly Parton
Cotton Jenny (or was that Ginny?) - Gordon Lightfoot
For You Are Beautiful (something about Farewell?) - Roger Whittacker
Goodbye To Love - The Carpenters

Maybe it's because I was small then, but the '70s seemed to be the last time I felt completely optimistic about the future. The sky was higher and bluer than, the music was more optimistic (if it wasn't shmaltzy sentimental, somebody shoot that muskrat in love, please, and 'Ben' the rat while they're at it). Then they played 'hit' disco records so much we all got sick of it and became really cynical. You know, the records that were 'hits' seconds after release, that stuff started then. Those big shoes everyone had, pooka shell and shark tooth necklaces, mood rings (I had one), digital clocks were spacerificly new, powder blue corvette stingrays with white interiors (everyone wanted to ride in those), David and Shaun Cassidy, Randolf Mantooth, Dirk Benedict, maybe even Chad Everett or Dr. Kiley on Marcus Welby... The Gong Show! Nadia Komeneche. Skylab. Bobby Orr (and 'The Dry Look'). Crazy String. Happy Days. Jiffy Pop on the stove. Twister. Name That Tune (try that with rap songs!). Mike Douglas Show. Songs about CB Radios. Disaster movies. Mad magazine 25 cents cheap!

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Make it with you - Bread
New Kid In Town - The Eagles
Le Freak - Chic
Last Dance - Donna Summer
G.Y.B. Road - Elton John
Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Ma Baker - Boney M
Dancing Queen - Abba
I just wann b ur everything - Andy Gibb
The Hustle - Van McCoy
Aquarius - Fifth Dimension
Dust In The Wind - Kansas
Don't stop me now - QUEEN

Nice to hear he's still making music. I can see where people would see him as a square peg though.

Here's a few more I just thought of:

Reminiscing-Little River Band
More Than A Woman-Bee Gees
Escape(Pina Colada Song)
Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty
Everlasting Love-Andy Gibb

My Heart Belongs To Me, Cabin Fever, Stoney End - Barbra Streisand

I love that alto sax part in Baker Street!

I thought Everlasting Love was Carl Carlton though. I don't think I've heard Andy Gibb's.

I don't think I've heard this one, there are so many great Queen songs though... Bicycle Race does the recalling a place and time trip for me.

Shambala - 3 Dog Night. Beautiful. "Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain"

Um, becca, it looks like you and the others rounded up every other song I remember. :laugh:

And they are all very very meaningful songs I assure you. :) Jeremiah the bullfrog brought us so much joy. My older brother was a DJ and my Dad's band covered the songs of the day so I guess I have a bigger connection to old songs than most.

Take me to the roller-disco now!

Dancing Queen - ABBA
Crazy On You - Heart
GYOW - Fleetwood Mac
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
Over My Head - Fleetwood Mac
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
New Kid in Town - The Eagles
Rich Girl - Hall & Oates
Young hearts, run free - Candi Staton
Staying Alive - Bee Gees
Your Song - Elton John
Crazy Horses - The Osmonds
Fantasy - Earth, Wind and Fire
Don't leave me this way - Thelma Houston
Kiss & say goodbye - The Manhattans
Sunny - Boney M
Could it be magic - Donna Summer
I'm every woman - Chaka Khan (or was that the 80's??)
Killer Queen - Queen
Jive Talkin' - Bee Gees
Denis - Blondie
What can I say - Bozz Scaggs
You ain't seen nothing yet - BTO
Lady D'Arbanville - Cat Stevens
You were my friend - Chi Coltrane
Make Me Smile - Cockney Rebel
Heroes - David Bowie
Sound & Vision - David Bowie
The Jean Genie - David Bowie
Rebel rebel - David Bowie
Are friends electric - Gary Numan
Solsburry Hill - Peter Gabriel
Because the night - Patti Smith
Frederick - Patti Smith
Unbeschreiblich wieblich - Nina Hagen
Agrica Reggae - Nina Hagen
Sleeping Beauty - Lene Lovich
Radar Love - Golden Earring
Buddy Joe - Golden Earring
Lust for life - Iggy Pop
Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Wounded at Wounded Knee - Redbone

Are you sure that's a song? It sounds like a jingle to me for Radio Caroline. That was an illegal station like (Radio Veronica) and they broadcasted from the North Sea.
Great list btw.

Are you sure that's a song? It sounds like a jingle to me for Radio Caroline. That was an illegal station like (Radio Veronica) and they broadcasted from the North Sea.
Great list btw. I nearly choked when I saw Mississippi by Pussycat, talk about lame songs (and they were # 1 for weeks in Holland)

That one is from 1978.

You dare insult the great Pussycat??? Actually, I got pretty tired of Mississippi, but it sure brings back memories for me to hear it again now. I almost put Rockin' The Trolls in by BZN except I think that was early 1980s.

I hated Pussycat, those dresses were monstrous(sp?). That song by BZN was in the early 80's but they did have a hit in '79 I think with Mon Amour. My Mom loved them and Pussycat (so imagine what my puberty was like LOL) and she died in the summer of 1980 (2 months after The Mac's concert) so I'm pretty sure Mon Amour is from 1979.

Pussycat seem to have had a lot of different looks, but I must have missed the dresses. They did have some unusual outfits at times. I remember Abba when they started out looked ridiculous, like an Oxfam rack had fallen on them all!

BZN came to Canada but Pussycat never did, and other than Mississippi never seem to have been played in America at all.

Pas op! Better avoid my Pussycat fan page. :D

BTFLCHLDs CDs I begged for arrived today and I am awash in old Canadian music today, I'm sure I haven't heard some songs in over twenty five years, so here is a new addition...

Indiana Wants Me - R. Dean Taylor
One Tin Soldier - The Original caste
One Fine Morning - Lighthouse
And As The Years Go By - Mashmakan
Painted ladies (And A Bottle Of Wine) - Ian Thomas
(Make Me Do) Anything You Want - A Foot In Cold Water
Sweet City Woman - The Stampeeders
Oh What A Feeling - Crowbar
The Snowbird - Anne Murray
Put Your Hand In The Hand - Ocean
Five Man Electrical band - Signs

I just took a peek and went over to their official website. Here's a link with the pics of the way they were dressed: http://www.pussy-cat.nl/pussycatonline.html

I'm sure you've seen them. Did you spend some time in Holland? Ever seen them on Toppop?

The multi colored look from when Daddy was a single. I kind of like that now but at the time I remember thinking it was a bit over the top. I have seen a few Toppop shows from home videos but only one had Pussycat and they were about the same as Abba on stage, hamming it up a little.

We had some relatives from Holland visit in 1978 and they have been back many times since bringing music and other stuff, and my Father visits them every few years. He always brought back a lot of casettes and a few record albums, and later videos. I also had some Ollie B. Bommell comic books and grandparents who spoke de Nederlandse more than de Engels. If I weren't terrified of flying I'd have been over I'm sure.

I think Pussycat had some great songs by Werner Thuennisen and Tony's voice is just awesome. It's hard to find a song I actually dislike. Maybe... Don't Play Casanova, I didn't like that one.

The english version of Silver Bird by Tina Rainsford brings back memories too. They actually released it in Canada so it might have received radio play. Andrea Jurgens had a song I vaguely remember liking in the '70s as well.

The main ones for me are:

"Summer Breeze" Seals and Croft
"Philadelphia Freedom" Elton John
"Saturday in the Park" Chicago

and....

"You Make Loving Fun" FM, of course.


They all have different stories behind them.

I just realized - to be honest, Tom Petty songs are a huge part of my most evocative seventies songs. Eagles even more. And then FM.

There were many sixties songs that were evocative to me in the seventies, but that's not what you said. Sime and Garf. Jeff Air.

But for sheer volume of evocative songs by group, for the seventies, it would be Eagles, TP, and FM.

So. Ubiquitous. Can't. Escape. Gaaackkqq! :laugh:
Add Elton John, good lord.
Also Rolling Stones. Always. Basically the background music of most of my young life.

But wait, has someone already mentioned (70's? 60's? I thought 60's, so that would be cheating) -
"Dark ladeh played black magic 'till the clock struck on the twelve *duhduhduhduhduhduh*, danced to her gypsy music till the somethingsomething *duhduhduh!...It was in myyy owwwn roo-ooo-oom! "

Or -

"Gypseys, tramps and theives! Etc.! ...But every night, the men would come around...and lay their money down" *insert sinister notes and vocal*. "

All that, very evocative for me. Cause I heard it on the radio.

Gypsys Tramps And Thieves was played a lot and is very evocative for me also. I remember Cher on tv with a gypsy's caravan doing the song. Knock Three Times (On The Ceiling) by Tony Orlando also makes me think of the same time.

For such "happy, bouncy" music, he sure sings suicidal lyrics.

Plus, he might be the most nasally voiced person in history. I usually cant stand singers with voices like that, but for some reason, I like him.:rolleyes: