Pink Floyd: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (1975)

The band wrote this as a tribute to Syd Barrett. The song was split in two to bookend the Wish You Were Here album. Barrett appeared in the studio with a shaved head and eyebrows while the band worked. Rick Wright and Roger Waters failed to recognize their former band mate. At first, the guys claimed they were recording this song, but years later they claim they can't remember if it was "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" or another track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UXircX3VdM

Stevie Wonder: Superstition (1972)

"Superstition" was Stevie Wonder's first #1 since 1963. The song is fairly straight forward and is about superstitions. Jeff Beck played the guitar parts on the Talking Book album while Wonder played the other instruments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDZFf0pm0SE

Blondie: Heart of Glass (1979)

Blondie was very good at incorporating other influences into their punk/new wave sound. "Heart of Glass" is an example. In 1979, a war raged between rock fans and disco advocates. In the end, rock won.  However, before the ultimate victory, Blondie added disco into their took kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU

Elton John: Goodbye Yellowbrick Road (1973)

This is probably Elton John's best song. The title derives from the Wizard of Oz. Supposedly, the film was the first John had ever seen and he used it as a tool to reflect his own life and desire to get back to his own roots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDOL7iY8kfo

No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley (1974)

Bob Marley gave songwriting credit to his friend Vincent Ford. Ford ran a soup kitchen in a Jamaican ghetto. The royalties kept the kitchen, and Ford, afloat.

Live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGqrvn3q1oo



Studio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x59kS2AOrGM




　


　
　

Van Halen: Beautiful Girls (1979)

David Lee Roth fractured his foot doing a jump during a photo shoot for Van Halen II. The injury postponed Van Halen's tour while Roth healed. The album did very well with the public and convinced many new fans to purchase the debut album. Here is one of the album's iconic tracks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9h2m06sFQ

Ted Nugent: Stranglehold (1975)

Rock n Roll had hit a wall by 1974. Ted Nugent represented the next generation which helped reenergize the genre in the mid-70s. Although Bruce Springsteen is credited with saving rock n roll, Nugent, KISS, and other acts also emerged to reinvigorate the music scene in the face of evil disco. This song is just a classic jam.

Live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHDA5nHlDrQ



Studio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3d7QgZr7g

John Lennon: Instant Karma (1970)

"Instant Karma" was the first solo record by a Beatle to sell a million copies. Lennon’s solo work actually competed with his band on the charts. "Let It Be" also reached the top 5 in 1970. Phil Specter produced the Lennon hit, which took 10 days to record and release. Two months later, the Beatles split.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqP3wT5lpa4

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young: Woodstock (1970)

Joni Mitchell wrote "Woodstock" based on Graham Nash's descriptions of the event. Mitchell's version came out in 1969 while Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young released a version in 1970. Later, Led Zeppelin incorporated part of the song into their live version of "Dazed and Confused."

CSNY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKdsRWhyH30



Joni Mitchell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRjQCvfcXn0




　


　

The Velvet Underground: Sweet Jane (1970)

"Sweet Jane" has Velvet Underground versions with minor differences. The first came in 1970 and one with a bridge, which covered the original lyrics originally scrapped in 1969. The song is considered one of the all-time great works in rock history. The Cowboy Junkies recorded the most famous cover while Lou Reed joined Metallica to perform the song at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary show.


Velvet Underground:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkumhBVPGdg




Cowboy Junkies:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4XVJj4jER4




Lou Reed w/Metallica:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JucJAuDKqKw

AC/DC: Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap (1976)

In 1981, Atlantic Records was sued because the lyric 36-24-36 was followed by what some thought was the number 8. As a result, a couple in Illinois received thousands of prank calls. The number actually referenced the perfect woman's measurements. Whether or not the 8 actually exists in the recording is up to the listener.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHW3Ek9VTpg

The Who: My Wife (1971)

"My Wife" was the b-side to "Baba O'Riley" and is about a man that lands in the drunk tank. His wife is pissed off because she believes he was with another woman. It then recounts the efforts the man is thinking of taking to save his life. The song features horns rather than the usual guitar solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0iA_rOcn9Y

The Rolling Stones: Memory Motel (1976)

Mick and Keith share vocals on "Memory Motel", which is unusual for a Stones record. It is also one of the longest Stones songs at over 7 minutes. The motel itself is based on an establishment in Long Island, New York. The identity of the woman in question is not known, but speculation ranges from Annie Liebovitz to Carly Simon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE96fz6BWqk

Pink Floyd: Have a Cigar (1975)

Roy Harper sang lead vocals on “Have a Cigar” making it one of two Pink Floyd songs featuring a guest singer (The Great Gig in the Sky). The song is about the music industry and loss of innocence and idealism in the corporate world.  The work includes the line “By the way, which one is Pink?” David Gilmour reminisced that people used to ask the band this question all the time mistaking the group’s name for a person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMr3KtYUCcI

 

Warren Zevon: Werewolves of London (1978)

Despite a long and varied career, Warren Zevon is best known for "Werewolves of London." The song has a catchy up tempo hook while Zevon has lyrical fun. The werewolves both have tailors, dance with the queen, and drink pina colada's while at the same time mutilate old ladies and "rip your lungs out." Zevon gives a shout out to both Lon Chaneys and is accompanied on the record by John McVie and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. Kid Rock sampled the song for his own hit, "All Summer Long."

Zevon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhSc8qVMjKM

Kid Rock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwIGZLjugKA

John Lennon: Mother (1970)

John Lennon unleashes childhood pain in 1970’s “Mother.” His mother was killed by a drunk driver when he was 17 and his dad abandoned the family when he was a baby. The song begins with church bells, which sound a bit like AC/DC’s intro to “Hells Bells” a decade later. The song is dark, sad, and very personal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEnc3RQE2lg

Isaac Hayes: Shaft (1971)

Shaft is a defining song of the seventies. The song dramatically influenced funk and soul throughout the decade as well as black culture. Hayes won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, which was a first for a black artist. The film also influenced the decade and filmmakers beyond the seventies. It opened the door for the black action hero and blacksploitation flicks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFvRvSxsW-I

David Bowie: Changes (1972)

David Bowie spent his entire career reinventing himself. As a result, “Changes” is something of a theme song for the crooner. The song truly introduced Bowie to Americans and was the last song he ever sang live prior to his retirement (although he has since released new material).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl3vxEudif8

Montrose: Bad Motor Scooter (1973)

The song begins with a guitar emulating a motorcycle. Ronnie Montrose came across the sound accidently while a tape inadvertently rolled. As a result, the band captured the intro which they felt the song desperately needed. The song has since been a staple of Sammy Hagar’s live performances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk52nGxF-jc

The Doors: Waiting for the Sun (1970)

The Doors released the album Waiting for the Sun in 1968, but the single did not appear for two years. “Waiting for the Sun” finally makes an appearance on Morrison Hotel. The song was just not ready in 1968. Soundgarden later covered the track in 1996. On a side note, it has one of my favorite lines of all time “This is the strangest life I have ever known.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kypyGSKsE