Some songs bring back memories like they were yesterday. The classic rock ballads from 1960’s and 70’s, where hits and soundtracks from our memory’s cars, school dances, and incredible summer nights. Here are some of the most memorable ballads that can bring back powerful memories.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. “Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin (1971)
- 2 2. “American Woman” – The Guess Who (1970)
- 3 3. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
- 4 4. “Yesterday” – The Beatles (1965)
- 5 5. “Wild Horses” – The Rolling Stones (1971)
- 6 6. “Nights in White Satin” – The Moody Blues (1967)
- 7 7. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” – Procol Harum (1967)
- 8 8. “The Sound of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel (1964)
- 9 9. “Hey Jude” – The Beatles (1968)
- 10 10. “Light My Fire” – The Doors (1967)
- 11 11. “House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals (1964)
- 12 12. “In My Life” – The Beatles (1965)
- 13 13. “Time in a Bottle” – Jim Croce (1973)
1. “Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin (1971)
“Stairway to Heaven,” is the most important rock ballad of the time and set the standard with its imaginative lyrics and growing intensity. For being 8 minutes long, it was the most requested song on FM Radio in the 1970’s. It is Led Zeppelin’s IV. Throughout the years, all guitar shops had customers banned from playing the legendary first 5 notes.
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2. “American Woman” – The Guess Who (1970)
Beginning with an unforgettable guitar note, this protest song captured the political tensions of the time. The Guess Who made this anthem live by accident when Burton Cummings started improvising lyrics due to a broken guitar string. this became their most identifying hit.”
3. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
This gospel influenced masterpiece showcased Simon’s incredible writing skills and Art Garfunkel’s exceptional vocal range. The song spent a total of 6 weeks at number 1 and received 5 out of the possible 8 Grammy’s. This powerful message of support, encapsulated through a lens of friendship, was oh so needed in the turbulent early 70’s.
4. “Yesterday” – The Beatles (1965)
McCarthy’s most dreary art was said to have come to him in a dream. “Yesterday” is the most covered song in all of popular music history and was a huge shift in tone and sound for The Beatles through the incorporation of a complex new string arrangement that showcased McCarthy’s spectacular talent.
5. “Wild Horses” – The Rolling Stones (1971)
The country-inspired ballad showed The Rolling Stone’s softer side. The song was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which means that it has some of Mick Jagger’s most sensitive vocals captured on tape. The Don Lawson penned tune, consisting of real emotions pertaining to love and loss, really caught audiences’ attention, especially compared to The Rolling Stones other songs.
6. “Nights in White Satin” – The Moody Blues (1967)
Justin Hayward composed this song at 19 years of age. It created a milestone in progressive rock. The piece is heavenly orchestrated and has lyrics that are poetic. It exemplifies the essence of the late 1960’s and has topped the charts 2 times, 1st from 1967 to 1968 and then again from 1972 to 1973.
7. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” – Procol Harum (1967)
The song sold over 10 million copies and became one of the most defining songs of the Summer of Love. The song’s lyrics are dreamlike and the meaning of those words mystifies many in a never-ending debate. The song has a melody as multiple people actively participate in the joy of singing along.
8. “The Sound of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel (1964)
The song was one of the last songs composed following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The song was about all of the emotions and feelings that the country was experiencing. There were lyrics that were profound and it took many years after it was written for those lyrics to lose their brilliance. The song was released as an acoustic song and it wasn’t until the producer added electric instrumentation that it became popular.
9. “Hey Jude” – The Beatles (1968)
The song features Paul McCartney along with the rest of the Beatles. It is comforting to John Lennon’s son Julian because of the divorce between John and Julian’s mom. It became the longest number one single in history at that time. The na na na part is still sung by crowds all over the world today.
10. “Light My Fire” – The Doors (1967)
Originally slated for a seven minute track this song was cut down to around four minutes. The extended jazz section showed the band’s inner love for instrumental and the simplicity that jazz has at its core. It was Morrison’s tongue and a bayou southern accent that created the musical canvas for the song.
11. “House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals (1964)
The rock band The Animals performed Eric Burdon’s powerful vocals along with the famous organ arpeggios and created a new level of folk and rock fusion music. They were pioneers because they brought the first British Invasion song to the top of the American music charts.
12. “In My Life” – The Beatles (1965)
The Beatles’ made an interesting choice in their song \”Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds\” upon John Lennon taking a nostalgic look back at the childhood he lived in Liverpool. The choice showed how the Beatles were evolving as song creators. The song features a piano solo by George Martin that is sped up to sound like a harpsichord which adds a nice touch of baroque. The song was ranked as the 23rd best song in history by Rolling Stone magazine.
13. “Time in a Bottle” – Jim Croce (1973)
The sad ballad that is about the passage of time is a reflection of Jim Croce’s life before his wife became pregnant. The song was released posthumously after Jim Croce died in a plane crash, making the song even more tragic. The song is a reminder of the time, and its beautiful finger picking guitar work captivated thousands.
