The 1950s were the real birth of rock & roll, but the 1960s might have perfected the sound. The 1970s turned that perfection into nuance, and that is when real inspiration begins. Such is the case with the three songs that follow.
Are they the best of the decade? Maybe not, but that's not what this is about. Instead, these are songs that won't stop young musicians from hearing them and thinking, "I want to do that too."
That has already happened for decades, but it should continue. Technology will change how music is made, but the best kind of art comes organically.
Rock music gems from the 1970s that should continue to inspire
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult
Ghost's Tobias Forge has somewhat joked that his most well-known band was basically riffing off BOC. He's not completely wrong, but not because Ghost was a cover band. Like all fantastic musical artists, BOC inspired others as much as they made their own brand of goodness.
This track is a one-off, but had BOC kept making music and evolved, they might have turned into Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. Ultimately, they will simply be a band that many who get inducted into that museum find a way to make music from.
"Jailbreak" - Thin Lizzy
The Irish lads are better known for "The Boys Are Back in Town," and that is a fine song, but overplayed at this point. Plus, the track detracts from the very deep catalog that Thin Lizzy created. This was the kind of rock that contained swagger, and loads of it.
This track contains storytelling, a feeling of community, and all while some people have obviously broken the law. It is fun and sing-along and should be replicated for generations. Thin Lizzy should never be forgotten; they contained multitudes.
"Changes" - David Bowie
Be weird and feel free to be weird: that's the David Bowie way. But that isn't to diminish his songcraft at all. Instead, he breathed new life into rock, and people didn't have to take the same staid approach. Bowie borrowed and stole from others, but he was able to transition his inspiration into brilliance that was all his own.
This slow-paced gem wasn't really rock at all. It was dance hall mixed with a torch song. Could anyone have done it better? Not likely, but just as Bowie borrowed from others, many bands have borrowed from him. "Changes" has a kind of originality that should never change.
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