3 Soft Rock Songs That Defined Summer for Millions of Americans in 1973

Soft rock songs were all over the radio in the summer of 1973, but only a handful of hits dominated radio that year. If you’re a soft rock fan and were around to hear these three tunes drop, I bet you still remember them easily. After all, they likely served as part of the soundtrack for your summer vacation that year. Let’s get a little nostalgic, shall we?

“Tequila Sunrise” by Eagles from ‘Desperado’

“Every night when the sun goes down / Just another lonely boy in town / And she’s out runnin’ ’round.”

This Eagles jam was a pretty huge FM radio staple. In fact, if you listened to a lot of radio during the summer of 1973, chances are you heard this song quite a bit. This jam from Desperado dropped just a couple of months ahead of summertime. It has a little bit of country flavor, as do most of the songs from that album. “Tequila Sunrise” peaked at No. 26 on the Adult Contemporary chart and was only a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 64. Still, it was a radio favorite, and it’s still a classic rock radio favorite today.

“Aubrey” by Bread from ‘Guitar Man’

“And Aubrey was her name / A not so very ordinary girl, or name / But who’s to blame / For a love that wouldn’t bloom? / For the hearts that never played in tune?”

This classic from Bread is still a classic rock radio favorite today. I’m not surprised, honestly. This hit single from Guitar Man was a chart favorite. It peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100 and No. 11 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. Written by David Gates, “Aubrey” was apparently inspired by the classic 1961 romantic comedy Breakfast At Tiffany’s, starring the incomparable Audrey Hepburn.

“Diamond Girl” by Seals And Crofts from ‘Diamond Girl’

“Oh, my love / You’re like a precious stone / Part of earth where / Heaven has rained on.”

This entry on our list of songs from 1973 was easily the soft rock hit of the summer that year. Released in May 1973, “Diamond Girl” by Seals And Crofts is the title track of the album of the same name. Naturally, it was a fast hit on the charts. “Diamond Girl” peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Easy Listening chart.

(Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)