In the mood for some summertime soft rock songs from 1974? These three tracks just have that summer vibe of the 1970s, when things were simpler and objectively cooler. If you enjoyed driving down to the beach while listening to the radio during summer vacation in 1974, I bet you still remember these tunes quite well.
“Another Park, Another Sunday” by The Doobie Brothers from ‘What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits’
This soft rock country-flavored tune has the vibe of a Sunday afternoon in the summer, out in nature or the backyard, with a touch of melancholia to it. The Doobie Brothers were really on another level with this one. “Another Park, Another Sunday” dropped a few months before summer started, but it quickly became an anthemic tune of sorts for summer vacation.
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This Doobie Brothers classic was unfortunately unpopular on the radio. Songwriter Tom Johnston said in a now-lost Cashbox interview that he believed the lack of airplay came down to the somewhat critical line, “And the radio just seems to bring me down.” Bummer.
“Call On Me” by Chicago from ‘Chicago VII’
Those breezy brass instruments, that Latin-esque rhythm, that balmy percussion… You just can’t beat the summery “Call On Me” by Chicago. This song from the band’s sixth album featured Peter Cetera singing lead and a whole lot of jazz fusion goodness. “Call On Me” peaked at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This one really did stand the test of time beautifully.
“Tin Man” by America from ‘Holiday’
America might be best known for “A Horse With No Name”, but they had another solid song with “Tin Man” in 1974. This entry on our list of summery soft rock songs from 1974 has soft harmonies and pristine production that made it perfect for a summer mixtape that very year. “Tin Man”, written by Dewey Bunnell, peaked at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974. The song also reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart. According to Burnell, the song was inspired by his love of the film The Wizard Of Oz.
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