3 Songs From the 1970s That Will Instantly Turn You Into a Southern Rock Fan

Southern rock has a particular sound and style. It’s different. It feels muggy, swampy. The music has swagger and drawl. It’s been out in the sun most of the day, and now as the night is creeping in, there’s a lot to say about the world.

Here below, we wanted to highlight three of our favorite southern rock songs. These are tracks we return to often. Indeed, these are three songs from the 1970s that will instantly turn you into a southern rock fan.

“Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers Band from ‘Idlewild South’ (1970)

This 1970 acoustic-driven track by The Allman Brothers just sounds like heaven. It sounds like your soul has left the earth and is rising into the clouds. Then two great big silver ones part and you see the pearly gates. You see the saints waiting for you. One of them is playing a six-string and humming this tune. Everything is okay. You suddenly know the secret to life. That’s what the brilliance of “Midnight Rider” feels like. The idea that any human beings could write the tune is remarkable—it’s that timeless.

“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd from ‘(Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd Skin-‘nérd’)’ (1973)

No group sums up the vibe of southern rock quite like Lynyrd Skynyrd. The American Southland is in the Florida-born act’s DNA. The band prided itself on its roots. And that feeling came through in their twangy, prideful tracks. For evidence of this, check out the 1973 offering, “Simple Man”, and enjoy the ode Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote to honor their kinsmen from their sun-soaked homeland. They say artists should write what they know. Well, goal achieved on this track!

“Lookin’ Out My Back Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival from ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ (1970)

While Creedence Clearwater Revival started in California, the group sounds as if it was born in a shack in the middle of the Louisiana Bayou. It’s like lead vocalist John Fogerty was born with molasses between his teeth and coating his tongue. But regardless of where the group saw its origin story unfurl, the result is a band that honors southern rock. The swampy elements in CCR’s catalog are sonic perfection.

Photo by Gems/Redferns