Classic rock radio was buzzing with excellent material in 1975. Sadly, though, in the years since, some of the best rock songs to hit the airwaves that year seem to have fallen out of favor on classic rock radio. I can’t remember the last time I heard the following four songs on the radio. Maybe it’s just a fluke, or maybe these songs deserve a lot more love in the 2020s. Let’s dive in!
“Pandora’s Box” by Procol Harum from ‘Procol’s Ninth’
“Pandora’s Box” was progressive rock band Procol Harum’s final hit in the UK (at No. 16), released in 1975. Songs like “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” and “Homburg” tend to make it to classic rock radio over this somewhat hidden gem. I can’t remember the last time I heard it organically. That’s a shame, because this song was a fine “sendoff” of sorts on the charts at the time.
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“Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” by Bad Company from ‘Straight Shooter’
Bad Company’s hard rock hit “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” peaked at No. 31 in the UK and No. 36 in the US. It wasn’t quite as successful as the band’s bigger hits like “Can’t Get Enough” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy”. This is a really high-energy track that boasts excellent performances all around, and I do wish it made it to classic rock radio more often.
“Dreamer” by Supertramp from ‘Crime Of The Century’
This progressive pop-rock song was technically released in late 1974. However, it started to really chart in 1975, so I’ll include it on this list. “Dreamer” peaked at No. 13 in the UK and No. 15 in the US, but it wasn’t quite as huge as songs like “The Logical Song” or “Take The Long Way Home”, at least in the US. In fact, the B-side of “Dreamer”, “Bloody Well Right”, was quite popular in the US and peaked at No. 35. And yet, I haven’t heard either the A-side or the B-side on the radio in years. What gives?
“Now I’m Here” by Queen from ‘Sheer Heart Attack’
Queen just has too many hit songs in their discography, and that might be why I hear “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other hits way more often on classic rock radio than this 1975 track, “Now I’m Here”. This song is one of many that fell through the cracks as the years went on, and I think that’s a little unfair. This is a fun hard rock romp from start to finish.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple, who recorded a classic rock album any dad would love to have. -
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Phil Collins (born in 1951), British actor and singer-songwriter, during a concert at Bercy. Paris (12th arrondissement), March 5, 1985. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet via Getty Images)
