4 Rock Songs From 1973 That Give Me Instant Goosebumps

A good song might make you voluntarily tap your toes or bob your head, but a great song will cause your body to undergo involuntary reactions, like a fluttering stomach or goosebumps up and down your arms. Indeed, the better the song, the more instant the chills. As for me, these four rock songs from 1973 cause immediate goosebumps every time.

“The Great Gig In The Sky” by Pink Floyd

Maybe this one’s a no-brainer, but it wouldn’t be a goosebump-inducing song list of 1973 without the inclusion of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon. It’s one of my all-time favorite albums due in large part to songs like “The Great Gig In The Sky”, which is a vocal performance I never tire of hearing. Clare Torry hit the nail on the head with her vocalizing, and as someone who has studied what she did so that I could cover this song, I’m all the more impressed by her use of dynamics, palate placement, and timbre.

“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John

I’ve listened to Elton John’s 1973 rock hit “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” countless times, and it’s easily among the highest-ranking songs that I can happily listen to forever. The large vocal leap John takes in the chorus, paired with the moving imagery of going back to one’s roots and forgoing the hustle and bustle of [insert stress-inducing life aspect here], gives me instant goosebumps no matter how many times I hear it.

“No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin

“No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin is definitely one of their slower burns, and that’s precisely why this track is among the rock songs of 1973 to give me instant goosebumps. Robert Plant’s vocals are run through effects that make him sound distant and muffled, which is a stark contrast to his usually biting and forward placement in the mix. This instantly draws the listener in, after which the band leads the way on the climactic dynamic shifts through the end of the song.

“Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh

Finally, sometimes a song will give me goosebumps just because the groove is so locked in. It feels good to hear a band that tight, and Joe Walsh’s band was certainly in the pocket while they recorded “Rocky Mountain Way”. Every time the fat, beefy electric guitar tone comes in for the riff in between the vocal lines, it elicits one of two (or sometimes both) reactions: the stank face and goosebumps on my arms. Sure, it’s not the headiest rock song to come out of 1973. So sue me—good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll hits my ear in just the right spot.

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