Remember what it was like to roll out of bed on weekday mornings and jump into your family’s car to head to school? That often short period of time was how many a young 70s kid got exposed to the popular music of today through the car radio. And if you’re a 70s kid, I bet you heard these four stellar radio hit songs from 1973 on your way to school. You might even have them memorized. Let’s take a look, shall we?
“You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” by Stevie Wonder from ‘Talking Book’
This Stevie Wonder classic was virtually inescapable back in 1973. “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” dropped in spring and was a radio go-to for months afterward, well through the end of the year. It’s a gorgeous soul-pop tune, one that topped the charts in the US and earned Wonder a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Wildflower” by Skylark from ‘Skylark’
Some might consider this blue-eyed soul soft rock tune to be a bit of a deep cut. But once the meat of the song kicks in, there’s not a 70s kid out there who isn’t transported back in time immediately. “Wildflower” by Skylark topped the Canadian Top Singles chart in 1973. It also made it far on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 9.
“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce from ‘Life And Times’
Jim Croce would pass away in a plane accident just a few months after this boogie-woogie song hit the airwaves. Much of his discography from 1973 has a bittersweet vibe with this context. But there’s still something about “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” that makes 70s kids want to get up and dance. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and did similarly well in Canada.
“Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group from ‘They Only Come Out At Night’
A song doesn’t have to have lyrics to be memorable. Enter “Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group. This is an instrumental prog-rock classic with a touch of bluesiness that has stood the test of time. Despite being wordless, this song was a radio smash hit. “Frankenstein” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 18 on the UK Singles chart. And if you listened to this 1973 entry on our list of songs on your way to school back in the day, I know you were jamming out.
Photo by Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
More The List
-
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Jimmy Buffett Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 28: Willow Smith attends the Acne Studios Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on February 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Acne) -
DAYS OF OUR LIVES — Pictured: (l-r) Carl Anderson, Gloria Loring as Liz Chandler Curtis — (Photo by: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) -
Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard, who released one of the best metal albums of 1997. -
British pop singer David Bowie pictured at the Dorchester Hotel, London. 20th October 1977. -
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 07: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Deana Carter performs during CMA Fest 2025 at the main stage at Nissan Stadium on June 07, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) -
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 1980s: (L-R) Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock from the Australian rock group 'Air Supply' in the 1980s in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Peter Carrette Archive/Getty Images) -
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 02: Ella Langley performs during Stars for Second Harvest with ERNEST & Friends at the Ryman Auditorium on June 02, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)