Being in the right place at the wrong time is a universal phenomenon that can easily affect the success of a song, as was the case for these underrated rock flops of the 1970s that would have been easy hits today. These tracks either failed to chart or did so at a relatively modest placement. For some of these bands, they had other hits to bolster their career through the flops.
Others weren’t so lucky. But in either case, we’d argue that these songs might have had a better chance of earworming their way into the mainstream than they did when they were released in the 1970s.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Anti Establishment Man” by REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon would go through many iterations before they became a household name for hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Take It On the Run.” Their first incarnation for their eponymous 1971 debut included a song called “Anti Establishment Man,” featuring Terry Luttrell on lead vocals.
Only one single from their rock debut flop made it to the charts with a No. 122 ranking on Billboard’s Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. REO Speedwagon would find greater success later in their career, capitalizing on the harmony-filled, dramatic rock ‘n’ roll popular in the late 1970s and early 80s.
But “Anti Establishment Man” still holds its own all these years later. With its earworm guitar riff and laidback rock groove, it blends elements of country, rock, and blues that are incredibly popular in today’s market.
“Soul Child” by Fanny
The fact that most people consider the Runaways to be the first all-female rock band is a testament to the fact that the music industry wasn’t quite ready for women-led rock ‘n’ roll before the mid-1970s, a reality that bands like Fanny (and before them, the Pleasure Seekers) contested with throughout their careers. The rise of K-pop has made homogenous groups—boy bands, girl groups, and so on—popular once more post-Y2K.
We’d argue that Fanny could have made it big in today’s market, seizing the opportunity to be a unique lineup in a genre that’s still male-dominated today. “Soul Child” from the band’s second album, Charity Ball, is an excellent demonstration of letting the rhythm section take the lead to great effect.
When Fanny released the album in 1971, the rock album earned flop status when it charted at a very modest No. 150 on Billboard’s Hot 200 Albums.
“Thirteen” by Big Star
Before there was the White Stripes’ “We’re Going to Be Friends”, there was Big Star’s “Thirteen.” The almost-saccharine, ultra-nostalgic acoustic track from Big Star’s 1972 album, #1 Record, is a classic to fans of the band. But for those outside the realm of relatively underground folk-rock and jangle pop, “Thirteen” might not be as familiar a tune.
In an interesting example of the cyclical nature of music, we offer this song with one caveat: “Thirteen” probably would have performed even better in the early 2000s, when that sort of childlike, romantic, borderline-twee music was the most popular. (Think: that White Stripes song, “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s, “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, etc.)
Release “Thirteen” today, and it would have even more layers of nostalgia to capitalize on with lyrics like, “Won’t you tell me what you’re thinkin’ of? Would you be an outlaw for my love?”
“Honey Hi” by Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac’s follow-up to Rumours gives credence to the idea that too much of a good thing can turn sour. The British-American blues band put out Tusk in 1979, two years after their seminal rock album that included career-defining hits like “Dreams” and “The Chain.” They were at the height of their career, and as they say, the higher you fly, the harder you fall.
Blame it on the distracting excesses of fame, a lack of strong creative direction, and worsening relationships amongst the band members, but Tusk was, for all intents and purposes, a flop. Not even Stevie Nicks was totally sure about what the album was trying to say or feel like.
However, it doesn’t take too much stretching of the imagination to picture a song like “Honey Hi” achieving viral fame if the song had been released today, especially in the social media sphere, where songs like “Pretty Little Baby” become trending audio overnight.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images