Just about every baby boomer alive today remembers the following three classic rock hit songs from 1971. These songs dominated the charts back in the day and remain signature songs for the bands that recorded them. And they’re still quite legendary today, so much so that baby boomers and younger fans alike get to enjoy them on classic rock radio daily. Let’s get a little nostalgic, shall we?
“A Horse With No Name” by America from ‘America’
“A Horse With No Name” remains the band America’s biggest hit, and I can see why. This Neil Young-esque folk rock classic has an almost ethereal vibe to it, one that transports the listener to the Sonoran Desert and the age of cowboys. Who knew a partially English band could be so good at capturing the vibe of the great American Southwest? “A Horse With No Name” was a big hit in 1971, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Top 20 almost everywhere else.
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“Bang A Gong (Get It On)” by T. Rex from ‘Electric Warrior’
This boogie glam rock jam was a smash hit on the UK and US charts for T. Rex back in 1971. “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” reached No. 1 on the UK Singles chart and No. 10 on the US Hot 100 chart by 1972. I can definitely get why. This song is such a great example of what glam rock was like at the turn of the decade, with a touch of blues rock and even rock and roll elements that carried over from the 1960s. A classic for the ages, I’d say.
“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones from ‘Sticky Fingers’
The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” may not have aged well, but it was a total hit back in 1971. This entry on our list of baby boomer classic rock hits from 1971 opened the band’s famed album Sticky Fingers. When it dropped as a single, it became a smash hit across the board. “Brown Sugar” peaked at No. 2 in the UK and No. 1 in the US, and it was a Top 20 hit throughout Europe and a number of other places as well.
“The lyric was all to do with the dual combination of drugs and girls,” Mick Jagger said of the song in the liner notes of the compilation record Jump Back. “This song was a very instant thing, a definite high point.”
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