Forgotten Gems: Underrated Rock Songs from the 70s

The 1970s are widely regarded as a golden age for rock music. During this decade, countless performers established themselves through creative composing and songwriting, resulting in unique sounds that reflected the changing social landscape. 

While the era saw bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen experiencing a surge in popularity and drawing massive crowds to stadium concerts, it also produced many exceptional songs that are often overlooked. Read on to explore forgotten or underrated rock songs from the 1970s — hits that are certainly worth adding to your playlist or vinyl collection.

Given the abundance of musical talent, it's easy to understand why there are so many forgotten rock songs of the 1970s. Many artists and their songs became almost larger than life, which meant radio stations at the time maintained a very tight playlist. Listeners typically heard the same handful of songs repeatedly, and since there was so much talent to choose from, lesser-known artists fell into obscurity.

As Matt Wake wrote on AL.com in 2017, "Rock music was still a towering social force, and releasing that music was big business. So many songs from so many bands. It sometimes feels like from 1970 to 1979 it would have been difficult to throw a bong out the window without hitting at least three rock groups."

Another factor was the evolving society. The 1970s were a tumultuous time, even after the highly turbulent 1960s, and major artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, Queen, and Aerosmith expressed the angst of the generation. societal feelings, significantly influencing the commercial music industry. 

Today, in the streaming age, you have control over your music choices. Modern streaming patterns suggest that listeners enjoy revisiting past music and discovering underappreciated songs. Data shows deep catalog titles — those dating back three years or more — make up around 70% of on-demand audio streaming in the U.S. It's no wonder, then, that the list of underrated '70s rock songs is long and getting longer.

U.S. artists were at the forefront of hidden gem rock songs from the 1970s. There are several tunes you should consider adding to your playlists.

Unrecognized in the U.S., Rodriguez has gained recognition for his melancholic and poetic music, particularly this song from 1970. The song blends folk guitar rhythms with strings to create a psychedelic feel. Upon its release, "Crucify Your Mind" became a massive hit in South Africa, serving as an expression of cultural disaffection. Rodriguez's music was unknown for decades until the documentary "Searching for Sugarman." 

Fans enthusiastically embraced Iggy Pop's hits "Lust for Life" and "Passenger," but initially passed on "Success." In later years, however, it has seen a resurgence in interest for its irony — a satirical take on fame. The song, co-written with David Bowie, features a bluesy flair, dark humor, and a catchy call-and-response chorus.

Before Hagar's solo career and his stint as frontman for Van Halen, he took the lead on this song with Montrose. The intro may remind you of Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart." The Montrose song opens with a guitar riff that sounds like a motorcycle engine, setting the stage for the song's hard rock energy.

Featuring heavy rock and 1970s-style experimental riffs, "Dancing Madly Backward" is a driving song created by former members of Deep Purple and Iron Butterfly. If the title makes you feel a little otherworldly, that's the intention; the band aimed for a hallucinatory and abstract sound.

The four underrated rock songs from the 1970s above showcase the incredible diversity in the rock music scene, highlighting acts that played in clubs and elsewhere while the mass-market acts dominated stadiums.

Not to be outdone by their American counterparts, British performers contributed their share of underrated rock songs from the 1970s.

Mainstream radio tends to gravitate toward "The Boys Are Back in Town." Hardcore fans, on the other hand, prefer this song, which showcases Phil Lynott's dark charisma. "Bad Reputation" comes with no frills — just a straight-out guitar riff and a rhythm line that won't quit, with lyrics focusing on resilience. Lynott's vocals capture the age, reflecting streetwise confidence.

After "All the Young Dudes," a Bowie-created tune, came this Ziggy-esque rocker — an absolute must on the list of underrated rock songs from the 1970s. It tells the story of a lost guitar, but it actually serves as a metaphor for the craziness of life on tour. Over the years, it has become an anthem for musicians, featuring a blend of horns, piano, and guitar.

Quatro gained significant recognition for her appearance as Leather Tuscadero on "Happy Days" and also gave us this breakthrough and underrated rock hit from the 1970s. The song broke stereotypes, putting Quatro front and center as the bass-playing front woman. Quatro paved the way for other up-and-coming female rockers. 

Another song that was a hit in the U.K. but fell flat in the U.S., "Gudbuy T'Jane" by Slade, fits nicely into the glam rock genre. The song tells the story of a woman the band encountered who demonstrated a sex machine on an American television show. While "Gudbuy T'Jane" peaked at No. 2 in the U.K., it only reached No. 68 in the U.S. 

These British artists helped define the incredible diversity of 1970s rock music but are underappreciated compared to more mainstream artists.

The forgotten rock songs of the 1970s are gaining renewed attention as streaming and on-demand platforms allow consumers to explore the music of the past. This is evident in the continued sales growth of vinyl records over the past two decades; vinyl now accounts for more than half of all album purchases and is expected to produce $2.6 billion in sales by 2027. Vinyl also appeals to collectors for the album artwork. With so much music now readily available, it's time to rediscover songs from the past that didn't resonate with fans at the time.