3 Soft Rock Songs From the 1970s About the Lows of Musical Fame

These three soft rock songs from the 1970s dissect the lows of fame. From dashed dreams to getting all that you hope for and finding out it’s not what you wanted, these songs will disillusion anyone about the life of a musician.

[RELATED: These 3 Soft Rock Songs from the 80s All Have Incredibly Heartbreaking Lyrics]

“It Never Rains In Southern California” — Albert Hammond

Albert Hammond delivered a well-rounded, no-pulled-punches version of the fame story in “It Never Rains In Southern California”. This soft rock track features Hammond playing a character who’s headed out West in hopes of making it big. The only promises that came true were those of the weather in Los Angeles. But, even though it’s sunny skies, Hammond learned the true meaning of “when it rains, it pours.”

There are no easy breaks, no big opportunities. Hammond’s pathway to success is one of dashed dreams and heartache. “Will you tell the folks back home I nearly made it,” he sings in this melancholy ending to a fight with fame.

“Desperado” — Eagles

The Eagles used the allegory of a down-on-his-luck cowboy to tell a story about the lows of fame in “Desperado”. “Desperado, you know you ain’t gettin’ no younger / Your pain and your hunger, drivin’ you home,” they sing in this soft rock staple. Hiding behind a Western lens, the band talks about the isolation felt when your star burns as brightly as theirs does.

You can listen to “Desperado” at face value, or listen more deeply. The deepest experience says a lot about how Don Henley and his bandmates found the downsides of worldwide fame.

“Turn The Page” — Bob Seger

“When you’re ridin’ sixteen hours, and there’s nothin’ there to do / And you don’t feel much like ridin’, you just wish the trip was through,” Bob Seger sings in “Turn The Page”. With these lyrics, Seger dismantles the glamor of living life on the road. Instead of ideas about living life fast and making your dreams come true, Seger’s story is one of isolation.

“Well, you walk into a restaurant all strung out from the road / And you feel the eyes upon you as you’re shakin’ off the cold / You pretend it doesn’t bother you, but you just want to explode,” he continues in a later verse. Seger doesn’t mince words, turning off any listener who might’ve thought fame would be fun to experience for themselves.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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