3 Blues Rock Songs From 1975 That Still Sound Edgy Today

These three blues rock songs from 1975 are prime examples of their subgenre. The instrumentation draws on rock’s roots. These artists let their predecessors guide their hands as they crafted these driving anthems. Those classic influences are what keep these songs so fresh today. Listening to these in the modern-day feels just as edgy as they did back in the 1970s.

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“Sweet Emotion” — Aerosmith

Though “Sweet Emotion” is deeply rooted in the titular Aerosmith sound, it also shows a notable blues-rock influence. From the driving, riffy guitar sound to Steven Tyler’s gruff vocals, this song knows the origins of rock, and it plays into them greatly.

“Talk about things that nobody cares / Wearing out things that nobody wears / You’re calling my name, but I got to make clear / I can’t say, baby, where I’ll be in a year,” the lyrics read, dictating the tensions felt within the band. The blues are the best vehicle for emotional clarity. That’s why this song hits as hard as it does.

“Freeway Jam” — Jeff Beck

This song has many different tonalities. From jazz fusion to blues, Jeff Beck proved his guitar chops on this track, making the listener feel like they are cruising down the highway. With no lyrics to really give this song structure, the fact that Beck told any semblance of a story is uber impressive.

The listener gets a real sense of motion in this track. You can easily imagine yourself with your arm propped up on the rolled-down window as this song guides your journey. Beck’s guitar skills had a marked transportive quality. This song proves that fact.

“Tush” — ZZ Top

You can’t let a blues rock moment pass without mentioning ZZ Top. These bluesy rockers put their best foot forward on “Tush”. “I been up, I been down / Take my word, my way around / I ain’t askin’ for much / I said, Lord, take me downtown / I’m just lookin’ for some tush,” the lyrics read, leaving very little to the imagination. This suggestive track makes perfect use of a driving blues rock rhythm.

The raunchy lyrics play perfectly over top of a simple shuffle, marrying older ideas with contemporary 1970s ones. It’s a real testament to ZZ Top’s range of influences and to how they pushed the blues-rock genre forward.

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