3 Soft Rock Songs From 1972 That Had Baby Boomers Crying by the Radio

Sometimes, you just need a good cry, and music can often be a great way to get those tears moving. The following soft rock songs from 1972 had more than a few baby boomers at the time crying by the radio. They might still have the same effect today.

“Pieces Of April” by Three Dog Night from ‘Seven Separate Foods’

“I’ve got pieces of April / I keep’em in a memory bouquet / I’ve got pieces of April / It’s a morning in May.”

This delicate lovey-dovey mess of a soft rock tune was a shoo-in for our list, namely because it perfectly balanced sentimental, tear-jerking lyrics with that notable 70s soft rock sound. It comes as no surprise that a lot of people listened to “Pieces Of April” by Three Dog Night back in 1972 and got a little bit emotional. This soft rock hit, written by Dave Loggins, peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 6 on the Easy Listening chart.

“I Need You” by America from ‘America’

“I need you / Like the flower needs the rain / You know, I need you / Guess I’ll start it all again.”

America dropped a few heartbreaking ballads back in the day, but the gentle and romantic “I Need You” has a vulnerability to it that just stands out. If you went through a breakup back in the 70s or at any point in time, really, this song probably got a big reaction out of you. The heartbreaker “I Need You” definitely resonated with listeners back then. The song rose to No. 9 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 7 on the Easy Listening chart.

“Alive” by Bee Gees from ‘To Whom It May Concern’

“I ain’t lost and I ain’t searching / But then you know me very well / And I can’t change the wind and make it blow the other way / I’m a fool and I can tell.”

No, we’re not talking about “Stayin’ Alive”. I’m not sure that disco hit could make anyone cry, unless you really hate disco. We’re talking about the 1972 symphonic soft rock ballad “Alive”, one of the band’s earlier songs from their mostly not-disco era.

Nothing gets the tears rolling like a tender piano ballad, and this melancholy entry on our list of soft rock songs from 1972 fits the bill. “Alive” by Bee Gees was a minor hit for the band, peaking at No. 34 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 20 on the Easy Listening chart.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images

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