3 Soft Rock Songs From 1979 That Had Baby Boomers Crying by the Radio

Ever heard a song so emotional and relatable, you couldn’t help but shed a tear? For baby boomers, plenty of soft rock songs that dropped in the year 1979 had them crying right by the radio. The following three songs, in particular, might still have that effect on you if they made you tear up years ago.

“Just When I Needed You Most” by Randy VanWarmer from ‘Warmer’

“Now most every morning, I stare out the window / And I think about where you might be / I’ve written you letters that I’d like to send / If you would just send one to me.”

This is, in my opinion, a fairly underrated breakup song in retrospect. I don’t hear Randy VanWarmer’s “Just When I Needed You Most” on classic rock radio much anymore, and that’s a shame. This song had listeners in shambles back in 1979, especially if one was going through a rough breakup.

“Just When I Needed You Most” by Randy VanWarmer was a No. 4 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979. The soft rock tune also reached the Top 10 globally.

“Sad Eyes” by Robert John from ‘Robert John’

“Sad eyes, turn the other way / I don’t want to see you cry / Sad eyes, you knew there’d come a day / When we would have to say goodbye.”

Robert John’s wistful heartbreaker “Sad Eyes” tells a tale as old as time… A woman’s lover leaves her to return to another woman. The doo-wop vibe of this track makes it even more heartbreaking.

“Sad Eyes” by Robert John did well in the US, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100. The song also did numbers in Canada and Australia.

“After The Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire from ‘I Am’

“For awhile, we paid no mind to the past / We knew love would last / Every night, something right / Would invite us to begin the day.”

Earth, Wind & Fire knew their way around soft rock bangers. And they were also good at putting together seriously heartwrenching songs. “After The Love Has Gone” is easily one of the most tear-inducing soft rock songs of 1979. Plus, the overall arrangement and those gorgeous harmonies just keep hitting after all these years.

“After The Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire was a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100 chart in 1979. The track also made it to No. 4 on the UK charts. It has since been sampled and covered by the likes of Airplay, Phil Perry, Tommy Emmanuel, Damage, Donny Osmond, and others.

Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images

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