5 Pop Songs From the 1970s That Will Make Any Baby Boomer Feel Like a Teenager Again

The music we listen to as teens, for better or worse, sticks with us more than other tracks. This is a time when we’re developing our identities, finding our interests, and carving out our style. Consequently, the music we hear around this time in our lives tends to bleed over into these definitions, too. For baby boomers who were in their teens and early twenties in the 1970s, these five pop songs are sure to transport you back to your younger years.

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA

Oh, to be young, sweet, and only seventeen, right? “Dancing Queen” by ABBA has long been the de facto anthem for young dancers. Baby boomers who remember when this song first came out likely also remember dancing to the song themselves, maybe clad in platforms, bell bottoms, and feathered hair. The inherent youthfulness of this track is infectious and highly appealing to all ages.

“September” by Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire’s massive hit “September” might be an obvious pick for its nostalgic “do you remember” hook. However, it’s an appropriate pick nonetheless. Not only was this song virtually inescapable in the late 1970s, meaning even people who didn’t like disco were listening to it. But like the previous ABBA track, there’s a carefree energy to this song that reminds us what it was like to be 18 and full of vim and vigor.

“Grease” by Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli’s title theme for the 1978 film Grease is one that will teleport most baby boomers back to when they first heard this groovy track. Depending on how many times you’ve watched the film, you’ll probably also go through a Rolodex of cartoon images from the movie’s opening credits, too. Why did they make Rizzo look like that?

“That’s The Way (I Like It)” by KC And The Sunshine Band

KC And The Sunshine Band were masters of the dance floor in the 1970s, and songs like “That’s The Way (I Like It)” solidified that status. The beats are so infectious and the hooks so memorable that it’s hard not to associate at least some parts of your younger years with this track if you were a teenager when it first came out. Hopefully, it conjures more happy memories from the dance floor than bad ones.

“Rich Girl” by Daryl Hall & John Oates

Daryl Hall and John Oates’ “Rich Girl” has the kind of petulant, defiant streak that teenagers can really get on with, which is why most baby boomers will find that this song makes them feel, well, like a teenager again. Was it ironic that a bunch of teenagers were singing about someone relying on their “old man’s money?” Maybe. But teenagers care more about attitude than irony, and this song had plenty of both.

Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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