4 Songs From 1971 Every Kid Heard While Riding in the Family Car to School Each Morning

If you were a 70s kid, I bet you have a ton of memories of jumping into the family car on weekday mornings and heading to school, all while listening to hit songs on the radio. The following four songs from 1971, specifically, are probably still burned into your brain. Let’s get nostalgic and revisit some childhood soundtrack songs that might just send you back in time in an instant.

“Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin from ‘Pearl’

This one’s bittersweet, considering that Janis Joplin passed away before Pearl was released. But as a kid riding in the family car on the way to school, I bet many a 70s kid jammed out to this popular radio hit. “Me And Bobby McGee” was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, but Joplin’s blues rock version of the song is the one most people remember. This tune peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it remains one of Joplin’s most enduring hits.

“Joy To The World” by Three Dog Night from ‘Naturally’

How about some soulful rock? This hit track from Three Dog Night was all over the radio throughout 1971. I bet many 70s kids heard it quite a few times. “Joy To The World” might not be instantly recognizable by the title alone, but hear the lyrics “Jeremiah was a bullfrog,” and you’ll be transported back in time instantly. “Joy To The World” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.

“How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” by Bee Gees from ‘Trafalgar’

Bee Gees had quite a time in the 1970s. And one of their biggest hits remains “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”. This country-flavored pop tune was the group’s first No. 1 hit in the US, and I can see why. It’s a delightful song, one that was written by the stellar songwriting partnership of Barry and Robin Gibb.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver from ‘Poems, Prayers & Promises’

I’m not even a 70s kid, and this song reminds me of my childhood. Heck, I’m not even from West Virginia, and this song makes me feel nostalgic for the beautiful landscapes of that very state. That’s the effect that “Take Me Home, Country Roads” had and still has on people. This is probably the most memorable of all the 1971 songs on our list, and many 70s kids belted out the lyrics to this No. 2 John Denver hit on the way to school. Perhaps to the dismay of their parents.

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