4 Songs From 1973 Every Kid Heard While Riding in the Family Car to School Each Morning

Remember what it was like to roll out of bed on weekday mornings and jump into your family’s car to head to school? That often short period of time was how many a young 70s kid got exposed to the popular music of today through the car radio. And if you’re a 70s kid, I bet you heard these four stellar radio hit songs from 1973 on your way to school. You might even have them memorized. Let’s take a look, shall we?

“You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” by Stevie Wonder from ‘Talking Book’

This Stevie Wonder classic was virtually inescapable back in 1973. “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” dropped in spring and was a radio go-to for months afterward, well through the end of the year. It’s a gorgeous soul-pop tune, one that topped the charts in the US and earned Wonder a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

“Wildflower” by Skylark from ‘Skylark’

Some might consider this blue-eyed soul soft rock tune to be a bit of a deep cut. But once the meat of the song kicks in, there’s not a 70s kid out there who isn’t transported back in time immediately. “Wildflower” by Skylark topped the Canadian Top Singles chart in 1973. It also made it far on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 9.

“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce from ‘Life And Times’

Jim Croce would pass away in a plane accident just a few months after this boogie-woogie song hit the airwaves. Much of his discography from 1973 has a bittersweet vibe with this context. But there’s still something about “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” that makes 70s kids want to get up and dance. “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and did similarly well in Canada.

“Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group from ‘They Only Come Out At Night’

A song doesn’t have to have lyrics to be memorable. Enter “Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group. This is an instrumental prog-rock classic with a touch of bluesiness that has stood the test of time. Despite being wordless, this song was a radio smash hit. “Frankenstein” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 18 on the UK Singles chart. And if you listened to this 1973 entry on our list of songs on your way to school back in the day, I know you were jamming out.

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