3 Rock Songs From 1971 You Heard While Shopping at the Mall With Your Friends

Were you a teenager back in 1971? If so, you probably spent a bit of time at the mall. Mall culture as we know it didn’t quite become such a big deal for youths until the 1990s and early 2000s. But malls and shopping centers definitely existed back in the 1970s. And they were a hotspot for teens to hang out even back then. And if you loved rock music back in 1971, these three songs probably graced your ears from your local shopping center’s speakers to your delight. Let’s get nostalgic, shall we?

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who from ‘Who’s Next’

This progressive rock classic from The Who was a pretty big hit by mid-1971, having peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 9 on the UK Singles chart. It was hard to miss on the radio, and likewise got some airplay on shopping center speakers for a time. Though, I don’t expect this song to have made it to a ton of malls, considering its somewhat controversial subject matter that criticizes power and revolution in tandem. But if you were a young The Who fan and heard it out in the wild, you were probably thrilled.

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

Janis Joplin’s death in 1970 shook the rock world. She was an incredible vocalist. Unsurprisingly, when her posthumous album Pearl dropped months later, it was all any blues rock fan was listening to. “Me And Bobby McGee” is the biggest song from that album, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Fun fact: This song was originally penned by Kris Kristofferson, who didn’t know that Joplin delivered such an incredible cover until after her passing.

“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” by Paul and Linda McCartney from ‘Ram’

I wasn’t alive back in 1971, but if I was, I would have busted a move at the mall if this entry on our list of rock songs came on the speakers. Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram deserved way more love back in 1971, in my opinion. And this particular anthemic progressive pop-rock tune is easily the best song on the album. “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” was a No. 1 smash hit on the Hot 100 chart and did similarly well internationally.

(Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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