4 Songs From the 70s That Were Coming-Of-Age Classics for Baby Boomers

If you were a teenager in the 70s, there’s a pretty good chance that you heard these songs. If you’re a part of the baby boomer generation, there’s also a chance you were a teen or in your twenties around this time. Listen to this for a glimmer of nostalgia and a quick blast to the past.

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac

Famously written about Fleetwood Mac frontwoman Stevie Nicks, “Go Your Own Way” is a song about letting someone go and closing the chapter on a relationship that’s no longer serving you. To the listener, though, it probably sounds like a song about personal independence and chasing your destiny. For a young person figuring out what they want in the world, it would be no surprise if this Rumours track was on repeat.

“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Fun fact: this song was actually meant to be a bit of a response to Neil Young, who had released songs that painted the South as racist and too traditional. Hence, the lyrics:

Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her (a Southern man)
Well, I heard ol’ Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow.

“Sweet Home Alabama” disregards these narratives and sings about how blue the skies are instead.

“American Pie” by Don McLean

For an American teenager, there are likely few songs that hit quite as poetically as Don McLean’s “American Pie”. McLean sings about “the day the music died,” religion, politics, and the changes in society at the time. Even though it’s currently regarded as a great song by many, as McLean once shared with American Songwriter, “American Pie” wasn’t always received in the way it is now.

“It was a well-written song, and I felt it was a really good idea,” he shared. “But when I first played it, people yawned. They didn’t know what I was talking about. It was way too long…”

“More Than A Feeling” by Boston

Even if you’re not under 20, there’s something incredibly nostalgic about this Boston song, which was, in a way, written about how music can take you back to a specific place or time.

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
I lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes and I slipped away.

Photo by: Ron Pownall/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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