Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Must-Hear Soft Rock Hits From 1971

The early 1970s were a great time for adult contemporary music. And many a baby boomer jammed out to some seriously amazing soft rock songs from the year 1971, specifically. Let’s revisit just a few hits from the “chiller” side of 70s rock that are still hard to forget after all these years.

“It’s Too Late” by Carole King from ‘Tapestry’

Carole King was sort of dominating this more mellow, softer corner of rock music in 1971 with her legendary album Tapestry. There are tons of great songs throughout that record, but to me, nothing quite holds a candle to “It’s Too Late”. This pop-oriented soft rock classic with a touch of jazz resonated with baby boomer listeners at the time, too. “It’s Too Late” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“You’ve Got A Friend” by James Taylor from ‘Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon’

Speaking of Carole King, she makes our list again for another song from Tapestry. But the version of this song you probably remember was released by James Taylor (with backing vocals from none other than Joni Mitchell) just a few months after.

Taylor’s version of “You’ve Got A Friend” was a smash hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Cash Box Top 100 charts in the US.

“Peace Train” by Cat Stevens from ‘Teaser And The Firecat’

This folkier entry on our list of baby boomer-beloved soft rock jams from 1971 comes from the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens. “Peace Train” was the singer-songwriter’s first Top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart.

“Sooner Or Later” by The Grass Roots from ‘Their 16 Greatest Hits’

How about a song that’s more on the underrated or “deep cut” side of soft rock songs from 1971 that baby boomer listeners still love? “Sooner Or Later” by The Grass Roots is soft rock at its finest. And it was quite a hit when it first dropped. The tune reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 chart. And yet, I don’t hear it that much anymore. Give it a spin, and you might become an instant fan.

Photo by Jim McCrary/Redferns

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