4 Rowdy Rock Songs From 1973 That Will Remind You of Your Favorite Bar

Dive bars and 1970s rock ‘n’ roll go together like a cold beer and a shot, paid for in cash to a bartender who is blissfully indifferent to you even being in the dimly lit room aglow with vintage neon beer signs (and also one small television set from 1991 playing the original Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze). The local dive. The watering hole. Indeed, the place where social butterflies and introverts can co-exist among pool tables, Smoke Eaters, and a smattering of local yokel regulars.

If you’re not already feeling nostalgic for your favorite hole-in-the-wall dive bar, then these four rock songs from 1973 ought to do the trick.

“Gimme Three Steps” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd cemented their status as having one of the best storytelling songs set in a dive bar with the 1973 release of their iconic rock track, “Gimme Three Steps”. The song has come to define their musical career, featuring signature guitar riffs and a hilarious story told in Ronnie Van Zant’s charming Southern drawl. Even if your favorite dive doesn’t see many bar fights, this song perfectly captures the gritty, smoky energy of the bar.

“La Grange” by ZZ Top

Southern rock makes the perfect dive bar songs because they’re powerful without being aggressive and driving without being rushed. Dive bars don’t need to scream their message. They say it quietly in affordable drink specials and strict no-bulls**t policies. “La Grange” by ZZ Top is the quintessential Southern rock song, and it’s also the perfect accompaniment for playing darts with a Miller Lite in hand.

“The Ballroom Blitz” by Sweet

Sweet’s “The Ballroom Blitz” embodies the dive bar on a night when everyone and their grandma seemed to have the same idea, turning a shadowy hole-in-the-wall into a loud, bustling cacophony of noise. Sure, these nights aren’t ideal for the regulars who prefer it slow and quiet. But there’s something weirdly heartwarming about the Everyman experience of seeing multiple walks of life in the same bar.

“Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh

Finally, closing our tab on this list of dive bar rock songs is the shuffling, lackadaisical, but immensely grooving Joe Walsh hit, “Rocky Mountain Way”. The song moves along at a comfortable pace, never pushing itself past a slow churn. And for a dive bar where everyone keeps to themselves and follows their own pace, it’s the perfect rock song to hear pop up on the jukebox.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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