The 70 greatest opening tracks of the ’70s

By Steve Newton

Remember how you’d set the needle down on the opening track of a new rock album and the first tune would just blow you the funk away?

Me too.

“(Ain’t Nothin’ But a) House Party” (Bloodshot, J. Geils Band, 1973)

“All the Way From Memphis” (Mott, Mott the Hoople, 1973)

“Already Gone” (On the Border, Eagles, 1974)

“American Woman” (American Woman, The Guess Who, 1970)

“Aqualung” (Aqualung, Jethro Tull, 1973)

“Baba O’Riley” (Who’s Next, the Who, 1971)

“Back in the Saddle” (Rocks, Aerosmith, 1976)

“Band on the Run” (Band on the Run, Paul McCartney and Wings, 1974)

“Barracuda” (Little Queen, Heart, 1977)

“Beautiful Loser” (Beautiful Loser, Bob Seger, 1975)

“Black Dog” (Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin, 1971)

“Burn” (Burn, Deep Purple, 1974)

“Call Me the Breeze” (Naturally, J.J. Cale, 1972)

“Caught in a Dream” (Love it to Death, Alice Cooper, 1971)

“Day of the Eagle” (Bridge of Sighs, Robin Trower, 1974)

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, AC/DC, 1976)

“Do It Again” (Can’t Buy a Thrill, Steely Dan, 1972)

“Draw the Line” (Draw the Line, Aerosmith, 1977)

“Drivin’ Wheel” (Night Shift, Foghat, 1976)

“Finding My Way” (Rush, Rush, 1973)

“Follow Me” (Top Priority, Rory Gallagher, 1979)

“Fool For the City” (Fool For the City, Foghat, 1975)

“Funk #49” (The James Gang Rides Again, the James Gang, 1970)

“Get Out of Denver” (Seven, Bob Seger, 1974)

“Gimme Your Money Please” (Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, 1973)

“Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” (Straight Shooter, Bad Company, 1974)

“Gunsmoke” (Hurry Sundown, the Outlaws, 1977)

“Hair of the Dog” (Hair of the Dog, Nazareth, 1975)

“Highway to Hell” (Highway to Hell, AC/DC, 1979)

“Highway Star” (Machine Head, Deep Purple, 1972)

“Hurricane” (Desire, Bob Dylan, 1976)

“I Feel the Earth Move” (Tapestry, Carole King, 1971)

“I Just Want to Make Love to You” (Foghat, Foghat, 1971)

“Imagine” (Imagine, John Lennon, 1971)

“Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin, 1970)

“Jailbreak” (Jailbreak, Thin Lizzy, 1976)

“Keep Yourself Alive” (Queen, Queen, 1973)

“Kid Charlemagne” (The Royal Scam, Steely Dan, 1976)

“Listen to the Music” (Toulouse Street, Doobie Brothers, 1972)

“London Calling” (London Calling, The Clash, 1979)

“Long May You Run” (Long May You Run, Stills-Young Band, 1976)

“Love Is the Drug” (Siren, Roxy Music, 1975)

“Magic Man” (Dreamboat Annie, Heart, 1975)

“Man on the Silver Mountain” (Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Rainbow, 1975)

“Mississippi Queen” (Climbing!, Mountain, 1970)

“Miss You” (Some Girls, Rolling Stones, 1978)

“More Than a Feeling” (Boston, Boston, 1976)

“Once Bitten Twice Shy” (Ian Hunter, Ian Hunter, 1975)

“One of These Days” (Meddle, Pink Floyd, 1971)

“Only You Can Rock Me” (Obsession, UFO, 1978)

“Paradise Skies” (A Million Vacations, Max Webster, 1973)

“Personality Crisis” (New York Dolls, New York Dolls, 1973)

“Razamanaz” (Razamanaz, Nazareth, 1973)

“Refugee” (Damn the Torpedoes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1979)

“Rock the Nation” (Montrose, Montrose, 1973)

“Roundabout” (Fragile, Yes, 1971)

“Safe European Home” (Give ‘Em Enough Rope, The Clash, 1978)

“Same Rain Falls” (Long Misty Days, Robin Trower, 1976)

“Saturday Night Special” (Nuthin’ Fancy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1975)

“Speedy’s Coming” (Fly to the Rainbow, Scorpions, 1974)

“Station to Station” (Station to Station, David Bowie, 1976)

“Strutter” (Kiss, Kiss, 1974)

“Surrender” (Heaven Tonight, Cheap Trick, 1978)

“Tattoo’d Lady” (Tattoo, Rory Gallagher, 1973)

“Tell Mama” (Street Corner Talking, Savoy Brown, 1971)

“Tie Your Mother Down” (A Day at the Races, Queen, 1976)

“Too Hot to Handle” (Lights Out, UFO, 1977)

“Transmaniacon MC” (Blue Oyster Cult, Blue Oyster Cult, 1972)

“Watch That Man” (Aladdin Sane, David Bowie, 1973)

“Wheels of Fortune” (Takin’ It to the Streets, Doobie Brothers, 1976)

“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (Talking Book, Stevie Wonder, 1972)

“Yours Is No Disgrace” (The Yes Album, Yes, 1971)