Blues Image was a cool Tampa-based band of rockers that released an incredible groove on April of 1970. “Ride Captain Ride” became the band’s massive hit single, reaching number 4 in US and Canadian charts.
The song told the story about ’73 men that sailed up from the San Francisco Bay’. And why 73? Because that was the number of keys on band singer Mike Pinera’s piano. Even though this was the only Blues Image smash hit, the song was later covered by famous band Blood, Sweat and Tears, and it had a second chance of fame thanks to being featured in the movie ‘Anchorman’.
"Love Hurts" by Nazareth
Released in 1974, Nazareth's lead singer Dan McCafferty certainly sang his heart out with the legendary tune "Love Hurts". The song, which instantly became a worldwide anthem for breakups and heartaches, was one of the most memorable and successful of its kind.
Nazareth's band members were all Scottish, but their hit still topped charts in the U.S., Norway and the Netherlands when it was released. Even though the song was a cover, McCafferty's unmistakable yell over the otherwise soft ballad is what gives it the special something that made "Love Hurts" into one of the most epic heartbreak songs in history.
"O-o-h Child" by Five Stairsteps
In a time when the Vietnam war was at its worst and people were struggling to keep their hopes up, Five Stairsteps positive, heartwarming song, "O-o-h Child" was like a breath of fresh air. The 1970's hit-filled the radio waves with much-needed hope, and listeners loved it.
The band was certainly unique, as they were all siblings that came from the soul music scene in Chicago. But one of them, singer Alohe, took the spirit of the '70s a little too literally; he left the band a few years after their hit came out to find enlightenment.
"Venus" by Shocking Blue
If you never heard the original 1970's version of "Venus", you've probably still heard it about a thousand times from the famous Venus women's shaving razor commercials. But thanks to the tune basically becoming a TV anthem, many don't remember, or even know, that the original was sung by the band Shocking Blue.
The four-member band from the Netherlands wrote the timeless psychedelic song as a nostalgic goodbye tribute to the music of the '60s. We guess naming a song after a Roman goddess paid off, since the song topped the charts in nine countries shortly after its release.
"Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum
"Spirit in the Sky" is one of those songs that will live forever. Written by American singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, the song is an extremely cool rock tribute to Jesus (aka 'the spirit in the sky'). Ironically, Greenbaum was an inveterate hippie raised in an Orthodox Jewish family!
The song, which he apparently wrote in 15 minutes, was an insane hit back in 1969. So much so, that it has actually topped music charts in three separate occasions, by three different musicians. Greenbaum claims to have been inspired by famous American singer Porter Waggoner, whom he saw one night singing gospel on TV.