My Top 10 Favorite Pop-Piano Intros from the 1970's.
Lot's of songs. Which ones do you remember? - Part One.
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Thank-you, Dave.
This is my first non-guitar, "My Top Favorites" list. This is about those classic 70's songs that begin with a piano introduction that is so memorable, you immediately know the song in a matter of seconds. How many of these do you remember, and which ones are your favorites too?
1) Beth - Kiss (1976)
I was a 13 year old kid in 7th grade junior high school when this song was all over the AM radio. It was such a dramatic departure from the normal Kiss rock songs, that many of my classmates had a hard time believing that it was indeed, the band Kiss. The girls loved it, which made the boys have to like it too. Back then, I listened to WLS out of Chicago on my pocket transistor radio as my main source of pop music. John Records Landecker played this song almost every night during his program, which probably helped it become such a huge hit.
2) Lady - Styx (1973)
Hard to believe this song is 50-years-old this year. Styx, originally from Chicago - and speaking of WLS and their legendary disc jockey, John Records Landecker - who played a massively integral part in getting this song put into regular rotation at 8 o'clock every night until it became a monster hit for the band. "Lady" is absolutely one of my all time favorite Styx songs.
3) Mandy - Barry Manilow (1974)
For those of us old enough to remember the music of the 1970's, Barry Manilow was all over the radio back then. His pop-music formula of injecting obligatory modulation/key changes in so many of his songs, became an almost expectation for diehard Manilow fans. Sometimes, he would even change them a few times during the song. This song has always been one of my favorite songs from the 1970's, let alone it being from Manilow. Something about this song reminds me of fond memories of Autumn in Wisconsin.
4) Same old Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg (1981)
This song gets played a lot over the Holidays, and for good reason. Such a storybook, romantic memory of two former high school lovers, and a chance meeting at the only open hometown convenience store on Christmas eve. The woman in the story, Jill Gruelich, revealed her identity shortly after Fogelberg's death in December 2007. This song paints such a classic portrait of "what might have been..." As a diehard Fogelberg fan, "The Innocent Age" album is one of my absolute favorites from him. So many great songs on this album.
5) Too late - Carole King (1971)
"Tapestry" is such a monster album. When you hear that opening "Arpeggiated A minor 7" chord on her piano, you know exactly which song it is. Lot's of brooding, dark and light colors, and passion in this song.
6) New York State of Mind - Billy Joel (1976)
I've never been to the Big Apple, but I've heard the stories. This song paints a perspective of what it must be like to be a New Yorker. Sometimes wanting to leave it all, while wrestling with the melancholy need to be back home. Joel's unique approach to using jazz piano chords along with a saxophone solo, washed in cinematic orchestral strings, can give you the sense of actually being in the big city, even if you've never been.
7) Close to you - Carpenters, the (1970)
This song and "We've only just begun"…
launched the brother-sister duo, Karen and Richard Carpenter into super-stardom. Their squeaky clean, white bread, Americana persona didn't get in the way of their creation of some of the most memorable "light-pop" songs of the 1970's. Arguably one of the most amazing female vocalists of all time, Karen unfortunately took her gifts to the grave, far too early.
8) Goodbye yellow brick road - Elton John (1973)
Like Barry Manilow, Elton John also filled the AM radio airwaves with so many classic pop hits in the 1970's, it's difficult to pick a favorite. Goodbye yellow brick road, is the title track of his 1973 album of the same name, that boasts amazing hits like, "Candle in the wind",
"Bennie and the Jets",
and "Saturday nights alright for fighting".
9) I'd really love to see you tonight - England Dan and John Ford Coley (1976)
The great thing about the popular music from the 1970's was the simple fact that artists were not afraid to incorporate jazz chords in their songs. This song is an example of such amazing writing. The album "Nights are forever" made it to #17 in the "Billboard Top 200 songs for 1976" for good reason. Just another great 70's pop song.
10) Lean on me - Bill Withers (1972)
You can't have 70's music without including Soul and R&B music. Just another great reminder of how important 1970's music truly was. They simply don't make songs like that anymore, and that's a damned shame. I was one of the lucky kids who grew up with this music, I can remember most of the words to many of those great songs from that decade.
I hope you enjoyed my list. By all means, comment below, your favorite Pop-Piano intro song from the 1970's.