Pop music’s inherent mass appeal has given it a bad reputation for catering to the lowest common denominator, but just because something is universally likable doesn’t make it vapid. Plenty of pop songs are powerful, moving, and downright goosebump-inducing, and that’s especially true of these four pop songs from 1976.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
“Bohemian Rhapsody” has become something of a cliché in the decades that followed its October 1975 release. After rising to the top echelon of pop songs in 1976, the song has maintained a steady presence in the classic rock world and pop culture as a whole (looking at you, Wayne’s World). Nevertheless, its ubiquity doesn’t negate its emotional power. When Freddie Mercury really digs into the lines “Mama, oooh, didn’t mean to make you cry, if I’m not back again this time tomorrow, carry on,” I get instant goosebumps. Every time.
“Say You Love Me” by Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac was riding a creative peak in the mid-1970s with the introduction of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. From the two musicians’ impressive talents to the wellspring of writing material that came from their interpersonal relationships, 1976 saw some of the band’s best hits rise to the top of the pop songs chart. “Say You Love Me” is one of the less moody offerings from this time period (written by Christine McVie, who also sang lead vocals). But it’s still just as goosebump-inducing. I’m a sucker for vocal harmonies and straightforward rock grooves, and this song is chock full of both.
“Let ‘Em In” by Wings
Of all the songs that Paul McCartney has written, “Let ‘Em In” might not be the most profound. The song is full of character names and musical painting, which is something McCartney was demonstrating long before Wings in his time with The Beatles. (“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and its many ringing anvils come to mind.) As fluffy as it might feel at first glance, the drop to the minor V chord in the chorus is one of those delightfully juicy transitions that catches your ear and sends chills up and down your arms.
“The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy
At the risk of revealing my embarrassingly sensitive empath tendencies, I find it hard not to get swept up into someone else’s emotion if they’re displaying it convincingly enough. Songs like Thin Lizzy’s 1976 hit “The Boys Are Back In Town” are nostalgic and machismo-y almost to a fault, yet the sheer joy that those harmonizing guitars create is hard to resist. This feel-good rock track makes you feel like you’re a part of the gang of boys that are back causing a ruckus at their old haunts, too.
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