Though I missed it by a couple decades, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the music of the 1970s. The seventies saw rock n’ roll explode into dozens of diverse subgenres, pop songwriting reach new heights, and funk become a fixture of popular music. And I haven’t even mentioned disco, a genre that deserves an entire article itself. But one musical relic of the 1970s can be a bit divisive: a type of classic rock anthem I’ll be referring to as the “saga song.”
These songs are stylistically diverse, but they have a few things in common:
Song length: These bad boys are looong. Especially if you’re listening to a live version.
Multiple sections: These songs are broken up into distinct sections with different instrumentation and energy.
A bitchin’ guitar solo: While it’s not a requirement for a saga song, most of these tunes have a dedicated 3-5 minutes for their virtuosic guitarists to show off.
The songs on this list are, without a doubt, classics. But after decades of radio play, and with runtimes that occasionally overstay their welcome, saga songs have weathered their fair share of criticism. As a fan of many saga songs myself, I’ve taken the liberty of breaking down the upsides and downsides of some of the most iconic saga songs of the 1970s.
Stairway to Heaven
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Released: 1971
Runtime: 8:02
Upsides:
Marriage of folk and hard rock perfectly encapsulates Led Zeppelin’s diverse style
Recognizes need for more recorders in rock music
This one DEFINITELY wasn’t stolen, guys!
Downsides:
Disappointing lack of references to Lord of the Rings
Satanic messaging a little heavy-handed
Song’s full potential wasn’t realized until Dave Grohl covered it
American Pie
Artist: Don McLean
Released: 1971
Runtime: 8:33
Upsides:
Available in a four-minute version, thank God
Better than “We Didn’t Start The Fire”
Unprecedented success in rhyming “Chevy” with “levee”
Downsides:
Disturbing lack of guitar solo, bitchin’ or otherwise
Film COMPLETELY deviates from the plot of the song
Apparently, whole “day the music died” thing was meant to be taken literally
Free Bird
Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Released: 1973
Runtime: 9:08
Upsides:
Solidified the place of Southern rock within the canon of rock history
Arguably the most bitchin’ guitar solo on this list
DJs able to take their time in the bathroom for once
Downsides:
“FREE BIRD!”
Bohemian Rhapsody
Artist: Queen
Released: 1975
Runtime: 5:55
Upsides:
Compositional masterpiece that showcased Queen’s vast range of influences
Gave us this iconic scene from Wayne’s World
Really fun to sing “Galileo!” in that high voice
Downsides:
A measly five minutes and fifty-five seconds
Serves as poor guide on how to get away with murder
Responsible for more “I was born in the wrong generation” complaints than any other song in the history of popular music
Hotel California
Artist: The Eagles
Released: 1977
Runtime: 6:08
Upsides:
Thought-provoking lyrics with multiple interpretations
Intro too complicated for average Guitar Center customer
Contained groundbreaking revelation that there might be a dark side to LA
Downsides:
We’re all too stupid to understand why Don Henley called wine a spirit
Honestly, I prefer “Take It Easy”
Dreading the day someone makes “AirBnb California” parody
Nitpicking aside, these songs have earned their overplayed-ness. If you haven’t heard these before, 1) How? and 2) definitely go give them a listen. In the far more probable scenario that you don’t know much from these bands beyond what’s on this list, I encourage you to dive into their discographies. There are plenty of deep cuts that could go toe-to-toe with any song on this list.
Lyle B.