Unearthing Forgotten Sounds

The Vinyl Resurrection: Unearthing Forgotten Sounds

70s Edition

What if the greatest music you've never heard is pressed onto a forgotten vinyl record? We're embarking on a thrilling archaeological dig, not for ancient relics, but for the soul-stirring tracks and unsung artists buried in the depths of obscure vinyl collections. Prepare to have your musical tastes expanded as we resurrect these hidden gems and explore their profound connection to music's past.

Let’s brush the dust off a few grooves and listen for the ghosts hiding between the crackles.

Here are 1970s songs that often feel forgotten, overlooked, or quietly lost to time. Not chart monsters, not classic-rock-radio lifers, but deep cuts that still breathe.

Soul, Funk & R&B (the velvet basement)

Shuggie Otis – “Strawberry Letter 23” (1971 original version)
Syl Johnson – “Is It Because I’m Black” (1970)
The Independents – “Leaving Me” (1973)
Willie Hutch – “I Choose You” (1973)

Folk, Singer-Songwriter & Laurel Canyon Orphans

Judee Sill – “Jesus Was a Cross Maker” (1971)
Karen Dalton – “Something on Your Mind” (1971)
Jackson C. Frank – “Blues Run the Game” (re-emerged in the 70s)
Tim Buckley – “Song to the Siren” (1970)

Rock & Psychedelia (the almost-famous)

Big Star – “Thirteen” (1972)
The Zombies – “Care of Cell 44” (1968 but rediscovered in the 70s)
Blue Öyster Cult – “Astronomy” (1974 original)
Badfinger – “Baby Blue” (1971)

Proto-Alternative, Weird, and Ahead of Their Time

Television – “Marquee Moon” (1977)
Can – “Vitamin C” (1972)
Suicide – “Dream Baby Dream” (1978)

Soft Rock & AM Radio Ghosts

Seals & Crofts – “Summer Breeze” (1972)
Bread – “Diary” (1972)
Looking Glass – “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” (1972)

Why these feel “forgotten” They were:

Too emotional for macho rock
Too weird for radio
Too sincere for trends
Or released at the wrong cultural moment

They survived mostly through vinyl crates, late-night DJs, and people who listen instead of skim.