The Shocking Backstories Behind 10 Megahits from the 1970s

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00:00The Shocking Backstories Behind 10 Mega Hits from the 1970s

00:0410. American Pie, Don McClane

00:08McClane's 8-minute epic anchors America's story to 1959's Crash, The Day the Music

00:14Died, Melding Grief, Cryptic Commentary, and Hooks

00:189. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, Vicki Lawrence

00:23This 1972 Southern Gothic hit masks a shocking twist, sister as killer.

00:29Its upbeat delivery provoking debates over small-town justice.

00:338. I Shot the Sheriff, Bob Marley

00:36Released in 1973, Marley's metaphor-laden protest resonated globally.

00:42Clapton's 1974 cover amplified its ambiguous defiance against oppressive authority.

00:487. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot

00:52Lightfoot recounts 1975's Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with reported details.

00:58Later revising lyrics, honoring all 29 Lost Great Lakes sailors.

01:046. Heart of Gold, Neil Young

01:06Young's 1972 folk rock ballad, which became his only number one hit in the United States,

01:13combines warm harmonica and acoustic tones with a quest for authenticity.

01:165. Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2

01:21Confronting the 1972 Bloody Sunday Massacre, U2 pairs martial rhythms and impassioned vocals,

01:28memorializing tragedy while urging peace worldwide.

01:324. Smoke on the Water, Deep Purple

01:35Born from Montreux's 1971 casino fire during a Zappa show, its riff and lyrics captured disaster,

01:42peaking at number 4.

01:443. Hurricane, Bob Dylan

01:47Dylan's 1975 epic spotlighted Reuben Hurricane Carter's wrongful conviction,

01:53fueling fundraising and scrutiny that preceded his 1985 exoneration.

01:575. Ohio, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

02:02Written after Life's Kent State photos, this protest single answered May 1970's tragedy,

02:08faced radio bands, and reached number 14.

02:126. Cats in the Cradle, Harry Chapin

02:15Inspired by Sandy Chapin's poem, this 1974 hit chronicles neglected fatherhood.

02:22Chapin's 1981 death deepened its enduring poignancy.