As someone who primarily listens to music that was released before I was born, it can be a challenge for “new music” to find its way onto my playlists and into regular rotation. While few and far between, a select gathering of tracks seem to reveal themselves every month through being suggested after playlists finish or shuffling artists.
Here are three songs, all released over 40 years ago, that made it through the cracks and onto my Spotify “On Repeat” playlist in March.
“Southern Girls” — Cheap Trick (1977)
I heard “Southern Girls” a few times throughout the beginning of this year, but it wasn’t until early this month that I found myself seeking out the song. Better late than never, however, as the track has consistently been a go-to for me when opening Spotify over the last few weeks.
Opening with a rollicking, cymbal-driven drum track from Bun E. Carlos, the song never loses steam through the rapid-fire lyrics and well-placed guitar licks. The piano is a subtle but welcome touch, and its combination with the bass pulls the lower end out in the mix.
The up-tempo section in the middle caught me off guard during my first few listens but makes for a satisfying return to a descending final verse.
The lively single may be even better live in concert, as the “BUDOKAN! (30th Anniversary)” version features even more crafty guitar from Rick Nielsen and crowd screams just adds to the song’s charm.
“Lawyers in Love” — Jackson Browne (1983)
“Lawyers in Love” is a peculiar track. As is the case with much of Browne’s best work, the production holds up with anything released today. The song slides seamlessly from organ-driven soft rock to extraterrestrial synth, with bending guitar chords and a tom-heavy drum part connecting it throughout.
What does date the song, though, is the lyrical commentary on politics during the Cold War.
As a history buff, the words are half of the fun in hearing the song. For a listener less concerned with the past and more interested in just finding a good tune, the lyrics may fall flat, but the instrumental won’t.
“You Got Lucky” — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1982)
“You Got Lucky” is a showcase for the underrated Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench. The eerie track trades in Petty’s prototypical guitars for a synth-based sound to great effect, as it’s unlike anything else in the band’s catalog.
In the first few listens, it was hard to place what the track was reminiscent of. I landed on Foreigner synths mixed with the blues, though there is definitely some new wave tucked in there. The lyrics are biting and undeniably angry and put the track up there with some of Petty’s best breakup songs. The obsessive emotions expressed go hand-in-hand with the piercing piano chords in the chorus that double down on the heaviness of the synths.