Marvin Gaye – ‘What’s Going On’

Can you believe that we almost never had this song? Berry Gordy recognised how much of a superstar Marvin Gaye was, but he had no intention of Motown becoming a political record label. As such, a track told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning home was a non-starter for the toe-tapping label owner.

Gaye’s persistence meant that Motown simply had no choice other than to release the track, and what a good job they did. This remains one of the quintessential protest songs. It speaks to the big picture, sure, but does so in a way that is inherently human and accessible. You don’t need to have fought in a war to resonate with the helplessness and confusion in this track, and that’s when you know you have a good protest anthem.

This will remain the benchmark for anti-war rhetoric within art. No matter how many years, decades and centuries pass, you can guarantee that people will still be listening to ‘What’s Going On’.

Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’

This isn’t just a rock song, it’s so much more than that. This is quintessential Led Zeppelin in the way that it combines multiple genres but presents them in a way where it all sounds perfectly normal for it to be coming from the one band. Led Zeppelin did this throughout their career, but it’s on ‘Stairway To Heaven’ where you feel the full force of this musicianship.

Robert Plant fell out of love with this song. There were a couple of reasons for this; one was that he felt it was overplayed, and people everywhere would constantly listen to it. Equally, though, he fell out with the lyrics because they seemed too hopeful. Regardless of Plant’s opinion of the song, there is no escaping the fact that ‘Stairway To Heaven’ is one that will continue to be played for decades to come.

John Lennon – ‘Imagine’

The Beatles splitting up was heartbreaking for many, but also completely inevitable. While The Fab Four had plenty of success as a band, they were all such different people that it was impossible to escape the fact that they needed to pursue their own creative paths. For John Lennon, that meant taking on a more socially aware approach to what he wrote, as his art became a vehicle for commentary on the modern world.

You hear as much in the likes of ‘Mother’ and ‘Working Class Hero’; however, it was his offering on ‘Imagine’ that really captured the hearts of listeners. Even the most devoted Beatles fans heard this song and realised John Lennon was following his heart with this solo material. It was met with some controversy as many called him a hypocrite, but the sentiment behind the song remains just as relevant today as it was when first released. It’s pretty hard to consider this solo offering anything other than a classic.

George Harrison – ‘My Sweet Lord’

1971 was the year of The Beatles’ solo projects. While you had people recognising John Lennon’s potential as a conscious songwriter, you also had onlookers realising just how much of a talent George Harrison was. While a few of his songs took off with The Beatles, he was never considered the band’s chief songwriter, and he took the opportunity that came with being a solo artist to really prove just how capable he was. 

One of the biggest songs from his album All Things Must Pass is ‘My Sweet Lord’, and it will stand the test of time for multiple reasons. The first is simply the quality of the song. Harrison’s vocals, the catchy nature of the track and the fact that the harmonious outro resonates no matter what time period you listen in. However, it will also be considered timeless because it was such a historical statement of intent for Harrison. The man who had been pushed aside for so long finally had a platform where he could establish himself as a writer, and he was taking up all of it.

The Rolling Stones – ‘Wild Horses’

You’re right, there are plenty of Rolling Stones songs that are likely going to be remembered for decades to come, but ‘Wild Horses’ seems like a real standout for the band, given it’s one of their only true offerings that centre around love and devotion more than anything else. The muse of the song remains in contention, but the emotion behind the track is evident. 

That line, “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away,” is a love lyric that will stand the test of time. Even 2071 feels like a pessimistic expiry date for such a lyric, as it now feels like a piece of music that will always exist. Wild horses couldn’t drag the infatuated away from a line so wonderful.