Saddest Song of 70s??

She got bonus points for her inventive solos, when she would throw away the sticks and just bounce herself off the drums.

 

Borderline case. Recorded in 69 but wasn't released as a single until 1970. Among that first big wave of songs where minor chords started supplanting majors, so it felt like it had an extra kick of angst compared to many of the songs preceding it.

 

I never thought of "Snowbird" as being particularly sad. Wistful, maybe.

The immediate post-Beatles period of 1970-72 was definitely a big time for bluesy pop and pop-f0lk songs.

 

Ever heard the Sonic Youth version, from the "If I Were A Carpenter" tribute CD? Thurston Moore brought the creepy stalker vibe.

 

I'm a terrible person but every time I think about Karen Carpenter, I think, "She Ain't Heavy, She's My Sister," the punchline of a joke from that era.

 

Whenever I think of Ann Murray sad songs, I always think of this:

 

Yeah, it's just urban legend, but George Clinton telling Eddie Hazel to play like his mama just died seems so fitting.

My favorite old Carpenter joke: If Cass Elliot had given Karen Carpenter half her sandwich, they'd both still be alive,

 

Another one from The Band, detailing a woman watching her boyfriend drown in a riverboat sinking. I thought this was an old song, but as Levon Helm detailed in his memoir, Robertson feverishly finished writing this the day of "The Last Waltz" concert.

 

This is the saddest song of all time, just because it's so fucking bad.

If you were there in 1977, you're probably still traumatized to this day.

 

Always liked this song. It's hokey, but Levon and Emmylou and Rick Danko all sing it well.

This and some other stuff, including "The Weight," were added in a soundstage session later, though.

 

This is shit too....