5 Underrated Classic Rock Songs Only Generation Jones Truly Gets

Everyone talks about Baby Boomers, but Generation Jones, the subset of "late Boomers" which is generally said to have been born between 1954 and 1965, arguably doesn't get the attention it deserves. For this article, we've hand-selected five underrated classic rock tracks that were FM-radio staples during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and which Generation Jones now gets truly nostalgic for. 

Too young for the 1960s counterculture and Woodstock, many Gen Joneses instead coalesced around music that increasingly found its audience through FM radio, which came to exceed AM as the dominant radio format for music listening at the tail end of the 1970s. Though many of these songs are considered classic rock today, they are distinguishable from what older Boomers enjoyed by a softer sound and more sophisticated songwriting and recording practices. It is arguable that the cohort's positive reaction to a calmer approach may have been a reaction to the strained political and social landscape they inherited as they came of age. 

These songs span a period after the classic rock explosion of the 1960s, but before every track on the radio seemed to be drenched in synth. We've rediscovered tracks that, if you're Generation Jones, you're bound to recognize — but likely haven't heard in years. Enjoy!

Boz Scaggs' 1976 album "Silk Degrees" is the multitalented musician's masterpiece, and struck a chord with Generation Jones thanks to its incredible instrumentation and laid-back aesthetic. Its biggest songs, "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle," are still much-loved classics from the era, counted among the smoothest songs of the era. But before they both charted high as singles, there was "It's Over," the album's lead single which stalled at No. 38 and has since been overshadowed by Scaggs' biggest hits.

"It's Over" is an upbeat, big-band number and reflects his ambition and confidence during his "Silk Degrees" era. The same year, Scaggs' "We're All Alone" was covered by Four Seasons vocalist Frankie Valli, and "It's Over" is just in that style: a bombastic, heart-bearing number featuring lush strings, backing vocals, and Scaggs' inimitable voice at its most affecting.

The song is performed at just the right kind of mid-tempo that, once heard, it can stay in your head for days. And indeed, if it's a once-loved track that you haven't heard in years, giving it a spin is sure to bring everything flooding back.

Steely Dan is a flagship band for many music fans belonging to Generation Jones, and the duo's 1978 classic "FM (No Static At All)" acknowledges the importance of hearing crisp radio hits to those in that age bracket. Indeed, by the time of the release of "FM" Steely Dan was itself already a regular fixture, the breakthrough single "Reelin' in the Years" setting the stage for the band to dominate the airwaves with later classics like "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Peg." And while the track has its fans, it has certainly been overshadowed down the years by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's biggest hits.

Featuring backing vocals by none other than a couple of the Eagles, "FM" points to the wealth of musical styles that listeners of a certain age had at their disposal during the late 1970s, when the new radio wavelength meant static-free broadcasting that made listening to the radio a greater pleasure than ever before. "The girls don't seem to care" what comes through the radio, Fagen sings, "As long as the mood is right."

And "FM" is certainly one of the moodier songs of the era, with exceptional sax and guitar performances that summon the nocturnal atmosphere of FM listeners who simply want to listen to great tunes until the sun comes up. A timeless gem.

Firefall's "Just Remember I Love You" is one of the 1970s' smoothest radio hits, and much like the Steely Dan song we just mentioned, it also features the vocals of Eagles member Timothy B. Schmit. The pristine track is the perfect demonstration of Firefall's unique blend of country and soft rock with tasteful guitar licks blending with elegant, understated sax.

It provides an evocative foundation for vocalist Rick Roberts' truly poetic lyrics, which offer assurance to a loved one when they find themselves devoid of optimism and self-belief. "When you get that feeling, you were born to lose / Staring at your ceiling, thinking of your blues," sings Roberts, before the uplifting chorus arrives like a soothing balm to cure the listener's woes.

"Just Remember I Love You" climbed to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977, though the track remains firmly in the shadow of Firefall's first major hit, "You Are the Woman," which was a Top 10 hit the previous year. It's possibly too emotionally direct for some younger listeners to engage with, but for Generation Jones, its earnestness may sound especially refreshing today in a media landscape drenched in irony and cynicism.

Kenny Loggins is an indisputable legend among '70s and '80s radio stars, who enjoyed a string of high-charting hits during the era, and a dedicated following ever since. But while major tracks like "Footloose" and "Danger Zone" still receive widespread radio play and high streaming numbers, there are some minor hits, like "Welcome to Heartlight" (sometimes just called "Heartlight"), which have been unfairly overlooked over the years.

The 1983 single peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, a comparatively low showing compared to his other '80s releases. It was the second track to be released from his "High Adventure" album, but underperformed compared to the other two singles, "Heart to Heart" and "Don't Fight It." Nevertheless, listening to it now, it is obvious that "Welcome to Heartlight" has all the hallmarks of a classic Loggins track, with affecting lyricism — which was inspired by a high school of the same name — and a driving rock rhythm offset by contributions from a choir from the high school of the same name.

Former Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne member Jay Ferguson embarked on a solo career in the late 1970s, and while his breakthrough Top 10 hit "Thunder Island" is still a favorite, his follow-up, "Shakedown Cruise," hasn't fared as well down the years. As well as charting lower at the time of its release — it reached No. 31 in the summer of 1979 – the single commands a fraction of the listenership of "Thunder Island" on streaming platforms.

The track is a stomper compared to much of the adult-oriented rock of the era. Whereas many singles released in the era are sweetly sentimental, "Shakedown Cruise" features risqué lyrics and a relatively raw guitar sound accompanied by a hard rock drumming style — a remnant from Ferguson's Jo Jo Gunne years — and a synth accompaniment that makes it sound more of an '80s tune than a late '70s one. Located somewhere between the work of Warren Zevon and Kenny Loggins, "Shakedown Cruise" is an unfairly overlooked track that offers some welcome roughness among the smoother hits of the FM era.