5 Folk Rock Deep Cuts Every '70s Diehard Should Know

Folk rock music was one of the most influential genres of the 1970s, leading to numerous artists and records to enjoy. And for all you '70s diehards who scoff at the mainstream hits, there's good news: there's plenty of gold to be found both in the deep cuts and album tracks of its legends, as well as the more popular songs of its unheralded geniuses. If you're in need of some new tunes from this incredible era of music, don't worry, we have you covered with some tracks not every folk rock fan may yet know.

In a genre flooded with everything from superstars to nobodies, we've compiled some of both: All of the artists we chose were key figures in folk rock, whether their acclaim was immediate or not, from the popular and lyrically excellent blends of Bob Dylan to the then-lesser-appreciated guitar work and haunting melodies of Nick Drake — who became famous decades after his death. Furthermore, none of the following tracks took off commercially at the time of their release, yet all captured the undeniable creative spirit of folk rock that its most diehard fans will appreciate. 

Detroit musician Sixto Rodríguez couldn't break the U.S., yet turned a seemingly flop career into an explosive one overseas after his music was unearthed, and this beautiful arrangement is among his best tracks. From his 1971 album "Coming From Reality," "I Think of You" isn't his biggest hit, but it's imbued with the magnetic romanticism of folk rock. Beginning with a quiet guitar melody, Rodríguez's voice glides in a beautiful echo over the pretty instrumental, with plucky guitar playing supported by swirling strings. It's an impressive display of nostalgia, wherein the pace of the verses and chorus support the feeling of time passing as the singer recalls better times.

Lyrically, "I Think of You" is lush and meditative, being incredibly personal while still universal enough for just about any listener to relate to: "Just a song we shared, I'll hear / Brings memories back when you were here / Of your smile, your easy laughter / Of your kiss, those moments after." Rodríguez doesn't need many words to convey the song's warm feeling, saying just enough to make "I Think of You" a wonderful experience — and a necessary deep cut for real folk rock fans.

The music of Nick Drake has found new life in recent years, with stellar songs like "Northern Sky," "Pink Moon," and "Place to Be" racking up hundreds of millions of streams combined. But "Hazey Jane II," an underrated cut from Drake's 1971 album "Bryter Layter," is among his most gorgeous compositions, blending Drake's knack for melody with his unique lyricism in one of the easiest folk rock listens of the decade. "Bryter Layter" lives somewhat in the shadow of 1972's "Pink Moon," and though the eeriness of Drake's final music is incredibly compelling, his chops on the summertime-feeling song "Hazey Jane II" are a must for real folk rock fans.

Its lyrics are sharp and silly, with both a light irony and social commentary peeking out through the narrative: "What will happen in the morning / When the world, it gets so crowded that you can't look out the window in the morning? / What will happen in the evening / In the forest with the weasel with the teeth that bite so sharp when you're not looking in the evening?" "Hazey Jane II" finds an upbeat and jazzy tempo that stands out from much of Nick Drake's music, and in doing so is an incredibly joyous listen with one of the catchiest instrumentals of the decade.

Bob Dylan is one of the most influential artists in folk rock history, especially during his mid-'60s peaks, but it's his '70s work that fully brought his ideas to perfection. His 1975 LP "Blood on the Tracks" is well known as one of his best works, thanks to memorable songs like "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Shelter from the Storm," yet it's one of the lesser-known songs on this album that's an absolute essential to any folk rock fan: "You're a Big Girl Now." This melancholy tune features Dylan's vocals at their rawest, through strain and weighing emotion, as he sings a half-tragic tale of complex love.

Dylan's lyrics are detailed and emotional through the song's five verses, and his voice nearly breaks in his turbulent but moving wails: "Bird on the horizon, sitting on a fence / He's singing his song for me at his own expense / And I'm just like that bird, oh, oh / Singing just for you / I hope that you can hear / Hear me singing through these tears." Indeed, "You're a Big Girl Now" is a melodic masterclass, showing off some of Dylan's best songwriting from the '70s.

Legendary singer-songwriter and activist Joan Baez had bridged her standout folk music into true folk rock by around the mid-1970s, with her hit song "Diamonds and Rust" becoming one of the most stellar tracks of her career in 1975, released on an album of the same name. Also on this album is "Jesse," a haunting tale of lost love that's among the most moving folk rock tracks of the decade. Its all-at-once timeless, gloomy, and sentimental guitar loop that arpeggiates throughout the track is incredibly memorable, setting a cinematic ambiance that Baez brings to life.

The lyrics of "Jesse," originally written by Janis Ian, match this feeling wholeheartedly, as Baez brings a vivid nostalgia to the lost relationship: "Jesse, come home / There's a hole in the bed / Where we slept / Now it's growing cold / Jesse, your face / In the place where we lay / By the hearth, all apart / It hangs on my heart." Baez's voice is incredibly tender and mournful, which exemplifies her strengths as a musician in one of the better, but less heralded, mellow folk rock tracks of the '70s.

An important transitional album in Joni Mitchell's career, 1974's "Court and Spark" features a distinctly different sound from her previous work. Often incorporating warm, complex melodies and arrangements, it features memorable hits such as "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris," as well as the extremely underrated song, "Just Like This Train." The latter track features Mitchell's unique trademark voice over a mostly laid-back instrumental, which swells and twangs with hints of country and even jazz.

"Just Like This Train" moves back and forth between parts, with no true chorus, and showcases Mitchell's creative lyric writing: "I'm always runnin' behind the time / Just like this train / Shakin' into town with the brakes complainin' / I used to count lovers like railroad cars / I counted them on my side / Lately I don't count on nothin' / I just let things slide." As the track swirls around, it feels almost magical, standing toe-to-toe with Mitchell's other, more popular compositions.