10 Best Hard Rock Songs Of The '70s
4. That Smell - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
You could fill this list with Skynyrd tracks alone. With songs like Simple Man, Free Bird and Sweet Home Alabama the southern group of rockers earned their place in The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ten times over. But by far their most in your face number was That Smell.
Opening up with one of the tastiest guitar licks of the decade was a statement in itself. Although the single release wasn't as warmly received as its legacy might have you expect, it became one of the bands most enduring numbers in later years.
Despite the allure of the track, it was laced with dark and ominous undertones. In the run up to writing the song, the band had been indulging in ever more hedonistic tendencies. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was heavily into cocaine and heroin, and Gary Rossington had recently totalled his car while driving intoxicated. Many of the lyrics served as a warning from Van Zant to the band about their mindless behaviour.
The line "tomorrow might not be here for you" turned out to be tragically prophetic. Three days after the album release several of the band members including Van Zant died in a plane crash.
This track was their legacy.