Songs about being alone have always been effective with an audience, since, let’s face it, we’ve all been there at one point or another during our lives. For whatever reason, the ‘70s were an especially fruitful time for those songs. Maybe it was the fact that the decade witnessed the rise of singer/songwriters, who tended to be a bit more introspective than those trying to write upbeat hits for others. Or maybe it was just something in the air. Whatever the case, we rounded up five big hits from the era that make it clear the ‘70s were the go-to decade for woe-is-me wallowing.
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1. ”One Less Bell to Answer” by The 5th Dimension (1970)
The 5th Dimension were versatile hitmakers in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. On the one hand, they were masters of psychedelic soul on huge hits like “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Up, Up and Away.” But thanks to standout lead vocalist Marilyn McCoo, they could also deliver fantastic torch songs like “One Less Bell to Answer,” written by the legendary duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
As you might expect from Bacharach, it’s a sumptuous melody. And as you might expect from David, the song features a novel way to look at a popular subject, which, in this case, is that someone’s been left behind by a lover. McCoo’s narrator tries to find the bright side in the departure, as she ticks off all the things she no longer has to do now that she’s alone. But we can tell from the anguish in her voice that the loneliness is devastating her.
2. “Tired of Being Alone” by Al Green (1971)
Al Green’s first two albums didn’t produce a ton of commercial results, and then he released a pair of singles from his third record, Al Green Gets Next to You, that also failed to ignite. But when he dropped “Tired of Being Alone,” it not only crossed over to become a pop chart success, but it also set the formula for so much of his ‘70s output to follow: the silky groove, the horns, the backing vocals, and Green’s lead vocal both handling the main melody and then doing soulful improvisations in the song’s runout. Though the narrator might indeed be alone, Green’s ability to reach out through the warmth of his personality made this something of a feel-good sad-sack song.
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind Al Green’s Tragic “Tired of Being Alone”]
3. “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan (1972)
O’Sullivan had already scored hits in his native Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom, but was lacking his big U.S. breakthrough when this single arrived. In terms of levels of loneliness, “Alone Again (Naturally)” is at DEFCON 5 for sure. It begins with the narrator wondering if he should throw himself off the highest nearby tower! We then find out the reasons for his bereft state: He was left at the altar by his fiancée, and then suffers the death of both of his parents. You can’t really blame the guy for questioning the existence of God. Yet thanks to O’Sullivan’s melodic ease, this one goes down pretty smooth for such a downer of a topic, as evidenced by the fact that it topped charts all over the world in 1972.
4. “All by Myself” by Eric Carmen (1975)
Eric Carmen had distinguished himself as a power-pop maestro with his band The Raspberries. But when he went solo with a self-titled debut album in 1975, he concentrated on more of a ballad-filled approach. It was a good move. “All by Myself” soared to No. 2 on the U.S. charts and gave Carmen far more exposure than he ever enjoyed with his previous band—maybe even too much exposure, as it turns out, as the estate of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff asked for royalties because of Carmen’s admitted borrowing of a classical piece. Nonetheless, thanks to the straightforward nature of the lyrics, the soaring chorus, and Hugh McCracken’s fantastic slide guitar solo, the lush loneliness of “All by Myself” hit home in a major way.
5. “You’re Only Lonely” by J.D. Souther (1979)
J.D. Souther was one of the leading lights of the West Coast rock scene through the ‘70s, with his outstanding playing, singing, and songwriting chops. He was in a few groups, collaborated with Linda Ronstadt, and co-wrote several Eagles hits. But solo commercial success eluded him until the end of the decade, when he broke big with a clear, loving homage to Roy Orbison’s classic weepers.
To gild the lily, he included stellar guest players like Danny Kortchmar and David Sanborn, as well as backing vocalists like Jackson Browne, Phil Everly, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey. But what sells the song is Souther’s falsetto, which helps to convey the message that the narrator will be there for the lonely girl he’s addressing—if only because he understands the heartbreak she’s feeling so well.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Image
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