Southern Rock as a genre became a real thing in the early to mid 70’s with bands such as Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd and extended into the 80’s with the success of .38 Special. Most bands grouped under the Southern Rock label really had only one thing in common – they were from the South. From there, the differences ranged from the heavy, triple guitar attack of Molly Hatchet to the more melodic, soulful Wet Willie.
In general, Southern Rock bands played extended solos with some element of country fried rock in their sound. While the genre faded out by the early 80’s, the bands and the music left behind some of the best songs of the 70’s such as Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ “Jackie Blue” and Atlanta Rythm Section’s “So Into You.” Most Southern Rock bands toured extensively, played to large crowds and were album oriented. However, some of the bigger bands hit the Top 40 jackpot along the way during the genre’s prime. Below is a list of some of those songs. It’s interesting to note that one of the biggest bands of Southern Rock – Molly Hatchet – never touched the Top 40 while Atlanta Rhythm Section hit the Top 40 seven times and .38 Special 9 times.
Allman Brothers Band (3) – “Ramblin’ Man,” “Crazy Love” and “Straight From the Heart”
Lynyrd Skynyrd (5) – “Free Bird,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Saturday Night Special,” “Free Bird (live)” and “What’s Your Name”
Marshall Tucker Band – (2) “Fire on the Mountain,” “Heard it in a Love Song”
.38 Special (9) – “Hold on Loosely,” “Caught up in You,” “You Keep Runnin’ Away,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Teacher, Teacher,” “Like No Other Night,” “Second Chance,” “The Sound of Your Voice”
Wet Willie (3) – “Keep on Smilin,'” “Weekend” and “Street Corner Serenade”
Atlanta Rhythm Section (7) – “Doraville,” “So Into You,” “I’m Not Gonna Let it Bother Me Tonight,” “Imaginary Lover,” “Do it or Die,” “Spooky” and “Alien”
LeRoux (1) – “Nobody Said it Was Easy”
Outlaws (2) – “There Goes Another Love Song” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky”
Black Oak Arkansas (1) – “Jim Dandy”
Ozark Mountain Daredevils (2) – “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” and “Jackie Blue”
