4 Unforgettable Country Rock Hits From 1972 That Take Baby Boomers Back in Time

Four country rock songs from 1972 are highlighted as enduring favourites: Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party”, Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, Sailcat’s “Motorcycle Mama” and Jerry Reed’s “Alabama Wild Man”. Their chart success and varied paths to release show how the genre had developed by the early 1970s.

Nelson wrote “Garden Party” after being booed at a 1971 Madison Square Garden performance; it reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was his last Top 40 hit. Young’s “Heart of Gold” topped the Hot 100, while Sailcat’s “Motorcycle Mama” reached No. 12 in the US and No. 14 in Canada. Reed’s song, first released in 1966 and reissued in 1972, peaked at No. 22 on the US country chart and No. 12 in Canada.