This American Songwriter piece looks back at four hit songs from 1977 that would have been staples on Top 40 radio for children heading to school in the family car during that era. It's a nostalgic list piece aimed at readers who grew up in the 1970s, celebrating songs that have since become enduring classics of the period.

The four tracks are "Hotel California" by the Eagles, notable for its unusually long six-minute runtime; "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, written by Stevie Nicks about bandmate Lindsey Buckingham; "You Light Up My Life" by Debbie Boone, whose cover spent ten weeks at No. 1 and won a Grammy; and "Blinded By the Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, a Bruce Springsteen composition famous for its misheard lyrics.

– Four nostalgic 1977 radio hits recalled for 70s kids' school commutes
– Tracks include Eagles' "Hotel California" and Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams"
– Debbie Boone's cover topped the charts for ten weeks and won a Grammy