After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occasional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the first disc covering the world of 60s and 70s rock music. This CD was kind of a counterpart to the ballads disc we covered a few weeks back, with most of the songs coming from the same era but with a decidedly harder bent.  So, without further ado, I bring you Cool Tracks, volume 1.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Live And Let Die

Became the first James Bond theme song to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 3/19/2013

Blood Sweat & Tears – Spinning Wheel

Nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 1970 ceremony, it won for Best Instrumental Arrangement.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/22/2013

Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London

BBC Radio 2 listeners rated it as having the best opening line in a song.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 7/5/2011

Chicago – 25 Or 6 To 4

The song was released as a single in June of 1970, climbing to number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 6/17/2010

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze

Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 17 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and also at number 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 5/29/2009

Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love

Originally recorded by 1960s folk rock band The Great Society, featuring Grace Slick’s brother-in-law.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 7/6/2011

Patti Smith – Because The Night

Originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album, he was not satisfied with it so the song was passed to the Patti Smith Group, who were working in the studio next door.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 11/9/2012

Ohio Players – Love Rollercoaster

Urban legend says that the scream heard in the background belonged to a woman being murdered at the studio.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 3/24/2011

Five Man Electrical Band – Signs

The song was released during an era of social and political change, and its lyrics carry themes of intolerance and exclusion.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 3/11/2013

Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart

Originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967 as a romantic love song.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 12/27/2012

Three Dog Night – One

Originally written and recorded by Harry Nilsson in 1967.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 1/3/2013

Dusty Springfield – Son Of A Preacher Man

Rolling Stone magazine placed the release at #77 among The 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years in 1987.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 7/16/2012

Stealers Wheel – Stuck In The Middle With You

Featured in Quentin Tarantino’s debut film Reservoir Dogs.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 8/18/2011

The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!

The song is adapted entirely from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible (with the exception of the last line) and put to music by Pete Seeger in 1959.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/4/2012

Styx – Come Sail Away

This tune has gotten a lot more plays over the past year thanks to the emergence of Chris Sale as a front-line starter.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 4/7/2013

Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run

On June 12, 1979, the song was named New Jersey’s “Unofficial Youth Rock Anthem” by the New Jersey State Legislature, something Springsteen always considered ironic because it was “about leaving Jersey.”

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 2/16/2011

Fleetwood Mac – Landslide

The song is one of Fleetwood Mac’s most frequently performed songs on tour.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 5/29/2012

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising

The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 8/1/2011

Grand Funk Railroad – We’re An American Band

Ranked 99th on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 1/2/2013

John Lennon – Instant Karma

Became the first US single by a former-Beatle to reach 1 million in sales.

iTunes stats: Never played