“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” written by Robbie Robertson, became a gold hit for Joan Baez. Joan Baez, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” And you can discover fantastic music programming happening across the country by clicking the links to each member station’s website. These are NPR’s 50 favorite songs of 1971, as selected by our member stations.Īll of our station picks are available to stream on the NPR50 Spotify and Apple Music playlists. Marvin Gaye’s hit record “What’s Going On” encapsulates the political turmoil of 1971 while also inspiring hope for change. From the timeless expression of social unrest in Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” to the transportive, community building experience of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” 1971’s wide-spanning sonic achievements are featured below. To honor our time spent together, we turned back the clock and reflected on the impeccable sounds of our genesis year. For five decades, NPR and our member stations have shared the responsibility - and privilege - to serve the individual listener and promote their personal growth.
Yesterday, NPR celebrated the 50-year anniversary of our first on-air original show.
