Five classic hits from the 1970s and 80s hide surprising origin stories

Retrospectives on classic songs highlight how touring, collaboration and reinterpretation shaped enduring rock, pop and country hits. Ian Anderson said Jethro Tull’s “Wond’ring Aloud” was written in an American hotel room during the lonely downtime of touring before appearing on 1971’s Aqualung. Kansas’ “Point of Know Return” became a signature 1977 hit through the interplay of Steve Walsh’s keyboard riff and Robby Steinhardt’s violin, with its deliberately altered title adding a wordplay twist. Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” evolved from a loose jam into the nearly 14-minute live centerpiece of Frampton Comes Alive!, helped by his guitar work and talk box. Janie Fricke’s 1983 country No. 1 “Tell Me a Lie” was a successful cover of a song first recorded by Lynn Anderson and later released by Sami Jo, while America’s “Sister Golden Hair,” written by Gerry Beckley and produced by George Martin, topped the charts in 1975 after sitting unreleased for about a year.