UCRs top 100 classic rock songs list brings us to #62: Golden Earring "RADAR LOVE"
With 1973's "Radar Love," Golden Earring drove into full view of the U.S. record-buying public and parked themselves in our list.
Formed in 1965 in the Netherlands, Golden Earring had been releasing a string of fantastic records for nearly a decade, but nothing that took hold in the U.S. market. Their (highly recommended) 1973 album Moontan changed that, as FM radio began spinning cuts like "Vanilla Queen" and "Candy's Going Bad," while at the same time the driving rocker "Radar Love" made its way to top 40 radio, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard charts.
Built around an insistent rhythm and riff, the song rides alongside its protagonist, who has been "driving all night, hands wet on the wheel" while listening to Brenda Lee's "Comin' On Strong" — a pretty driving little number itself, we might add!
"Radar Love" opened the door for Golden Earring in the states, but would remain their only big hit here until the '80s, when they hit with "Twilight Zone."
Like so many of the artists featured on this list, Golden Earring are so much more than the one or two songs they are best known for. Check out albums like Switch, Seven Tears, Winter Harvest and Wall of Dolls. You will not be sorry.