From 1973-1977, during a remarkable span of five studio albums and a memorable live release, Lynyrd Skynyrd created one of the most well-loved discographies of classic rock. “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird” may have defined their output, but tunes like “Simple Man” and “What‘s Your Name” pushed the Southern rockers to further heights on rock radio and frequently on the pop chart. Between the August 1973 debut of (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) and Street Survivors in 1977, the band created a recorded portfolio that balanced driving Southern swagger with insightful lyrics.

Their famed three-guitar lineup of Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Ed King made for one of rock’s most unique presentations, in the studio and on the concert stage. The great band suffered one of music’s biggest tragedies when their chartered airplane crashed just days after they had released Street Survivors, claiming the lives of lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines (who had joined the lineup the previous year) and his older sister (and the group’s backup vocalist), Cassie Gaines.

Here are 12 songs from that core era that truly stand out. (Note: In a couple of cases, we’ve intentionally used performance clips from later editions of the band’s lineup.)

“Free Bird” [(Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), 1973]

Recorded in April 1973, it wasn’t released as a single until November 1974, after “Sweet Home Alabama” from their second LP became a top 10 hit. Their label then significantly edited the nine-plus-minute album version of “Free Bird” to a still-lengthy, but more Top 40-friendly 4:41 (below), and the song reached #19 on the Hot 100 in January 1975. A concert version from their live One More from the Road returned the song to the chart in late 1976, where it reached #38 in January ’77. The long guitar coda and its function as the band‘s closing number on tour have become the song‘s hallmark.

“Sweet Home Alabama” (Second Helping, 1974)

Their first charting single remains their biggest pop hit, reaching #8 on the Hot 100 in October 1974. The song was written by King, Rossington and Ronnie Van Zant in response to the song “Southern Man” by Neil Young, whom it references. “Sweet Home Alabama” continues to be a classic rock and Southern rock staple. It’s King (a former member of Strawberry Alarm Clock) who provided both the “1-2-3” count-off and the familiar opening guitar lick.

“Simple Man” [(Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), 1973)]

The soulful track that closes their debut album was never released as a single but has gained significant popularity over the years. (When it was released digitally, it accumulated over a million sales in the U.S. by 2013.) Van Zant and Rossington are said to have co-written it in just an hour, inspired by the passing of Van Zant‘s grandmother.

“Gimme Three Steps” [(Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), 1973)]

Another winner from the debut album. One of those classic “this single never even charted?” surprises that does tend to happen with great songs from new, unfamiliar bands. The song helped to usher in the era of Skynyrd telling real-life stories, in this case, based on an incident involving Van Zant in a Jacksonville bar, with a man pulling a gun on him because he danced with his lady. It was re-released as a single from their 1976 live album and still didn’t chart.

“Tuesday‘s Gone” [(Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), 1973)]

Yes, a fourth track from their amazing debut. The LP’s second track, written by Van Zant and Allen Collins, featured its producer Al Kooper (credited as Roosevelt Gook) on bass and Mellotron, as well as backup vocals. The ballad’s complex layering expanded the group‘s sound to a new level. The indispensable resource, setlist.fm, lists it as their tenth most-performed song on stage.

“Workin’ for MCA” (Second Helping, 1974)

The opening song and first track of the band‘s second album, the song, written by Van Zant and King, sarcastically tells the story of Skynyrd’s signing to Kooper‘s Sounds of the South imprint of MCA Records. It was the band‘s standard opening song throughout the 1970s for their concerts, and thus leads off their classic 1976 live album, One More from the Road.

“Don’t Ask Me No Questions” (Second Helping, 1974)

Another non-starter with pop radio, though that would change soon with “Sweet Home Alabama” (above). But the groove here, and the lyrics, are a real showcase for the band‘s rhythmic proficiency.

“Call Me the Breeze” (Second Helping, 1974)

Skynyrd added a biting, guitar-focused edge to J.J. Cale‘s original composition. While it wasn‘t issued as a single, the song is one of their most-played live performance tracks. Rossington conceived the catchy intro riff that sets their energetic rendition apart from the chill original. It added more muscle to the album. (The album reached #12 on the Billboard 200.)

“Saturday Night Special” (Nuthin’ Fancy, 1975)

This King-Van Zant collaboration peaked at #27 on the Hot 100 in the summer of ’75. The song about cheap handguns opened Skynyrd’s third studio album and proved a departure toward their more riff-oriented and topical sound.

Related: When a radio legend and a bottle of Jack saved a Skynyrd concert

“What‘s Your Name” (Street Survivors, 1977)

The leadoff track and first single from the original band’s final album was again penned by Van Zant and Rossington during a session in Miami with producer Tom Dowd and Booker T. & the M.G.‘s’ legendary guitarist Steve Cropper. The song reached #13 on the Hot 100 in the early part of 1978, and was their last pop hit. Its tuneful arrangement and vocal phrasing ensured heavy rock radio play.

“That Smell” (Street Survivors, 1977)

Released as a second single and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #95 in early 1978. It was written by Van Zant and Allen Collins, drawing on their lives at the time, and its feel and groove was one of the most unique things on the whole album. (With the plane crash, radio airplay exploded on this track as “the smell of death surrounds you” became a macabre forecast for its listeners.)

“You Got That Right” (Street Survivors, 1977)

Released in 1978 as the album’s third single, Top 40 radio inexplicably gave the cold shoulder to Skynyrd’s surviving members, who were still reeling from the loss of their bandmates. The track reached just #69 on the Hot 100 and features dual lead vocal performances by its co-writers, Van Zant and Gaines. It’s one of the defining songs from the final studio album from that era. Gaines’ soul-soaked higher tonality was the perfect foil for Van Zant‘s rough baritone.

While Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s biggest hits are what most people still remember them by, those first studio albums continue to hold up remarkably well. Their catalog, including many compilations and live albums, is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.