# Best #1 single of the decade: the 1970s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117 "2014-12-13T14:06:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117/21 "2014-12-15T17:34:12Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > I like all these tracks . . . none of them are on my ‘A’ list, however. > > I’m going for the Eagles. The track is overplayed, but the guitar solo (duo?) at the end is one of my favorites. Pretty much this. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117/22 "2014-12-15T17:56:28Z")
The best rock/pop song of the 1970s was Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” closely followed by Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” (which wasn’t released as a single at the time) and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” From this list, I’ll pick “American Pie.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117/23 "2014-12-15T23:30:21Z")
Wow. Really surprised “Me & Bobby McGee” isn’t getting more votes. That’s a masterpiece. “Superstition” is a close second for me. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117/24 "2014-12-16T00:09:16Z")
Ow. _Hard_ choices. Unlike a lot of you, I’ve been picking out my favourite song; which is not necessarily the most indicative of the times, most influential, or by a band that I consider to be one of the above. There’s a couple on the list I can drop straight off - at least in comparison to the others. But that still leaves me with four or five… H’m. Think I’ll go with _Superstition_ as the best song on the list. Beautiful, complex, and the live video of it being performed on Sesame Street is a hoot. _Hotel California_ would be first, perhaps, but I’ve heard it a ridiculous number of times. I suppose it’s an indication of how good the song is that I’d be willing to consider it at all. _Stayin’ Alive_, despite belonging to the much-maligned disco species, has a wonderfully catchy riff - it always puts me in mind of motion, of walking purposefully to a goal. _Bridge Over Troubled Water_, while great, is not one of S&G’s best songs - I’d give that honour to _The Boxer_ or _I Am a Rock_. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117/25 "2014-12-16T02:46:09Z")
“Superstition” is a very, very easy choice for me. It is the best song of the list by a long shot, the most musically accomplished, and easily - it is not at all a close call - the most influential. I love “Stayin’ Alive” and it’s an iconic song (I voted for it in the poll for that year) but it’s just not the song “Superstition” is. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117/26 "2014-12-16T03:01:32Z")
Hotel California is an iconic song still being played on radio today. (Personally [Baba O’Riley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNeVHv3Mlg) is my number#1 rock song of the 70’s.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-decade-the-1970s/707117.md?page=1)