Pretty much this.
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.”
Wow. Really surprised “Me & Bobby McGee” isn’t getting more votes. That’s a masterpiece. “Superstition” is a close second for me.
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.
“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.
Hotel California is an iconic song still being played on radio today.
(Personally Baba O’Riley is my number#1 rock song of the 70’s.)