# Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1971 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022 "2015-01-27T17:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/1 "2015-01-27T17:35:07Z")
Our survey now brings us to 1971. We had to just barely dip down to #41 to fill in the 25 spots in this poll. We’re in the golden age of the double-A side again, but as far as I can tell from looking ahead, double-A sides were always charted separately in the year-end chart so it shouldn’t be a big issue. What’s your favorite? (PS: Before anyone thinks you’ve caught me in a mistake again, I am aware that the title of the Murray Head song is just “Superstar”. I have amended it in the poll to differentiate it from the Carpenters song of the same name.) Previous polls: [1956](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744629) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744819) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744978) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745151) [1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745331) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745525) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745733) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745956) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746118) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746342) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746498) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746735) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746932) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747152) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747345) Best #1 single polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739525) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739880) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740122) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740302) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740497) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740709) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740859) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741047) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741267) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741450) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741604) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741730) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741915) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742069) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742147) [2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742282) [2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742467) [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742676) [2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742846) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) [2014](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743899) [1950s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743046) [1960s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743240) [1970s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743399) [1980s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743597) [1990s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743803) [2000s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743981) [2010s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744176) [All-time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744358) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/2 "2015-01-27T21:40:53Z")
Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” wins a tight one over the Jackson 5’s “Never Can Say Goodbye” in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System**. Both are miles ahead of the rest of the field. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/3 "2015-01-27T22:50:34Z")
I like Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Undisputed Truth, Tom Jones(his best song),Grass Roots, Gordon Lightfoot and Jackson 5 in terms of their entries on this list. But I won’t vote till tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/4 "2015-01-27T22:56:50Z")
The two best Carpenters songs are here, but then “What’s Going On,” so… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/5 "2015-01-27T22:58:38Z")
I would pay a very large sum of money to have Lee Michaels erased from History. Marvin Gaye, easy. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/6 "2015-01-27T23:13:48Z")
Here we have the year in which it fell apart entirely… Carpenters, Osmond, Tom Jones… What a crock… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/7 "2015-01-28T01:31:59Z")
Having Marvin in this one simplifies my decision. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/8 "2015-01-28T01:39:36Z")
Got to Marvin Gaye and didn’t have to read any further. One of the best songs ever. ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/9 "2015-01-28T02:00:37Z")
For me it was either Marvin Gaye or Al Green, no contest, but “What’s going on” edged out Al Green’s song. Poor Al. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/10 "2015-01-28T03:08:12Z")
This one is hard. I gotta admit something I’ve only admitted to my wife… I _like_ '70s cheese. And we’re entering some truly awesome territory here. I feel obliged to vote for Marvin, especially seeing how close Gordon Lightfoot is approaching (seriously, WTF??). I _want_ to vote for Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. “Rainy Days and Mondays” made my four year-old self cry, I thought it was so pretty. I know, I know, I know, I know… I’ll be hearing Bill Withers for the rest of my life, and the closest I’ll be able to vote for The Band in this series of polls is also on this list. “Put Your Hand in the Hand” is one of the all-time cheesy classics\*, and of course, there’s Tom Jones, the champion of the tight-pants-and-shirt-open-to-the-navel look. Ugh. All right, going to vote for Cornelius Brothers. Hopefully, “Sexual Healing” will be around in '82-83 or whenever so I can assuage the feelings of guilt I have for not voting for Marvin. \*For various definitions of “classic”. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/11 "2015-01-28T03:45:01Z")
1971 music simply must include mention of “Timothy” by The Buoys. 'Twas an excellent, upbeat ditty about cannibalism that has never been matched! ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/12 "2015-01-28T03:57:06Z")
I really should vote for _What’s Going On_, but I’m pretty sure it’ll win without my help…so I’m picking John Denver. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/13 "2015-01-28T15:38:20Z")
Wow, about half of those songs are pretty good. I had to give Amos Moses some credit, it’s a funky catchy tune. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/14 "2015-01-28T18:45:02Z")
While I liked several songs here, some obscure others classic like the Marvin Gaye song, I decided to vote for Tom Jones. That is only song of his I like and it is a fine song. So here to you Mr. Jones. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/15 "2015-01-28T19:54:58Z")
What’s Going On is the best song of the list, but there are some I enjoy listening to more, if that makes any sense. I actually think Superstar is a great song. Country Roads and Signs, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/16 "2015-02-24T09:15:00Z")
The love of my life would be shocked SHOCKED i didn’t vote for 'Read my mind"… I told my buddy at work when he asked why i got a divorce…I told him to listen to that song…its never really one thing…its the wearing away… But Mahhhhviinnn before he went off his sad sad deep end. he spoke to us in that song/album ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1971/711022/17 "2015-02-24T09:16:52Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > This one is hard. I gotta admit something I’ve only admitted to my wife… I _like_ '70s cheese. And we’re entering some truly awesome territory here. > > I feel obliged to vote for Marvin, especially seeing how close Gordon Lightfoot is approaching (seriously, WTF??). I _want_ to vote for Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. “Rainy Days and Mondays” made my four year-old self cry, I thought it was so pretty. I know, I know, I know, I know… I’ll be hearing Bill Withers for the rest of my life, and the closest I’ll be able to vote for The Band in this series of polls is also on this list. “Put Your Hand in the Hand” is one of the all-time cheesy classics\*, and of course, there’s Tom Jones, the champion of the tight-pants-and-shirt-open-to-the-navel look. > > Ugh. > > All right, going to vote for Cornelius Brothers. Hopefully, “Sexual Healing” will be around in '82-83 or whenever so I can assuage the feelings of guilt I have for not voting for Marvin. > > \*For various definitions of “classic”. Same here …70’s cheese is funky funky stuff… Lee Micheals? yeah… i like it…Five Man…