Last night I was watching a VH1 show about the top songs of the 80s. I’m sure it was a rerun, and the results have been posted to the VH1 website for a really long time. But it was interesting to see what they’d picked out. Time After Time, of course. Jump. Hungry Like the Wolf. Walk Like an Egyptian.
I don’t know if they did a similar thing for the 70s. They really seem to be stuck in the 80s.
But I put it to you: What were the top songs of the 70s? Not just the most popular, not just the most listenable, but the really iconic and influential songs. What songs would 90% of the population be able to relate to and instantly associate with the 70s? I’ll start you off with a few:
Hotel California (Eagles)
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
Money (Pink Floyd)
Rock and Roll All Night (Kiss)
When it comes to the 70’s, tend to think more in terms of albums than singles.
Some songs have become trite. I’m very tired of Hotel California, and almost (but not quite) John Lennon’s Imagine.
But here are a few tunes which were big back then, scream The Seventies to me, and still (IMHO) stand the test of time:
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
**
My My Hey Hey**, also Ohio - Neil Young
The Eagles had a huge run of great songs in the 70’s. I don’t know how many would make the top 100, but consider:
Witchy Woman
Take it Easy
Lyin’ Eyes
Tequila Sunrise
Desperado
New Kid in Town
Life in the Fast Lane
Best of My Love
Take it to the Limit
Hotel California
Peaceful Easy Feeling
The Eagles were the #1 band of the 70’s, commercially. They should probably get a few songs in the top 100.
Then there’s Elton John:
Bennie and the Jets
Rocket Man
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Some others off the top of my head:
Kansas - Dust in the Wind
Kansas - Carry on Wayward Son
Jim Croce - Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - Blinded by the Light
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
Don McLean - American Pie
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Blue Oyster Cult - Don’t Fear the Reaper
I could keep typing all day. The 70’s were a great decade for music.
Not unlike Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.
But Sultans of Swing felt 70’s-ish to me with Knopfler’s beautiful guitar solo.
When it comes to these decade lists, it always feels as though there is a bit of overlap.
Back Stabbers - The O’Jays
If You Don’t Know Me by Now - Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
Good Times - Chic
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Rapper’s Delight - The Sugarhill Gang
Treat Her Like a Lady - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
Everybody Plays the Fool - The Main Ingredient
Yeah, compared to the 80s, the 70s were awash in a sea of great songs. Be glad I didn’t ask for the greatest songs of the 60s. We’d break the Internet.
Layla – Derek and the Dominoes
Lucky Man – ELP
Love Hurts – Nazareth
More than a Feeling – Boston
Fly Like An Eagle – Steve Miller
Against the Wind – Bob Seger
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
I guess I don’t consider the 80s to have started until September of that year. If I was still in high school or just barely out of it, then in my brain it was still the 70s.
I’d put it in my personal top 5, along with Do you Feel Like I Do, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Layla. I have no idea what the 5th song might be. Fire and Rain, maybe?