# What was the greatest song of the 1970s? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968 "2013-01-22T01:27:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GovernmentMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/1 "2013-01-22T01:27:32Z")
Vote for what you think is the best song of the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/2 "2013-01-22T01:30:18Z")
A frightening thing happened as I read this thread title; a commercial on TV was playing “Afternoon Delight”. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/3 "2013-01-22T01:32:22Z")
I vote for Bowie’s “Suffragette City”. Catchy and way ahead of its time. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/4 "2013-01-22T01:38:13Z")
I don’t recognize any of those songs. And, Joy To the World isn’t on it. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/5 "2013-01-22T01:44:39Z")
Nice and eclectic, but no Ramones, Clash or Sex Pistols? Marley? Nothing off Exile on Main St? Fun idea, but too much missing. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/6 "2013-01-22T01:49:00Z")
Add ballads and folk. That’s what the 70s was about, besides rock and disco. Vincent Annie’s Song You light up my Life You won’t go to Heaven Last Dance Alone Again The Look of Love Band on the Run Piano Man ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/7 "2013-01-22T01:49:06Z")
I posted before the poll was up, but I couldn’t vote for any of those listed. In most cases those aren’t even the best songs from the '70s by the artists listed. And where are the obvious ones like “Hotel California”, “Smoke on the Water” and “Stairway to Heaven”? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/8 "2013-01-22T01:51:26Z")
I’m tempted to say _Bridge Over Troubled Water_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/9 "2013-01-22T02:01:39Z")
I voted “Thunder Road” out of the choices given but it wouldn’t qualify as even the greatest Springsteen song of the seventies (“Born to Run” in my opinion). And there’s a lot of other greater songs not among the nominees. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/10 "2013-01-22T02:06:33Z")
Out of what’s listed I would go with Dylan. If I am allowed to go off list is say Television Marquee Moon. What an accomplishment. Or maybe Patti Smith Gloria. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/11 "2013-01-22T02:08:44Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I posted before the poll was up, but I couldn’t vote for any of those listed. In most cases those aren’t even the best songs from the '70s by the artists listed. And where are the obvious ones like “Hotel California”, “Smoke on the Water” and “Stairway to Heaven”? “Imagine”, “Baba O’Riley”, “Comfortably Numb”, “Life During Wartime”, “I Wish”, “Less Than Zero”. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/12 "2013-01-22T02:16:36Z")
No vote ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/13 "2013-01-22T02:19:34Z")
ABBA… But, if I had to choose from a few…“Rosalita”, as I am not as familiar with the other ones, other than Dylan and Dylan’s Electric 70’s tune was “Lady Lay Lay”. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/14 "2013-01-22T02:23:09Z")
No Queen? No Fleetwood Mac? No Led Zep? No freakin’ Elton, who OWNED the 70’s and only leased it to the rest of us? _Bohemian Rhapsody_. An ambitious, outrageous, over-the-top curveball that not even the biggest Queen fans could see coming. _Tangled Up in Blue_ is pretty kick-ass though. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/15 "2013-01-22T02:23:59Z")
Brown Sugar Layla Eli’s Coming Melissa Free Bird Born to Run ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/16 "2013-01-22T02:26:38Z")
Hint to OP’er: start a nomination thread first next time. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/17 "2013-01-22T02:27:23Z")
I’ve heard three of the songs listed, meh songs. I’ve never heard the others. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/18 "2013-01-22T02:30:18Z")
Some excellent suggestions already. Just want to add: 25 or 6 to 4 Strawberry Letter 23 Bohemian Rhapsody Couldn’t Get It Right More Than a Feeling Baker Street Deacon Blues Go Your Own Way Year of the Cat Thanks for listing Big Star - Thirteen. I had never heard it before. Great song. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/19 "2013-01-22T02:31:00Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > No freakin’ Elton, who OWNED the 70’s and only leased it to the rest of us? I clicked on the thread, thinking that I was just going to vote for whatever Elton John song the OP had chosen, since I am a huge '70s-era Elton fan. Not even “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”? Boo. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968/20 "2013-01-22T02:42:56Z")
My first thoughts were _Stairway to Heaven_ and _Freebird_. Also partial to _Someone Save My Life Tonight_, that song was playing when I first got laid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-greatest-song-of-the-1970s/647968.md?page=2)