I don’t know any of those songs. In fact, I only recognise the names of four of the artists…
Loretta? Dolly? Charley Pride? Tanya Tucker? ONJ?
Someone Saved My Life Tonight is my favorite Elton tune. If I’d nominate one of his tunes, this would be it. Beautiful piano, great lyrics, great melody, and my it’s favorite vocal performance of his. I wish he’d done an intimate, live version early in his career like those BBC performances from the early 70’s, before his voice was blown. For example, this version of Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word.
Right artist, wrong song. The best song of the 70s was “Station to Station”, just your basic ten minute prog/punk/funk/disco epic. And, depending to who you listen to, is either about the Signs of the Cross or taking tons of cocaine.
I can think of many better candidates.
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” – Who
“Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” – Traffic
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” – Elton John
“Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
“Sunday Papers” – Joe Jackson
“Life During Wartime” – Talking Heads
“I Want to Be Sedated” – Ramones
“Surrender” – Cheap Trick
“Cool for Cats” – Squeeze
“Allison” – Elvis Costello
“Here Comes the Weekend” – Dave Edmunds
“Cruel to be Kind” – Nick Lowe
“I Do the Rock” – Tim Curry
“Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen
What no Bat out of Hell?
I lived through the entirety of the 70s, and yet I only know one of those songs. This poll sucks.
You’ve got Blondie’s Hangin’ on the Telephone up for best '70’s song? Hangin’ on the Telephone wasn’t even the best Blondie song!
That was Heart of Glass, obviously! They built a whole carnival ride called the Himalaya out of it!
Bonds with Don Draper
I’ve opened a new thread for nominations.
I can’t see the poll since I’m on my phone, but I bet there’s no Alice on there… 
I listened to a lot of music in the '70s (especially the mid to late '70s) and I don’t recognize a single song on that list. I’ve added some nominations on the other thread.
Pfft. A hipster’s list.
What Chuck said. Seriously, no “Bohemian Rhapsody”? No Who? No Ramones? No Cheap Trick? No Elton John?
Kids today… 
I was a teenager in the seventies, still love the music, and would not put ANY of these songs in the poll on my MP3 player (the Kate Bush one only in the re-make from the mid eighties).
I would pick Pink Floyd’s Shine on you crazy diamond or Genesis’ Mad man moon.
None of the ones in your poll. My opinion would be More Than a Feeling by Boston. But Kashmir by Led Zeppelin would be a close second.
I’m surprised by the number of people who don’t know the sons in the poll. Admittedly they are a dreadful selection but, nonetheless, I remember every one of them.
As to the correct answer, I’ll give you 3 “Aussie” songs:
I think that’s more of a problem with you than the poll.
Putting it in the other thread, but with all due respect “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” is Elton’s best.
I completely disagree. You’ve limited your representation of the 70’s to 10 songs, two of which are Bruce Springsteen. It’s all about your very limited tastes, and not at all to do with one of the most musically diverse decades in history.
Were you of adolescent age or older during the '70s? [edit: to GovernmentMan and not GuanoLad]
That was the impression that I first got. Unless the OP meant “What is the greatest song from this list of songs of the 1970’s?”, it seems to me that the list wasn’t written by someone who actually experienced the period.