# What's the "Seventies-est" song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 25, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777 "2010-03-25T18:00:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/121 "2010-04-02T17:43:48Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > The most 70s feeling song ever is [Fly Robin Fly](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM72iWami9M). It came out when I was 13 and I remember thinking “is that all there is to it?”. The lyrics are suprisingly easy to memorize. What about [TSOP](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-uBifzwZ0k) by MFSB? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/122 "2010-04-02T18:16:09Z")
The Avengers [The American in Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSzfozcNajI). What :p? Okay, admittedly that was at the very close of the decade. How about The Ramones’ [Pinhead](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jAVM0prVm4)? Yep, the seventies were a diverse time. I actually agree with many of the above selections, particularly [Kung Fu Fighting](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhUkGIsKvn0). Pure, goofy seventies. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/123 "2010-04-02T18:20:43Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Rocky Mountain High by John Denver Another vote for Rocky Mountain High. Followed closely by Poems, Prayers and Promises. ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/124 "2010-04-02T19:16:19Z")
Love Hurts - Nazareth Cheesy, simple, rock-ballady ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/125 "2010-04-02T19:23:59Z")
No mention of Boston’s _More Than A Feeling_? Maybe not the winner, but it certainly deserves to be considered. ---
**Author:** ![Kingfisher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc8723/32.png) [@Kingfisher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingfisher)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/126 "2010-04-02T21:44:40Z")
Radar Love - Golden Earing ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/127 "2010-04-03T02:34:48Z")
For my money, it’s one of these three: “(Theme From) Shaft” - Isaac Hayes ( [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAa5rP64YbQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAa5rP64YbQ) ), for its decade-defining usage of strings, reeds, and, of course, guitars drenched in shimmering wah-wah. “Afternoon Delight” - The Starland Vocal Band ( [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYwEHLRmILY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYwEHLRmILY) ), for it’s '70s-typical, indiscriminate deployment of a bland, whitewashed MOR country groove, with colorless, sub-Muzak singers providing the vocals. “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” - Looking Glass ( [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-dleViv2nc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-dleViv2nc) ), because it reeks of self-righteousness and gin-soaked, Holiday Inn lounge style instrumentation. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/128 "2010-04-03T02:51:25Z")
And I forgot Al Stewart’s “The Year of the Cat” ( [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM7LR46zrQU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM7LR46zrQU) ) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/129 "2010-04-03T19:23:09Z")
Ray Stevens’ “The Streak” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/130 "2010-04-03T19:51:09Z")
Novelty music was HUGE in the 70s. Besides Ray Stevens, there were tonnes of parody songs, and an almost superstar (to me) of Jim Stafford. Not Just Another Pretty Foot, Stafford had “Spiders and Snakes” and “Swamp Witch” besides his novelty hits of “Wildwood Weed” and “I Got Stoned and I Missed It” (other cute songs of his also got lots of late night pop AM station airplay around my hometown). His Branson show is a riot. Comedy, music, comedy music … Great fun. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/131 "2010-04-03T22:04:53Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m not in love by 10cc was the first one that popped into my head. Big boys don’t cry…☹ ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/132 "2010-04-03T23:06:33Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I totally forgot about that song. My dim memory of it was with a female singer, but it was probably me misremembering it. Could you be thinking of 1968’s [Angel of the Morning](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y16Ac9O9Alc) by Merilee Rush? Juice Newton did a more famous version, but it was in 1981. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2010, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/133 "2010-04-04T10:32:34Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Chevy Van certainly fits that freewheelin, leftover hippie 70s kinda zeitgeist to a T. Came here to post Chevy Van. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/134 "2010-04-05T00:50:05Z")
This 27 year-old weighs in with “Incense and Peppermints” by Strawberry Alarm clock. And I can’t really recall the tune right now, but, I think it scores up there on the title alone. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/135 "2010-04-05T01:32:58Z")
A few more nominations that say “70s” to me (apologize if any of these have been mentioned): Firefall - You Are the Woman Seals and Crofts - Summer Breeze Neil Diamond - Cracklin’ Rosie King Harvest - Dancing in the Moonlight Redbone - Come and Get Your Love ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/136 "2010-04-05T05:19:58Z")
Apologies – I haven’t read the whole thread, but even though the song is _about_ the 60’s, it just sounds so 70’s: **Sweet Home Alabama**. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/137 "2010-04-05T13:18:23Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > This 27 year-old weighs in with “Incense and Peppermints” by Strawberry Alarm clock. > > And I can’t really recall the tune right now, but, I think it scores up there on the title alone. Not eligible, as it came out in the sixties. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/138 "2010-04-05T13:23:06Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > My nominee is\*[Afternoon Delight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYwEHLRmILY)\* by Starland Vocal Band. > > Don’t hate me. That was my first answer as well. I don’t know why, I think it was the overt naughtiness that would not have been allowed earlier, coupled with the shiny-happy totally sexless delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/139 "2010-04-10T18:30:57Z")
> [@johnspartan](#): > > What’s your vote for the 70s-est sounding song there was, and why? > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Not eligible, as it came out in the sixties. Can we get a ruling from the Judges? I don’t see a stipulation on a year. The OP was after the sound, not the year. I ran the title by my parents, who assured me it was from the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777/140 "2010-04-10T18:52:14Z")
_Incense and Peppermints_ was out in the fall/winter of 1967 and owed much to the psychedelic sound which was becoming popular at that time. I suspect that people who think it typical of the seventies probably got that impression from hearing it in a movie or on an oldies station where the time lines of songs often get muddled. It was out at about the same time as _White Rabbit_ by the Jefferson Airplane and _Light My Fire_ by the Doors, and it preceeded Woodstock by almost two years. It really can’t be classified as a seventies song at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-seventies-est-song/533777.md?page=8)