# When you think of the 70's, what are the top three bands that come to mind? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 23, 2022, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415 "2022-07-23T07:40:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/21 "2022-07-23T13:41:48Z")
I immediately thought of Arena Rock bands. That style music began in the 70’s. Linda Ronstadt was the queen of Arena Rock - As a solo artist. Arena Rock Bands were known for outstanding Live performances. They charted hits but it was their live performances that made them great. Journey Styx Boston REO Speedwagon ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/22 "2022-07-23T13:49:16Z")
So Journey, Styx, and Boston. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/23 "2022-07-23T13:50:30Z")
Honorable mention for REO Speedwagon. 😉 My first three are the biggest 70’s arena acts. I value great live acts. Bands that went out there night after night and Entertained people. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/24 "2022-07-23T13:52:54Z")
With no deliberation: Who, Stones, Floyd. With a second of deliberation, I can see Zeppelin replacing one of them. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/25 "2022-07-23T13:54:49Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > My first three are the biggest 70’s arena acts. I should know better, but based on what criteria? This doesn’t seem remotely correct. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/26 "2022-07-23T14:03:42Z")
(I threw in four extra underneath myself …) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/27 "2022-07-23T14:06:20Z")
Aerosmith Kiss Pink Floyd ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/28 "2022-07-23T14:14:32Z")
Lynyrd Skynyrd The Allman Brothers Band The Marshall Tucker Band I wasn’t of an age to pay attention to music in the 70s but growing up in the South, these were the bands that were played endlessly in the background of every barbecue shack, pool hall, dive bar and other establishment. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/29 "2022-07-23T14:16:36Z")
Led Zeppelin Queen ABBA ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/30 "2022-07-23T14:18:49Z")
Led Zeppelin The Eagles Fleetwood Mac ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/31 "2022-07-23T14:23:58Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I was pretty young in the 70s, but I remember music everywhere. True, and I remember being _so_ cool that we never said the full name of the bands that we’d hear late at night on the “underground” stations (that ignored the Top 40 and played _albums_, man…). Zep’lin Floyd Tull I’m trying to keep in mind that “the 60s” ended about '72 or so, so the early 70s were still Nixon, hippies vs the straights, Vietnam protests, Watergate, and the music was much more “protest-y”. Mid-to late 70s was lighter, more optimistic. That’s why we’re getting bands as diverse as Pink Floyd and REO. Different eras, even if in the same decade. So I picked 1970, when I was in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/32 "2022-07-23T14:25:25Z")
Led Zeppelin Mahavishnu Orchestra X ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/33 "2022-07-23T14:28:47Z")
X- American, or Australian? ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/34 "2022-07-23T14:50:17Z")
Sex Pistols Donna Summer Foghat ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/35 "2022-07-23T14:52:59Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > should know better, but based on what criteria? > This doesn’t seem remotely correct. Here’s a list of Arena rock bands. The four I listed are the ones my friends and I would have driven 150 miles, from my small town, to the city to see. AFAIK they sold out consistently. I didn’t research ticket sales for arena rock bands. I debated between Aerosmith and Foreigner. They were both extremely popular when I was in school. > **[Arena Rock Music Style Overview | AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/style/arena-rock-ma0000012329?1658583819762)** > > Find Arena Rock Albums, Artists and Songs, and Hand-Picked Top Arena Rock Music on AllMusic ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/36 "2022-07-23T14:57:07Z")
1. Flash and the Pan 2. Talking Heads 3. 10cc ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/37 "2022-07-23T14:58:58Z")
The Beegees, Eagles, and Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/38 "2022-07-23T15:08:51Z")
Led Zeppelin Fleetwood Mac Boston ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/39 "2022-07-23T15:26:57Z")
> [@digs](#): > > That’s why we’re getting bands as diverse as Pink Floyd and REO. Different eras, even if in the same decade. And also that the OP can be interpreted as best vs most specific vs most quintessential, and that there were several types at the same time that were very ‘70s - arena rock; brass driven; progressive…, and how old we each were, thinking of high school or college or other, each of which may have had other musical exposures … I think asking ‘60s or ‘80s might also give a diverse collection. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415/40 "2022-07-23T15:40:38Z")
It’s hard to think of a period with more diverse music. Singer-Songwriter Neil Young,Croce,John Denver Various generes of rock Punk Disco Metal Pop Outlaw Country Classic Country They all sold records and charted hits. The 70’s was a great time to grow up and listen to music. It’s hard for people today to understand George Jones,Charley Pride, Marty Robbins were charting hits at the same time as Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe and Willie Nelson. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-think-of-the-70s-what-are-the-top-three-bands-that-come-to-mind/968415.md?page=3)