Top 100 Songs of the 1970s

57. Dream On  – Aerosmith (1973)

56. Instant Karma! – John Lennon, Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band (1970)

55. Closer To The Heart  – Rush (1977)

54. Take It To The Limit  – Eagles (1975)

Music companies and their greedy claims, eh? Here is my third attempt to post a YouTube link of this song. Luckily I keep checking my posts for when the songs get taken down…

Amazing slow song here…

53. The Joker  – Steve Miller Band (1973)

One of my first CDs ever – Steve Miller Band’s greatest hits…

52. No Woman No Cry  – Bob Marley (1975)

51. Maggie M’Gill – The Doors (1970)

50. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison (1970)

49. Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)

48. Another Brick In The Wall (part II)  – Pink Floyd (1979)

I like this, the full version. Makes the intro so much better.

47. Comfortably Numb  – Pink Floyd (1979)

46. One Love  – Bob Marley and the Wailers (1977)

This may not have been the first video I ever saw on Much Music…but it’s absolutely the first video I remember seeing on Much Music when it launched. This video was released in the early 80s and gave Marley a posthumous hit in 1984 when the song reached No.5 on the charts as a result.

45. Never Going Back Again  – Fleetwood Mac (1977)

One of the greatest albums of all time. Every song is a gem.

44. Fat Bottomed Girls  – Queen (1978)

43. Witchy Woman – Eagles (1972)

If you don’t mind the four-minute guitar solo to kick off this live version, then you’ll enjoy.

42. Sweet Emotion  – Aerosmith (1975)

Although the constant interruptions with the phone chat in this video are annoying, it’s almost worth the laugh at the end…

41. Say Hello  – April Wine (1979)

My favorite song by April Wine here.

40. Me And Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin (1971)

39. We’re Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time) – Trooper (1977)

38. Stayin’ Alive  – Bee Gees (1977)

37. Take A Chance On Me  – ABBA (1977)

36. Don’t Bring Me Down – ELO (1979)

This song pumped me up in university…

35. Bat Out Of Hell – Meat Loaf (1977)

The awesome opening riff is cut from this video, unfortunately…

34. Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones (1971)

33. D’yer Mak’er  – Led Zeppelin (1973)

32. No Time – The Guess Who (1970)

Honestly had never heard this version prior to putting this article together. And frankly, it’s even better. The version I grew to love was on their greatest hits CD (same as what was played on the radio). This one sounds cleaner, with an intro too.

31. Imagine – John Lennon (1971)

Needs no introduction

30. American Pie – Don McLean (1971)

29. Feel Like Making Love – Bad Company (1975)

28. Some Kind of Wonderful  – Grand Funk (1975)

27. Paradise By the Dashboard Light  – Meat Loaf (1977)

The story-telling in this song is just so very real, albeit quite basic and uncouth. And for a 1977 video/performance he does a great job of telling it. A unique and talented artist, to say the least.

26. Bohemian Rhapsody  – Queen (1975)

25. Sweet Home Alabama  – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)

24. The Ballroom Blitz  – The Sweet (1973)

23. Cat’s In The Cradle  – Harry Chapin (1974)

I am putting in this video because of the background (first minute) and a bit of background and context to this famous song.

22. Peace Frog – The Doors (1970)

21. Wish You Were Here  – Pink Floyd (1975)

20. Angie  – The Rolling Stones (1973)

19. Hey, Hey, What Can I Do – Led Zeppelin (1970)

18. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp – Led Zeppelin (1970)

17. Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)

16. Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)

15. Over the Hills and Far Away – Led Zeppelin (1973)

Another one from Zeppelin, and we’re still not through with them…

14. Sundown  – Gordon Lightfoot (1974)

13. Black Water  – The Doobie Brothers (1974)

12. The Gambler  – Kenny Rogers (1978)

11. Hotel California  – Eagles (1976)

10. More Than A Feeling  – Boston (1976)

9. The Cover of the Rolling Stone – Dr. Hook (1972)

This song is criminally underrated and criminally underplayed. I don’t know why nobody seems to want to talk about this song, but I loved it from the moment I first heard it. It’s great to sing along to. I never hear it on classic rock stations. I wonder what being a teenager in 1972 was like when this song was released. Why was it never big?

8. Tuesday’s Gone – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)

7. Sunshine – Nazareth (1974)

6. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin (1971)

One of the best songs in the history of music, and perhaps deserving of No.1 here. But admittedly slips because I’ve heard it (and played it) more than pretty much any other song ever. Is that a reason to punish a song? Apparently so.

5. The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)

4. Give A Little Bit  – Supertramp (1977)

I’ve always loved this song, and oddly enough it brings back memories of working at Zellers as a stock boy in Stratford. Hearing it there enough over the sound system, I bought Supertramp’s greatest hits as a result.

3. Piano Man  – Billy Joel (1973)

2. Lola – The Kinks (1970)

1. Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)

Top to bottom, start to finish, hands down the best song of the 70’s. The slow buildup, the catchy singable lyrics, the hard rockin’ riffs at the end combine to make the perfect song…

You can listen to/play this entire list on YouTube here.

And on Spotify…

Here is the list in chart form:

Rank	Song		Artist	Year
1	Freebird	–	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1973
2	Lola	–	The Kinks	1970
3	Piano Man	–	Billy Joel	1973
4	Give A Little Bit	–	Supertramp	1977
5	The Boxer	–	Simon & Garfunkel	1970
6	Stairway to Heaven	–	Led Zeppelin	1971
7	Sunshine	–	Nazareth	1974
8	Tuesday’s Gone	–	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1973
9	The Cover of the Rolling Stone	–	Dr. Hook	1972
10	More Than A Feeling	–	Boston	1976
11	Hotel California	–	Eagles	1976
12	The Gambler	–	Kenny Rogers	1978
13	Black Water	–	The Doobie Brothers	1974
14	Sundown	–	Gordon Lightfoot	1974
15	Over the Hills and Far Away	–	Led Zeppelin	1973
16	Up Around the Bend	–	Creedence Clearwater Revival	1970
17	Cecilia	–	Simon & Garfunkel	1970
18	Bron-Y-Aur Stomp	–	Led Zeppelin	1970
19	Hey, Hey, What Can I Do	–	Led Zeppelin	1970
20	Angie	–	The Rolling Stones	1973
21	Wish You Were Here	–	Pink Floyd	1975
22	Peace Frog	–	The Doors	1970
23	Cat’s In The Cradle	–	Harry Chapin	1974
24	The Ballroom Blitz	–	The Sweet	1973
25	Sweet Home Alabama	–	Lynyrd Skynyrd	1974
26	Bohemian Rhapsody	–	Queen	1975
27	Paradise By the Dashboard Light	–	Meat Loaf	1977
28	Some Kind of Wonderful	–	Grand Funk	1975
29	Feel Like Making Love	–	Bad Company	1975
30	American Pie	–	Don McLean	1971
31	Imagine	–	John Lennon	1971
32	No Time	–	The Guess Who	1970
33	D’yer Mak’er	–	Led Zeppelin	1973
34	Brown Sugar	–	The Rolling Stones	1971
35	Bat Out Of Hell	–	Meat Loaf	1977
36	Don’t Bring Me Down	–	Electric Light Orchestra	1979
37	Take A Chance On Me	–	ABBA	1977
38	Stayin’ Alive	–	Bee Gees	1977
39	We’re Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time)	–	Trooper	1977
40	Me And Bobby McGee	–	Janis Joplin	1971
41	Say Hello	–	April Wine	1979
42	Sweet Emotion	–	Aerosmith	1975
43	Witchy Woman	–	Eagles	1972
44	Fat Bottomed Girls	–	Queen	1978
45	Never Going Back Again	–	Fleetwood Mac	1977
46	One Love	–	Bob Marley and the Wailers	1977
47	Comfortably Numb	–	Pink Floyd	1979
48	Another Brick In The Wall (part II)	–	Pink Floyd	1979
49	Ohio	–	Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young	1970
50	My Sweet Lord	–	George Harrison	1970
51	Maggie M’Gill	–	The Doors	1970
52	No Woman No Cry	–	Bob Marley	1975
53	The Joker	–	Steve Miller Band	1973
54	Take It To The Limit	–	Eagles	1975
55	Closer To The Heart	–	Rush	1977
56	Instant Karma!	–	John Lennon, Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band	1970
57	Dream On	–	Aerosmith	1973
58	Take It Easy	–	Eagles	1972
59	The Air That I Breathe	–	The Hollies	1974
60	We Will Rock You	–	Queen	1977
61	Drift Away	–	Dobie Gray	1973
62	Come Sail Away	–	Styx	1977
63	Mother	–	Pink Floyd	1979
64	No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature	–	The Guess Who	1970
65	Layla	–	Derek and the Dominos	1971
66	See Me, Feel Me	–	The Who	1970
67	Wonderful Tonight	–	Eric Clapton	1977
68	All Right Now	–	Free	1970
69	Lyin’ Eyes	–	Eagles	1975
70	Long As I Can See The Light	–	Creedence Clearwater Revival	1970
71	Moondance	–	Van Morrison	1970
72	Don’t Stop	–	Fleetwood Mac	1977
73	Tangerine	–	Led Zeppelin	1970
74	Rocket Man	–	Elton John	1972
75	Baba O’Riley	–	The Who	1971
76	Goodbye Yellow Brick Road	–	Elton John	1973
77	Won’t Get Fooled Again	–	The Who	1971
78	Black Dog	–	Led Zeppelin	1971
79	The Chain	–	Fleetwood Mac	1977
80	American Woman	–	The Guess Who	1970
81	Roadhouse Blues	–	The Doors	1970
82	Rock ‘N’ Me	–	Steve Miller Band	1976
83	Silver Springs	–	Fleetwood Mac	1977
84	Bicycle Race	–	Queen	1978
85	Love Hurts	–	Nazareth	1976
86	Sweet Talkin’ Woman	–	Electric Light Orchestra	1978
87	Squeeze Box	–	The Who	1975
88	Strange Magic	–	Electric Light Orchestra	1975
89	My Best Friend’s Girl	–	The Cars	1978
90	Woodstock	–	Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young	1970
91	Jet Airliner	–	Steve Miller Band	1977
92	Foreplay / Long Time	–	Boston	1976
93	Candle in the Wind	–	Elton John	1973
94	You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)	–	Rod Stewart	1977
95	Landslide	–	Fleetwood Mac	1975
96	Peace Of Mind	–	Boston	1976
97	Kashmir	–	Led Zeppelin	1975
98	When the Levee Breaks	–	Led Zeppelin	1971
99	Changes	–	Black Sabbath	1972
100	Iron Man	–	Black Sabbath	1970
101	(Don’t Fear) The Reaper	–	Blue Öyster Cult	1976
102	Hair Of The Dog	–	Nazareth	1975
103	Jive Talkin’	–	Bee Gees	1975
104	Daniel	–	Elton John	1973
105	Shooting Star	–	Bad Company	1975
106	We Are The Champions	–	Queen	1977
107	Lean on Me	–	Bill Withers	1972
108	T.N.T.	–	AC/DC	1975
109	Knowing Me, Knowing You	–	ABBA	1976
110	It’s a Heartache	–	Bonnie Tyler	1977
111	Three Little Birds	–	Bob Marley and the Wailers	1977
112	Stuck in the Middle with You	–	Stealers Wheel	1973

1970  1971  1972  1973  1974  1975  1976  1977  1978  1979

1960s          1970s          1980s          1990s

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