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 |
