The 10 best songs from the 70’s

Is this the best decade for music ever?

Past threads:
The 10 best songs from the 80’s
The 10 best songs from the 90's

I'm gonna steal Alfred's mid-decade split for this one since the start:

1970 - 1974

1. William DeVaughn - Be Thankful for What You Got (1974)
2. Can - I’m So Green (1972)
3. Art Ensemble of Chicago - Thème de Yoyo (1970)
4. Cymande - Bra (1972)
5. Curtis Mayfield - (Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go (1970)
6. Jorge Ben - Oba lá vem ela (1970)
7. Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues (1971)
8. Nina Simone - Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter (1974)
9. The Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll (1970)
10. T. Rex - Raw Ramp (1971)

1975 - 1979

1. XTC - Making Plans for Nigel (1979)
2. Dwight Twilley Band - Looking for the Magic (1977)
3. Fela Kuti - Sorrow, Tears and Blood (1977)
4. Fleetwood Mac - Never Going Back Again (1977)
5. Gerry Rafferty - Right Down the Line (1978)
6. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - We Almost Lost Detroit (1977)
7. Delegation - Oh Honey (1978)
8. Fania All Stars - Ella Fue (1977)
9. Risco Connection - Ain’t No Stopping Us Now (version) (1979)
10. Gilberto Gil - Toda Menina Baiana (1979)

“And it Stoned Me,” Van Morrison (1970)
“How Could I Let You Get Away,” Spinners (1973)
“Midnight Train to Georgia,” Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973)
“Sweet Emotion,” Aerosmith (1975)
“Cortez the Killer,” Neil Young (1975)
“Don’t Leave Me This Way,” Thelma Houston (1976)
“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” Billy Joel (1977)
“The Card Cheat,” The Clash (1979)
“The Ballad of Lucy Jordan,” Marianne Faithful (1979)
“Life During Wartime,” Talking Heads (1979)

cool choices!

Thanks!

I didn't think much of "Life During Wartime" until I saw the "stop making sense" concert for the first time a couple of months ago and it opened my eyes (ears) at what a great groove it is. I think it's one of my top 3 Talking Heads songs now.

Flagged the both of yous

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Bob Marley and the Wailers - Stir It Up
Fela Kuti - He Miss Road
David Bowie - Fame
Pink Floyd - Us and Them
Junior Murvin and the Upsetters - Closer Together
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
Led Zeppelin - Tangerine
Sly & the Family Stone - Runnin' Away
Staple Singers - I'll Take You There

"Oh Honey" would've made my list if I'd cheated like you did Mika :)

Moka

Judee Sill — The Kiss
Karen Dalton — Something On Your Mind
Roberta Flack — Why Don’t You Move In With Me?
Gal Costa — Índia
The Roches — Hammond Song
Television — Days
Deniece Williams — Free
Labelle — Come Into My Life
The Damned — Plan 9 Channel 7
Chic — Everybody Dance

From Moka I'll take
- Jorge Ben - Oba la vem ela
- Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues

I'll add
- The Modern Lovers - Astral Plane
- Linton Kwesi Johnson - Want Fi Goh Rave
- Comus - Diana
- Pere Ubu - Humor Me
- Ann Peebles - I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
- Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy
- Can - Future Days
- Black Uhuru - General Penitentiary

This is completely unsatisfying but oh well

Flagged the both of yous

― The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse)

Not a fan of Talking Heads huh?

Carl Anderson - Heaven on Their Minds (from Jesus Christ Superstar, Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Deep Purple - Space Truckin'
Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
Carl Carlton - Everlasting Love (yeah, one of 3 million remakes, but his is my favorite)
Yvonne Elliman - If I Can't Have You
Judas Priest - Victim of Changes
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me By Now
Marvin Gaye - Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Genesis - Firth of Fifth
Kansas - Point of Know Return

The Beach Boys - Feel Flows
Blondie - Heart Of Glass
David Bowie - Station To Station
Gloria Ann Taylor - Love Is A Hurtin' Thing
Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
Minnie Riperton - Les Fleurs
Public Image Ltd. - Public Image
Shuggie Otis - Aht Uh Mi Hed
Stevie Wonder - Superstition
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Rydeen

The Beach Boys - Feel Flows
Gloria Ann Taylor - Love Is A Hurtin' Thing
Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
Minnie Riperton - Les Fleurs

All of these were runner-ups for me.

"Oh Honey" would've made my list if I'd cheated like you did Mika :)

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger)

I love this one so much. It’s one of those songs I could listen to every day and I’m always in the mood for it.

I totally forgot about “warm leatherette”. That one deserves a mention.

Also Steely Dan

Someone save me

Kinda impossible but here are some

'70-'74
Big Star: Thirteen
Steely Dan: Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Van Morrison: Linden Arden Stole the Highlights
Stevie Wonder: Golden Lady
Gram Parsons: $1000 Wedding
Bonnie Raitt: Angel From Montgomery
Led Zepplin: Over the Hills and Far Away
J.J. Cale: Magnolia
Flamin' Groovies: Slow Death
Modern Lovers: Roadrunner

'75 - '79
Joni Mitchell: Coyote
Dylan: Tangled Up in Blue
Eno: St. Elmo's Fire
Joe Jackson: One More Time
Talking Heads: Life During Wartime
Television: Marquee Moon
Rickie Lee Jones: Danny's All-Star Joint
Blondie: Heart of Glass
Clash: Police and Thieves
Joy Division: Transmission

plz don't flag

Can – Halleluwah
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
Patti Smith – Land
Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Heart – Barracuda
The B-52’s – 52 Girls
The Congos – Fisherman
Popol Vuh – Hosianna Mantra
Nina Simone – Here Comes the Sun
Blondie – 11:59

Finally

Aerosmith - combination
Aerosmith - rats in the cellar
Aerosmith - no surprize
Aerosmith - lick and a promise
Aerosmith - get the lead out
Aerosmith - draw the line
Aerosmith - Adam’s apple
Aerosmith - sweet emotion
Aerosmith - mana kin
Aerosmith - Chiquita

Lol

I'll pitch in:

YMO - Behind the Mask
Tubeway Army - Are 'Friends' Electric?
Supertramp - Dreamer
Brian Eno - Burning Airlines Give You So Much More
Wire - Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW
Madness - Night Boat to Cairo

These are just a few that I've been listening to a lot lately, and I think they're all stupendous tracks. Yes, you read that right... Madness

i mean, most of my picks have been repped already, but surely one of the stylistics big hits deserves a mention? "people make the world go round" or "you are everything" would be my candidates.

as far as other stuff i like that hasn't been mentioned yet-

miles davis - 'black satin'
james brown - 'papa don't take no mess'
nick drake - 'pink moon'
john martyn - 'small hours'

amongst others.

My unscientific method of tallying songs from each decade on my playlists determines this is the richest musical decade.

Marvin Gaye - Got to Give It Up
The Slits - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Al Green - Love and Happiness
The Congos - Fisherman
Lee "Scratch" Perry - Roast Fish and Cornbread
Mo-dettes - White Mice
The Flatlanders - Dallas
John Cale - Paris 1919
Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street
The Kinks - Sweet Lady Genevieve

on first pass

Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
Talking Heads - Cities (1979)
Patti Smith - Gloria (1975)
Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane (1970)
Blondie - Heart of Glass (1976)
Cheryl Lynn - Got to Be Real (1978)
Carole King - (You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman (1971)
The Avengers - The American In Me (1978)
Lipps Inc - Funky Town (1979)
Big Star - Thirteen (1972)

Jackson 5 - Doctor My Eyes
The Wailers - Concrete Jungle
Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat
Joe Jackson - Got The Time
Traffic - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Bowie - Heroes
Neil Young - On The Beach
Jorge Ben - Apareceu Aparecida
Stevie Wonder - Don't You Worry Bout A Thing
Bobby Hutcherson - Goin' Down South

Also a write-in vote for basically everything Moka mentioned.
She cheated, but that list is impeccable.

1971-1975:

1. Temptations – Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
2. ABBA – SOS
3. Aretha Franklin – Rock Steady
4. Roxy Music – Street Life
5. Rod Stewart – Maggie May/Reason to Believe
6. The Edgar Winter Group – Free Ride
7. David Bowie – Fame
8. The Spinners – I’ll Be Around
9. Al Green – Call Me (Come Back Home)
10. Led Zeppelin – Trampled Under Foot

1976-1979:

1. Chic – My Feet Keep Dancing
2. Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
3. Donna Summer – Hot Stuff
4. Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
5. David Bowie – Sound and Vision
6. Public Image Ltd – Public Image
7. Roxy Music – Dance Away
8. The Clash – White Man in Hammersmith Palais
9. Funkadelic – (Not Just) Knee Deep
10. ABBA – Knowing Me, Knowing You

Alfred, what about 1970?

1. Pretenders - Kid
2. Minnie Riperton - Reasons
3. Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair
4. Roxy Music - Amazona
5. Human League - Empire State Human
6. Love Unlimited - I'm So Glad That I'm A Woman
7. The Four Tops - Still Water (Love)
8. Wire - Outdoor Miner
9. Stevie Wonder - Creepin'
10. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night

Also a write-in vote for basically everything Moka mentioned.
She cheated, but that list is impeccable.

― enochroot

Thanks! ;) Sorry for cheating… this decade is impossible. Pick whichever 10 you like the best from there hehe.

The Beach Boys - Surf’s Up (1971) is one of my favorite songs ever

there are so many others from that decade

Stevie Wonder - Living For the City (1973)
Nina Simone - Baltimore (1978)
Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977)
XTC - Making Plans For Nigel (1979)
The Equals - Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys (1970)
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks (1977)
Throbbing Gristle - Hot On the Heels of Love (1979)
Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi’s Dead (1979)
Eton John - Goodby Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Elvis Costello - Alison (1977)
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK (1976)
The Kinks - Lola (1970)
Talking Heads - Life During Wartime (1979)
The Clash - London Calling (1979)

I don't even think I could narrow it down to ten songs per year. The 70s were the peak of recorded popular music.

don't stop 'til you get enough

1970-1974
Big Star - Daisy Glaze
James Brown - Super Bad
William DeVaughn - Be Thankful for What You Got
Bob Dylan - Time Passes Slowly
Jimi Hendrix - Machine Gun
Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up
Roxy Music - Out of the Blue
Todd Rundgren - Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel
Richard & Linda Thompson - The Great Valerio
Frank Zappa - Inca Roads

1975-1979
David Bowie - Breaking Glass
Clash - Complete Control
The Damned - New Rose
Devo - Space Junk
Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation
Roches - Hammond Song
Talking Heads - Drugs
Robert Wyatt - Team Spirit
XTC - Life Begins at the Hop
Neil Young - Albuquerque

Poet & the Roots - Five Nights of Bleeding
Yabby You - Anti-Christ
Burning Spear - Live Good
Dadawah - 72 Nations
The Silvertones - Cheating & Lying
Max Romeo - Norman
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Small Axe
The Mighty Diamonds - Have Mercy
The Congos - Children Crying
Ijahman Levi - I Am A Levi

Kind of hating myself right now for not including “I love every little thing about you” by Stevie Wonder.

Awesome list, Chinaski. The cheating & lying 12'' weighs spiritual tons. Same for I am a levi, the demo version that is on the Basic Replay compilation is peak reggae.
I wanted to add more reggae songs and thought of Africa must be free by 1983, Truth and Rights, Satta Massa Gana, I need a roof, Fisherman, Rasta Business (Mighty Threes), Poison Flour, I'm sitll in love... and ended up failing them all
There'd be dancehall lists to build for the 80s thread as well

Hey Nabozo - some mighty tunes in your list there. I wrote Five Nights of Bleeding down and realised I had to do an entire reggae list! And I didn't find room for Keith Hudson, Horace Andy, Abyssinians, Jacob Miller, let alone Cedric Brooks and the Upsetters. Too much good reggae.

I was thinking of the Marcia Aitken version of I'm Still in Love but that's '81 by the looks of it? Alton Ellis?

The Congos - Children Crying

It’s been so long. The dub ox! (Although Fishermen is a personal favorite.)

My list would include Handsworth Revolution, Yah Ho, and We Need Love by Johnny Osbourne.

For non reggae, Loran’s Dance by Idris Muhammad, Greetings To Idris by Pharoah Sanders, and if no one else mentioned it yet, Lost In The Supermarket.

Some disco of course: My Love Is Free, Found A Cure, and Heart Of Glass.

Well crap now I’m up to ten, plus one.

Nice reggae lists！I started a collaborative playlist, please add if you want

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LW0OMWzSt6rWTTPK0h03J

I continually fail to grok Spotify.

My list needs more Gil Scott-Heron, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown Stoned To The Bone, and some krautrock.

No doubt I’m still forgetting some essentials. This is probably the hardest decade.

Fisherman is maybe the one track from Heart of the Congos that I actually DON'T love. Not that I think it's bad.

I like the interplay of Biblical and drug smuggling imagery, but could be over-analyzing.

These lists clearly show that we are in no danger whatsoever of incurring a punk revival in 2021.

…And there was much rejoicing.

If “White Mice” catches fire on TikTok you can thank my list.

…And there was much rejoicing.

...in the boardrooms of the record industry.

Record industry boardrooms HATE this new collection of Fall Out Boy’s greatest hits!

This is totally unrelated but just wondering, is there an “Australia effect” on ILM?

aussies were charming in the 70s as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPQm8IPMtMM

Sweet as

Not sure if I'd be able to pick a top ten, but I do have one song from my favorite album of each year of the '70s I love the most:
1970: Black Sabbath - "Paranoid": "Planet Caravan"
1971: Led Zeppelin - "IV": "Stairway to Heaven"
1972: David Bowie - "Ziggy Stardust": "Moonage Daydream"
1973: Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side of the Moon": "Time"
1974: Eric Clapton - "461 Ocean Boulevard": "Let It Grow"
1975: Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here": "Wish You Were Here"
1976: Rush - "2112": "A Passage to Bangkok"
1977: Pink Floyd - "Animals": "Pigs (Three Different Ones)"
1978: David Bowie - "Heroes": "Heroes"
1979: Pink Floyd - "The Wall": "Comfortably Numb"

Alfred, what happened to "Golden Years"?

Lone Wanderer loves his local classic rock station

I forgot Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads. One of my absolute favorite novelty songs of all time.

Also the music video is great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn73Wtem0No

"Friend of the Devil" - Grateful Dead
"Benny and the Jets" - Elton John
"They Won't Go When I Go" - Stevie Wonder
"Rapper's Delight" - Sugar Hill Gang
"Golden Years" - David Bowie
"My Life" - Billy Joel
"Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan
"Zombie" - Fela Kuti
"Future Days" - Can
"Beat on the Brat" - Ramones

Here's a Spotify playlist of what's been mentioned so far. Think I got most of them; they're not entirely in order because I had to fix a bunch of shit Spotlistr missed, so if you're looking for gaps in your list, they're probably toward the bottom.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26nDBOKBmUjtxwfal0nM4X?si=ca8a740522024b83

A Top 10 - only songs haven't been mentioned yet:

Townes Van Zandt - Poncho & Lefty
Fleetwood Mac - Silver Springs
The Who - Baba O'Riley
The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice
David Bowie - Young Americans
Dolly Parton - Jolene
Emmylou Harris - Easy from Now On
Joni Mitchell - A Case of You
The Beatles - Let It Be
John Prine - Angel from Montgomery

I think “to live is to fly” beats “poncho” but the latter has the willie connection

Risking Deflatormouse flagging me again but was thinking on starting either a 00s or 60s thread a few weeks from now but I’m on a shortlist of 100+ songs for each decade and I don’t think I can do it. I guess this is the last one.

Frank Zappa - Transylvania Boogie
Yes - Long Distance Runaround
King Crimson - Lark's Tongue in Aspic (Part II)
Pink Floyd - Fearless
Chilliwack - Fly At Night (In the Morning We Land)
Klaatu - Little Neutrino
Led Zeppelin - Carauselambra
Steely Dan - Aja
Supertramp - Crime of the Century
Cafe Jacques - Meaningless

Can beard papa recite the lyrics to caroselambra by heart?

That’s a cool one!

no idea what my top ten are, but one that's probably on there and hasn't been mentioned yet is Saint Dominic's Preview by Van Morrison

Can beard papa recite the lyrics to caroselambra by heart?

Only, "Take of the fruit, but guard the seed"...

"Where was your helping?
Where was your bow?"

_Can beard papa recite the lyrics to caroselambra by heart?_


Only, "Take of the fruit, but guard the seed"...

Risking Deflatormouse flagging me again but was thinking on starting either a 00s or 60s thread a few weeks from now but I’m on a shortlist of 100+ songs for each decade and I don’t think I can do it. I guess this is the last one.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka)

I started working on a 00s one as soon as I was finished with the 90s. It's a fun mental exercise and I would gladly take part.

stretchin "70s" here just a little bit but 10 i've been thinking about:

Soul sister - Allen toussaint
wish I had not said that - jj cale
Althea - Grateful Dead
summer - war
You got the love - Rufus & Chaka Khan
Malibu people - John Phillips
The slider - T. rex
I’m a ram - al green
Trouble - Robert Palmer
Sleeping. - the band

Nice list

thanks! might could sub in the Rumor for Sleeping

"I'm a Ram" is so good

not necessarily my favorites, but tbh these lists need more butt rock

10cc, i'm not in love
boz scaggs, lido shuffle
foghat, slow ride
led zeppelin, when the levee breaks
pere ubu, final solution
rolling stones, sway
roxy music, do the strand
television, see no evil
thin lizzy, jailbreak
van halen, ain't talkin' 'bout love

Sweet Mother - Prince Nico Mbarga
Every 1's A Winner - Hot Chocolate
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Landscape for Future Earth - Keith Jarrett
(I Got) A Good 'Un - John Lee Hooker
Come On Baby Let’s Go Downtown - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Gold - John Stewart feat. Stevie Nicks
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs
I Want Your Love - Chic
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

I was sure "Gold" also featured Lindsey Buckingham (who contributed to the album it was on) - that guitar solo sure sounds like him - but no that's Stewart himself playing. Turns out, they both played each other's records when learning to play guitar.

Making a list that is full of songs on classic rock radio is a waste of everyone’s time

okay then contribute more than a list of aerosmith

If you ask me a few weeks from now I may well have completely different picks...

Shuggie Otis - "Strawberry Letter 23"
Poco - "A Good Feelin' to Know"
Fleetwood Mac - "Landslide"
Staple Singers - "If You're Ready"
Nick Drake - "Northern Sky"
Ambrosia - "Time Waits For No One"
Judee Sill - "Jesus Was a Cross Maker"
Buzzcocks - "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)"
Andy Gibb - "Love is Thicker Than Water"
John Martyn - "Go Down Easy"

Currently playing The Upsetters “Super Ape” album and I’m regretting not placing “three in one” on my list.

Also something from Sun Ra’s sleeping beauty. ‘Springtime Again’ or ‘Door of the Cosmos’… this is such a good decade.

1970 Alan Moorhouse - expo in tokyo
1971 Santana - jungle strut
1972 Holland-Dozier-Holland - why can't we be lovers
1973 Coloured Balls (Lobby Loyde) – g.o.d.
1973 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - sebastian
1974 Erkin Koray - cemalim
1976 Omega - house of cards part I, time robber, house of cards part II
1976 Mongo Santamaria - sofrito
1978 The Bar-Kays – holy ghost
1978 Promises - baby it's you
1978 The Undertones - teenage kicks
1979 Saxon - motorcycle man

Cool list!