Sole US #1 hits by 70s solo artists (Part 1: 1970-74)

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Thought I'd make a concurrent "solo artists" poll to go along with my group one. some really great songs to agonize over here.

Two separate polls, one for each half of the decade, as there were too many options to fit into a single poll. We can tally the results of each and the winners can face off in a final match.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
"Let's Stay Together" - Al Green (1972)	11
"Heart of Gold" - Neil Young (1972)	8
"It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move" - Carole King (1971)	6
"I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash (1972)	5
"Without You" - Harry Nilsson (1972)	4
"Theme from Shaft" - Isaac Hayes (1971)	3
"Keep on Truckin'" - Eddie Kendricks (1973)	3
"Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae (1974)	3
"You're So Vain" - Carly Simon (1973)	3
"Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin (1971)	2
"American Pie" - Don McLean (1972)	2
"Alone Again (Naturally)" - Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972)	2
"Sundown" - Gordon Lightfoot (1974)	2
"Brand New Key" - Melanie (1971)	2
"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" - Barry White (1974)	2
"Kung Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas (1974)	1
"I Can Help" - Billy Swan (1974)	1
"Show and Tell" - Al Wilson (1974)	1
"Me and Mrs. Jones" - Billy Paul (1972)	1
"War" - Edwin Starr (1970)	1
"Lean on Me" - Bill Withers (1972)	1
"You've Got a Friend" - James Taylor (1971)	0
"Go Away Little Girl" - Donny Osmond (1971)	0
"Rock Me Gently" - Andy Kim (1974)	0
"Candy Man" - Sammy Davis Jr. (1972)	0
"I Shot the Sheriff" - Eric Clapton (1974)	0
"Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" - Mac Davis (1972)	0
"Seasons in the Sun" - Terry Jacks (1974)	0
"My Ding-a-ling" - Chuck Berry (1972)	0
"The Most Beautiful Girl" - Charlie Rich (1973)	0
"The Morning After" - Maureen McGovern (1973)	0
"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" - Vicki Lawrence (1973)	0
"Cat's in the Cradle" - Harry Chapin (1974)	0

― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Friday, 27 December 2013 23:20 (eleven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3MRd_QHlQM

― Moka, Friday, 27 December 2013 23:28 (eleven years ago)

carole king just barely over al green and george mcrae

― balls, Friday, 27 December 2013 23:40 (eleven years ago)

1. "Let's Stay Together," 2. "It's Too Late" or "You're So Vain," 4. "Without You," 5. "I Can See Clearly Now," 6. "American Pie"

― clemenza, Friday, 27 December 2013 23:54 (eleven years ago)

THEME FROM SHAFT

― voodoo chili, Saturday, 28 December 2013 00:15 (eleven years ago)

Honestly, I stopped looking at the other options once I saw that one, the rest of the options are pretty strong too.

― voodoo chili, Saturday, 28 December 2013 00:15 (eleven years ago)

"American Pie" - Don McLean (1972)
"Let's Stay Together" - Al Green (1972)
"Without You" - Harry Nilsson (1972)
"Heart of Gold" - Neil Young (1972)

These four succeeded one another at the top of the charts; pretty interesting situation, and such a strong set of songs too.

― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Saturday, 28 December 2013 00:21 (eleven years ago)

carole king epitomizes early 70's singer/songwriter stuff to me and seems most vote-worthy

― Darin, Saturday, 28 December 2013 00:39 (eleven years ago)

Heart of Gold!

― mambo jumbo (La Lechera), Saturday, 28 December 2013 02:45 (eleven years ago)

I started writing out a top 5 but that was impossible as well. I'll just say I love Charlie Rich and many other of the AM Gold hits, but I'll vote for Al Green.

― that's not my post, Saturday, 28 December 2013 04:31 (eleven years ago)

"Alone Again (Naturally)"

― Bee OK, Saturday, 28 December 2013 06:23 (eleven years ago)

Stopped looking as soon as I saw "My Ding-a-ling"

Whaaat?

― Josefa, Saturday, 28 December 2013 06:57 (eleven years ago)

Man, "Show and Tell" is an awesome song.

― timellison, Monday, 30 December 2013 04:52 (eleven years ago)

I love Neil but I feel like Sundown is almost as strong as Heart of Gold

― Quarterpayne McRapp (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 30 December 2013 06:42 (eleven years ago)

"It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move" - Carole King (1971)
"Theme from Shaft" - Isaac Hayes (1971)
"Brand New Key" - Melanie (1971)
"Without You" - Harry Nilsson (1972)
"Lean on Me" - Bill Withers (1972)
"Alone Again (Naturally)" - Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972)
"You're So Vain" - Carly Simon (1973)
"Sundown" - Gordon Lightfoot (1974)

^^^ these are all spectacular and I won't hear a word against any of them. Tempted to go "Lean On Me" for instant-standard genius - hard to say how you would improve that song, arrangement, performance in any category. BUT - Simon, King, O'Sullivan, Nilsson, all fucking classic as hell. I admit Melanie is in here partly because my mother liked it and I picked it up from her; her affection for the bridge of "Alone Again Naturally" is also in play here although I do think it's a smart and dapper song. "Sundown" is just kinda really headsticky, not much to it - I do like the general mood/feel, feels like a good time hanging out with Gordon on the porch with a beer. Shaft has wocka-chicka-wocka... ahhh, fuck it, voting for Bill.

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 30 December 2013 08:29 (eleven years ago)

one reason: almost everybody else on the list would have probably *killed* to have come up with "Lean On Me," either as songwriters as performers. Wonder how many of them covered it...

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 30 December 2013 08:31 (eleven years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― System, Saturday, 4 January 2014 00:01 (eleven years ago)

I'm the red ball express... of lovin
Diesel-powered straight to you - I'm truckin

LOVE Eddie's solo stuff.

― mr.raffles, Saturday, 4 January 2014 00:10 (eleven years ago)

Some great one-off's here from George McCrae, Billy Swan, Carl Douglas. Also songs you only cared about if you grew up with AM radio in those days: Terry Jacks, Maureen McGovern, Sammy Davis Jr. Came down between Edwin Starr, Carly Simon and Billy Paul. Went with the latter.

― jetfan, Saturday, 4 January 2014 06:11 (eleven years ago)

Meeeeeeee
eeeee
eeeeee
eeeeee
eeeee

and MISSUS!

Mrs. Jones

― tbd (Eazy), Saturday, 4 January 2014 08:02 (eleven years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― System, Sunday, 5 January 2014 00:01 (eleven years ago)

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