My list is taken solely from songs that reached #1 on Billboard in the 70s. I mean if it didn’t reach #1, how great could it be? (just kidding, sort of)
So I excluded the ultra catchy one hit wonders such as Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting, Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died, Bo Donaldson, The Heywoods - Billy, Don’t Be a Hero, and Looking Glass - Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) (this one was tough to exclude) simply because I don’t want to reward groups with one ultra catchy song.
I also excluded the overly sentimental such as Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water, Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Olivia Newton-John - I Honestly Love You, David Soul - Don’t Give Up on Us, Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life, and Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond - You Don’t Bring Me Flowers because they’re just too syrupy.
And last I excluded the novelty songs such as Three Dog Night - Joy to the World, Sammy Davis Jr. - Candy Man, Ray Stevens - The Streak, and C. W. McCall - Convoy.
Having excluded about half the #1 songs (I was just giving examples), this is what I came up with:
Diana Ross - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (powerful stuff)
Don McLean - American Pie (technically not a one hit wonder and probably the best overall song of the decade).
Gladys Knight & the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia (I can sing and dance the Pips parts including pulling the train whistle chain)
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together (a happy, not syrupy love song)
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - Blinded by the Light (it should be against the law to play this without the instrumental bridge)
Extremely difficult to leave out songs like Rich Girl, Philadelphia Freedom, Hotel California, and Escape (The Pina Colada Song) but choices had to be made.
So I excluded the ultra catchy one hit wonders such as Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting, Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died, Bo Donaldson, The Heywoods - Billy, Don’t Be a Hero, and Looking Glass - Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) (this one was tough to exclude) simply because I don’t want to reward groups with one ultra catchy song.
I also excluded the overly sentimental such as Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water, Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Olivia Newton-John - I Honestly Love You, David Soul - Don’t Give Up on Us, Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life, and Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond - You Don’t Bring Me Flowers because they’re just too syrupy.
And last I excluded the novelty songs such as Three Dog Night - Joy to the World, Sammy Davis Jr. - Candy Man, Ray Stevens - The Streak, and C. W. McCall - Convoy.
Having excluded about half the #1 songs (I was just giving examples), this is what I came up with:
Diana Ross - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (powerful stuff)
Don McLean - American Pie (technically not a one hit wonder and probably the best overall song of the decade).
Gladys Knight & the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia (I can sing and dance the Pips parts including pulling the train whistle chain)
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together (a happy, not syrupy love song)
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - Blinded by the Light (it should be against the law to play this without the instrumental bridge)
Extremely difficult to leave out songs like Rich Girl, Philadelphia Freedom, Hotel California, and Escape (The Pina Colada Song) but choices had to be made.