rwp2694u No I grew up in KCMO area. Been in North Texas since 1982.
What are your top 5 Billboard top 10 songs of the 1970"s?
As many agree the 1970’s had the best pop music of any recorded era, I thought it would be very interesting to see what Audiogon members have to say about this. I know 5 is tough but I did not want to make this post too long winded. As always I appreciate your time and selections. My top 5 are...
#1 Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty 1978 #2
#2 Summer Breeze-Seals & Crofts. 1972 #6
#3 American Pie-Don Mclean. 1972 #1
#4 Ricki Don’t Lose That Number. 1974 #4
#5 Miracles-Jefferson Starship. 1975 #3
Yes there are many great songs I could have placed here but this is my list for 8/18/21. Look forward to your responses!
#1 Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty 1978 #2
#2 Summer Breeze-Seals & Crofts. 1972 #6
#3 American Pie-Don Mclean. 1972 #1
#4 Ricki Don’t Lose That Number. 1974 #4
#5 Miracles-Jefferson Starship. 1975 #3
Yes there are many great songs I could have placed here but this is my list for 8/18/21. Look forward to your responses!
58 responses Add your response
You might want to have look at this .. the racing site that is "the go too" for us NHRA class Racers has a little thread "Musical Taste". A buddy and me started it a year ago, and so far it has 84 thousand views (from racers). Its a thread similar to this one but everyday we post another favorite. I admit I been slipping lately, but theirs some pretty good viewpoints on it ... Have a look .. http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=76442 |
from Billboard's Top 100 for the 1970s (too much effort for me to review 520 top 10 lists); these I'd probably most enjoy listening to repeatedly: * Won't Get Fooled Again - Who * Riders on the Storm - Doors * What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye * Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth * Maggie May/Reason to Believe - Rod Stewart As others have suggested, many album tracks - even into the 70s - were much better than the Billboard Top 100 lists. @rwp2694: title, "Stuck in the Middle with You" |
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. |
rwp -- Richard Harris actually enjoyed quite a successful film career. I loved Man in the Wilderness. And, of course, MacArthur Park is in L.A. I'd take my high school girlfriend there. The tune "MacArthur Park" made me a confirmed Jimmy Webb fan, even if it did make my rock-and-roll bandmates believe I'd lost my sanity. I actually saw Jimmy Webb perform live at the Troubadour. Terrible voice, but could that guy play cocktail lounge style piano... |
edcyn...It's okay; I'm not dinging it...liked it myself, grandiosity and all. Plenty to appreciate, as you say. But just saying it wasn't 70's. Trivia questions: Harris hit the charts with MacArthur not long after "making hay" in the leading role in what movie? The park is located in what U.S. city? |
@rwp2694 -- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The song ain’t perfect. But I forgive the tune’s & Harris’ performance their excesses. I appreciate the recording’s sheer romantic sweep and ardor. And the tune’s B section not only makes for a lovely interlude to the dramatics of the opening & closing sections, its lyrics are decidedly eloquent...skillfully just south of maudlin. |
Don't mean to cast aspersions on previous poster, but Hey Jude is perhaps the WORST song ever made IMO. Every time I hear that song reminds me of my nephew singing along with that song, the apple of his parents eye. Everyone had to watch and smile, laugh, say how cute the kid is. That kid was the most devious and provocative kid ever, how did I know, I had to babysit him! Singing that never ending song with the nah, nah, nah, nah, the memory drives me NUTS! |
Hey Carpathian...right on! And how about the posters who want to know if a vintage California Audio Labs CL-15 they are considering will do well with it's volume control on max feeding Kraftwerk techno tracks direct to their Rowland Amp for output via Audioquest cable to their beloved Spendors. How about the posters who presume to have an answer! Wowee! |
Have to agree with Roxy on the "Miracles" take...Ditto anything Starship, Marty Balin's outstanding vocals aside. Remember his gem of a composition "Coming Back To Me" from Surrealistic Pillow? Anything Becker/Fagen gets my backing. Loved that haunting sax in Baker Street back in '78. Trivia quiz: Spring of 1973...Band member Gerry Rafferty on lead vocals. "Well I don't know why I came here tonight"...The band? The song? 5 of my 70's chart faves..."Rock On" ('72) - David Essex; "Gold" ('79) - John Stewart; "Rhiannon" ('75) - Fleetwood Mac; "I Want Your Love" ('78) - Chic (Yes, Disco!); "Miss You" ('78) - Rolling Stones 5 charters I truly reviled..."You Light Up My Life" (Debbie Boone); "Feelings" (Morris Albert); "My Love" (Paul McCartney/Wings); "The Candy Man" (Sammy Davis, Jr.); "Just The Way You Are" (William Joel) |
| Post removed |
I don’t think the OP was suggesting that defined "good music". He was simply teeing up some input and reflection - of that category what did you like best? It didn’t define good music, but it certainly contained A lot of it. The second half of the 70’s was the beginning of corny. I guess I don’t understand why someone wants to talk just for the sake of talking. Not the best. Not the worst. OK, just memories. But I never paid any attention to top 40. it was filler IMO. But thats me. I will agree that a lot of good music was top 40. A blind squirrel findas a nut sometimes. One example I remember was a song by Diesel - Sausolito Summer Nights. Give it a listen (1) Diesel - Sausalito Summer Nights - Bing video as to corny Music in the last half, let me remind you that The Wall and Breakfast in America both came out in 1979. There are plenty others but 'Disco" overshadowed the good music being put out 100 Greatest Albums of 1979 (digitaldreamdoor.com) |
These don't meet the OP's criteria; but, they probably should have:
You Got Me Anyway - Sutherland Brothers I'll Be The One - Badfinger Dirty Work - Steely Dan Planet Queen - T Rex I'm On Fire - Dwight Twilley Band Pretty Lady - Lighthouse Until You Come Back To Me - Aretha Franklin Woman To Woman - Joe Cocker Thunder and Lightning - Chi Coltrane Ooh La La - The Faces Hold On - Ian Gomm No Time To Lose - Tarney - Spencer Band Can't Live My Life - Crabby Appleton Star - Stealers Wheel Born To Wander - Rare Earth Schoolboy Crush - Average White Band Running back To Saskatoon - Guess Who |
Without regard to Billboard, my five favorite 70’s albums would be: Cat Stevens- Tea For The Tillerman Joni Mitchell- Court And Spark Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young- Deja Vu Bob Dylan- Blood On The Tracks Jethro Tull- Thick As A Brick I grew up with these albums, and now own all of them in three formats; cassette, CD and vinyl. I’m sure I’m not alone. If I were adding more, I would include David Bowie, Neil Young and The Who. |
@artemus_5 Is that your standard for good music from the '70's? I don't think the OP was suggesting that defined "good music". He was simply teeing up some input and reflection - of that category what did you like best? I suspect nearly no one on this board believe Billboard Top 10 defines good music ! lol |
close to 1000 songs hit the Billboard top 10 during the decade.So you only want "top 10 hits"? Is that your standard for good music from the '70's? Most of the top 10 hits were pushed by radio & record companies trying to sell a product. It was popular to the sheeple who only listened to radio. But not to many who actually bought albums and listened to music I'll go away now. Have fun |
So far thx for all the replies. Since this thread is going off track might need to again clarify what qualifies. Billboard awarded 252 #1 songs of the 1970's. In 1970 alone 38 songs hit #1 and 97 songs hit the top 10. If that is any indication of the average then close to 1000 songs hit the Billboard top 10 during the decade. Let's try to get back on track, posting on Audiogon deserves high standards! |
What are your top 5 Billboard top 10 songs Notice that word YOUR in the title. BTW, did you guys only listen mostly to the radio in the 70’s? The 70’s was the pinnacle of R&R creativity. There is a great many good artists and songs but they weren’t reflected on the typical radio station of the 70’s Zeppelin Sabbath Grand Funk James Gang Doobie bros Steely Dan Who Stones Eagles Bowie Blue Oyster Cult Average White Band Tower of Power All these and more were in their prime in the 70’s. And the list should be 10-20 times more than what I have named. But that was 50 yrs ago doing the height of my party days. Top 10.........Impossible for me and Old heavy |
| Post removed |
The 1970's saw me pretty much totally abandon top forty pop music for stuff more off-the-beaten-track. So off the top of my head my alternative top 5 -- Vicious -- Lou Reed Walk on the Wild Side -- Lou Reed I Wanna be Sedated -- Ramones Marquee Moon -- Television Aladdin Sane - David Bowie And how 'bout an honorary No. 6? MacArthur Park -- Richard Harris |
