in the 70s - Top Ten Songs of the Seventies

Top Ten Songs of the Seventies

What are your top ten favorite songs from the 70s?

We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 80s and 90s

10. The Ocean by Led Zeppelin
I love this riff. It is basically just a rock song for the hell of it! It sort of turns into a 50's sing-a-long at the end where Jimmy Page shows off his vast guitaring ability.
9. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
A quite famous song by a band I have never liked apart from this song. Quite a repetitive riff but nevertheless...
8. Tiny Dancer by Elton John
Not a big fan of Elton, but this song is fantastic. I love the piano riff and it was featured in the film 'Almost Famous', which is my favourite film ever.
7. Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who
My favourite Who song, especially the 8 minute long version. It is a great riff and is notoriously hard to play.
6. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
Personally I think this song is fairly overrated but it is a legendary and influential song. The solo blows my mind, it really does.
5. Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple
Probably the most famous rock riff of all time. A great song about a hotel burning down in Switzerland, I think.
4. 20th Century Boy by T-Rex
I love T-Rex, this song is one of my personal all time favourites they did as well. The guitar riff is powerful and sweet really!
3. Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
Although this is basically the same riff over and over for 8 minutes, it is a fairly monstrous song that dominated the airwaves back then and still does today.
2. Black Night by Deep Purple
A fantastic guitar riff and solo. This song never bores me, I enjoy every single minute of this song.
1. Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin
Wow! Led Zeppelin, in my view the greatest band of all time. amazed me with this sweet, 10-minute epic from the majorly underrated 'Presence'.

10. Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meat Loaf
Odd choice, but this perfectly explains the joy and problems of teenage sex.
9. The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy
Underrated band and song, but give the song a chance...it's great.
8. Dream On by Aerosmith
A close second to 'Walk This Way' for the best Aerosmith song.
7. More Than A Feeling by Boston
A huge inspiration song in the 90's and a great song in the 70's.
6. Walk This Way by Aerosmith
Best hard rock band of the 70's, and their best song.
5. Rock And Roll All Nite by KISS
Classic party song from an underrated, amazing band.
4. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Any Queen song can go here, but this is just amazing.
3. Baba O'Riley by The Who
Classic song that everyone knows even today.
2. Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) by Pink Floyd
Best Floyd song and the best anti-establishment song.
1. Hoel California by The Eagles
One of the greatest songs of all time!

10. Dazed And Confused by Led Zeppelin
9. My Generation by The Who
Beyond description.
8. Hotel California by The Eagles
Great.
7. Oh Yoko by John Lennon
Not enough attention has been paid to this song. Once it creeps into your mind it doesn't leave easily.
6. My Sweet Lord by George Harrison
Spiritual and George's best.
5. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
This is art. Something new and different. British Rock is the best.
4. Band On The Run by Paul McCartney & Wings
The best of Paul's solo career. Entire album is great!
3. Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tragic yet magnificent.
2. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
This song is truly great. Led Zeppelin's best.
1. Imagine by John Lennon
This piece sums up the ideals of John Lennon--it goes beyond music. This is just something truly amazing.

10. The End by The Doors
9. Aqualung by Jethro Tull
8. A Winter Shade Of Pale by Procol Harum
7. Nights In White Satin by Moody Blues
6. Every Time I Look At You by KISS
5. Remember Tomorrow by Iron Maiden
4. Boadsword by Jethro Tull
3. Who Wants To Live Forever by Queen
2. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
1. Child In Time by Deep Purple

10. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love by Van Halen
9. Make It Right by Tim Buckey
8. Thank You by Led Zeppelin
7. Strargazer by Rainbow
6. Trampled Under Foot by Led Zeppelin
BEST BAND of all time.
5. All The Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople
4. Children Of The Revolution by T Rex
3. Song For The Siren by Tim Buckley
2. War Pigs by Black Sabbath
1. Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin
Superhuman vocals from Plant.

10. Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones
Couldn't forget The Rolling Stones on my list. This is one of my favorite songs from the Stones. It deserves a spot up there in my opinion.
9. Rock And Roll All Nite by KISS
The last few spots were extremely difficult to determine. Kiss won the number 8 spot with Rock And Roll All Nite. My personal favorite from Kiss.
8. Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith
Had to fit Aerosmith somewhere on here. The sound of this song couldn't be matched by any band of the generation. Hands down their best song in my opinion.
7. Have A Cigar by Pink Floyd
Another great song from Pink Floyd. PF is my second favorite band of the generation closely following Led Zeppelin. Hard to keep up with LZ who are by far the best band of the generation and debatably the best band in history in my opinion.
6. Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
Another one of my all time favorite Zeppelin songs. LZ is my favorite band of the 70s by far. "Kashmir" and "Achilles' Last Stand" fought for this position.
5. Teenage Wasteland by The Who
Had to put some of The Who up here. Great band and memorable sounds of the 70s. This is hands down one of their greatest songs.
4. Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
Again, this is debatable. I love Pink Floyd, and this is one of my favorite songs by them.
3. When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin
Some of you may disagree with me on my LZ song of choice, but Levee is just a great song.
2. Slow Ride by Foghat
My favorite song to listen to while driving. It is just a great sound. This is the only song by Foghat I even remotely like, and it just so happens I love it!
1. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Personally, I think this is the best song the 70s gave us. Granted I would put Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd before Black Sabbath, this is still a great song.

10. Turn To Stone by ELO
Very 70s feeling band.
9. The Rapper by The Jaggerz
Fun song to sing drunkily along with your friends.
8. Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Very powerful message song.
7. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon
I always liked the way the chorus ran in this song--all the names paired--key, Lee--bus, Gus.
6. Get Ready by Rare Earth
Another song you don't hear much when they do a list of Seventies hits.
5. Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) by Looking Glass
This song isnt played much anymore, good example of early 70's pop.
4. Baby Come Back by Player
Very good 70s pop love song.
3. Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band
Good representative of the Seventies.
2. Diamond Girl by Seals & Crofts
I can't picture the 70s without this song playing on a summer day.
1. Ventura Highway by America
Nice frothy song--good to drive to.

10. Hurricane by Bob Dylan
9. All Right Now by Free
So fitting that Lester Burnham would be working out to this song. It's a powerful song that conveys strength and sexuality.
8. Grease by Frankie Valli
7. Garden Party by Ricky Nelson
'Scuse me, Rick Nelson.
6. American Pie by Don McLean
Don wasn't the only one who wondered why the 50s went so fast, but he was the first to sing about it.
5. You're So Vain by Carly Simon
A great tune to listen to in the car late at night. Everytime it comes on, I think of Mick Jagger. Or is it Warren Beatty? Or is it...
4. Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Just a fun song. The last decade you could get away with this stuff was the 70s.
3. Imagine by John Lennon
The continuation of the 60s Peace Movement was taken to a new level of inner thought with this song. So sad that the 80s would usher in such an era of selfish pessimism, and equally disgusting that John Lennon had to be taken before he could save us all once again. Enough said.
2. Sunshine by Jonathan Edwards
Nixon was on everyone's lips when this song was a hit, and if you read these lyrics right, you just might hear a little reference to him ;)
1. Sister Golden Hair by America
Sums up the decade with its kickaround lyrics and instant singalong likeability. A wonderful springtime rock 'n roll piece that can never be duplicated. I remember the night I first heard this song. I was never the same.

10. Let There Be Rock by AC/DC
9. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
8. Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple
7. Hotel California by Eagles
6. Highway To Hell by AC/DC
5. High Voltage by AC/DC
4. Can I Sit next to You Girl by AC/DC
3. Walk This Way by Aerosmith
2. Riff Raff by AC/DC
1. Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC

10. Brain Damage by Pink Floyd
Some of the most mind-provoking lyrics I have ever heard, this song is pretty close to a "title track" for Dark Side Of The Moon.
9. More Than A Feeling by Boston
One of the few good AOR bands of the day, this song is polished and great melodies and vocal harmonies.
8. Roundabout by Yes
Yes is one of those bands that you can listen to without it getting boring, and in this song you can see why.
7. Iron Man by Black Sabbath
Probably the most famous riff ever, and you can see why.
6. Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple
Like Sabbath, these guys were forerunners to heavy metal. Listening to this melodic, metallic sounding piece of work and then say you don't like it.
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC
How could anyone dismiss an opening riff like that? To me, this is AC/DC's best of the 70's.
4. Layla by Derek & the Dominos
Wow. It's hard to believe that in Clapton's depressed state of mind at the time, he wrote something this revolutionary.
3. Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
I like this song even better than Stairway, possibly because A) I love lengthy songs and B) in my mind it's even more epic than Stairway.
2. The Prophet's Song by Queen
To me, this song surpasses Bohemian Rhapsody, and is the most progressive Queen has ever gotten. It doesn't get much better than this.
1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd
If you put both parts together, you have Pink Floyd's longest song ever at 25 minutes, surpassing both "Echoes" and "Atom Heart Mother Suite". It is the most epic and emotion-evoking piece of work they have ever recorded, with the best vocal harmonies I have ever heard. This song defines progressive rock.