(1970-74)

Tapestry from my collection

There is too much to talk about for the 1970’s so I’ll split this one up. Parts one and two will largely focus on songs and charts by year and part three I will look at genres, key artists, trends and cultural impact. I have touched on this decade in many of my posts, for me personally the 70’s is the more formative era for my musical experience. Many of us cling to the music of our youth, for me talking about this time takes me from late elementary, then high school through to college. 

If you read my post on The 60’s I described it as the decade with the greatest change and the most impactful era of Popular music, and I stand by that assessment. However if you take any stretch of 10 years of music you will see if not a new genre, then several sub and sub sub genre. The 1970’s produced some of the greatest music of any era. Staying true to my mandate I have to point out that cover songs play an important part. They sometimes appear on the charts years after the original, as a result when tracking cover song statistics there are a number of data points that alter a songs place in history. 

If I have learned anything about looking at music charts from any given week or year is that the #1 songs are not always the most enduring tunes. Today, looking at the 1970’s in particular there are several all-time top ranked songs that did not chart top 5 on any given week and sometimes not even appearing in the top 100 at all. Many great songs appeared only on albums, particularly in the 1970’s. These albums may have charted on the top Albums list but many of the songs were never released as a single so therefore did not chart. However, over time, perspective and perhaps with a cover version or two, it somehow elevates a song to a placing on the All-time lists and certainly into our long-lasting memories. 

There are many subjective lists and opinions on the greatest songs from any span of time, often based on taste. Some great songs and artists don’t make these lists and many of our favorites are overlooked. In truth empirical data while not always reliable should perhaps play more of a role. I’d have to say the Billboard and Cash Box rankings lean toward the numbers rather than the subjective, but not always. For example what was known as the Easy Listening chart in the 1970’s (now Adult Contemporary) was an arbitrary separation or subtraction of perceived Rock and Roll songs and what was left over made up the Easy Listening chart list. This is another reason to reference other lists that are both reputable and well researched. 

To focus on what was popular for each year of the 70’s I will adjust accordingly but also get to the issue of chart positions. If applicable I will cross reference it in a wider context. For example as mentioned, I will look at the Rolling Stone Magazine ranked list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 2021 edition (referenced as 500 Greatest) and from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the unranked list is The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll (referenced as 500 Shaped) . Also included in my research were Year and Decade end charts, and aggregate listings such as Acclaimed Music. 

1970

“Sunday Morning Coming”, Down Kris Kristofferson, “Move On Up” Curtis Mayfield, “Into the Mystic” Van Morrison, “Father and Son” Cat Stevens, “Lola” The Kinks, “Box of Rain” and “Ripple” Grateful Dead, “Paranoid” Black Sabbath, “After the Gold Rush” Neil Young, “Sweet Jane” Velvet Underground, “Pressure Drop” Toots & the Maytals, Coal Miner’s Daughter Loretta Lynn, Layla Derek and the Dominoes, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” Stevie Wonder, “Your Song” Elton John, “Sex Machine” James Brown, “Fire and Rain” James Taylor, “Let It Be” The Beatles and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” Simon and Garfunkel.