Top 10 Songs That Defined the 70s

The Top Ten
1 Stayin Alive - Bee Gees

From 1977 to the end of the decade, Disco in general, and the Bee Gees in particular were by far the most-played music.

2 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Not as 70's-definting as many other songs on this list, BoRap barely reached the top 10, peaking at only #9 in 1976. It is mostly symbolic of the 70's for people who were not actually there.

3 Imagine - John Lennon
4 Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
5 You're the One That I Want - John Travolta and Olivia Newton John
6 You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gees

Yikes, 3 pictures of John Travolta in the top 10.

7 Dancing Queen - Abba
8 Let It Be - The Beatles

Single released March 1970; album released May 1970; however the recording session itself did take place in 1969.

9 We Will Rock You - Queen
10 Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
The Contenders
11 American Pie - Don Mclean

Don's original worksheet and handwritten notes that he used to write this song back in 1971 just sold for $1.2 Million at auction.

12 Dream On - Aerosmith
13 Piano Man - Billy Joel
14 Changes - David Bowie

"I watch the ripples change their size, but never leave th stream of warm impermanence.
And so the days float through my eyes, but still the days seem the same.
And these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations.
They're quite aware of what they're going through."

Those lyrics mean a lot to me.

Turn and face the strange.

15 I Want You Back - The Jackson Five
16 My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
17 I Feel Love - Donna Summer

The very first "trance" song ever recorded.

18 I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
19 Maggie May - Rod Stewart
20 Heart of Gold - Neil Young
21 Your Song - Elton John
22 Turn the Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

Such a great dance tune that even people with no talent could dance to it.

23 Rocky Mountain High - John Denver

John Denver's music defined "middle of the road", which is not a bad thing, most people liked it and many people loved it, plus it was played for most of the 70's on almost every radio station.

24 Disco Duck - Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots

A terrible song but hilarious at the same time, as much as anything, this song defined the 70's.

25 All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
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