The most '70s song

[Tony Cloninger]

I agree "I Feel Love"" is her best song. It's transcendent, but almost by definition that disqualifies it from being a pure synthesis of the '70s. Time and place can't hold that song. I'm pretty sure we haven't caught up to it yet.

I agree.

Supernature by Cerrone. You feel your in Studio 54 with that song and I Feel Love. Georgio Meroder really knew how to get people on the dance floor.

I heard Supernature on an episode of Benny Hill in such a 70s risqué manner that I felt I went through puberty at that moment.

[Bob Sheed]

Popular music changed too much in the 70s to narrow it down.

It started out as soft southern rock, as a reaction to all the strawberry alarm clock stuff from the late 60s. Think, early Eagles stuff for example.
Then disco hit as a reaction to the Eagles stuff.
Then rock got harder. Darker. Add in punk, funk, and many more, all reactions to disco.

So, my votes would be
Take it easy
Funky town - le chic
Dancing Queen
London calling
Any bob Marley song from legend
Ziggy stardust
Any Stones album

[westofyou]

All wrong answers. 70’s music = Disco

Not really, it was prevalent but it had the weakest pop cache of any decade up until the 70s. Hardly any classics like the prior two decades

[redsfan9988]

60s - All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

70s - Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas

80s - Limelight by Rush (this might have been ‘79)

90s - Blow up the Outside World by Soundgarden

[westofyou]

60s - All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

70s - Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas

80s - Limelight by Rush (this might have been ‘79)

90s - Blow up the Outside World by Soundgarden

Dust in the Wind was way more popular is my take

I'll throw out "The Streak" by Ray Stevens as a contender. A classic novelty song in a decade full of them (Disco Duck, Mr Jaws, Shaving Cream) the 70's killed that genre

[westofyou]

Of course it wouldn't be a 70's list without mentioning Born to Run, which we discovered on a jukebox at Millers Ice Cream parlor in downtown Ann Arbor the summer everyone was reading Benchley's Jaws before the film came out

[texasdave]

And, how can we discuss 70s music, without mentioning some sort of Fleetwood Mac song (Buckingham/Nicks) era.

Hotel California.

[757690]

Not really, it was prevalent but it had the weakest pop cache of any decade up until the 70s. Hardly any classics like the prior two decades

That’s my point.

Most of the rock songs in this thread are carry overs from the 60’s. The punk songs are still lasting to this day.

Disco only existed in the 70’s. It’s the most 70’s music. When the 70’s are mentioned I think Disco and leisure suits, because the 70’s and only the 70’s owned them both.

[marcshoe]

This one's hard for me, as I'm too close to the subject. The original song makes sense, and somehow it seems appropriate that Head East's lead singer, let go because of his love for the white line (and other substances), later became the singer for the original Christian Rock band, Petra. The drug reference helps too, given that this is the decade that saw Lawrence Welk's singers doing "One toke over the line". In the end, though, I'll go with the excess of Philadelphia Freedom, not least because Elton owned the seventies.

[westofyou]

That’s my point.

Most of the rock songs in this thread are carry overs from the 60’s. The punk songs are still lasting to this day.

Disco only existed in the 70’s. It’s the most 70’s music. When the 70’s are mentioned I think Disco and leisure suits, because the 70’s and only the 70’s owned them both.

But that's a genre call more than song recognition from where I sit.

I'll also argue that the 60s rock sound was less refined and more awash in the battle between the Wrecking Crew backed SoCal pop and the sloppy r&b fueled sound of San Francisco

The 70's leaks into excess with ELP, Yes, Genesis and the art rock crowd, not much like the 60s sound. Sure pop songs from Three Dog Night, Nilsson and others who were influenced by the SoCal scene were super popular, but they were battling the singer songwriter genre and Motown for chart recognition and meanwhile musicians in rock were playing their own instruments more and more and the technology was getting more electronic and further away from the sound of the 60s

All I can say about disco is it was everywhere but was also easy to avoid, whether that was listening to Little Feat, Elvis Costello or Jackson Browne

[Ky Fried Redleg]

Some I used to sing along to as a pre teen:


Billy Don't Be a Hero ---- Bo Donaldson(Cincinnati's own) & the Heywoods

The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace

Locomotion - Grand Funk Railroad

Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image

Fly Robin Fly- Silver Convention

Shannon - Henry Gross

Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot

Sky High - Jigsaw

Beach Baby - First Class

Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede

Radar Love - Golden Earring

Come Monday - Jimmy Buffett

[texasdave]

Shannon - Henry Gross

The song, Shannon, was written about a friend's Irish Setter.

When I get down to Macon
They won't know my name
So, plug me into something
Let me pick awayyyyyyy



Henry Gross was at one time a member of Sha Na Na, albeit for a very short time.

[cumberlandreds]

IMO, the 70's were defined by Disco. Whether you hated it or not. The Hustle was said to be the first Disco song or hit anyway. Most every artist tried it or seemed that way. Bee Gees capitalized in it with all of their hits from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

[marcshoe]

The song, Shannon, was written about a friend's Irish Setter.

When I get down to Macon
They won't know my name
So, plug me into something
Let me pick awayyyyyyy



Henry Gross was at one time a member of Sha Na Na, albeit for a very short time.

Even more impressive, it was written by an Irish setter.

[westofyou]

Carl Wilson was the friend with the Irish Setter