Greatest Rock Songs 1970s
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2024 10:44 am
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres from the 1970s. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.
Edited By: Brian
Last Updated: 2010-07-30
https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs70s.html
1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
2. Hotel California - The Eagles
3. Imagine - John Lennon
4. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
5. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
6. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
7. Layla - Derek and the Dominos
8. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
9. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
10. Let's Stay Together - Al Green
11. Let It Be - The Beatles
12. Maggie May - Rod Stewart
13. American Pie - Don McLean
14. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
15. Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees
16. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
17. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
18. Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
19. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
20. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations
21. Your Song - Elton John
22. Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight and the Pips
23. More Than a Feeling - Boston
24. Just My Imagination - The Temptations
25. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
26. Roxanne - The Police
27. Dream On - Aerosmith
28. Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 - Pink Floyd
29. No Woman, No Cry - Bob Marley and the Wailers
30. London Calling - The Clash
31. Family Affair - Sly and the Family Stone
32. Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols
33. Dancing Queen - ABBA
34. We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions - Queen
35. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine - James Brown
36. Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
37. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
38. Lola - The Kinks
39. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
40. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
41. Walk This Way - Aerosmith
42. Lean on Me - Bill Withers
43. Who'll Stop the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival
44. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
45. Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang
46. Heart of Glass - Blondie
47. Theme from "Shaft" - Isaac Hayes
48. Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
49. Fire and Rain - James Taylor
50. Baba O'Riley - The Who
51. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
52. Heart of Gold - Neil Young
53. Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
54. It's Too Late - Carole King
55. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
56. All Right Now - Free
57. Good Times - Chic
58. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
59. If You Don't Know Me by Now - Harold Melvin & Blue Notes
60. Riders On the Storm - The Doors
61. My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
62. Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex
63. Black Magic Woman - Santana
64. Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
65. One Nation Under a Groove - Funkadelic
66. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
67. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
68. We Are Family - Sister Sledge
69. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
70. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
71. Money - Pink Floyd
72. Miss You - The Rolling Stones
73. Piano Man - Billy Joel
74. Tired of Being Alone - Al Green
75. Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack
76. Changes - David Bowie
77. Le Freak - Chic
78. Band of Gold - Freda Payne
79. Maybe I'm Amazed (studio version) - Paul McCartney
80. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
81. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
82. Heroes - David Bowie
83. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
84. War - Edwin Starr
85. Night Moves - Bob Seger
86. Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
87. Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders
88. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
89. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
90. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
91. Tumbling Dice - The Rolling Stones
92. Love Train - The O'Jays
93. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
94. Best of My Love - The Emotions
95. God Save the Queen - The Sex Pistols
96. Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band
97. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
98. Message in a Bottle - The Police
99. Mercy Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye
100. One of These Nights - The Eagles
101. Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
102. Train in Vain - The Clash
103. Take It Easy - The Eagles
104. I'll Be Around - The Spinners
105. American Woman - The Guess Who
106. Roundabout - Yes
107. That Lady - The Isley Brothers
108. Angie - The Rolling Stones
109. Rock Lobster - The B-52's
110. Have You Seen Her - The Chi-Lites
111. Reeling in the Years - Steely Dan
112. Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
113. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
114. Low Rider - War
115. I'm Not in Love - 10cc
116. Brick House - Commodores
117. Y.M.C.A. - Village People
118. The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
119. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
120. Rocket Man - Elton John
121. The Joker - The Steve Miller Band
122. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
123. Have You Ever Seen the Rain - CCR
124. Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf
125. School's Out - Alice Cooper
126. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
127. Highway to Hell - AC/DC
128. Tear the Roof off the Sucker - Parliament
129. Radar Love - Golden Earring
130. The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
131. I Feel Love - Donna Summer
132. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
133. Oye Como Va - Santana
134. Jamming - Bob Marley and the Wailers
135. All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
136. Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
137. Moondance - Van Morrison
138. Drift Away - Dobie Gray
139. Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder
140. Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan
141. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
142. Instant Karma - John Lennon
143. Child in Time - Deep Purple
144. Get Up, Stand Up - The Wailers
145. Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
146. Flash Light - Parliament
147. Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
148. Long Cool Woman - The Hollies
149. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
150. Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers
151. Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
152. Cars - Gary Numan
153. Takin' Care of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
154. Just What I Needed - The Cars
155. Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.
156. My Sharona - The Knack
157. Rock with You - Michael Jackson
158. The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff
159. Back Stabbers - The O-Jays
160. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
161. Without You - Nilsson
162. Tiny Dancer - Elton John
163. Because the Night - Patti Smith
164. Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers
165. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
166. Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
167. Rock and Roll All Nite - KISS
168. That's the Way (I Like It) - KC & the Sunshine Band
169. Autobahn - Kraftwerk
170. Help Me - Joni Mitchell
171. Fame - David Bowie
172. Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer
173. Kiss and Say Goodbye - The Manhattans
174. Time - Pink Floyd
175. Burning Love - Elvis Presley
176. I'm Still in Love with You - Al Green
177. Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
178. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
179. Disco Inferno - The Trammps
180. Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson
181. Refugee - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
182. Tonight's the Night - Rod Stewart
183. Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth
184. Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
185. Always and Forever - Heatwave
186. We're an American Band - Grand Funk
187. Band on the Run - Paul McCartney and Wings
188. Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers
189. September - Earth, Wind and Fire
190. Runnin' with the Devil - Van Halen
191. Who Are You - The Who
192. Waterloo - ABBA
193. Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
194. Fly Like an Eagle - The Steve Miller Band
195. I Wish - Stevie Wonder
196. Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe - Barry White
197. Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
198. Surrender - Cheap Trick
199. Ball of Confusion - The Temptations
200. Cocaine - Eric Clapton
201. Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
202. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
203. Love Is the Drug - Roxy Music
204. LA Woman - The Doors
205. Stuck in the Middle with You - Stealers Wheel
206. Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
207. The Logical Song - Supertramp
208. Tell Me Something Good - Rufus
209. Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
210. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
211. What I Like About You - The Romantics
212. Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King
213. Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye
214. Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles
215. A Horse with No Name - America
216. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black) - Neil Young
217. Natural High - Bloodstone
218. One Way or Another - Blondie
219. O-o-h Child - The Five Stairsteps
220. I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren
221. Night Fever - The Bee Gees
222. Truckin' - The Grateful Dead
223. Rock and Roll, Part 2 - Gary Glitter
224. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
225. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
226. What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
227. Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
228. Dust in the Wind - Kansas
229. When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
230. Black Water - The Doobie Brothers
231. Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
232. Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
233. Turn the Page - Bob Seger
234. Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
235. The Payback - James Brown
236. Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
237. Killer Queen - Queen
238. Pick Up the Pieces - Average White Band
239. Can't Get Enough - Bad Company
240. Fantasy - Earth, Wind and Fire
241. Long Time - Boston
242. Until You Come Back to Me - Aretha Franklin
243. Long Train Running - The Doobie Brothers
244. Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin
245. Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
246. That's the Way of the World - Earth, Wind and Fire
247. December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - The Four Seasons
248. Question - The Moody Blues
249. Go All the Way - The Raspberries
250. You Make Me Feel Brand New - The Stylistics
Edited By: Brian
Last Updated: 2010-07-30
https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs70s.html
1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
2. Hotel California - The Eagles
3. Imagine - John Lennon
4. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
5. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
6. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
7. Layla - Derek and the Dominos
8. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
9. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
10. Let's Stay Together - Al Green
11. Let It Be - The Beatles
12. Maggie May - Rod Stewart
13. American Pie - Don McLean
14. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
15. Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees
16. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
17. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
18. Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
19. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
20. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations
21. Your Song - Elton John
22. Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight and the Pips
23. More Than a Feeling - Boston
24. Just My Imagination - The Temptations
25. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
26. Roxanne - The Police
27. Dream On - Aerosmith
28. Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 - Pink Floyd
29. No Woman, No Cry - Bob Marley and the Wailers
30. London Calling - The Clash
31. Family Affair - Sly and the Family Stone
32. Anarchy in the UK - The Sex Pistols
33. Dancing Queen - ABBA
34. We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions - Queen
35. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine - James Brown
36. Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
37. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
38. Lola - The Kinks
39. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
40. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
41. Walk This Way - Aerosmith
42. Lean on Me - Bill Withers
43. Who'll Stop the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival
44. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
45. Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang
46. Heart of Glass - Blondie
47. Theme from "Shaft" - Isaac Hayes
48. Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
49. Fire and Rain - James Taylor
50. Baba O'Riley - The Who
51. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
52. Heart of Gold - Neil Young
53. Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
54. It's Too Late - Carole King
55. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
56. All Right Now - Free
57. Good Times - Chic
58. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
59. If You Don't Know Me by Now - Harold Melvin & Blue Notes
60. Riders On the Storm - The Doors
61. My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
62. Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex
63. Black Magic Woman - Santana
64. Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
65. One Nation Under a Groove - Funkadelic
66. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
67. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
68. We Are Family - Sister Sledge
69. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
70. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
71. Money - Pink Floyd
72. Miss You - The Rolling Stones
73. Piano Man - Billy Joel
74. Tired of Being Alone - Al Green
75. Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack
76. Changes - David Bowie
77. Le Freak - Chic
78. Band of Gold - Freda Payne
79. Maybe I'm Amazed (studio version) - Paul McCartney
80. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
81. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
82. Heroes - David Bowie
83. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
84. War - Edwin Starr
85. Night Moves - Bob Seger
86. Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
87. Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders
88. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
89. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
90. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
91. Tumbling Dice - The Rolling Stones
92. Love Train - The O'Jays
93. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
94. Best of My Love - The Emotions
95. God Save the Queen - The Sex Pistols
96. Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band
97. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
98. Message in a Bottle - The Police
99. Mercy Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye
100. One of These Nights - The Eagles
101. Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
102. Train in Vain - The Clash
103. Take It Easy - The Eagles
104. I'll Be Around - The Spinners
105. American Woman - The Guess Who
106. Roundabout - Yes
107. That Lady - The Isley Brothers
108. Angie - The Rolling Stones
109. Rock Lobster - The B-52's
110. Have You Seen Her - The Chi-Lites
111. Reeling in the Years - Steely Dan
112. Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
113. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
114. Low Rider - War
115. I'm Not in Love - 10cc
116. Brick House - Commodores
117. Y.M.C.A. - Village People
118. The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
119. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
120. Rocket Man - Elton John
121. The Joker - The Steve Miller Band
122. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
123. Have You Ever Seen the Rain - CCR
124. Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf
125. School's Out - Alice Cooper
126. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
127. Highway to Hell - AC/DC
128. Tear the Roof off the Sucker - Parliament
129. Radar Love - Golden Earring
130. The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
131. I Feel Love - Donna Summer
132. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
133. Oye Como Va - Santana
134. Jamming - Bob Marley and the Wailers
135. All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
136. Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
137. Moondance - Van Morrison
138. Drift Away - Dobie Gray
139. Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder
140. Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan
141. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
142. Instant Karma - John Lennon
143. Child in Time - Deep Purple
144. Get Up, Stand Up - The Wailers
145. Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
146. Flash Light - Parliament
147. Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
148. Long Cool Woman - The Hollies
149. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
150. Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers
151. Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
152. Cars - Gary Numan
153. Takin' Care of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
154. Just What I Needed - The Cars
155. Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.
156. My Sharona - The Knack
157. Rock with You - Michael Jackson
158. The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff
159. Back Stabbers - The O-Jays
160. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
161. Without You - Nilsson
162. Tiny Dancer - Elton John
163. Because the Night - Patti Smith
164. Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers
165. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
166. Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
167. Rock and Roll All Nite - KISS
168. That's the Way (I Like It) - KC & the Sunshine Band
169. Autobahn - Kraftwerk
170. Help Me - Joni Mitchell
171. Fame - David Bowie
172. Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer
173. Kiss and Say Goodbye - The Manhattans
174. Time - Pink Floyd
175. Burning Love - Elvis Presley
176. I'm Still in Love with You - Al Green
177. Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
178. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
179. Disco Inferno - The Trammps
180. Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson
181. Refugee - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
182. Tonight's the Night - Rod Stewart
183. Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth
184. Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
185. Always and Forever - Heatwave
186. We're an American Band - Grand Funk
187. Band on the Run - Paul McCartney and Wings
188. Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers
189. September - Earth, Wind and Fire
190. Runnin' with the Devil - Van Halen
191. Who Are You - The Who
192. Waterloo - ABBA
193. Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
194. Fly Like an Eagle - The Steve Miller Band
195. I Wish - Stevie Wonder
196. Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe - Barry White
197. Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
198. Surrender - Cheap Trick
199. Ball of Confusion - The Temptations
200. Cocaine - Eric Clapton
201. Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
202. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
203. Love Is the Drug - Roxy Music
204. LA Woman - The Doors
205. Stuck in the Middle with You - Stealers Wheel
206. Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
207. The Logical Song - Supertramp
208. Tell Me Something Good - Rufus
209. Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
210. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
211. What I Like About You - The Romantics
212. Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King
213. Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye
214. Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles
215. A Horse with No Name - America
216. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black) - Neil Young
217. Natural High - Bloodstone
218. One Way or Another - Blondie
219. O-o-h Child - The Five Stairsteps
220. I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren
221. Night Fever - The Bee Gees
222. Truckin' - The Grateful Dead
223. Rock and Roll, Part 2 - Gary Glitter
224. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
225. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
226. What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
227. Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
228. Dust in the Wind - Kansas
229. When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
230. Black Water - The Doobie Brothers
231. Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
232. Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
233. Turn the Page - Bob Seger
234. Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
235. The Payback - James Brown
236. Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
237. Killer Queen - Queen
238. Pick Up the Pieces - Average White Band
239. Can't Get Enough - Bad Company
240. Fantasy - Earth, Wind and Fire
241. Long Time - Boston
242. Until You Come Back to Me - Aretha Franklin
243. Long Train Running - The Doobie Brothers
244. Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin
245. Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
246. That's the Way of the World - Earth, Wind and Fire
247. December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - The Four Seasons
248. Question - The Moody Blues
249. Go All the Way - The Raspberries
250. You Make Me Feel Brand New - The Stylistics