The Top Pop Songs of 1971

Looking for a blast from the past? Check out our list of the top pop songs of 1971! From Carole King to Sly and the Family Stone, these hits will have you grooving all night long.

Introduction

The year 1971 was a transformative one for pop music. The charts were filled with songs that reflected the changing times, from the anti-war anthems of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and John Lennon to the growing influence of soul and R&B on the pop mainstream. Even established artists like the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel embraced new sounds and styles, resulting in some of the most influential and timeless music of their careers.

Here are the 10 best pop songs of 1971, as voted on by the readers of Rolling Stone.

“Joy to the World” – Three Dog Night

“Joy to the World” is a popular song by the American rock band Three Dog Night. The song is based on the biblical story of creation, specifically the part where God brings order out of chaos. The lyrics were written by Hoyt Axton, and the music was composed by Pete Seeger.

The song was released in October 1971 as a single from the band’s fourth studio album, Harmony. It was an instant success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1971 and staying there for six weeks. “Joy to the World” also topped the charts in several other countries, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the years since its release, “Joy to the World” has become a holiday classic and has been covered by many artists. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and is ranked as one of the greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

“Maggie May” – Rod Stewart

“Maggie May” is a song written by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, performed by Rod Stewart and released on his fourth studio album Every Picture Tells a Story in 1971. The song became a huge hit, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in 1971 and number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US for two weeks in December of that year. It also went to number one in several other countries.

“Brown Sugar” – The Rolling Stones

“Brown Sugar” is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It appeared as the opening track and lead single from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Rolling Stone ranked it No. 495 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and at No. 5 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

The song is credited to Jagger/Richards, but a trial in 1990 found that Andrew Oldham, the Stones’ producer at the time, was also entitled to a co-writing credit because he had contributed to the song’s creation.

The lyrics tell the story of a white slave owner who takes a black woman as his mistress: “Brown Sugar how come you taste so good? / Brown Sugar just like a young girl should.” Jagger has said that the lyrics were inspired by historical accounts of slavery and by books such as Harris Dickson’s novel The Birth of a Nation. The song also deals with sadomasochism and interracial lust: “I bet your mama was a tentshow queen / And all her boyfriends were sweet-sixteen.”

Some radio stations banned the song because of its racially suggestive lyrics, but it became one of the Stones’ most popular songs and has been covered by numerous artists, including Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses, Beastie Boys, and Sheryl Crow.

“One Bad Apple” – The Osmonds

“One Bad Apple” is a song by the American pop group The Osmonds. Written by George Clinton, Barbara Joyce and Walter Morrison, it was the group’s first single release on the MGM label, and their first release after leaving Motown Records. It became a number-one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Cash Box chart in early 1971, and remained in the top 40 for 15 weeks. Internationally, “One Bad Apple” peaked at number-one in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and reached the top 10 in several other countries.

“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” – Bee Gees

The lyrics to this pop ballad touch on the pain and heartache of a broken relationship. The song was written by Barry Gibb and was originally recorded by Bee Gees member Robin Gibb. The single was released in 1971 and went on to become a huge chart success, reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” has been covered by many artists over the years, including Al Green, Michael Buble, and Barbra Streisand.

“It’s Too Late” – Carole King

“It’s Too Late” is a song from Carole King’s 1971 album Tapestry. The song was released as a single on April 30, 1971, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 26, 1971, staying there for five weeks. It also reached number one on the Cash Box chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was written by King and Toni Stern.

In the UK, the song peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1971. In France, it reached number seven in August 1971.

“American Pie” – Don McLean

“American Pie” is a song by singer-songwriter Don McLean. Released on October 24, 1971, the song is a recounting of “the day the music died”—the day of the 1959 plane crash that killed three rock and roll artists: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. The song was listed as the No. 5 song on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of All Time chart in 2008. In 2017, the original handwritten lyrics to the song sold for $1.2 million at a New York auction.

“Go Away Little Girl” – Donny Osmond

“Go Away Little Girl” is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The first recording of the song was by Steve Lawrence in early 1963, but it was Donny Osmond’s cover, recorded in 1971, that was the biggest hit single of the song, spending three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song has been covered by many other artists over the years.

“Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” – The Temptations

“Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” is a song by American rock band the Temptations. It was released on January 12, 1971, as the third single from their ninth studio album, Sky’s the Limit (1971). The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1971, becoming the group’s sixth and final chart-topper. “Just My Imagination” was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and produced by Whitfield.