The Best of 1970s Pop Music

From disco to soft rock, these are the best pop songs from the 1970s.

The Beatles- Let it Be

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the band were integral to pop music’s evolution into an art form and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s.

Lennon’s story of his relationship with his father is based on his song “Working Class Hero”, which is included on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970), his first album after leaving the Beatles.

David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust

David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” is one of the most iconic albums of the 1970s. Released in 1972, the album cemented Bowie’s status as a pop icon and influenced a generation of musicians. “Ziggy Stardust” became one of Bowie’s most popular albums, thanks to hits like “Suffragette City” and “Ziggy Stardust.”

Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” is one of the most successful albums of all time. It is the eleventh best-selling album in the United States and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide. The album was a commercial and critical success, winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and spawning four hit singles, “Go Your Own Way”, “Dreams”, “Don’t Stop”, and “The Chain”. “Rumours” is considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time by many critics and is Fleetwood Mac’s best-selling album.

Queen- A Night at the Opera

Queen- A Night at the Opera is a classic example of 1970s pop music. It was released in 1975 and is considered one of the best albums of all time. The album features the hit single “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which is one of the most iconic songs in history. Queen- A Night at the Opera has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is considered one of the greatest albums of all time.

The Rolling Stones- Exile on Main Street

The Rolling Stones- Exile on Main Street is widely considered one of the best albums of all time. It was released in 1972 and features some of the band’s most iconic songs, including “Tumbling Dice” and ” Rocks Off.” The album was recorded in various locations, including France and Los Angeles, and it reflects the chaotic lifestyle of the band at the time. Despite its troubled gestation, Exile on Main Street is a masterpiece of 1970s pop music.

Led Zeppelin- Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti is one of the most iconic albums of the 1970s. The double album features some of the band’s most popular songs, including “Kashmir” and “Stairway to Heaven.” Although it was initially met with mixed reviews, Physical Graffiti has since been hailed as one of Led Zeppelin’s best albums, and one of the best albums of the 1970s.

Pink Floyd- The Dark Side of the Moon

Released in 1973, The Dark Side of the Moon is Pink Floyd’s eighth album. The record was an instant success, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spending 741 weeks on the chart. The album features some of the band’s most well-known tracks, including “Money,” “Us and Them” and “Time.”

ELO- Out of the Blue

ELO’s Out of the Blue is one of the best pop albums of the 1970s. ELO, short for the Electric Light Orchestra, was formed in Birmingham, England in 1970. The band’s original lineup consisted of Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Roy Wood (vocals, bass, violin), Bev Bevan (drums), and Richard Tandy (keyboards).

ELO’s Out of the Blue was released in October 1977 and was an instant success. The album reached #1 on the UK charts and #4 on the US Billboard 200. Out of the Blue included the hit singles “Turn to Stone”, “Mr. Blue Sky”, “Sweet Talkin’ Woman”, and “Livin’ Thing”.

If you’re a fan of pop music from the 1970s, then you need to check out ELO’s Out of the Blue.

The Eagles- Hotel California

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. The Eagles’ original lineup consisted of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. With five number-one singles, six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums—Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and Hotel California—were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and was ranked number 8 on Classic Rock Magazine’s “The 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time” list.

The Eagles began in early 1971, when Linda Ronstadt and her then-manager John Boylan recruited local musicians Glenn Frey and Don Henley for her band. Working together first as backing musicians on her third album, 1976’s Simple Dreams, Frey and Henley formed a close songwriting partnership that produced a string of hit singles for Ronstadt during the second half of the 1970s including “Desperado”, “Best of My Love”, “One of These Nights”, and ” Lyin’ Eyes”.

In 1974, Frey and Henley recruited Bernie Leadon (guitar) and Randy Meisner (bass) to form what became known as The Eagles. The following year they released their debut album which contained three top 40 singles: “Take It Easy”, “Witchy Woman”, and “Peaceful Easy Feeling”. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States It would ultimately sell over 22 million copies worldwide becoming one of the best-selling albums ever released.

The group followed with Desperado (1973), an important transitional album which put them on par commercially with acts like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith while broadening their musical approach with elements of country rock. The critical success of Desperado led to intense pressure on the band to produce a follow-up album that would live up to expectations; work on what became Hotel California took more than a year as Henley struggled with writer’s block before completing his lyrics for the title track. The record was an instant smash commercially, topping sales charts both in America and overseas while also receiving strong reviews from music critics. Supported by four singles—including two chart-toppers—”New Kid in Town” and “Hotel California”—the album became one one best selling records ever released selling over 32 million copies worldwide.

With Hotel California, The Eagles established themselves among music’s elite; according to Rolling Stone magazine they were “the kind of artists who could inspire a mass singalong even if they were playing at Carnegie Hall.” Frey would later say that making the album was so stressful it gave him hives; he also called it their toughest recording experience. Despite its difficulties getting made, Hotel California is now viewed by many fans as The Eagles’ best work—indeed it has come to be seen as one of classic rock’s defining moments—and has topped numerous greatest hits lists over the years while also being inducted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry .

ABBA- Arrival

Arrival is the fourth studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA, and was originally released in October 1976. The albumwas recorded after the group’s hugely successful 1974 tour of North America and Europe, which saw them cement their status as one of the world’s most popular bands. Arrival was ABBA’s first album to be recorded entirely in English, and is widely regarded as one of their best. It contains several of their most well-known hits, including “Dancing Queen”, “Money, Money, Money”, and “Knowing Me, Knowing You”. The album was a massive commercial success, topping the charts in a number of countries and selling over six million copies worldwide.