The Best Pop Songs of the 70s

What are the best pop songs from the 1970s?

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Initially the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous with, popular music, but evolved around the 1950s to describe a specific musical category. Pop songs are generally marked by a consistent and noticeable rhythmic element, a mainstream style and traditional structure. The most common variant is strophic in form and focuses on melodies, catchy hooks and the appeal of the verse-chorus-verse arrangement, with the chorus sharply contrasting the verse melodically, rhythmically and harmonically.

Some of the most common themes in pop music are romantic love and feelings. Pop music often uses the technique of taking themes from other records producing a satirical or self-referential mixture of past styles. It also employs techniques of sampling and sequencing to introduce individuality and creativity.

Singer-songwriters and other folk-based artists were the biggest contributors to the pop genre in the first half of this decade, from 1970's "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You", through 1971's "It's Too Late", to 1972's "American Pie", and "Alone Again (Naturally)."

The main influence in the second half of the decade came from disco, a dance-oriented style with soaring, reverberated vocals, a steady beat and prominent, syncopated electric bass lines: "Play That Funky Music," "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," "Night Fever," "Stayin' Alive," "Bad Girls," "Le Freak," and "YMCA."

Country music re-entered pop in 1973 with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and in 1975 with "Rhinestone Cowboy", whilst the African American rhythms that had so affected the genre in the previous decade were still producing hits and expanding limits in this one. Disco, an almost entirely African American creation, was joined in the charts by protest songs like "War"; soulful ballads like "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly with His Song," and "Let's Get It On"; and by more upbeat compositions such as "Best of My Love."

Located below you will find a list of some of the best pop songs of the 1970s. For your convenience, we have included links to the sheet music on Sheetmusicplus.com as well as the CD on Amazon.com whenever available. If you are looking to purchase the mp3 or would like to listen to a sample, then click on either the Amazon, Rhapsody, or iTunes links.

Rhapsody provides both music subscriptions as well as individual mp3s for sale in WMA format and iTunes only provides MPEG-4 audio files for sale. However, Amazon does offer mp3s that are compatible with both Windows Media Player and iTunes. For more information about where to purchase music online, we provide it on our Music Downloads page or our Music Subscriptions page.

These singles are considered among the best pop songs to hit the charts in the 1970s.

"Afternoon Delight" performed by Starland Vocal Band
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"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" performed by Diana Ross
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"Alone Again (Naturally)" performed by Gilbert O'Sullivan
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"Baby Come Back" performed by Player
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"Bad Girls" performed by Donna Summer
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"Bennie And The Jets" performed by Elton John
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"Best of My Love" performed by the Emotions or Mary J. Blige
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"Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" performed by Barry White
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"Crocodile Rock" performed by Elton John
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"Dancing Queen" performed by ABBA
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"Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" performed by Rupert Holmes
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"First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" performed by Roberta Flasck
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"Gonna Fly Now" (Theme from Rocky) performed by Bill Conti
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"Gypsys, Tramps, & Thieves" performed by Cher
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"Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" performed by Tavares
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"I Can See Clearly Now" performed by Johnny Nash
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"I Just Want to be Your Everything" performed by Andy Gibb
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"I Want You Back" performed by Jackson 5
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"If You Leave Me Now" performed by Chicago
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"Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" performed by The Temptations
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"Killing Me Softly with His Song" performed by Roberta Flack
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"Knock Three Times" performed by Tony Orlando & Dawn
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"Le Freak" performed by Chic
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"Let's Get It On" performed by Marvin Gaye
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"Love Will Keep us Together" performed by Captain and Tennille
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"Maggie May" performed by Rod Stewart
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"Night Fever" performed by Bee Gees
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"Play That Funky Music" performed by Wild Cherry
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"Reunited" performed by Peaches and Herb
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"Stayin' Alive" performed by the Bee Gees
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"Still" performed by The Commodores
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"Tears of a Clown" performed by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
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"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" performed by Tony Orlando and Dawn
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"What a Fool Believes" performed by the Doobie Brothers
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"Y.M.C.A." by Village People
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"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" performed by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
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"You're No Good" performed by Linda Ronstadt
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"You're So Vain" performed by Carly Simon
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