MUSIC | 1970s| BEST SONGS | LISTS

The 10 Best Pop Songs from Each Year of the 1970s

Here are the year-end #1 songs from 1970–1979 according to the Billboard Hot charts

Photo by Meagan Stone on Unsplash

Every year, the people who create the Billboard Hot 100 charts name a year-end best song of the year based on total sales, airplays, and now streams.

Steaming, of course, wasn’t an option in the 1970s. So, the lists were just dependent on record and other media sales as well as radio-play.

Based on those metrics, here are the year-end best pop songs for every year from 1970 to 1979.

1970 — “Bridge over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel

“Bridge over Troubled Water” was the title track for Simon & Garfunkel’s most successful album. It would also be the final album that they would make together as they broke up shortly after its release.

The song was written by Paul Simon and sung by Art Garfunkel. Released in 1970, it would spend six weeks at #1 in February of 1970. It would go on to win Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1971.

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1971 — “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night

“Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night spent six weeks at the top of the charts. It would spend the end of April and much of May of 1971 at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Featured on their 1970 album Naturally, “Joy to the World” would be one of the biggest hits for Three Dog Night.

When you hear the opening lyrics to the song, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog,” you know you are getting to hear one of the best rock songs of all time.

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1972 — “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” was actually a cover of a 1957 song written by British folk singer Ewan MacColl.

Flack’s interpretation of the song became popular after it was featured in the 1971 movie Play Misty for Me, Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut.

The song would spend six weeks at #1 in 1972 and would win a 1973 Grammy for Song of the Year.

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1973 — “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree” by

Tony Orlando and Dawn

Released in February of 1973, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree” was the Billboard year-end best song of that year.

Selling millions of copies, the song was a massive hit worldwide for Tony Orlando and Dawn. It would stay at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.

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1974 — “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand had four #1 hits in the 70s. “Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen), ” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” and a collaborate with Donna Summer, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” would all reach the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the 1970s.

But her first and biggest #1 hit occurred in 1974 with “The Way We Were.” The song was a massive hit for her after the release of the 1973 movie by the same name that she starred in with Robert Redford.

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1975 — “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille

Fairly soft music was popular in 1975, and no song was softer than Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together.” This song was the #1 single of 1975 according to Billboard Magazine.

The song itself was written by Neal Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973 but was made popular by the emerging duo Captain & Tennille, comprised of Captain Daryl Dragon and his wife Toni Tennille.

Captain & Tennille released the song on their debut album by the same name in 1975. It ended up being the best-selling single of that year and won the 1975 Grammy for Record of the Year.

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1976 — “Silly Love Songs” by Wings

Paul McCartney was involved in some big hits in the 1970s. Three of his #1 hits of the decade occurred early on with the Beatles. Although the Beatles broke up in 1970s, they would have songs that reached #1 that year. (“Let it Be,” “The Long and Winding Road,” and “For You Blue”)

Then he had a #1 hit with his wife, “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.”

After he formed Wings, and they would have #1 hits with “My Love,” “Band on the Run,” and “Listen to What the Man Said,” and “With a Little Luck.”

But their biggest hit was the 1976 release, “Silly Love Songs.” It would spend an amazing five weeks in the #1 spot. Paul McCartney said he wrote the song in direct response to critics, like John Lennon, who complained that he was only writing sentimental love songs.

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1977 — “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart

From his album A Night on the Town, Rod Stewart had a massive hit with “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” in 1976. It would spend an incredible 8 weeks in the #1 spot of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

It would also be the best-selling single of 1977.

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1978 — “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb

Disco was, of course, popular in the late 1970s. Andy Gibb’s “Shadow Dancing” was the title track for Gibb’s second album.

It was Gibb’s third #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and would spend seven weeks in the top spot in 1978. It was also the best-selling single of that year.

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1979 — “My Sharona” by The Knack

“My Sharona” was The Knack’s debut single. It stayed at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks.

The song was the biggest hit of 1979. The song has an iconic guitar riff and memorable stuttering lyrics with the line, “M-m-m-my Sharona”

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The 1970s were an eclectic time for music in the United States and across the globe. Although rock and roll was well established and popular during the decade, pop songs seem to dominate the year-by-year sales.

What were you listening to in the 1970s? Are any of those songs on this list? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

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