MY 50 ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 70s

"LAYLA"
TRACK NUMBER 13, RELEASED 1970

Eric Clapton's greatest song. The outra, man. The outro.

"FREEBIRD"
TRACK NUMBER 8, RELEASED 1973

"Freebird" is a colossal song. Not just because of its length and the famous long long solo that seem to never end, but also because the message sails across time.

"SO FAR AWAY"
TRACK NUMBER 2, RELEASED 1971

One of the most beautiful love songs ever made. It stabs the heart and peels the skin off your back.

"IMAGINE"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1971

Not just an anti-war song, "Imagine" is Lennon's song for the world.

"BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY"
TRACK NUMBER 11, RELEASED 1975

Legend has it that Freddie Mercury appeared one day in the studio with lyrics scribbled on pieces of papers and the melodies inside his head. And they started recording "Bohemain Rhapsody."

"WHAT"S GOIN ON?"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1971

The only way to conquer hate is to groove your way to people's hearts.

"VINCENT"
TRACK NUMBER 3, RELEASED 1971

The dearest, most eloquent song anyone ever made for someone.

"STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"
TRACK NUMBER 4, RELEASED 1971

If there's a holy church of rock, this is the foremost hymn of praise.

"HOTEL CALIFORNIA"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1976

"Hotel California" is a storybook song with dark intentions, backmasking trick included, triple guitar heaven---the stuff of legends.

"ANARCHY IN THE UK"
TRACK NUMBER 7, RELEASED 1977

The most blatant, angry, rebel song. The Johnny B. Goode of Punk.

"SWEET HOME ALABAMA"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1974

The ultimate beer-guzzed tavern to road song.

"THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD"
TRACK NUMBER 7, RELEASED 1970

With its moving string section, "The Long and Winding Road" is like a musical score to an individual's personal journey.

"HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?"
TRACK NUMBER 4, RELEASED 1970

You're stressed, tired from a long day's work, and feels like the world is against you. Then you hear this song and everything seems to feel alright.

"LET IT BE"
TRACK NUMBER 6, RELEASED 1970

McCartney's song about his mother Mary echoes not only his longing for her spiritual guidance, but everyone's search for a lighted path in darkness.

"FATHER & SON"
TRACK NUMBER 5, RELEASED 1970

Deeply emotional, Cat Stevens' moving ballad reaches for the human in you.

"GET BACK"
TRACK NUMBER 7, RELEASED 1970

John told the story that during recording, whenever Paul sings the chorus of "Get Back" he would look at Yoko Ono. So the story goes, but "Get Back" is just one cigarette smoke-groovy, galloping rock song.

"GOD SAVE THE QUEEN"
TRACK NUMBER 4, RELEASED 1977

The Pistols' "God Save the Queen" is a punk's morning alarm, the song that kickstarts anarchic rituals.

"LET YOUR LOVE FLOW"
SINGLE, RELEASED 1976

The brother's energetic, almost gospel, feel-good country song's melody flows through the veins like a happy stream.

"FOUR STRONG WINDS"
TRACK NUMBER 10, RELEASED 1978

Never been to Alberta, nor any of the Canadian landscape, nor felt the prairie winds, but Neil Young's ode to his hometown takes you there in an emotional trip with him as the tour guide.

"SISTER GOLDEN HAIR"
TRACK NUMBER 10, RELEASED 1975

Its that 70s hippie theme pop song played anywhere from school halls to dormitories to abandoned Volkswagens.

"BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1970

A song, a prayer, a psalm, a majestic ethereal lamentation.

"WILD WORLD"
TRACK NUMBER 3, RELEASED 1970

Cat Stevens (nee Steven Georgiou, then Yusuf Islam) made some of the most love-begotten tearful songs. He's the master of the voice-cracking second verse.

"TELL MAMA"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1971

The greatest underrated rock song of all time.

"D'YER M'KER"
TRACK NUMBER 6, RELEASED 1973

The opening riff just makes me cringe. A sensual, ganja rock song.

"NO WOMAN, NO CRY"
TRACK NUMBER 2, RELEASED 1974

A song about remembrance of times and keeping it positive whatever the odds are.

"SMOKE ON THE WATER"
TRACK NUMBER 5, RELEASED 1972

The ABC of heavy metal songs.

"LOVE OF MY LIFE"
TRACK NUMBER 9, RELEASED 1975

The one and only operatic love pop song with hints of flamenco.

"ALL MY LOVE"
TRACK NUMBER 6, RELEASED 1979

Led Zep's feel-good song about love here and beyond leaves you in weird ecstasy.

"THE CIRCLE GAME"
TRACK NUMBER 12, RELEASED 1970

Story about growing up and how we can only wish to turn back the hands of time is heavenly melodious.

"ERUPTION"
TRACK NUMBER 2, RELEASED 1978

Greatest solo in the history of much soloing.

"AMERICAN PIE"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1971

McLean's tribute to the Day When The Music Died, is epic storybook song.

"HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE"
TRACK NUMBER 2, RELEASED 1977

It's really a sexy song with champagnes clicking and clothes slowly dropping on the floor.

"ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)"
SINGLE, RELEASED 1972

Whenever O'Sullivan's trademark song is played on the radio, you stop and listen. Its one song that doesn't sound like any other song, unmistakably one of a kind.

"MORE THAN A FEELING"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1976

Its no surprise that its one of the most played songs there ever was. A sing-out-loud anthem with fists to the sky.

"DUST IN THE WIND"
TRACK NUMBER 7, RELEASED 1977

An acoustic classic with a moving string section and the definitive song about mortality immortalized.

"ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART 1&2"
TRACK NUMBER 3, RELEASED 1979

Its a experiental song unlike any other.

"ANGIE"
TRACK NUMBER 5, RELEASED 1973

The Stone's most soulful song.

"FEELS SO GOOD"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1977

No other jazz song puts you way above the clouds, soaring into the sky like a bird freed from a cage. Mangione made the trumpet such an emotional outlet it rivals any musical instrument.

"DANNY"S SONG"
FROM THE ALBUM OF LOGGINS & MESSINA "SITTIN' IN"
TRACK NUMBER 2, RELEASED 1971

A song he wrote for his brother, Kenny Loggins' ballad resonates with tender promising words and comfort.

"PICK UP THE PIECES"
TRACK NUMBER 7, RELEASED 1974

White people possessed by the black funk made one of the funkiest instrumentals.

"STAYIN' ALIVE"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1977

Try listening to the song while walking down the street and watch your walk take on a Travolta-fevered stride.

"MIDNIGHT BLUE" MELISSA MANCHESTER
FROM THE ALBUM "MELISSA"
TRACK NUMBER 7, RELEASED 1975

There's something earthly cool in the song. Like blue neon lights going off on bars in the wee hours of the morning while the bartender clean ashtrays. The last patrons striding slowly to the door to meet the wet pavement of abandoned streets.

"WHEN I NEED YOU"
TRACK NUMBER 4, RELEASED 1976

Leo Sayer's love song creeps in on you with the power of a thousand heartbreaks.

"EMOTION"
TRACK NUMBER 3, RELEASED 1978

Samantha Sang didn't really sang her way to ultimate success but will be remembered with this Barry and Robin Gibb composition. One of the easiest listening songs ever and you'd thought that male-falsetto is actually quite alright.

"LONG TRAIN RUNNING"
TRACK NUMBER 2, RELEASED 1973

Any song from a band with "doobie" in its name will always be waaay cool, man.

"I NEVER CRY"
TRACK NUMBER 5, RELEASED 1976

Alice Cooper's ambiguous love song is made for a male diva.

"ROADHOUSE BLUES"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1970

"Roadhouse Blues" is a basic blues chord rock n roll song but the things they put in it like Manzarek's burlesque bar keys and Morrison's charged and hoarse singing make it a wild party starter.

"BAND ON THE RUN"
TRACK NUMBER 1, RELEASED 1973

McCartney's ode to the Beatles is an intricate pop song that shift melodies like its a number of songs put into a cauldron.

"SEPTEMBER"
SINGLE, RELEASED 1978

Jesus, they still play the damn party song 35 years after its release like it was just recorded last September.

"THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE"
TRACK NUMBER 4, RELEASED 1972

Young's song about his friends' descent into heroin addiction is an acoustic masterpiece.