100 Greatest Rock Songs Of The 1970s

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I will argue for the rest of my life that the 1970s delivered the most incredible rock music of all time. Now, many will claim it was the 1960s, and I must say they have a pretty good point. I mean, we’re talking about The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, and so many other greats that came out of the 1960s. If you went to high school in the 1960s, you’ll most definitely argue that it was the sixties. However, I graduated high school in 1979, so the ’70s were the decade that I grew up in, and I connected deeply with that music.

I’ve always believed that the music you grew up with in high school will be the music you love the most. Yet, as a historian, when I look back at every decade of rock music since the 1950s and try to separate my emotional ties to the 1970s, I still believe that the ’70s were the decade that delivered the most iconic rock and roll songs and albums of all time. I mean, hey, we’re the decade that celebrated the music of Led Zeppelin, the greatest rock and roll band of all time. We lived through the days of Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Grand Funk, Styx, Foreigner, Heart, Boston, and so many others. In the end, this is all about fun; whatever music you like, you like. Here are my favorites!

This is a subjective list of my hundred favorite rock songs from the 1970s, and additionally chosen for their impact on music culture. The order is somewhat random except for the top 10, because you can’t really argue that one song is better than the other. They are all great, and if anything, we want to introduce young people to music they may have never heard before, while also celebrating great music with older fans.

I wrote most of this list right off the top of my head. These are songs that have been the most memorable for me, the ones that have stayed with me all these years. I think that was the most genuine way to do this, not to do research, not to go through albums, but just to think about the songs that I have remembered the most. I’m in my 60s now but I still feel like I’m 15 whenever I hear these songs.

What are your favorites?

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# 100 – Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting – Elton John

Opening up this list is none other than the great Elton John. He may have been the single greatest artist of the 1970s. He has a lot of competition, but if I had to pick one, single artist, not a band, just an individual, it would be Elton John. So we thought it would be best to start out this list with one of his most rocking tunes.

# 99 – Peace Of Mind – Boston

Is there a better debut album in Rock and Roll History than Boston’s debut? “Peace of Mind” was the second track on Side A. What a song to follow up “More Than a Feeling!”

# 98 – The Wall – Kansas

This was my favorite song on the legendary Leftoverture album that put Kansas on the map big time. It might not have been as big as “Carry On Wayward Son” but there was something special about this one.

# 97 – New Rose – The Damned

This is one of the most significant moments at the start of 70s punk. These guys could write, and they could play.

# 96 – Carry On – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Jumping from the Damned to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young defines just how diverse the 1970s were musically. This is why music fans who grew up in the ’70s love all types of music. This is the opening track of the legendary Déjà Vu album which came out at the beginning of the decade in 1970s.

# 95 – The Rover – Led Zeppelin

The first of many Led Zeppelin songs to appear on this list was released on my favorite Led Zeppelin album, Physical Graffiti.

# 94 – Torn and Frayed – Rolling Stones

Many will argue that the Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street was their greatest album release. This is a deep track from that spectacular two-record set.

# 93 – Listen To The Music – The Doobie Brothers

“Listen to the Music” was released on the Doobie Brothers’ second album, Toulouse Street, in 1972. If that opening guitar riff didn’t get you at first, then for sure that sweet-sounding chorus would finish the job.

# 92 – My Sharona – The Knack

# 91 – Jet – Paul McCartney & Wings

# 90 – Mississippi Queen – Mountain

# 89 – Rock And Roll High School – The Ramones

# 88 – Cleveland Rocks – Ian Hunter

# 87 – Tangled up in Blue – Bob Dylan

# 86 – Tie Your Mother Down – Queen

Queen was the first rock band I ever saw in concert when they toured with Thin Lizzy. They opened up with this song. This one rocks so hard.

# 85 – Cowboy Song – Thin Lizzy

# 84 – Carpet Of The Sun – Renaissance

One of the most amazing voices in all of rock history and such a wonderful person. Check out my interview with Annie and Jim

# 83 – Funk #49 – James Gang

# 82 – Take It Off the Top – The Dixie Dregs

# 81 – Strange Way – Firefall

# 80 – Right Down The Line – Gerry Rafferty

Most people would have picked “Baker Street,” it was the much bigger hit, but I always liked the follow-up single, “Right Down The Line,” much better.

# 79 – Black Maria – Todd Rundgren

Yes, I know he had a lot of hits, but there’s always something about this that really hit me. Truck

# 78 – Black Napkins – Frank Zappa

The guitar work on this is mind-blowing. From Zoot Allures

# 77 – Does It Make You Feel Good – The Good Rats

# 76 – Katy Lied – Steely Dan

# 75 – Radar Love – Golden Earring

# 74 – Wild in the Streets – Garland Jeffreys

# 73 – I Feel the Earth Move – Carole King

# 72 – Barracuda – Heart

# 71 – L.A. Woman – The Doors

# 70 – Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

# 69 – Roundabout – Yes

# 68 – A Farewell To Kings – Rush

# 67 – Here Comes the Summer – The Undertones

They were never that big in the US, but this late ’70s album was just a preview of the great things to come for this band in the ’80s. I love this group.

# 66 – When I Was A Freeport And You Were The Main Drag – Laura Nyro

Most of Laura’s great ones were written in the ’60s, but this is a fantastic lesser-known track from her 1971 album Christmas and the Beads of Sweat

# 65 – Talk To Me – Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes

# 64 – Stay With Me – The Faces

# 63 – Scenes From An Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel

# 62 – Draw The Line – Aerosmith

# 61 – Fooling Yourself – Styx

# 60 – Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

# 59 – Feels Like The First Time – Foreigner

# 58 – Billion Dollar Babies – Alice Cooper

# 57 – Never Been to Spain – Three Dog Night

# 56 – Stranglehold – Ted Nugent

# 55 – In The Dead of Night – U.K.

# 54 – Anarchy in the U.K. – The Sex Pistols

# 53 – Highway Star – Deep Purple

# 52 – Sweet Emotion – Aerosmith

# 51 – Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love – Van Halen

# 50 – Trampled Under Foot – Led Zeppelin

# 49 – Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull

# 48 – Shooting Star – Bad Company

# 47 – Iron Man – Black Sabbath

# 46 – Bat Out Of Hell – Meat Loaf

# 45 – I Just Want To Have Something To Do – The Ramones

# 44 – 2112 – Rush

# 43 – Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2 – Emerson, Lake & Palmer

# 42 – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – Genesis

# 41 – Rosalita – Bruce Springsteen

# 40 – Roadhouse Blues – The Doors

# 39 – Suffragette City – David Bowie

# 38 – Magic Man – Heart

# 37 – Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen

# 36 – Kashmir – Led Zeppelin

# 35 – Highway To Hell – AC/DC

# 34 – Detroit Rock City – Kiss

# 33 – Walk On The Wild Side – Lou Reed

# 32 – Southern Man – Neil Young

# 31 – Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

# 30 – Aja – Steely Dan

# 29 – Whipping Post – The Allman Brothers Band

# 28 – Dancing Days – Led Zeppelin

# 27 – Do You Feel Like I Do – Peter Frampton

# 26 – Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

# 25 – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (all parts) Pink Floyd

# 24 – In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed – The Allman Brothers Band

# 23 – The Ocean – Led Zeppelin

# 22 – Nobody’s Fault – Aerosmith

# 21 – Crazy On You – Heart

# 20 – Slow Ride – Foghat

# 19 – Green Grass And High Tides Forever – Outlaws

#18 – Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding – Elton John

# 17 – I Know I’m Losing You – Rod Stewart

# 16 – Dogs – Pink Floyd

# 15 – Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin

# 14 – Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings

# 13 – Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie

# 12 – Eruption/You Really Got Me – Van Halen

# 11 – London Calling – The Clash

# 10 – Can’t You Hear Me Knocking – The Rolling Stones

We open up our top 10 section of this list with the perfect Rolling Stones song, from one of their best, if not their best, albums they have ever released.

# 9 – When The Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin

How in the world do you pick the best Led Zeppelin song? Everyone is the best.

# 8 – More Than A Feeling – Boston

No matter how many times I hear this song, I will never get tired of it.

# 7 – Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Yes, we’ve all heard this one too many times, just like a lot of other songs on this list, but as someone who made a living playing in cover bands for many, many years, I don’t think there was ever a night I performed with a band when someone in the audience didn’t yell out, “Play Free Bird!”

# 6 – Intro/Sweet Jane (Live) – Lou Reed

For anyone who’s heard this before, no explanation is needed for why it is in the top 10.

# 5 – Close To The Edge – Yes

It’s tough to call an entire album side a song, but when we’re talking about bands like Yes and so many other classic progressive rock bands, that’s just the way it works. Yes released a lot of great music, but I’ve always believed “Close to the Edge” was their peak, at least it was for me.

# 4 – Jungleland – Bruce Springsteen

I originally had “Born to Run” in this spot, but then I thought about it a little bit deeper and, of course, recognized that as big as the song “Born to Run” was, it was the closing song on an album that I think was the most striking composition and recording Springsteen has ever released. I still remember hearing it for the first time and then not being able to talk for quite a while afterward.

# 3 – Baba O’Reily – The Who

I go back and forth with this one all the time. Ask me yesterday, and I might have put this at number one. Tomorrow, I may put it at number one again. I think this might be my favorite rock song of all time. It probably should be number one, but The Who’s track, and of course the next one after this, are such classic songs that had such a huge impact. I thought on a list like this, I should do the right thing, and like I said in the introduction, put together a list that was fueled by my sentimental choices, personal favorites, and of course the ones that had the most impact, and that’s what I’ve tried to do here at the end especially.

# 2 – Layla – Derek & The Dominos

Just imagine if we lived in a perfect world, where we didn’t lose musicians, legendary bands stayed together, and we all lived in harmony. Sadly, we don’t, and that’s why we only have one Derek and a Domino’s album. But oh man, what an album it was. Some of the most remarkable talent that ever lived in Rock and Roll created one of the most stunning songs in classic rock history.

# 1 – Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who

How many times have you heard this song? How many times have you played this album? Yes, we know that’s why it’s number one.