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Our Top 200 pop songs of the 1970s present a wide variety of pop songs that crossed the boundaries of rock, pop, and soul but all were very popular. One must remember what the word pop has always meant. Pop songs are defined by their own word…..popular. However, over time the meaning has shifted towards songs that were not too heavy, not too country, or not too extreme in any way. This could cause issues in defining pop songs as would one rate a song like “Born To Run,” or “Black Dog” as pop? Probably not. Yet there are Springsteen and Led Zeppelin songs that we believe could sneak in as pop and they have been placed on this list. At least on this list, we tried to exclude songs that we thought just didn’t fit the pop song category even if they were very popular in mainstream culture. It can be a tricky line to walk. However, we have plenty of top rock song lists that we could put those songs on.
There were thousands of great pop songs released in the 1970s, so listing only 200 is definitely way too short of a list. Yet it does make it more fun. Of course, there will be plenty missing, but in the end, these are the first 200 that came to mind or at least the first 200 that continue to stand out in our memories which is what pop music is all about. Our top 200 pop songs list is just a reminder of so many of the great pop songs that we grew up with in the 1970s. It should bring back a lot of memories. This list is in somewhat random order……
# 200 – Fool If You Think It’s Over – Chris Rea
# 199 – Music – John Miles
# 198 – I Will Not Be Your Kind – Garland Jefferies
# 197 – Angel Baby – Toby Beau
# 196 – Lotta Love – Nicolette Larson
# 195 – Thunder Island – Jay Ferguson
# 194 – My Life – Billy Joel
# 193 – 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
# 192 – Ol 55 – Tom Waits
# 191 – The Cover of the Rolling Stone – Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
# 190 – Bad Blood – Neil Sedaka
# 189 – It Never Rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond
# 188 – Telephone Line – Electric Light Orchestra
# 187 – Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot
# 186 – Night Fever – Bee Gees
# 185 – Best Of My Love – The Emotions
# 184 – Playground in My Mind – Clint Holmes
# 183 – For All We Know – The Carpenters
# 182 – Baby Come Back – Player
# 181 – Sad Eyes – Robert John
# 180 – Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely – The Main Ingredient
# 179 – Stumblin’ In – Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman
# 178 – Right Place Wrong Time – Dr. John
# 177 – I Honestly Love You – Olivia Newton-John
# 176 – Nothing From Nothing – Billy Preston
# 175 – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
# 174 – Angie – The Rolling Stones
# 173 – Good Times – Chic
# 172 – Feeling Stronger Every Day – Chicago
# 171 – Silly Love Songs – Paul McCartney & Wings
# 170 – Listen To The Music – The Doobie Brothers
# 169 – Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band
# 168 – Mandy – Barry Manilow
# 167 – Beach Baby – The First Class
# 166 – Make It With You – Bread
# 165 – I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song – Jim Croce
# 164 – Mr. Bojangles – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
# 163 – Moonlight Feels Right – Starbuck
# 162 – It Don’t Come Easy – Ringo Star
# 161 – Aime –Pure Prairie League
# 160 – We Gotta Get You A Woman – Todd Rundgren
# 159 – Oh Girl – The Chi-Lites
# 158 -I’ll Be There – The Jackson Five
# 157 – Suite Judy Blue Eyes – Crosby, Stills & Nash
# 156 – Get Down – Gilbert O’Sullivan
# 155 – Listen To What The Man Said – Paul McCartney & Wings
# 154 – Billy Don’t Be a Hero – Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods’
# 153 – Heart Of Gold – Neil Young
# 152 – The Candy Man – Sammy Davis Jr.
# 151 – Dark Lady – Cher
# 150 – My Little Town – Simon & Garfunkel
# 149 – I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick
# 148 – Oh Very Young – Cat Stevens
# 147 – My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli
# 146 – The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) – Simon & Garfunkel
# 145 -Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves – Cher
# 144 -Sometimes When We Touch – Dan Hill
# 143 – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions – Queen
# 142 – Dancing Queen –ABBA
# 141 – Taking Care Of Business – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
# 140 – Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones
# 139 – Chick-A-Boom (Don’t Ya Jes’ Love It) – Daddy Dewdrop
# 138 – Everything I Own – Bread
# 137 – Photograph – Ringo Starr
# 136 – Hello It’s Me – Todd Rundgren
# 135 – I Shot the Sheriff – Eric Clapton
# 134 – Saturday in the Park – Chicago
# 133 -Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
# 132 – Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet
# 131 – Peaceful Easy Feeling – Eagles
# 130 – One – Three Dog Night
# 129 – Help Me – Joni Mitchell
# 128 – Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – Steely Dan
# 127 – Little Willy – Sweet
# 126 – Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
# 125 – Have You Never Been Mellow – Olivia Newton-John
# 124 –Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
# 123 – Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters
# 122 – I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
# 121 – Dream Weaver – Gary Wright
# 120 – Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree – Tony Orland0 & Dawn
# 119 – Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
# 118 – The Joker – Steve Miller Band
# 117 – Diamond Girl – Seals & Crofts
# 116 – Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress – The Hollies
# 115 – Smokin’ in the Boys Room – Brownsville Station
# 114 – I’d Really Love To See You Tonight – England Dan & John Ford Coley
# 113 – Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
# 112 – The Night Chicago Died – Paper Lace
# 111 – Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) – Rod Stewart
# 110 – Killing Me Softly with His Song – Roberta Flack
# 109 – Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
# 108 – We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
# 107 – Miss You – The Rolling Stones
# 106 – The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Robert John
# 105 – Turn The Beat Around – Vickie Sue Robinson
# 104 – The Logical Song – Supertramp
# 103 – The Locomotion – Grand Funk
# 102 – Brand New Key – Melanie
# 101 – Biggest Part Of Me – Ambrosia
# 100 – Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
# 99 – In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
# 98 – Magic Man – Heart
# 97 – Take The Money And Run – Steve Miller Band
# 96 – The Air That I Breathe – The Hollies
# 95 – They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters
# 94 – You Haven’t Done Nothing – Stevie Wonder
# 93 – Color My World – Chicago
# 92 – Operator – Jim Croce
# 91 – Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Suede
# 90 – Mother And Child Reunion – Paul Simon
# 89 – Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest
# 88 – One Way Or Another – Blondie
# 87 – Jungle Boogie – Kool & The Gang
# 86 – Magnet and Steel – Walter Egan
# 85 – Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John
# 84 – Superstition – Stevie Wonder
# 83 – Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
# 82 – Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
# 81 -Fox On The Run – Sweet
# 80 – Do Ya – Electric Light Orchestra
# 79 – It’s Too Late – Carole King
# 78 – You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
# 77 – Love Machine – The Miracles
# 76 – My Love – Paul McCartney & Wings
# 75 – By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Glen Campbell
# 74 – Kodachrome – Paul Simon
# 73 – What a Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
# 72 – Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
# 71 – Hotel California – Eagles
# 70 – Lean On Me – Bill Withers
# 69 – Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille
# 68 – Shadow Dancing – Andy Gibb
# 67 – Maggie May – Rod Stewart
# 66 – Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
# 65 – Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon
# 64 – Midnight at the Oasis – Maria Muldaur
# 63 – Bad Girls – Donna Summer
# 62 – Evil Woman – Electric Light Orchestra
# 61 – Take It Easy – Eagles
# 60 – Do It Again – Steely Dan
# 59 – Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne
# 58 – ABC – The Jackson Five
# 57 – Sara Smile – Hall & Oates
# 56 – How Much I Feel – Ambrosia
# 55 – American Tune – Paul Simon
# 54 – Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Elton John
# 53 – Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
# 52 – Don’t Rock The Boat – The Hues Corporation
# 51 – Alone Again Naturally – Gilbert O’Sullivan
# 50 – A Horse With No Name – America
# 49 – Me and Julio Down By The School Yard – Paul Simon
# 48 – Tin Man – America
# 47 – Piano Man – Billy Joel
# 46 – Daniel – Elton John
# 45 – Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
# 44 – Laughter In The Rain – Neil Sedaka
# 43 – Copacabana (At the Copa) – Barry Manilow
# 42 – Reeling In The Years – Steely Dan
# 41 – Changes – David Bowie
# 40 – Levon – Elton John
# 39 – Thank You – Led Zeppelin
# 38 – Prove It All Night – Bruce Springsteen
# 37 – We’re an American Band – Grand Funk
# 36 – You Got A Friend – Carole King
# 35 – Candle In The Wind – Elton John
# 34 – Brother Louie – Stories
# 33 – I Think I Love You – David Cassidy
# 32 – Bad, Bad Leroy Brown – Jim Croce
# 31 -The Long And Winding Road – The Beatles
# 30 – Lonely People – America
# 29 – Rihannon – Fleetwood Mac
# 28 – More Than A Feeling – Boston
# 27 – My Sharona – The Knack
# 26 – Rocket Man – Elton John
# 25 – My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
# 24 – Joy To The World – Three Dog Night
# 23 – Drift Away – Dobie Gray
# 22 – Sir Duke –Stevie Wonder
# 21 – Bennie And The Jets – Elton John
# 20 – Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell
# 19 – Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
# 18 – Your Song – Elton John
# 17 – Imagine – John Lennon
# 16 – Without You – Harry Nilsson
# 15 – Your No Good – Linda Ronstadt
# 14 – December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) – The Four Seasons
# 13 – Tiny Dancer – Elton John
# 12 – Sister Golden Hair – America
# 11 – You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
# 10 – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
# 9 – Staying Alive – The Bee Gees
# 8 – Lowdown – Boz Scaggs
# 7 – American Pie – Don Mclean
# 6 – I’m Not In Love – 10cc
# 5 – Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
# 4 – Let It Be – The Beatles
# 3 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
# 2 – Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings
# 1 – Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – Looking Glass
Top 200 Pop Songs Of The 1970s article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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I live here in Australia, my favorite music decade is the ’70s and I swear that I have never heard at leat 20% of these songs.
Well that’s why we do articles like these, it’s for people like you …..check out the ones you don’t know….you may find you actually do know them, just not the titles
Punk? The most amazing songs of the seventies you ignored.
It’s a POP Songs list.
Reviewing the list, I recall all but three, and those three are in the first five of this article.
As the Author suggests, I may recognize them as well, if I go onto You Tube and check them out.
Guess I spent much of my ‘formative years” listing to AM radio, and watching the Midnight Special, although I was also a FM deep-cut enthusiast, during that era.
Thanks for recalling all these pop gems from those years.