Feeling nostalgic? We’ve rounded up the best 70’s songs

We're throwing it way back to the seventies with a musical extravaganza!

A vinyl cover of ABBA

by Isabel Martins |
Updated on

Let's be honest, the 70s gave us countless hit songs, iconic artists and brand new genres of music such as hip-hop. Ultimately, whether you're a seventies fan or not, there was something in there for everyone, from disco to punk and glam rock, R&B, funk and more.

Understandably, after the year we've had, many of us have been feeling nostalgic and found ourselves reminiscing on different years and decades. And a great way to revisit is by listening to the music of those years, it completely transports us back in time!

So we've decided to do the throwback of all throwbacks, and list the best 70s songs. Now, this is no easy task, given that there are hundreds from which to choose, but we've made a top 20 songs from the seventies playlist, including most genres that were popular in that decade.

If any of these make you miss the 1970s or wish that you were in it, you can always have a fully nostalgic experience by downloading these songs on Spotify and Apple music. If you're not ready to commit to a monthly payment you can sign up for a free 30-day trial at Amazon Prime Music.

The best songs of the 1970s

It was the number one hit for nine weeks in the UK in 1975, and to this day is an extremely well-known and respected song. There are plenty of theories as to why it's such a popular song, perhaps because it embodies so many emotions and reflects this in the crescendo of the chorus, or maybe it's due to the very catchy melody. Either way this song lives in the hall of fame, and was recently voted in the UK as 'The best song of all time'.

After quickly climbing the charts, Rock N Roll all Nite became one of Kiss's signature songs and the last one played in their encores at gigs. It may not be as musically complex as some of their other songs, but it's ridiculously catchy and all in all a very feel-good song.

There's no doubt that this was one of the most defining tracks for Fleetwood Mac. As it was due to this song that their album Rumours gathered so much popularity and this was the first track of theirs to land a position in the Top Ten, in the US.

Aside from pioneering the Punk genre, the Sex Pistols regularly had songs in the charts, and God Save The Queen is a prime example of this. It made number one on the NME charts in the UK and due to its controversial nature and lyrics, it was actually banned from playing on the radio by the BBC in 1977.

It comes as no surprise that this has made our list of the best 70s songs. Aside from reaching number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 songs, it's a pretty relatable song as it explores the emotions of heartbreak and ultimately is a very empowering track about strength.

An iconic American song, Thunder Road continues to be a popular track even to this day. In fact, it was ranked as one of Springsteen's greatest songs and currently holds position number 86 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

A solid feel-good anthem, Shining Star was Earth, Wind & Fire's greatest hit. It also reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart. This track was their first single to top both charts.

Despite its upbeat tempo and melody, this track actually discusses quite a few difficult issues and references the BBC reports that were broadcast during the worst times of WWII. Nonetheless, it was and remains one of the best songs of the 70s.

It doesn't get more classic rock than Stairway To Heaven. It's incredibly popular sought-after, making it a typical song for an aspiring guitarist to learn, and it's also the biggest-selling single piece of sheet music in rock history, having sold over one million copies.

You can't think of the band Bee Gees, without thinking of their signature song Stayin' Alive. It hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978 and remained there for four weeks. It was also played at the beginning of Saturday Night Fever.

The pop-punk anthem quickly rose to popularity and remains a well-known song to this day, it was also played at John Peelu2019s funeral.

Of course, we had to include this one. An incredibly euphoric and melodic track, and has been said to be one of the best pop songs ever.

Definitely one of the most non-politically correct songs to emerge from that decade, Brown Sugar became the number one Billboard hit in 1971. It's huge popularity overshadowed the controversy and issues present in the song.

Another incredibly catchy and iconic song that the 70s decade has given us.

An impressively funky and impossibly catchy song, Superstition is clearly one of the best 70s songs.

The opening of the song, much like an open stretch of road is pretty easy to recognise and we love it. It has been said that the band this track was about their difficult touring schedule.

There's been plenty of different stories circulating about what truly inspired Dolly Parton to write the number one single (in 1974) Jolene, while we may never know the truth, what we do know is that we love this track!

A very inspiring and melodic track, Imagine is still played in plenty of places to this current day.

Although it was released at the beginning of the decade, its popularity continued to grow and soar well into the mid-2000s. In fact, Hocus Pocus was used in the film Baby Driver and in a Nike commercial.

Black Sabbath may have invented heavy metal, but they also played it at a time where it was much more mainstream. It made the top 5 at the time and is considered one of their greatest hits.

Of course, what better way to listen to the best of the seventies than on speakers that will really take you on a booming musical journey.

We've suggested a couple of our top picks below but read more on the 18 best home speakers here****.

This smart speaker with Alexa controls is sleek, compact and can fit in small spaces. If you are looking for a speaker with voice controls, this speaker is ready to help. You can interact with Alexa by telling her to play music, answer a question, set an alarm and other useful functions. This device can control your smart home and can turn on lights, adjust the heating and lock doors. We love that you can make announcements to anybody in a room with another Echo Dot device - you can let everyone know dinner is ready or call family and friends with hands-free calls.

Marshall Stanmore II Bluetooth SpeakerAmazon
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Best Buy$341.99View offer

Stanmore II from Marshall is a versatile speaker with a retro design and is perfect for any room, big or small. It is. Bluetooth compatible and the aptX technology provides wireless sound at a range of up to 30 feet. Fine-tune your music to meet your requirements with the Marshall Bluetooth app or the analogue controls on the speaker's panel.

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