Top 100 albums and songs of the 1970s [2009]

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Top 100 albums and songs of the 1970s [2009]

Post by Old Forums »

Originally conducted by Nassim

Excel files:
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1979

Voters:
Alex D
BillAdama
Brad
brose
Georgie
Harold Wexler
Henrik
Honorio
Jackson
Jonah
Michel
Midaso
Miguel
Mindrocker
Nassim
netjade
nicolas
Otisredding
Petri
RockyRaccoon
Romain
Snusmumrik
sonofsamiam
SR
Stephan
VanillaFire1000
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Re: Top 100 albums and songs of the 1970s [2009]

Post by Old Forums »

Top 100 albums

100) Boston - Boston (1976)
729 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 181
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 153

Fan : Alex D #8
Least likely to listen to it once more : Mindrocker #100, VanillaFire1000 #100, Honorio #99, Henrik #99, RockyRaccoon #98, sonofsamiam #96, SR #73 (/77), netjade #91

Alex D : I wouldn't be surprised if nobody ranked it higher than I did - meticulously crafted, late-70s hard rock is just begging to put down as pandering, commercial nonsense. But Boston were different. Tom Scholz (who basically did everything except sing and play drums) created his own guitar sounds (literally making his own pedals) and weaved all the parts and harmonies together in his basement studio. (Dude had a master's from MIT, and he kept a high standard for himself). The result is a mix of glam solos, great melodies, and some seriously awesome riffs. Everyone knows "More Than a Feeling", but "Rock n' Roll Band" and "Smokin'" are just as good.


99) Eagles, The - Hotel California (1976)
733 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 38
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 86

Fan : Stephan #6
Least likely to listen to it once more : Michel #100, sonofsamiam #100, Brad #100, Jonah #70 (/70), Jackson #52(/52) Otisredding #74(upon 75), Midaso #94 (/95), Alex D #51(/52), netjade #98, Harold Wexler #95, snusmumrik #70 (/76), SR #70 (/77)

Alex D : I think I'm just tired of this album - it's good but no doubt certain tracks are overexposed to me.


98) Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)
758 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 58
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 40

Least Likely to listen to it anymore : BillAdama #91 (/91), SR #77 (/77), sonofsamiam #99, Otisredding #73 (/75), netjade #94, Brad #94

Alex D : I was probably too young to remember the first time I heard this album - it's one of my dad's favorites. Surprisingly enough, I've never gotten tired of the tunes (there's plenty of good ones) but the message of alienation is a little worse for the wear.


97) Rolling Stones, The - Some Girls (1978)
782 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 139
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 185

Least likely to listen to it anymore : Henrik #100, sonofsamiam #98, netjade #96, BillAdama #86 (/91), Mindrocker #92

Alex D : Punk and disco actually suited the Stones really well: it's like they're in their twenties again. Charlie Watts' drumming style and of course Mick are perfect for this sort of thing. I have always liked their more aggressive rockers as opposed to say, country-based songs (with a few exceptions) and they really ramp it up here.


96) Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
785 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 53
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 101

Fan : VanillaFire1000 #5
Least likely to listen to it anymore : Stephan #55 (/55), Mindrocker #99, Michel #99, Alex D #50 (/52), Petri #72 (/75), SR #72 (/77)

Alex D : Elton is a singles guy for sure - while this (his best album) sure has some good songs on it, I found it entirely too long to take in at once when I relistened to it for this poll.


95) Bob Dylan & The Band - The Basement Tapes (1975)
806 points
Image
Rank in the 1975 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 123
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 135

Least likely to listen to it : Otisredding #75 (/75), Romain #99, Henrik #95

Note : tied with Some Girls and another album for the title of “lowest highest vote”, with its best position in any list being 23rd


94) Jam, The - All Mod Cons (1978)
823 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 85
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 118

Least likely to listen to it : Jonah #66 (/70)


92 (tie) Roxy Music - Country Life (1974)
827 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 278
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 262

Least likely to listen to it : Honorio #98


92(tie) Steely Dan - Katy Lied (1975)
827 points
Image
Rank in the 1975 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 275
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 225

Fan : Georgie #2
Least likely to listen to it : Mindrocker #98, VanillaFire1000 #97, SR #74 (/77), Honorio #95, Michel #92


91) Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1973)
833 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 39
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 113

Least likely to listen to it : Alex D #52 (/52), Jonah #64 (/70)

Alex D : It's rubbish, particularly the one about the blow-up doll. I'm deeply offended.


90) Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (1974)
834 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 48
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 104

Least likely to listen to it : Petri #75 (/75), brose #99, Georgie #99, Romain #96, Michel #95, VanillaFire1000 #94

Honorio : Not the most purist but for me Parsons’ music oozes the essence of country style, even more in the substance than in the surface.

89) Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
835 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 84
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 137

Least likely to listen to it : brose #98, Brad #98, Mindrocker #97, Miguel #95, Harold Wexler #91


87(tie) Modern Lovers, The - The Modern Lovers (1976)
836 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 69
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 96

Least likely to listen to it : brose #92


87(tie) Parliament - Mothership Connection (1975)
836 points
Image
Rank in the 1975 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 102
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 140
Fan : VanillaFire1000 #7

Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #96, Miguel #94

Alex D : When the album pronounces it will "do it to you in your ear-hole," George Clinton and crew mean business. Be forewarned: there is liberal usage of delicious wah-wah effects on just about everything, and it is saucy.


86) Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (1976)
845 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 346
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 230

Fan : Georgie #1

Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #100, SR #76(/77), sonofsamiam #95, Mindrocker #94, VanillaFire1000 #92, Michel #91

85) Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle (1973)
850 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 238
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 95

More puzzled than shuffled : Snusmumrik #73 (/76), Romain #95, Otisredding #69 (/75)

Alex D : My least favorite Bruce album of the ones that made this round - he sounds too much like Van Morrison here. But holy crap is "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" a good song!


84) Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
855 points
Image
Rank in the 1970 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 26
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 51
Fans : RockyRaccoon #6, Georgie #10

Did not find the songs that much assorted : Nassim #55 (/55), Stephan #54 (/54), netjade #97, Henrik #96, Petri #70 (/75)


82(tie) Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread (1974)
859 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 43
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 81
Fan : RockyRaccoon #4

Not much of a rastaman : Brad #91

82(tie) Specials, The - The Specials (1979)
859 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 73
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 172

Ain’t no rude boy : sonofsamiam #93, Petri #68 (/75)


81) Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77 (1977)
861 points
Image
Rank in the 1977 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 106
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 108

Would not have bet back then on the future of that band : Mindrocker #95, sonofsamiam #92

80) Big Star - Third Album/Sister Lovers (1978)
862 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 103
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 124

Fans : Brad #9, Jackson #10
Two were enough for : Nassim #54 (/55), Otisredding #71 (/75)


79) Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973)
878 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 166
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 75

Fan : Jonah #10
No Quarter : Honorio #100, nicolas #97, SR #71 (/77)

Alex D : I think all in all Houses of the Holy is Led Zeppelin's most underrated album. It's hard to imagine any band following up an album as enormous as IV, and instead of trying to top it, Zep moved in a more subtle, stylistically diverse direction. Best (and most adventurous part): the white-boy reggae on "D'yer Maker".


78) Cars, The - The Cars (1978)
879 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 239
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 131

Fan : Jonah #1
Bad Times Roll : Honorio #97, BillAdama #88 (/91), nicolas #93

Alex D : I never really thought of the Cars as a huge critical success - more of a guilty pop pleasure for me. But if they do halfway decent in this poll, well all the better!


77) Neil Young - Harvest (1972)
882 points
Image
Rank in the 1972 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 36
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 39

Fans : nicolas #6, Miguel #8
Still looking for their heart of gold : Georgie #100, Jonah #68 (/70), Otisredding #72 (/75), Snusmumrick #71 (/78)


76) Neil Young - On The Beach (1974)
885 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 147
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 69

Fan : BillAdama #7
“I’m more of a Mountain guy” : Stephan #55 (/55), brose #93, Mindrocker #91

75) Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)
898 points
Image
Rank in the 1977 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 41
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 32

Fan : BillAdama #8

Waiting for the end of the <s>world</s> album : Mindrocker #96

Alex D : He looks like a slightly crippled Buddy Holly - and the songs he writes are just as good. In some ways I feel like this is late-50's rock n' roll dressed up as punk, with the energy of both.


74) Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)
899 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 159
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 134

Fan : Miguel #5
Least likely to listen to it : Brad : #99, Harold Wexler #97, Michel #94


73) Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (1974)
900 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 96
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 74

Fans : Georgie #3, Harold Wexler #5
Least likely to listen to it : SR #75 (/77), brose #97, BillAdama #87 (/91), Brad #96, VanillaFire1000 #96

Honorio : The last Steely Dan album as a rock band avoided the lengthy solos focusing in song-writing and gaining in concision.


72) Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Armed Forces (1979)
905 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 119
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 63

No fans, no detractors !


71) B-52's, The - The B-52's (1979)
907 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 162
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 139

Throw this mess away : Jonah #67 (/70), Honorio #96, nicolas #95, Midaso #87 (/95)

70) Bob Dylan - Desire (1976)
914 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 135
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 54

Fans : Snusmumrik #5, Stephan #8, Michel #9
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #93, Romain #91, sonofsamiam #91


69) Fela Kuti & Africa '70 - Zombie (1976)
923 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 305
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 175

Fan : sonofsamiam #5
Least likely to listen to it : Midaso #93


68) David Bowie - Heroes (1977)
931 points
Image
Rank in the 1977 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 83
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 78

Fan : Snusmumrik #8
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #55 (/55), Harold Wexler #94, RockyRaccoon #93, Otisredding #68 (/75)

Alex D : Underrated among Bowie albums - the epic title track and subsequent futuristic jams on Side 1 are very well balanced by the ambient experiments on Side 2.


67) King Crimson - Red (1974)
934 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 201
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 106

Fans : Jackson #2, Petri #7
Least likely to listen to it : RockyRaccoon #100, Midaso #92 (/95), Nassim #51 (/55), Jonah #65 (/70)

Honorio : It was conceived as a last album and a decided step further, noisier, heavier and more experimental than any of the band previous efforts.


66) Big Star - Radio City (1974)
939 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 110
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 93

Fan : Harold Wexler #1
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #50 (/55)

65) Todd Rundgrenn - Something/Anything (1972)
943 points
Image
Rank in the 1972 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 94
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 71

Fan : Georgie #4
Something ? Anything ? Nothing ! : brose #100, Brad #97, VanillaFire1000 #95, BillAdama #82 (/91)

Honorio : A one-man double album touched by the magic wand of inspiration, boarding every different style with ease and genius.


64) Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
944 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 115
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 60

Fan : Petri #9
Turn off the bright lights : Romain #100, Brad #95


63) Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972)
945 points
Image
Rank in the 1972 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 75
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 88

Fan : Mindrocker #7
Bitter ends : RockyRaccoon #96, nicolas #92


62) John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973)
947 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 112
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 110

Fan : Snusmumrik #7
Least likely to listen to it : BillAdama #86 (/91), Henrik #93, Harold Wexler #92

Honorio : A dreamy work set in evocative locations (“Andalucía” ), in literary environments (“Macbeth” ) or in hazy childhood memories (“Child’s Christmas in Wales” ) .


61) Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark (1974)
950 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 61
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 47

Fans : Miguel #6, Georgie #8
Least likely to listen to it : VanillaFire1000 #99, Michel #93, Stephan #53 (/55)

59(tie) Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979)
954 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 88
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 49

Fans : Romain #6, Miguel #7
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #100, Snusmumrik #72 (/76)


59(tie) Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
954 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 116
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 103

Fan : Jonah #7
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #94, Snusmumrik #69 (/76), Honorio #91


57(tie) David Bowie - Station To Station (1976)
960 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 97
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 43

Fan : #5 Romain
Least likely to listen to it : Georgie #91, RockyRaccoon #91

Alex D : As musical chameleons go, no one can top David Bowie. How he made an album that is both fully Krautrock and fully plastic soul is beyond me - all I know is it works amazingly well.


57(tie) Gang of Four - Entertainment! (1979)
960 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 60
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 80

Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #99, Miguel #98


56) Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On (1971)
965 points
Image
Rank in the 1971 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 19
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 38

Fans : sonofsamiam #4, netjade #8
Alex D : Between Sly's depressed, drugged-out lyrics to the sludgy funk, this album is not for the faint of heart. Alas, the troubles of ghetto life won't get any better until you have to hear about them first-hand, and Sly's heroin-addicted self is more than up for the task.

55) Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)
970 points
Image
Rank in the 1975 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 37
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 41

Fans : Brad #6, Romain #8
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #51 (/55), Henrik #91, Midaso #89 (/95)

Alex D : The breadth of the album is astonishing - Led Zeppelin cover too many genres and styles of music to count here. Most of them are sure to induce booty-shaking too - on this one the boys sound like they really are getting to it, and grooves better than their other records, especially on one of my favorite Zep songs, "Trampled Under Foot".


54) Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power (1973)
972 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 33
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 70

Fan : Nassim #8
Least likely to listen to it : brose #95, Honorio #92, Miguel #91

Alex D : When the Stooges named the album Raw Power, they meant it. It's hard to think of an album that sounds as loud and massive as this one - it sounds like the front lines in 'Nam (at least in movies). Sometimes it's frantic ("Search and Destroy"), other times it's gloomy ("Gimme Danger"), but it's always unfailingly heavy.


53) Ramones - Ramones (1976)
984 points
Image
Rank in the 1976 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 13
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 35

Least likely to listen to it : Henrik #92

Alex D : Best and worst part: they write the same song 14 times in the course of an album. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. But for the most part I respect it and realize neither their melodies nor their guitars will be denied.


52) Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)
990 points
Image
Rank in the 1970 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 32
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 76

Fan : sonofsamiam #7
Least likely to listen to it : Henrik #98, Midaso #91 (/95), brose #96, Nassim #50 (/55)

Alex D : Is there really any album with an atmosphere like Bitches Brew? It's no wonder that when Radiohead were looking for something new and weird for inspiration on Kid A that they looked to Miles' incredibly dense freak-outs. You may hate the album while you're listening to it (it's hard to take in all at once), but by the time it's over you will love it.


51) Blondie - Parallel Lines (1978)
993 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 45
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 62

Fan : Harold Wexler #7

Alex D : If this is a disco album, it's head-and-shoulders above any other, and if it's not, well, it's still a really really good new wave album. Either way, nobody can command a band like Debbie Harry can - I think I was smitten about halfway through the first song.


50) Michael Jackson - Off the Wall (1979)
994 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 40
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 52

Fans : Nassim #9, Petri #10
Stop because they got enough : Michel #97, Brad #93

Alex D : Probably the slickest album out of the top 100, which is for the better - it also makes it the best dance album of the decade. The singles are legendary, particularly "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", but some of the album tracks sound like Quincy Jones is just going through the motions.


49) Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets (1973)
1000 points
Image
Rank in the 1973 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 137
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 111

Fan : Petri #5, Romain #10
Least likely to listen to it : Alex D #48 (/52), Henrik #94, Honorio #93

Alex D : Brian Eno is undoubtedly a genius, and he did pretty good on this one - and while the experiments sometimes go horribly right (the title track), the ones that go bad seem to last far too long.


47(tie) Kraftwerk - Die Mensch Maschine (1978)
1008 points
Image
Rank in the 1978 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 92
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 77


Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #96, Georgie #95, RockyRaccoon #92

Honorio : Futuristic soundscapes for the modern times, times of neon lights, metropolis, men-machine and also women-machine ("Das Modell").


47(tie) Nick Drake - Bryter Layer (1970)
1008 points
Image
Rank in the 1970 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 86
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 50

Fans : Petri #1, Georgie #6
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #52 (/55),RockyRaccoon #95


46) Suicide - Suicide (1977)
1009 points
Image
Rank in the 1977 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 67
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 92

Fans : netjade #1 , Petri #4
Least likely to listen to it : Miguel #96, Midaso #90 (/95), Georgie #92

44(tie) Big Star - #1 Record (1972)
1015 points
Image
Rank in the 1972 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 146
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 55

Fans : Midaso #6, Nassim #7
Least likely to listen to it : Henrik #97

Honorio : Not as tortured as second and third, "#1 Record" shines through pop gems and rock tracks, acoustic and electric, sweet harmonies and harsh voices.


44(tie) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (1970)
1015 points
Image
Rank in the 1970 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 71
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 48

Fans : Michel #6, nicolas #7
Least likely to listen to it : BillAdama #84 (/91), Brad #92

Honorio : Memphis rockabilly, Chicago blues, Detroit soul, Nashville country and also San Francisco psychedelia. The sound of America.


43) Velvet Underground , The - Loaded (1970)
1019 points
Image
Rank in the 1970 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 78
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 37

Fans : Jonah #3, brose #7


42) Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)
1021 points
Image
Rank in the 1977 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 21
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 26

Fans : Henrik #2, VanillaFire1000 #2, Alex D #9
Least likely to listen to it : netjade #100, Jackson #51 (/52), Snusmumrik #75 (/76), Romain #92

Alex D : Of all the albums that were released during the musical revolution that was 1977, I think I picked one of the least revolutionary. And while the sonics may not be avant-garde, I'm pretty sure the emotional sentiments were without precedent. (An entire band getting divorced from each other?) They hung on by a thread, and there's a unique energy that comes from the songs (and the band) trying to barely keep things together even though it all seems destined to fall apart.


41) Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
1025 points
Image
Rank in the 1979 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 50
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 30

No fans, no detractors

40) Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)
1027 points
Image
Rank in the 1972 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 100
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 34

Fans : Nassim #6, Jackson #7, sonfosamiam #10
Least likely to listen to it : RockyRaccon #94


39) Clash, The - The Clash (1977)
1033 points
Image
Rank in the 1977 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 20
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 27

Fans : RockyRaccoon #9, Brad #10
Least likely to listen to it : Miguel #99

Honorio : Combat rock. The sounds of hate and war, of police and thieves, of white riots and burning London, the sounds of Garageland.

Alex D : The Clash are probably the most powerful-sounding band that ever was. I just started getting into this album 'round the '77 poll, and I think it will climb the ranks of my favorite albums like London Calling has.


38) Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974)
1038 points
Image
Rank in the 1974 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 70
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 45

Fans : nicolas #2, netjade #5
Least likely to listen to it : Midaso #95 (/95), RockyRaccoon #99, Jonah #69 (/70), brose #94


37) Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971)
1043 points
Image
Rank in the 1971 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 133
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 64

Fans : sonofsamiam #2, netjade #2, SR #8
Least likely to listen to it : VanillaFire1000 #98, Miguel #92


36) Eno - Another Green World (1975)
1045 points
Image
Rank in the 1975 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 80
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 58

Fans : Petri #2, Jackson #4, sonofsamiam #6
Least likely to listen to it : Midaso #86 (/95), Nicolas #91

Notes from myself : I'm glad to see Maggot Brain stay in the top 40 despite few high places on the second half of the voters. I first thought the album did not really live up to its amazing title track, but I really like as a whole now (even though nothing comes close to Maggot Brain... incredible song, really, should have made the top 10 of its year)

35) Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
1047 points
Image
Rank in the 1970 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 47
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 29

Fans : Miguel #2, Stephan #4, Nassim #10
Less likely to listen to it : Mindrocker #93

Alex D : Sure, it's a little soft-rocky, but when Paul Simon is writing the songs, you know it's good. Tunes as good as "The Boxer" don't come around that often.



34) Neil Young - Tonight's the Night (1975)
1049 points
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Rank in the 1975 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 55
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 53

Fans : Jonah #4, BillAdama #10


33) Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
1054 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 132
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 68

Fans : Nassim #5, Jackson #8, VanillaFire1000 #8, Miguel #9
Least likely to listen to it : brose #91


32) Wire - Pink Flag (1977)
1066 points
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Rank in the 1977 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 87
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 57

Fans : Brad #1, Nassim #4, Jackson #6, netjade #10
Least likely to listen to it : Georgie #98, Miguel #97, Honorio #94

Note : for me the biggest surprise of the poll, I feared it would be around #75 ; not really an easy album. There is still an album which ranked 10th of its year left, but it’s much less a surprise I think given the density of acclaimed album that given year


31) Lou Reed - Berlin (1973)
1071 points
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Rank in the 1973 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 68
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 42

Fans : Romain #2, Mindrocker #2, Henrik #9
Least likely to listen to it : Jackson #50 (/52), Georgie #97, Rocky Raccoon #97

Honorio : The morbid, bleak and sordid story of Caroline and Jim told by Lou Reed for the most uncomfortable and desolate masterpiece ever.

30) Sex Pistols, The - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols (1977)
1089 points
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Rank in the 1977 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 4
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 23

Fans : mindrocker #4, Michel #5, Brad #8
Least likely to listen to it : Miguel #100, BillAdama #89 (/91), Alex D #49 (/52), Georgie #94, Romain #93, VanillaFire1000 #93

Honorio : A great set of songs played furiously but with an undeniable gift and sung with impoliteness, vitriol and sarcasm by Johnny Rotten.

Alex D : Most polarizing album on the list, no doubt. I'm not particularly fond of it, but it has a few good monents.

Notes : There are 2 really polarizing albums in the top 30, here is the first and the one for which the dislike lead to the biggest gap between the poll result and the AM ranking.


29) Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
1097 points
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Rank in the 1978 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 44
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 21

Fans : nicolas #1, Snusmumrik #2, Harold Wexler #9
Least likely to listen to it : Romain #98, Petri #73 (/75), Georgie #93

Alex D : I believe it was nicolas (who will no doubt have this at #1, unless Robert Wyatt has something to say about it) who said this is Springsteen's angriest album, and there's definitely a rawness to the E Street sound you don't hear on other records. However, the best moments are the most tender ones - check out the lovers on "Racing in the Street" and the loving "Candy's Room".

Notes : nicolas’ favourite does a little worse than on the All Time Poll but still stand well above its AM ranking


28) Beach Boys, The - Surf's Up (1971)
1104 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 173
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 67

Fans : Miguel #1, Jonah #6
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #99, Michel #98

Notes : Miguel’s favourite proves that with a bit less support but a little bit less hatred too, you can win a few steps. Big improvement versus the All Time Poll and 145 places above the AM rank. The #10 of 1971 is the highest #10 in this final list, 1971 being the year with the best results with still 6 albums left.

ver, and I doubt any could top it. Every song was practically a hit, and famous or not they're all equally memorable. It's funky as shit, catchy as any as Beatles' tune, ambitious as the most challenging symphony and all-in-all just spectacular. Hell, even Kanye West puts it on a level above himself, which stands for something.

Note : that's the 2nd album which ended #1 to appear on our list, making 1976 the second year to have no albums left (after 1974).
Lucky Honorio, he's the only one to have his 10 favourite albums left... but something makes me thing that it won't last any longer (and by "something" I mean the fact that I know the results)

24) Lou Reed - Transformer (1972)
1121 points
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Rank in the 1972 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 27
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 25

Fans : Otisredding #7, Honorio #10, Miguel #10

Honorio : Lou Reed travelled from New York to London with his baggage filled with stories from the wild side of life. David Bowie, Mick Ronson and himself applied tons of make-up and lipstick to these stories and together created the most definitive statement of glam-rock. It could seem odd coming from an outsider within this movement but he was his main influence.

So now nobody has its full top 10 left (and Miguel only have 2 of his left). Transformer is only the 3rd album so far to appear in everybody’s ballot (with My Aim is True and, quite unexpectedly, There’s a Riot Going On)


23) Neil Young - After the Goldrush (1970)
1122 points
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Rank in the 1970 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 17
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 10

Fans : nicolas #5, Snusmumrik #6, Honorio #9, Harold Wexler #10, brose #10, Midaso #10

Honorio : Neil masterpiece managed to be a cohesive work showcasing simultaneously all past, present and future faces of Neil Young: Buffalo Springfield pop ("Only Love Can Break Your Heart"), C,S,N&Y harmonies ("Tell Me Why"), aching piano-ballads ("After the Gold Rush"), spectral country ("Oh Lonesome Me") and furious rock with lengthy solos ("Southern Man").

Alex D : Neil and Nils (Lofgren, who played the piano) go really well together here - Young's voice suits the instrument really well, and it balances out the rockers for a more subdued tone. Not to mention the album has Neil's best writing, like the title track, which is one heckuva ballad.

And Neil Young is out ! No top 20 for Canada. Despite winning the 1970’s poll, he only ends 4th of his year in the final round.
4th album to appear in every ballots.



22) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
1134 points
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Rank in the 1975 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 64
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 17

Fans : Michel #4, Henrik #5, Midaso #8
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #98, sonfosamiam #97, netjade #95

Alex D : A good example of an album that is greater than the sum of its parts. While I don't care for hearing any of it on classic rock radio (because most it, especially the title track, is well beyond "overplayed" status) all the songs work much better in the context of the other songs around them than on their own.

Honorio : Many of your childhood albums lose the spark within a few years, that’s not the case with WYWH, I still play air drums every time I listen to it.

5th album everybody has an opinion on.
Despite some heavy dislike, especially from netjade and sonofsamiam, the most polarizing band of the poll still has an album left… will it reach the top 20 or will it fall short ?


21) Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)
1137 points
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Rank in the 1979 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 25
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 31

Fans : Romain #3, Petri #8, Michel #8, SR #10
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #98, Georgie #96

Alex D : This one was a discovery for me - I hadn't listened to it prior to the '79 poll. But man, did it stick! Amidst the robotic drumming and Ian Curtis' droning baritone, there's certainly a uniquely human quality to it, sort of like an OK Computer-type atmosphere. And any album where you can make that comparison is few and far between.

Joy Division stays at the doors of the top 20 because of a relative lack of strong support ; too many votes in the middle of list for Ian and his pals (with an average position of 41)


20) Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
1157 points
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Rank in the 1973 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 8
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 8

Fans : Michel #3, Alex D #5, Georgie #5, RockyRaccoon #10
Least likely to listen to it : Otisredding #70 (/75), sonofsamiam #94, netjade #93, BillAdama #83 (/91)

Alex D : Yeah, it's the butt of a lot of jokes, mostly about weed, laser shows and The Wizard of Oz, but that by no means degrades the album from its "classic-rock classic" status. I've never really thought of it as prog - it's more like psychedelic ambient. It's not an album about melody or hits (though "Money" and "Brain Damage" do succeed in both departments) but rather atmosphere and texture, which is sort of a rarity among the decade's albums. Assuming you aren't pretentious about your tastes in music, there isn't much better than listening to Pink Floyd take a great organ riff and just jam on it while Clare Torry (yeah, she's just the chick singing in the background) just wails with all she's got, like on "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Any Colour You Like".

Pink Floyd succeeds in putting an album in the top 20 with a very polarizing album, but fails in reaching its rank in the AM3000 or in our all time poll


19) John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band (1970)
1160 points
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Rank in the 1970 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 24
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 22

Fans : Henrik #1, Mindrocker #5, RockyRaccoon #8, SR #9

Alex D : Unfortunately for him, John Lennon was a little moody after the Beatles broke up. Fortunately for us he channelled it into a great record, not only examining the emotions of bitterness and childhood trauma in a very deep but introspective way, but also flat-out singing his ass off in the process. Some people call "God" the best-sung rock record ever, and I'm not inclined to disagree all that much.

Following Survivor and some others thread on the poll, I expected some people to put this album at the very bottom of their list, however nobody voted it below the 69th position, a performance only our winning album has topped.

18) David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971)
1162 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 23
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 18

Fans : Michel #2, Honorio #5, brose #9, Romain #9

Honorio : David Bowie not only described perfectly his perpetual reinvention behaviour on this album ("I turned myself to face me / but I never caught a glimpse") but even prove it. Instead of the hard-rock of his previous effort (with some traces in “Queen Bitch”) he offered elegant songs that showcased his craft as a songwriter and his astonishing abilities as a modern crooner.

Alex D : David Bowie's easy-listening period is not the best - he gets a little schmaltzy in spots. "Life on Mars?" is flawless though, and there are several good choruses throughout. And it's still DAVID BOWIE, for cryin' out loud.


17) Stooges, The - Fun House (1970)
1176 points
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Rank in the 1970 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 29
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 28

Fans : Petri #3, netjade #6, Mindrocker #8, Otisredding #9
Least likely to listen to it : Nassim #52 (/55), Miguel #93

Honorio : Rock & roll should always be like that: wild, dirty, loud, energetic, furious, sweaty, raw and dangerous. Just like Iggy Pop himself.


16) Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)
1182 points
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Rank in the 1970 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 34
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 19

Fans : Otisredding #1, Miguel #3, RockyRaccoon #5, Honorio #6, Mindrocker #10
Least likely to listen to it : Romain #97, Petri #71

Honorio : Just like way back to the days of old, the gypsies caravan on its way, the moon dancing to a swing rhythm, the mystery of ancient Celtic fables, the intimacy of the falsetto on "Crazy Love", the ethereal and suggestive sound of flutes and clavinets but also the earthy and bluesy sound of drums and saxophones. Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic.

And 1970 is out

15) Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (1972)
1190 points
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Rank in the 1972 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 57
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 33

Fans : Mindrocker #1, sonofsamiam #3, Henrik #6, Stephan #9, Georgie #9
Least likely to listen to it : Alex D #47 (/52)

Alex D : It's a good state-of-the-hood address, but I think it would be better without the instrumentals. Hell, the best part is Curtis's falsetto anyway!

Probably the most surprising album in the top 20, far above its AM rank and much better than its place in the all-time poll


14) Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)
1193 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 18
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 16

Fans : VanillaFire1000 #3, Petri #6, BillAdama #9, Henrik #10


13) Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (1978)
1215 points
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Rank in the 1978 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 28
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 20

Fans : Brad #4, Otisredding #5, VanillaFire1000 #6, Harold Wexler #8

Honorio : The best definition of late 70s power-pop: wry lyrics, modernity (in a good sense), smart song-writing and powerful playing.

Alex D : Costello refined his sound for This Year's Model - a move I don't entirely approve of, because while the songs are certainly tighter, he seems to be a little more focused on the singles here (they're excellent) at the expense of the rest of the album.

We are now left with 12 albums.
Among them, the less-acclaimed is Low which only ranks 30rd of the decade in the AM list.
In the all-time poll, the lowest ranked of them was Sticky Fingers which ended 14th of the decade. (it is also the only one who did not end on the top 3 of its year poll).
So, are they the 2 albums who will miss the top 10 ? If not, which albums will fall short ? I leave you few hours to bet.


12) Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975)
1261 points
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Rank in the 1975 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 9
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 6

Fans : Snusmumrik #1, Stephan #3, Otisredding #4, Harold Wexler #6, nicolas #8
Least likely to listen to it : Romain #94

Alex D : For a while in the earlier half of the decade Bob seemed to have lost his way - but boy when he got his mojo back, did he ever. It's a little less angry than most Dylan, but his more mature outlook allows him to write some more poignant stuff.

Relatively bad results for Blood On The Tracks, below its AM rank and its result on the Albums Poll. Dylan is still too polarizing for the kind of poll where you rank everything, not just the albums you like


11) Rolling Stones, The - Exile On Main Street (1972)
1300 points
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Rank in the 1972 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 2
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 4

Fans : brose #3, Stephan #5, BillAdama #6, SR #7, RockyRaccoon #7, sonofsamiam #8
Least likely to listen to it : Petri #74 (/75)

Alex D : I don't fully get the acclaim for Exile on Main St.; it feels a little all-over-the-place to me. But I'd be shocked if I ever heard a better roots-rock album, even if I don't like the style enough to hang on for all 60-odd minutes.

I did not see that one coming, really expected it to end on the top 5… we are an unpredictable bunch of people !

10) David Bowie - Low (1977)
1312 points
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Rank in the 1977 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 30
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 13

Fans : Jackson #3, Midaso #4, Mindrocker #6
Low, indeed : Nassim #53 (/55)

Alex D : Overrated - everyone loves it, and I feel like everytime I listen to it it will just click one day and it will become this amazing work of art - but for now it's a middle-of-the-pack Bowie album (though there's no shame in that).

Alex D seems more hopeful than I am ! Anyway, Low easily improves both its AM Rank and his all time pall rank but lacks some more top 10 votes to make it higher than #10

9) Rolling Stones, The - Sticky Fingers (1971)
1318 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 15
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 14

Fans : Honorio #3, Brad #3, BillAdama #4, brose #6, Snusmumrik #10, Stephan #10
Least likely to listen to it : Petri #69 (/75)

Alex D : The Stones are all about dirty, riffy, blues-rockers, and nowhere else did they nail their own signature style better than Sticky Fingers. And while I don't think that they are at their absolute best on it, the album is pretty much everything you could expect from the world's greatest rock n' roll band, which is 45 minutes of Mick and Keith rocking out like nobody else can.

Honorio : The first album for Rolling Stones Records, the new label that allowed the band to release polemic cover arts (like the Warhol one) and songs previously banned (like "Sister Morphine") and, even more important, allowed their creative development and the crystallization of the particular Stones sound, a distillation of dirty blues, ragged country and raw rock & roll.

Sticky Fingers is the only album on the top that 3 people did not rank (actually only one other album has not been ranked by everybody)

8) Who, The - Who's Next (1971)
1398 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 12
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 9

Fans : RockyRaccoon #1, Stephan #1, Jonah #2, Harold Wexler #2, Snusmumrik #3, Alex D #6, VanillaFire1000 #10, Michel #10
Won’t get fooled again : netjade #92

Alex D : The Who are just one ridiculously good band, and Who's Next is powerful stuff. Not only are there enough power-chord crashes to hold the music world over until 1977, there's a different perspective from Pete Townshend, who before making this album got into all sorts of transcendental meditation, Meher Baba-ish kind of stuff. As such, stuff like "Bargain" and "Behind Blue Eyes" translate on a much deeper level than just being loud. Not to mention "Baba O' Riley" is the greatest use of synthesiser since the darn thing was invented.

The album containing Horacio Caine anthem beats its AM ranking and, by the slightest margin, its results in the All-time poll. However, despite its victory on first round, it is now topped by 2 albums released the same year

7) Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)
1411 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 11
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 12

Fans : Alex D #2, Nassim #3, RockyRaccoon #3, BillAdama #5, Brad #7, Mindrocker #9, nicolas #9
Black dog : netjade #99

Honorio : The pinnacle of heavy metal and, for good or bad, probably the most influential album ever, creating a style that is here to stay.

Alex D : Every single song on IV is a classic. It is monstrously heavy. It is wrapped in shrouds of light reverb and possibly occultic Celtic mythology. What's really not to love? From the booty-shaking riff of "Black Dog" to the pounding rhythm of "When the Levee Breaks" and everything in-between, it is jam-packed with amazing performances. You can rock out, make love, air-drum, wallow in denial, be amazed, be mystified, or pretty much do anything you want to it. It grooves and it shakes, but it also lies in its bed and stares at the ceiling in wonder. There's pretty much every emotion you could want somewhere on the record, and the musical elements are arranged spectacularly. Led Zep were equally at home crafting folky tunes like "The Battle of Evermore" or bringing the heavier stuff on "Rock and Roll" and you get the feeling that the band were really hitting their stride and showing what they were fully capable of when in their element. And I didn't even mention "Stairway to Heaven".

Another mastodon of the 70s, doing pretty well considering its AM Rank and its usual positions in our polls

6) Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)
1448 points
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Rank in the 1971 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 1
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 5

Fans : Alex D #3, VanillaFire1000 #4, SR #4, Georgie #7, Honorio #7, Henrik #8, sonofsamiam #9, netjade #9
Father Father, everybody thinks he’s wrong : Michel #96

Honorio : Marvin struggled hard to gain his own creative control inside the iron fist of Motown but doing that he expanded notably the horizons of soul music. The social issues were no longer forbidden for black artists, white-rock artefacts like concept albums were allowed and the production handled by the artist himself rendered a highly sophisticated jazz-funk sound.

Alex D : I can't understand why anyone wouldn't like this, except for if they were celibate maybe. Do you not feel the power of his voice? It would be over-the-top for anybody else, but it works for Marvin, and whoever the session guy that played the guitar licks is, he is just ballin' on this one.

This could seem like a counter-performance for AM3000 best album on the 70s, however it is only 1 place behind its rank on the all-time poll.
Next 2 albums are only separated by 2 points, and I will some people to blame since I really enjoy #5 much more than #4 !


5) Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
1499 points
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Rank in the 1977 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 10
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 11

Fans : Midaso #1, brose #2, Nassim #2, netjade #3, Harold Wexler #4, Jackson #5, SR #6, Jonah #8, Otisredding #8
Does not stand neath the Marquee Moon : VanillaFire1000 #91


4) Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
1501 points
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Rank in the 1975 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 6
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 3

Fans : Alex D #1, VanillaFire1000 #1, Stephan #2, Otisredding #2, Midaso #3, nicolas #3, brose #5, Brad #5, Honorio #8
Born to walk ? : Jackson #49

Honorio : Springsteen wanted his album to sound like “Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan produced by Phil Spector”. And he succeeded, the wall of sound was there thanks to Jon Landau and a renewed E-Street Band, the lyrics were as rich as the Dylan ones and the dramatic deliverance owed some debt to Roy Orbison. But no mistakes here, the final result were 100% Springsteen.

Alex D : Listen to it. I can't describe the effect it has adequately. And visit the Jersey shore sometime - walk down the boardwalk in Atlantic City or Seaside Heights or Cape May around sunset sometime when it's not too busy. You'll understand.

Damn you Alex D, had you listened to Marquee Moon, it might have overtook Born to Run. The boss had a tough time anyway, at more than halfway of the votes it wasn't even on the top 10, but got much support from the last third of the voters, gaining places on almost all the ballots received. VanillaFire1000 sealed the fate, giving Born to Run 81 more points than Marquee Moon (so damn you too ! )
The 3 remaining albums are pretty far ahead and distant from each other... so who will win, punk, glam or soul ?


3) Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)
1594 points
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Rank in the 1973 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 14
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 7

Fans : BillAdama #1, sonofsamiam #1, SR #2, Honorio #4, brose #4, Midaso #5, Otisredding #6, netjade #7, Henrik #7, Jonah #9

Honorio : A landmark album for many reasons: the well-known prodigious music talent of Stevie Wonder met here with his best set of lyrics, portraying accurately the confusion of the early 70s not hiding political and social concerns, and the innovative arrangements relying on the pioneering use of ARP synthesizers on a funk and pop context that opened many doors.

Alex D : Stevie's most political album isn't his best, but it contains several masterpieces and sets up the multitude of styles that would later come to light on Songs in the Key of Life. Though Stevie couldn't see the world around him, he knew it was crumbling, and he "reads" the early-70s better than any sighted person did. Of course, there's also his musical talent - hearing the album, you would never believe that one person could accomplish 90% of the sounds on such a well-arranged album, in his head no less.

Great success for Stevie, finishing way higher than its AM rank or its All time poll rank. Missed a handful more top 10 votes to win the poll anyway !

2) Clash, The - London Calling (1979)
1719 points
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Rank in the 1979 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 3
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 1

Fans : Jackson #1, SR #1, Michel #1, brose #1, RockyRaccoon #2, Midaso #2, Honorio #2, BillAdama #3, Harold Wexler #3, Romain #4, Stephan #7, Alex D #7, VanillaFire1000 #9, Otisredding #10

Honorio : Punk attitude. Or, why not, rock & roll attitude. The prodigiously vast array of music styles that The Clash displayed on their magnum opus, including pop, rock and reggae but even rockabilly, ragtime, ska, funk or soul (and that was going to be even wider with “Sandinista”) got tied together by the rage, the fury, the pride and the combativeness of punk.

Alex D : It's hard to make an album with almost 20 songs and still keep all the loose ends tied up, but if anyone could do it, it's The Clash. They cover a zillion and one styles, from rockabilly to tu-tone ska, but you never really feel like they lose focus - they make all the songs sound like their own. Instead of being a band that can't decide what it wants to do, they sound like a band that can succeed at whatever they want - and they do, from "London Calling" all the way to the much lighter and just as good "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)"


1) David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
1849 points
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Rank in the 1972 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 5
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 2

Fans : Romain #1, Honorio #1, Nassim #1, Brad #2, SR #3, Mindrocker #3, Miguel #4, Henrik #4, Alex D #4, Snusmumrik #4, Jonah #5, brose #8, Jackson #9, Midaso #9

Honorio : Bowie’s theatrical impersonation of the ultimate rock star, an androgynous extraterrestrial coming from Mars to Earth with a message of hope in an apocalyptical scenario (“we had five years left to cry in”) falling finally victim of his own sex-drug excesses and the mad worship of his fans (“the kids have killed the man”), showed the tricks and the traps underneath messianic rock and foreshadowed the end of classic rock stardom that came with punk.

Alex D : Ziggy played guitar, jammed good with weird and Gilly (not to mention the oft-underrated Mick Ronson) and introduced us to the spiders and Mars. And he had a helluva time doing it. Nobody could ever be as glam as David Bowie, nobody was weirder-looking and nobody had a stronger force of personality than Bowie in '72. There was also no one who could write better melodies and no one who could completely muddle the concept of his own album and make it sound better than it did before. He was just on fire with this one. Every track is not just solid, they're superb. He covers so much ground too: soul ("Soul Love"), '50s style rock ("Suffragette City"), pop ("Starman"), and others, but he adds his own crazy flair to all of them. It's memorable, it's virtually flawless, and it's when Bowie showed the first glimpse of the enormous imprint he would leave on the decade.

While compiling the results, there never has been much suspense, Bowie took an early lead and never lost it.
So, with the same number of top 10 votes and less #1 votes, how did Ziggy take the win ? Well it seems that it had the biggest consensus, with only one vote on the second half of any ballot (being at #59) while London Calling was on the second half of 4 ballots (with its worst position being #90). With about the same amount of high praise, that made the difference
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Re: Top 100 albums and songs of the 1970s [2009]

Post by Old Forums »

Without further Adieux (I guess that is an official AM Forum phrase), the bottom 10 :

100) Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
546 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 89

Least likely to groove to it : Miguel #99, brose #97

Alex D : Try not to dance to this one. Just try it. I dare you. I bet you can't.

Less dislike than some songs ranked a bit higher, but very few praise either

99) Rolling Stones, The - Miss You (1978)
585 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 146

Won’t miss it : sonfosamiam #99, Harold Wexler #96, Henrik #94

Alex D : Even if it is the Rolling Stones going disco of all places, it's still great. I can't think of a drummer more tailor-made for the genre than Charlie Watts and Mick's lusty come-ons are perfect for this sort of thing.

98) Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976)
601 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 105

Fan : Brad #6
Want the boys to leave again : Honorio #98, Petri #94, Otisredding #94, Charlie Driggs #94, nicolas #94

Alex D : One of the few songs to which I know all the words by heart - I used to listen to it all the time back in the day. The guitar leads and the little bass thing in the intro still hold up.

This one spent much time at the last position, but some late support, and especially Brad’s vote, allowed it to pass 2 other songs

97) Millie Jackson - If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right (1974)
602 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fan : Mindrocker #8
If Loving It Is Wrong, They Are Ok With It : Midaso #100, Brad #99, Michel #95, Otisredding #95, Chris #91

Alex D : I love the mood that this one creates - it's romantic but dark, almost sinful, which fits it perfectly.



96) Bob Marley & The Wailers - Get Up, Stand Up (1973)
620 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 60

Fan : nicolas #8
Stay sat : Stephan #39 (/41), Brad #97, Jonah #90 (/94), Miguel #93, Petri #91

Alex D : Bob never really wrote a bad song. There's good ones and great ones and this one is a good one.

95) Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear (The Reaper) (1976)
624 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 46

Won’t be cured by more cowbell : nicolas #96, brose #94

Alex D : Not only did it inspire a hilarious SNL sketch, it rocks really hard, and I have rocked out to it really hard on "Rock Band".

94) Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years (1972)
626 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 102

Fan : Miguel #9

Least likely to listen to it : Honorio #91, Henrik #91

Alex D : Steely Dan are really just perplexing - how can they turn in a song like this, catchy, with interesting lyrics, and be so obtuse the rest of the time?

93) Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door (1973)
629 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 185

Stayin’ Alive : Otisredding #99, Charlie Driggs #96

Alex D : For my money, his best song of the decade. The gospel voices in the background are a nice touch.

92) Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number (1974)
629 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 213

Fan : Harold Wexler #3
Won’t keep that number : Alex D #95, Jackson #95, sonofsamiam #94, Midaso #94

Alex D : Dull.

Honorio : The sophisticated jazz-pop sound of Fagen and Becker for one of the most mysterious numbers on pop history.

And Steely is already out, even quicker than in the albums poll

91) Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug (1975)
634 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 109

Straight Edge : Honorio #96, sonofsamiam #92, Alex D #91

Alex D : Roxy Music were good for one thing - launching Brian Eno's career. The rest is just bad ideas, like this song.

90) Gladys Knight and the Pips- Midnight Train to Georgia (1973)
637 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 40

Fan : Petri #9
Georgia out of their mind : Jackson #92, Michel #92

Alex D : I think the phrase that comes to mind is "puts on a clinic in backup vocals".

89) Joni Mitchell - Free Man In Paris (1974)
647 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 200

Fan : Miguel #3
Would rather be a number : Alex D #99, Mindrocker #98, nicolas #97, Nassim #94, Honorio #94, Jackson #91

Alex D : What's that? I think I just heard a whale mating call!

88) Only Ones, The - Another Girl, Another Planet (1978)
654 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 174

Fans : Brad #2, Jackson #7
Stay on Earth : Petri #100, Otisredding #97, Honorio #93

Alex D : I heard this song for the first time for this poll, and it's pretty awesome. If I was more familiar with it it would probably be higher.

87) David Bowie - Station To Station (1976)
657 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Throwing darts in Bowie’s eyes : nicolas #99, Chris #96, RockyRaccoon #91

Alex D : At over 10 minutes, it takes a while to get going, but it's got a few great lyrics and nobody blends genres like David Bowie (Philly soul and Krautrock? Really?)

85(tie) Elvis Costello - Alison (1977)
664 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 9 (tie)
Rank in the AM 70s list : 67

Fan : Charlie Driggs #6
Let this world kill her : nicolas #92, brose #92

Alex D : Well-crafted but a little slow. I like it when I'm in a lazy mood.

85(tie) Joy Division - Disorder (1979)
664 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fan : Michel #6
Tidy people : Honorio #99, nicolas #98

Alex D : A short anecdote: when I watched this on YouTube, people were commenting from the UK about how much better they were cause they had Joy Division. There really isn't much arguing with that one.

84) Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Powderfinger (1979)
677 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : Bubbling Under

Fan : Michel
Might even enjoy more the Australian band named Powderfinger : Chris #97, Nassim #96, Henrik #95

83) David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (1973)
680 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fans : Charlie Driggs #2, Henrik #8
Who’ll love Aladdin Sane ? Not them : Nassim #100, sonofsamiam #97, Harold Wexler #97, Midaso #97, RockyRaccoon #97, Mindrocker #92

Alex D : David Bowie owns this poll. That I have 7 of his songs ahead of this one (which is great in its own right) speaks to how great of an artist he is.

Yeah, I dared ! Horrible song. And I have Ziggy Stardust as #1 album and a Bowie song in my top 3, so nothing against the guy.

82) Clash, The - White Man (In Hammersmith Palais) (1978)
682 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 27

Sleep before Hammersmith : Mindrocker #100, Miguel #98, Henrik #97, Petri #96, Nassim #91

Alex D : Ska-punk isn't my cup of tea, but it's different when the Clash are playing it.

One of the worst counter-performances of the poll, far below its AM rank. Ended 2nd of the year in 1978s poll and is now far behind 6 of the songs of the same year.

81) Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough for The Both of Us (1974)
683 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 110

Fan : sonofsamiam #7
Make Sparks Leave This Town : Honorio #100, Chris #99, Midaso #95, RockyRaccoon #94

Alex D : I didn't get it when I listened to it for Bracketology, but it really clicked here. It's wonderfully weird, like Queen before they were Queen, except with a Hitler mustache.

80) David Bowie - Starman (1972)
685 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 141

No fan, no opponents

Alex D : My personal favourite on Ziggy Stardust. The chorus is just so darn catchy!

79) Police, The - Message in a Bottle (1979)
688 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 171

Fan : Mindrocker #5
Won’t send any help : Harold Wexler #100, Petri #93, Jackson #93

Alex D : A strong contender for "Best Police pop song," and definitely the catchiest song ever about being stranded on a desert island. Sting's really good at that sort of thing.

78) Chic - Good Times (1979)
689 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 16

Not having a good time : Brad #100 , brose #96, Rocky Raccoon #92

Alex D : I don't think this makes it if it's not for "Rapper's Delight" which is a shame because this is a solid disco song, which is a rarity.

77) Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (1979)
689 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 326

Fan : Nassim #6
Would rather be numb : nicolas #95, mindrocker #94

Alex D : The fact that David Gilmour's guitar solo is the only part of the song that matters doesn't really matter here.

Honorio : The narcotic sound of the verses, the dreamy melody of the chorus and, of course, the two Gilmour awesome guitar solos.

76) John Lennon - Working Class Hero (1970)
701 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 249

Fan : mindrocker #9

Alex D : Although Green Day recently trashed it in a cover (for charity, of course) it still holds up. I don't know that bad childhoods will ever go out of style, but it will be a long time before anyone writes a song about it as angry as this one.

75) David Bowie - Rebel Rebel (1974)
702 points

Rank in the 1974 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 212

Fan : Otisredding #6
Rebellion lies : sonofsamiam #98, nicolas #91

Alex D : The glam riff to end all glam riffs. It could be 20 minutes long with just that riff and I think it might rank just as high (maybe higher).

4 Bowie songs out, but don't except to see his name soon again

74) Temptations, The - Papa Was A Rolling Stone (1972)
704 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 24

Fan : nicolas #9
Least likely to listen to it : Brad #94

Alex D : A bit melodramatic, don't you think? It's a little late on the cop show-funk bandwagon, but it's still enjoyable.

73) Rolling Stones, The - Rocks Off (1972)
705 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 491

Fans : Chris #4, Brad #5
Least likely to listen to it : Petri #98, Mindrocker #97, Charlie Driggs #92

Alex D : It might be an only average Stones song, but that's more than enough for me.

72) Fela Kuti - Zombie (1976)
708 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fans : sonofsamiam #3, Jonah #4
Chris Redfield : Midaso #98, Harold Wexler #94, Otisredding #91

Alex D : The first time I heard it, I just knew it was magic. I definitely have to get more of his stuff.

71) Ramones - Sheena Is A Punkrocker (1977)
712 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 9 (tie)
Rank in the AM 70s list : 53

Fan : Miguel

Alex D : The best Ramones songs are the poppy, girl-group sounding ones. This is one of 'em.

First song with a #1 vote coming just next !

70) King Crimson - Starless (1974)
717 points

Rank in the 1974 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fans : Jackson #1, Petri #2, sonofsamiam #9
Won’t hail to the king : Chris #100, RockyRaccoon #100, Midaso #99, Alex D #98, Nassim #98, brose #95, Jonah #88 (/94), Mindrocker #93

Alex D : I couldn't make it to the end of this one.

Honorio : This song was intended as the last song of the last Crimson album and showed to maximum effect all the faces of the band, ambition, melody and risk.

The first song with both a #1 and #100 vote, probably one of the 3 most polarizing songs of the top

69) Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (1976)
719 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : Bubbling Under

“There’s no way the band can win” : Michel #94

Alex D : A fitting tribute to Duke Ellington - I would be honored by a song half as funky.

68) Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
721 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 35

Alex D : Black Sabbath - they get a bad rap. Even if the corny, dumb metal/meathead-classic rocker types like this song, doesn't mean it can't be great. Besides, it's a huge influence on punk and heavy metal.

Sadistic : Honorio #92

66(tie) John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973)
722 points

Rank in the 1973 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fan : Charlie Driggs #5
Anywhere else, 2010 : Henrik #96, Jonah #89 (/94), Harold Wexler #95, Midaso #93

Alex D : It doesn't sound like it comes from the former "mad genius" of the VU, but it's pleasant and poppy (and a little bizarre).

Honorio : Cale finally decided not to hide anymore his European classical background without completely abandoning the narcotic sound of VU.

66(tie) Patti Smith - Gloria (1975)
722 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 71

Fan : Michel #8

Alex D : It feels wrong putting this so low (#80) - it's more representative of how many good songs there are in the poll than how bad this one is, because this one is awesome.

65) Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up (1970)
724 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 153

Fan : sonofsamiam #6
Move it down : Stephan #36 (/41), Jonah #87 (/94)

Alex D : Curtis Mayfield is horribly underrated - when people put him in a league with Marvin and Stevie they're not too far off. This song is no exception.

63(tie) Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (1975)
725 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 87

Cotton is good enough : Otisredding #93, Midaso #92

Alex D : The good news: Led Zeppelin made one of their best songs ever, an astonishingly heavy and powerful 8-minute Arabian-scale jam . Bad news: They tried to repeat it, ruining their subsequent albums. (Kind of.)

63(tie) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird (1973)
725 points

Rank in the 1973 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 47

Fans : Alex D #6, Harold Wexler #8
Building cages : Henrik #99, Honorio #97, Jonah #93

Alex D : People scream it at concerts for a reason - cause it's freakin' amazing. Not one, but two mesmerizing guitar solos. I don't think there's a finer example of what the instrument can do, nor do I think there's a better instrumental section in all of rock. I usually spend the last four minutes in sheer awe.

62) Clash, The - The Guns Of Brixton (1979)
728 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fan : Charlie Driggs #4
Crushes them, bruises them : Miguel #92

Alex D : Why people rank this as one of their best songs is beyond me - I like the Clash when they're more hooky rather than dark. But by no means is this a bad song, in fact, it's pretty good.

60 (tie) Kraftwerk - Das Modell (1978)
734 points

Rank in the 1978 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 121

Fan : Honorio #5, Michel #9
This model looks like Kate Moss (yeah, I hate Kate Moss) : Midaso #91

Alex D : Germany has produced exactly one great band - and you're looking (or listening) right at/to them. They also be the greatest electronic "band" ever, with this as their best riff.

Honorio : Cold pop. The Teutonic men-machine created here the most similar to a pop song of their whole catalog, slightly minimizing their usual robotic tone (one can even detect an unheard ironic tone on Schneider’s voice), using synthesizer sounds simultaneously futuristic and classic (almost classical) and creating a melody built to last.

60 (tie) Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On (1973)
734 points

Rank in the 1973 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 51

Fans : Alex D #8, Henrik #10
Let’s turn it off : Michel #91

Alex D : I can't understand why anyone wouldn't like this, except for if they were celibate maybe. Do you not feel the power of his voice? It would be over-the-top for anybody else, but it works for Marvin, and whoever the session guy that played the guitar licks is, he is just ballin' on this one.


55) Eagles, The - Hotel California (1976)
745 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 9

Fan : Stephan #6, Rockyraccoon #7
Suck a boring place : Michel #99, Jackson #98, sonofsamiam #95, Jonah #92

Alex D : I've been hearing this one since I was 5 - it's on every radio station my parents have ever listened to. I think there's a reason for that - it never gets boring (even if you've heard it a hundred times) and the guitar-solo payoff is enthralling.

54) Iggy & The Stooges - Search and Destroy (1973)
750 points

Rank in the 1973 poll : 5 (tie)
Rank in the AM 70s list : 86

Fans : Nassim #2, Brad #9
Won’t save Iggy’s sould : Chris #98, Miguel #97

Alex D : One of the Stooges' best songs - and I don't know that they've made any bad ones.

bah….

53) Wire - Outdoor Miner (1978)
755 points

Rank in the 1978 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : Bubbling Under

Fans : sonofsamiam #5, Nassim #7, Charlie Driggs #8
Cryptic ironic sentence : Mindrocker #99, Otisredding #96, brose #91

Alex D : Wire are a band I'm not exactly in love with, but I haven't heard anything I didn't like from them yet, this included.

The other polarizing song, in the top or bottom 20 of 13 ballots

52) Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground (1973)
758 points

Rank in the 1973 poll : 5 (tie)
Rank in the AM 70s list : 173

Fan : mindrocker #7
Lower rank : Honorio #95, Brad #93, Harold Wexler #91

Alex D : Yes, I do think it's better than "Living for the City" - how could a song with a rhythm like this not be?

51) Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977)
762 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 29

Fans : sonofsamiam #4, Mindrocker #4, Otisredding #10
I Feel Bored : nicolas #100, brose #98, Brad #98, RockyRaccoon #98, Petri #97, Harold Wexler #92

Alex D : Previously I have belittled this one, and when I re-listened to it for this poll I was still not impressed, though it did improve a bit.

Honorio : “The sound of the future”, as Brian Eno accurately described, this song goes to show how synthesizers and rhythm boxes can be absolutely hot.

After 7 ballots, this song was #1 ! I really believed (and hoped) in a huge performance from it but the second half of the votes has been merciless

50) Boston - More Than A Feeling (1976)
765 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 65

Fan : Harold Wexler #6
Indifference is a feeling after all : RockyRaccoon #95, nicolas #93

Alex D : When I heard it for the first time, I think the chorus was stuck in my head for a solid week. And who could deny the guitar riff?

49) Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry (1974)
766 points

Rank in the 1974 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 17

Fan : RockyRaccoon #4
No reggae either : Jackson #96, Brad #95, Jonah #91

Alex D : I really, really, really love this song. It's almost as if Bob was writing a song for a friend in a rough spot, but that friend was the whole world.

That’s the first song which ended #1 of its year poll to appear in the list, but 1974 still have 2 bullets left (even though its #2 and #3 are already gone too)

48) Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way (1977)
771 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 43

Fan : Charlie Driggs #7
Goes another way : Jackson #97

Alex D : Rumours is a great record, and this is the best song on the record. I think the lower someone is emotionally, the more it brings out the best in someone's artwork, and it's apparent that even though Lindsay and Stevie pretty much hated each other while recording this one, they sang and played their wounded hearts out.

47) David Bowie - Changes (1971)
772 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 26

Fan : brose #7, RockyRaccoon #10
Changes the station : Nassim #95

Alex D : People say this is his best pop song; I don't feel it but he had a lot of good ideas (like the intro) on this one.

46) Sly and the Family Stone - Family Affair (1971)
775 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 23

Fan : Charlie Driggs #3
Family issues : Stephan #40 (/41), Chris #94

Alex D : Is there a funk song that doesn't borrow from this in some way? I don't think so. Sly sounds like most every soul singer for the next decade onward, and the same can be said for the rhythm section (gotta give a shout-out to Larry Graham, who is an absolute legend in funk bass).

Honorio : A Family Stone affair, it’s amazing that a funk song with that cool attitude and druggy atmosphere could get to number one of the charts, the 70s were that good.

45) Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights (1978)
780 points

Rank in the 1978 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 129

Fans : Petri #8, Charlie Driggs #9, Miguel #10
Bush de là (lame French play with words) : Jackson #100, brose #100, Harold Wexler #98, RockyRaccoon #96, Alex D #93

Alex D : Uh, meh.

I did not except that much opposition to this song, however some high support helps it reach the top 50, far above its AM rank

44) Blondie - Heart of Glass (1978)
783 points

Rank in the 1978 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 39

Heart of stone : Mindrocker : #91

Alex D : Not my personal favorite from Blondie (it's still T3), but nonetheless a superb song. Side note: I think this would be my dad's #1.

43) James Brown - Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine (1970)
787 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 25

Fans : Otisredding #2
Get Down : Petri #99

Alex D : My favorite JB song.

Honorio : The Godfather of Soul stepped decidedly into his third decade of career with this distillation of urgent sexual desire into music. Like a sex machine, you know.

42) Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland (1975)
788 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : Bubbling Under

Fans : Midaso #3, Brad #7, Stephan #9
Ears wounded (not even dead) tonight in Jungleland : Jackson #99, Charlie Driggs #95, Nassim #92

Alex D : It's a great finale to one of my all-time favorite albums, beautifully arranged, with a great story in the lyrics. It almost feels like you're watching a Scorsese film in song. Oh, and Clarence Clemons' sax solo is pretty good too.

First (at last!) Springsteen song out, Jungleland ends up as the highest ranked Bubbling Under in this poll… but there still is an unranked song left !

Fan : Michel #7

41) Kinks, The - Lola (1970)
793 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 97 Alex D : I need to listen to more Kinks - who else besides Ray Davies can write great critically successful albums and then say "I want a hit" and can write one just like that? About transvestites?

39(tie) Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (1976)
795 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 28

Fans : Miguel #7, Mindrocker #10
Beat on the punks with a baseball bat : Henrik #93

Alex D : I can only think of cingular/at&t's go phone commercials (remember them?), but this is the standard for all pop-punk songs to live up to.

39(tie) Sex Pistols, The - God Save the Queen (1977)
795 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 4

Fans : Mindrocker #1, Michel #10
Nevermind the Pistols : Miguel #100

Alex D : This would be in the 30-40s range if Johnny Rotten wasn't singing. It's an excellently written, horribly sung protest.

On a personal point of view, I can not see how this song could be sung in a more appropriate way ! Another song with #1 and #100 vote, proving, if necessary, the huge differences of tastes between AM Forum members (and that’s what we all like !)

38) Velvet Underground, The - Rock and Roll (1970)
796 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 166

Hey Baby, you know it’s not alright : Henrik #92

Alex D : VU got more catchy in 1970, but they also got much worse. Doesn't compare to their earlier works.

37) Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (1977)
798 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 41

Fan : Honorio #10
Qu’est-ce que c’est (que cette horreur) ? : Otisredding #100

Alex D : Qu'est-ce que c'est? It's delightfully weird, sometimes I wonder how it ever was a hit with David Byrne shouting all the nonsense he does.

Honorio : Just at the height of punk-rock some bands abandoned the guitars immersed in overdrive, now they sounded clean, funk-influenced (but without its warmth), sounding tense and nervous. The lyrics were no longer political and nihilistic but they retained the angriness and bizarreness, with Byrne as the perfect impersonator of an Anthony Perkins-style psycho killer.

36) Clash, The - Train In Vain (Stand By Me) (1979)
801 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 112

Fans : brose #6, Jonah #8
Sing in Vain (Stand Away) : Harold Wexler #99, Mindrocker #96, Miguel #96

Alex D : Amazing, amazing song. The Clash were a band who could do anything, they could play anything in any style, and it would still be the most punk thing you'd ever heard - this song is the best example.

And here ends what I would call "ventre mou" (nicolas, you will have to help me on that one), a group of song everybody seems to appreciate but nobody strongly supports.
Next song is 24 points ahead (which is the gap between Train in Vain and our #46, Family Affair), starting another dense group, of about 11 songs, including the most polarizing one.


34(tie) Bob Dylan - Hurricane (1975)
825 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 280

Alex D : Overlong, and preachy, but the word "rollicking" was invented to describe this song.

Fans : Stephan #2, Michel #2
Authority who came to blame the song : Jonah #86 (/94)

34(tie) Robert Wyatt - Sea Song (1974)
825 points

Rank in the 1974 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 132

Fans : Charlie Driggs #1, nicolas #2, Otisredding #3, Petri #3
Drowned : Nassim #99, brose #99, RockyRaccoon #99, Midaso #96, Alex D #96, Jonah #85 (/94)

Alex D : Sorry nicolas.

Now that’s what I call polarizing, even though Jackson and some others put it pretty close to the middle of their list.

33) Beach Boys, The - Surf's up (1971)
828 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 477

Fans : sonofsamiam #1, Jackson #2
Sleeping like Brother John : Otisredding #98, Michel #97, RockyRaccoon #93

Alex D : Any pre-nervous breakdown Brian Wilson tune, you can't go wrong. The man was on a higher plane.

32) Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (1977)
831 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 18

Fans : Henrik #5, Stephan #10
Well you can tell by the way they vote they aren’t disco men : Michel #98, Petri #95, Brad #91

Alex D : Can you say disco fever? My candidate for the most ridiculously awesome falsetto ever is most definitely "Stayin' Alive".

Honorio : The tale of how a style was taken from the catacombs of NYC gay clubs to the mainstream by an Australian soft-pop band. Disco sucks? Of course not.

I expected a harsh fate for that song but most of the votes seemed to reflect Alex and Honorio’s comments. So it still falls behind its AM rank, but it could have been worse Johnny, a lot worse

31) Lou Reed - Perfect Day (1972)
832 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 194

Fans : Brad #1, Henrik #2
Don’t find it that perfect : Mindrocker #95, Alex D #94

Alex D : Overrated. I think it's my least favorite on Transformer.

I expected this one to end lower too, but there had been less opposition than I expected, help Lou Reed put a song far above its AM rank.

29(tie) Cure, The - Boys Don't Cry (1979)
833 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 107

Fan : Nassim #10
Fight for your right to cry : Harold Wexler #93

Alex D : The Cure's best pop song - it's too bad we got ten more years of Robert Smith moping before his pop side came out again.

Honorio : Still no clues about the gloomy sound that was going to define The Cure, instead we have brilliant power pop with emotional resonance.

29(tie) Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
833 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 14

Times got rough : Jackson #94, Charlie Driggs #93

Alex D : I guess it speaks to my youth that the first time I heard this song was when Clay Aiken sang it on "American Idol". Yeah, I was 9 and impressionable. But then when I heard Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits (a superb album, it should be the model for every greatest hits collection) and the original, I knew that was even better. It's a really lovely song.

28) Velvet Underground, The - Sweet Jane (1970)
839 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 113

Fans : Jackson #6, Midaso #8

Alex D : Some people say this is their "prettiest" song, not me but it's a nice song and riff.

27) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
847 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 144

Fan : Michel #3
Wish They Did Not Play : Charlie Driggs #91, sonofsamiam #91

Alex D : If you want a song that's overplayed, it's this one. Pink Floyd are (slightly) overrated to begin with, and this song is the main culprit. Outside of the context of classic rock radio, though, it's a deserved tribute to Syd Barrett, and the fact that the guys in the band meant this one sincerely is probably the reason I hate how overplayed it is.

Honorio : If you want to play acoustic guitar in a rock band the riff of the beginning of the song should be lesson one, the ticket to a fascinating universe.

26) Stevie Wonder - Living For The City (1973)
850 points

Rank in the 1973 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 66

Fans : sonofsamiam #2, brose #4, Jonah #10

Alex D : While this is a great song, I don't think it's that great; he's done better (like "Superstition"). For me, Stevie's strengths are in his arrangements, his virtuosity and multifacetedness, not his lyrics. Try as he might, he doesn't tell the story of racism in America as effectively as, say, Sam Cooke. I guess that's why I like Songs in the Key of Life better than Innervisions - Stevie is funkier, and covers more ground musically, and in general sounds more joyous as opposed to trying to make a social statement. Don't get me wrong though - "Living for the City" is still a really good tune - it's just not on the same level for me as his best work.

Despite this song ends ranked 40 steps ahead of its AM ranking, 1973 is the first year to have all its songs out

25) ABBA - Dancing Queen (1976)
852 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 21

Fans : Miguel #2, brose #10

Alex D : Definitely cheesy, but definitely great too. It's the kind of song you can't help but get stuck in your head, even if you're embarassed to admit it.

Honorio : If I ever should write an essay about “How to write a hit single” I would use DQ as example, able to please both the casual listener and the harshest critic.

24) David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (1972)
863 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 30

No fans, no opponents.

Alex D : It ain't the best song on the album, but when that album is Ziggy Stardust it doesn't matter cause they're all better than 99% of songs out there.

Ending a bit above its AM rank, Ziggy is still beaten by 3 others Bowie songs, and even by one of the same album !

23) Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (1979)
867 points

Rank in the 1979 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 62

Fans : Jonah #3, Petri #4
Already had enough : Stephan #38 (/41), Michel #96, Brad #92

Alex D : Word association: you say "dance song" and I say "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." If you're a DJ at a party, what song do you play to get people out there? "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." You could be at a funeral and people would dance if you put it on. Hell, I took a Afro-Cuban dance class and this was our recital song. You just can't deny it - it's just an absolute classic, timeless song.

22) Big Star - Thirteen (1972)
872 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 504

Fans : Petri #1, Nassim #1, Midaso #10
[CENSORED] : Alex D #100, Chris #95, Otisredding #92

Alex D : Officially the worst song I voted on for this poll!

Honorio : The perfect Polaroid picture for the teenage period, with its bitter-sweetness and its glory, with dreamy backing vocals and caressing acoustic guitars.

Nassim : As I said on some other polls, I’m probably more a fan of Elliott Smith version, but still, this impersonates for me what a love song should be. It’s not about pathos, suffering, exaggeration… it’s just over very simple, pure and direct feelings.

grumpf… Still, 482 spots ahead of its AM rank, that could have been worse.

21) Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (1975)
874 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 34

Fan : Chris #1

Alex D : A great song, and a very immediate one - when I first heard it I liked it more than "Born to Run", but that was before I realized how great that song was. It has just as many good moments, even if as a whole it isn't quite as good.

Bruce Springsteen falls short of having 2 songs on the top 20 !
I'll try to put videos for the top 20


20) Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love? (1978)
878 points

Rank in the 1978 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 36

Fans : Mindrocker #2, Jonah #9
Never fell in love with the song : Chris #93

Alex D : Heard it for the first time in this poll - and I'm impressed.

19) David Bowie - Moonage Daydream (1972)
880 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : Not Ranked

Fans : Nassim #3, Jonah #7, Brad #8

Alex D : I was a tad surprised this one went through - it's not the biggest hit off the album - but it builds and builds, and the guitar solo is a great climax.

Nassim : I said for Thirteen that for me, love songs should always keep it simple, pure, almost childish. But if there should be one exception to this rule, it should be that song. Here only love can be extreme, exaggerated, absolute !

An unranked song in the top 20, who would have guessed ! I won’t complain about that.

18) Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1971)
894 points

Fans : Henrik #3, Honorio #8

Rank in the 1971 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 13

Alex D : The arrangement is tight and the vocals are tighter - it's a very understated song, and the way it saunters along is gorgeous.

Honorio : If we were playing the Taboo game I would not be able to define this particular song without using words like “smooth”, “silky” or “sensual”. Because “Let’s Stay Together” is the quintessential sensual song, the sound of sex melting and smoothly flowing through the speakers from the silky throat of Green. Damn, I used these words again...

The first of the 7 1971 songs who cracked the top 20. I was afraid it would end lower, but thanks to a lack of dislike and support from the H Duo it comes close to its AM rank

17) Big Star - September Gurls (1974)
895 points

Rank in the 1974 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 81

Fans : Jackson #3, Midaso #5, Harold Wexler #9, Brad #10
Not in loooooove with that soooooong : Alex D #97

Alex D : Big Star - overrated
Honorio : No other band seemed interested at the time in those powerful jangly guitars, it took 15 years to reach cult status via The Replacements.

Even more success in the song poll than in the album song for Big Star, putting 2 songs way ahead oftheir AM ranks, that one even ending as our favourite 1974 song

16) Derek & the Dominos - Layla (1970)
907 points

Rank in the 1970 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 10

Fans : Harold Wexler #1, Midaso #6, Chris #7, RockyRaccoon #9, Honorio #9
Won’t ease Clapton’s mind : Henrik #100, Charlie Driggs #97, brose #93

Alex D : The piano outro is too long, but Eric Clapton & Duane Allman together is a slam dunk. They're so good together it's not even funny, like the "Dream Team" of guitarists.
Honorio : When in Bracketology “Layla” competed against “Something” I commented that both songs shared the same muse, Pattie Boyd-Harrison-Clapton. But while “Something” showcases the serene love inside a happily married couple, “Layla” is a desperate plea for the love for the wife of your best friend. And, you know, forbidden and sinful love creates better pieces of art.

15) John Lennon - Imagine (1971)
936 points


The real video can not be added in forums because of youtube restrictions, so I offer you one of those wonderful montages that did more harm to the song than anything else
Rank in the 1971 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 5

Fans : RockyRaccoon #1, Henrik #4, Alex D #7, Petri #10
You may say I’m a hater, but I’m not the only one : Charlie Driggs #100, sonofsamiam #100, Nassim #97

Alex D : If there's ever been a more plain-spoken, sincere, loving call for world peace than this one, I want to hear it. This song is the very essence of what John Lennon was all about, and whether you think it is realistic or not, I think it speaks to the human condition, to the collective spirit in all of us to make the world better.

The 2 last songs with at the same time a #1 and a #100 votes, both accumulating too much dislike to reach their AM rank

14) Who, The - Won't Get Fooled Again (1971)
967 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 22

Fans : RockyRaccoon #3, Harold Wexler #4, Nassim #4, Stephan #5
Pity the Foo’ : Henrik #98

Alex D : YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

The Who meet a better fate than in bracketology (the new one, they did very well in the old one if I remember well), in AM rank and in qualification round !

13) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)
1005 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 15

Fans : Jonah #5, Petri #5, Nassim #8, Alex D #9
Cares about the wind blows : Michel #100

Alex D : Haters love to hate on this song, but I love it for the sheer audacity of it. What other half-opera, half-rock songs do you know? Who else can sing, and compose and arrange like Freddie Mercury? Can you really name another band who can write a song about murder and suicide and Beelzebub that's as good as this one? And make it just as whimsical and funny and enjoyable as this one? Not to mention creative and difficult? I don't care if they're showing off, they're having a hell of a good time doing it.

The last song to earn a #100 vote, succeeding, despite the usual disregard from part of the AMers, in beating its AM rank

12) Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
1012 points


Quite ironically, I did not found any good video for Television.

Rank in the 1977 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 64

Fans : Jonah #2, Nassim #5, Petri #6, brose #8, Midaso #9
More Rimbaud than Verlaine : Stephan #41 (/41), Alex D #92

Alex D : I don't get it.

11) Sex Pistols, The - Anarchy In The U.K. (1976)
1017 points

Rank in the 1976 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 1

Fans : Honorio #3, Michel #5, RockyRaccoon #6, Henrik #7, Chris #9
Royalist : Miguel #91

Alex D : I used to like the Pistols, but they have gotten to be just grating.

Honorio : The tabula rasa song. A simple song almost swept away what came before, it inaugurated a new era where the songs were again short and to the point, where the instrumental flourishes and self-indulgence of prog-rock were abolished and where the rebel attitude of old time rock & roll saw their innocence being replaced by nihilism.

Two songs with a very different fate. One gets a quite deceiving rank versus what we could except from the AMers but a good one versus the AM 3000, the other does the opposite.

10) Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue (1975)
1027 points


The only good videos can not be embedded on the forum unfortunately

Rank in the 1975 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 48

Fans : Otisredding #1, Harold Wexler #2, Jackson #4, sonofsamiam #10

Alex D : For some reason, I don't like this song as much as I used to. It's a tad long, but no one tops Bobby Dylan for evocative lyrics.

9) Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side (1972)
1037 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 11

Fans : Stephan #4, Henrik #6, Honorio #6, Otisredding #7, Jackson #9, Chris #10
Nobody tells him where to walk : sonofsamiam #93

Alex D : It really doesn't sound quite like anything else out there. For 1972, it's very hipster-ish, with that drumbeat and the lines about "colored girls".

Honorio : Working on the Factory. The (relatively few) years on Andy Warhol’s Factory were a continuous source of inspiration during Lou Reed long career. But never as brilliantly as in this song, where five real characters from Warhol troupe illustrates the wild New York nightlife fauna of transvestites, whores, dealers, hustlers, junkies… and rock & roll.

8) David Bowie - Life on Mars? (1971)
1043 points


[youtube]"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-wvgmZxbe8[/youtube]

Rank in the 1971 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 77

Fans : brose #3, Honorio #4, Petri #7
Saddening bored : Stephan #37 (/41)

Alex D : If David Bowie had a musical canvas, he'd have painted a Dali on this one. It's so wonderfully strange and the piano line is such a nice complement to his singing. I also <3 the music video where it's just him and that white background - it does so much with so little, which is a lot like the song.

7) Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven (1971)
1066 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 2

Fans : RockyRaccoon #2, Chris #3, Alex D #3, Harold Wexler #7, Nassim #9, nicolas #10
Spirit crying for leaving : Charlie Driggs #99


Alex D : Greatest. Classic. Rock. Song. Ever. There are kids who play their guitar till they bleed trying to learn the solo. There are tons of teenagers who play this song trying to get into their girlfriend's pants. There are parents who tear their hair out cause they're worried about Satanic influence. Frankly, if Satan wrote this song, I think I'd worship him. Yeah, Led Zeppelin played the mysterious Celtic-folk imagery to the hilt here, but that's what makes it so great. The recorder, the guitar, the build-up, the solo, the ending section - it's the stuff of legends.

So now we have what could have pretty safely been predicted as the top 5 and an underdog... who will miss the real top 5 ? Maybe not Who you think...

6) Clash, The - London Calling (1979)
1141 points


Video requested by Alex D!
Rank in the 1979 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 7

Fans : Michel #1, Harold Wexler #5, Mindrocker #6, Stephan #7, brose #9, Otisredding #9, Alex D #10

Alex D : I cite the video above (I think it is that one, the link sent by Alex D has been deleted since he sent my his comments) as proof that this is the best punk song ever.

Seems like that is not what most of the Forum expected. However London Calling has been far from the top 2 (even though our 2 leaders killed the competition with only the last handful of votes) from the very beginning and miss the top 5 for a dozen points.

5) Stevie Wonder - Superstition (1972)
1152 points

Rank in the 1972 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 8

Fans : Alex D #5, RockyRaccoon #5, Nicolas #5, brose #5, Chris #8, Harold Wexler #10

Alex D : "Pure joy" - that's the feeling I get when I hear this song. That's all there is to it. Not to mention that it put the clavinet out of style, that it's so funky it's just ridiculous, or that Stevie played all the parts himself…the list goes on and on.
Honorio : A (legendary) clavinet riff as the axis, with an awesome brass part and a terrific vocal part as other highlights, for the best exponent of Wonder funky side.

4) Who, The - Baba O'Riley (1971)
1164 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 161

Fans : Jonah #1, Stephan #1, Alex D #4, Chris #5, Miguel #8

Alex D : I first heard this at age 12. I couldn't help but be lured into a trance by it, the riff in the beginning is just hypnotic. I knew it would be one of my favorite songs about five seconds in. Everything about it is pretty much perfect - the riff, the power chords, the sneaky little bass fills, Keith Moon being Keith Moon, the violins, the outro, Roger Daltrey screaming "we're all wasted," everything pretty much.

Impressive results for this underdog, only 2 low votes from the H Duo (them again) prevents it from reaching the bottom of the podium.

3) Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)
1194 points

Rank in the 1971 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 3

Fans : Honorio #2, Chris #2, Alex D #2, Midaso #2, nicolas #6, Otisredding #8, sonofsamiam #8, Henrik #9
What’s going wrong? : Stephan #32 (/41), Michel #93

Alex D : IMO this is the greatest soul song of all time. It would be T10 on the string arrangement alone. Marvin's voice is a joy to listen to, and he turned in his best lyrics for this one - the message is timeless (unfortunately). It's a great example of contrasts - who would of thought such a sweet melody could deliver such powerful and deep ideas - and though I'm not religious, I really think the song feels like a gift from above.

Honorio : Maybe naïve but not bland, maybe old-fashioned but still relevant today (we still “got to find a way to bring some lovin’ here today”), the message of the song still would be nothing without the smooth, silky and elegant music that delicately envelops it. The best prove possible that peace, love and understanding are more serious than funny.

2) David Bowie - "Heroes" (1977)
1313 points

Rank in the 1977 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 12

Fans : Henrik #1, brose #2, Midaso #4, Brad #4, Michel #4, Jackson #5, Honorio #7, Stephan #8, Charlie Driggs #10

Alex D : "'Heroes'" shows I think the side of David Bowie we all wanted to see for the longest time - what he would be like underneath the persona. And it's beautifully done. Take the quotations around the title for what you will, but I think this is a genuine reflection of Bowie himself wanting to be a "hero".

Honorio : Sometimes fiction surpasses reality. Bowie peeped two lovers dating by the Berlin wall, unaware or the danger (legend says that it was Tony Visconti having an extramarital affair) and created a heroic love tale with “guns shot above our heads”. The awesome Eno atmospheres, Fripp guitar and Bowie vocal performance made the rest. Just for one day…

1) Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
1404 points

Rank in the 1975 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 6

Fans : Honorio #1, brose #1, Midaso #1, Alex D #1, Brad #3, Stephan #3, nicolas #3, Mindrocker #3, Otisredding #5, Chris #6, RockyRaccoon #8

Alex D : Dunnnnnnnnnnnnh-da-da-da-dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnh-dunnnnnnnh-dunnnnnnnnnnnh!!! This is a strong contender for #1 in the songs poll, and #1 here. If there was ever a song that made you feel like music could really save your soul, that rock could make your life better, this is it. Is it too big and overblown? Maybe. But it's only as big as the dreams you have to have to get out of Asbury Park, NJ or (insert your dying small-town here). Besides that, though, the execution is great, every little bit is perfectly placed, from sax to drums to extra reverb to (best part) to Bruce's "Huh!" He's The Boss for a reason - this song.

Honorio : Cars and girls. Maybe these backstreet Romeo and Juliet stories of the first Springsteen albums only happened in a parallel universe but introduced an epic tone in rock music almost unheard previously (at least in such heights) and almost unreachable after, even by Springsteen himself. Some things hurt more much more than cars and girls? Really?
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