Top 10 Artists of the 70s

I became a teenager in the 70s and so it's no wonder this time was my favorite of all for music. I listened to everything. I bought albums and 45s like there was no tomorrow. I was grooving on everything from Judy Collins to Lynyrd Skynyrd to disco to Linda Ronstadt to Earth, Wind and Fire and Blood, Sweat and Tears to Fleetwood Mac.

(Note: After finishing this hub, I absolutely MUST add, right now, another group who was probably my most favorite and who I left out unintentionally, bringing the top 10 count to 11, but who really cares? Right? THAT GROUP WOULD BE THE ONE AND ONLY "BREAD" with David Gates. Bread was THE group that, to me, defined the 70s. Remember "Lost Without Your Love"? Ah, what a sad, but beautiful song!) "Baby I'm a Want You" and Make It With You" were so great, still love to hear those although they don't get much radio play anymore. Also remember Guitar Man and Aubrey. All of their songs had such a beautiful, dreamy sound, almost like they were from another planet!!!

If I had to pick, which I will do now for this hub, here is how my cards would play out:

These two girls got their start in 1963 and can rock like no two sisters have ever done before! They are plain and simply AWESOME. Ann sings her heart out and actually reminds me a lot of Janis Joplin, that same spirit and soul. Nancy can really get with it and rock out on that guitar. And they write their own beautiful lyrics and music and to be able to do one or the other takes talent. When you've got both abilities, now that puts them at the very top! They kept us all rocking in the 70s and are still doing a good job of it today.

All of their songs are my favorites, but these are most special: Love Alive, Barracuda, Dreamboat Annie and These Dreams.

YOU GO GIRLS!

Oh, and thanks!

The Solitary Man of the 70s. He outshined them all! A real diamond! Charisma oozed off of him as he stood there so sexy on stage, he's got the whole package - the looks, the voice and the stage presence. And he not only could sing a song or ballad well, but told the story beautifully as he sang it. Neil Diamond has the knack of writing songs that touch not only the heart, but the very soul!

I would be hard pressed to choose my very favorites, there are so many I love. The first album I bought of his was Stones. I listened to that song and I Am, I Said until the needle on the record player had worn a path on the record and I couldn't bear to throw it away. These songs were in my heart. My other favorite albums, (and he's got tons!) probably along with everyone else's are these: Hot August Night, Love at the Greek, Moods (love Walk on Water, Porcupine Pie and Gitchy Goomy), and Jazz Singer (of course I enjoyed him in the movie), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (awesome).

I must stop, I could go on and on. Like I said, he's a real diamond of an artist! So powerful! Like a magnet we are drawn to him.

Everyone knows her, everyone loves her music.

Carole King was the darling of the 70s, no doubt about it. She played the piano like nobody's business! Her song-writing ability is outstanding! Her first # 1 hit was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and she was just seventeen at the time.

Her iconic album Tapestry topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971, and remained on the charts for over six years!

From her more mellow favorites like Tapestry, It's Too Late, Been to Canaan, So Far Away, Home Again, You've Got a Friend, A Quiet Place to Live, Come Down Easy and Peace in the Valley to her Get-down-and-rock-em ones like Jazzman, I Feel the Earth Move, Corazon, Smackwater Jack, Where You Lead, Sweet Seasons, they have, one and all, filled us with her goodness and charm.

Carole King was named the most successful female songwriter of the 1955-99 pop music era, having written or co-written 118 pop hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 during that time. 

She has definitely earned her right to reign as the queen of songwriters not only during the 70s, but the 50s and 60s, 80s and 90s!

JOHN DENVER

His story is still amazing - he was a nobody who looked like a nobody and his name was so long and awkward he had to change it. But he believed he could sing and could become famous when no one else believed in him. And we all know the rest of the story. He was the first naturalist and inspired others to be so through his songs and his life of caring about the environment and preserving nature. He appreciated the beauty of the earth. His songs: "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado", "Rocky Mountain High", "The Eagle and the Hawk", "Calypso" and "Looking for Space" are among my favorites.

I am a native Coloradoan who listened to him and dreamed with him in the 70s and shed tears of sorrow in 1997 on the day he died as the dear friend he was to me although I had never met him. JD, may you rest in peace. You are missed and loved.

=================================================================JIM CROCE

This guy has hot-damn good! In 1973 his biggest single was "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. Sadly this was the same year he died in a plane crash, breaking the hearts of many as we all longed for more of his music and exceptional talent. He was only 30.

Time in a Bottle was a classic. His story-telling and writing ability came forth loud and clear and was so fun to listen to and sing not only with his biggest single mentioned above, but with these song titles as well, "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", "Roller Derby Queen" "Rapid Roy the Stock-car Boy"

He also wrote some very sentimental and touching songs such as "Alabama Rain", "A Long Time Ago", "Photographs and Memories" and "These Dreams."

We shall never know what else we might have enjoyed had he lived longer! We can take comfort that he did share these special words with us in a song, ""I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song."

This band was extra special because it was a full band with not just drums and guitar and keyboard, but saxophone, trombone and trumpet. ...that's what made them extra special! And with me being an avid trumpet player in high school, well, I was instantly attracted! Their sound was extra sweet!!!

I absolutely dug their music day in and day out, year in and year out. It didn't seem to ever grow old on me, no, it was just the other way around, I grew old and their music is still young! The first album I owned was called, plain and simple, Chicago II and offered up 25 beauties to give to their avid followers. I liked it so much because there were a lot of instrumentals on it that were absolutely amazing to my ears and for instrumentals, they had a uniqueness and sound of their own for that particular time of the 70s.

These guys are still grooving and going strong in the year 2010! Kuddos!

The man is a genius! Words and music pieced together like the stars fit in the sky - a natural and amazing phenomenon!

"Oh baby, baby it's a wild world" always takes me back there. Although it was a crazy, mixed-up time for a teenager to grow up in, I will always cherish that album. It provided plenty of food for thought, to say the least!

Selling forty million albums in the 60s and 70s, Cat Stevens shared his thoughts and dreams with the world. My favorite of those dreams is Peace Train. Others that were just as special can't all be named there are so many I relish. Some of them are: Oh Very Young, Father and Son, Moonshadow, The Wind, Miles From Nowhere, The Boy With a Moon and Star on His Head and Sweet Scarlet and on the Izitso album, Bonfire, Sweet Jamaica and I Never Wanted to Be a Star.

Although he went into hiding in the last 70s after a near-death experience, he emerged again in 2005 with a new name, Yusef, or Yusef Islam. He is still writing words and creating songs, but I take it this is not his chief interest now, there are other, higher things that take priority, things of the spirit.

Glad you're with us again and even better, Yusef. May you soar high!

With their roots in London, Fleetwood Mac came on my scene strong and vibrant in the 70s. Their every song was a gem in my book. I listened and loved their music. Of all the bands of the 70s, they defined the times and the mood with "You Make Loving Fun" and "Say That You Love Me" and "The Chain", oh, and don't forget this one "Don't Stop - thinkin' about tomorrow, don't stop, it will soon be here, it'll be better than before, cuz yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone." That song, well, it was futuristic then, but lookin' back now, it's weird cuz back then I didn't think I'd grow old, ya know? So those words didn't apply back then as much as they do now. Live and learn!

Fleetwood Mac had a good name, a good look and good sound. Their members were all charming and easy to look at. Mic Fleetwood was my favorite, what a drummer...and the faces he made! Then there was Stevie Nicks, mysterious and sensual. Christine McVie came on like a sweetheart and her voice was so charming. John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham were connected with the girls and added so much to the band as well.

Silver Springs...of all their songs, Silver Springs is the most eerie, yet special to me. It touches my heart as it reminds me of a time past when I could have sang that song with my own life.

What's cool? The teenagers of today are grooving to Fleetwood Mac just like we did in the 70s. A teenage girl came home after school one day and was all excited as she told her dad about a "new group" she'd just heard. "Fleetwood Mac, Dad, wait til you hear them! They're great!" While he just chuckled under his breath and thought back to days gone by...

DON'T STOP THINKIN' BOUT TOMORROW!

I gotta think about this...

(Elton John coulda been up there at the top of my list, it was hard for me to stack the cards just right. I apologize for any hurt feelings this may have caused.)

Elton John is Elton John. No one like him, now or ever. Just keep on playin' that piano baby! We'll keep on listening!

This album always pops into my mind first, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. The songs on it are fantastic and the way he plays that piano...he really is Captain Fantastic! And...gotta give some credit to Bernie Taupin who wrote all the lyrics. They made quite an impressive team.

Songs like Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters and Tiny Dancer, Levon, Roy Rogers, I like very much, but I still haven't figured out exactly what he's trying to say!

Harmony is about my all-time favorite, it is such a pretty love song. Oh, and I must say "Skyline Pigeon" is a humdinger!!! The words have such spirit and the tune is icing on the cake.

I am still excited about the fact that there is a piano player today who plays rock-n-roll with his piano and gets down to some really hard-rocking music. Elton John shows the whole world how it oughta be done!

And he does it right! Right on Elton, I'll forever be your admirer.

Don't forget these guys! You haven't, have you? They are just too good to be forgotten. And I listened to them for so many hours and enjoyed their music so much I haven't forgotten either.

Jim Messina played and produced with Buffalo Springfield and later on with the band Poco. When him and Loggins met, Loggins was a singer-songwriter, less experienced but aplenty with potential and talent, writing such hit songs as House at Pooh Corner and Danny's Song. In 1971 they produced the album "Sittin In", 1972 produced "Loggins and Messina", 1973 produced "Full Sail", 1974 "On Stage" and "Mother Lode", 1975 "So Fine" and 1976 "Native Sons". In 1977, they produced their last album, Finale, and it was over and done.

They became one of rock's most popular draws in the 70s. But they were not without their difficulties. “The trouble with duos is inevitably it becomes a competition,” explains Loggins. “We were just kids in search of our individuality. Being suddenly cast in a duo makes it very hard to find yourself. You begin to blame your partner for your own confusion. And everybody wants to get on your good side by convicing you that your partner is the problem.”

"One of the reasons we were successful is we spoke to a generation, not just to a radio station."

We can be thankful for what they gave us, some very good, well-written music with real soul. Their songs like "Your Mama Don't Dance" and "Vahevela" got us up and dancing, while other ones like "Watching the River Run" and "A Love Song" "Rock and Roll Mood" just endeared them to us in a very peaceful and loving way.

Thanks guys! You won't be forgotten!