Posted on 01/14/2018 7:57:12 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel
OK, FREEPERS, LET'S START THIS CONTEST FOR THE GREATEST SONG OF THE '70S.
The baseline for the contest is the top 7 hits of each year of the '70s, as compiled by BILLBOARD. This is not based on personal preferences, biases, prejudices, or counter-culture fringe-element reactivity.
The rules in general will be to vote for everything shown.
NO equivocating, ties, or omissions. Votes will ONLY be counted if the "ballot" is COMPLETE.
*ROUND 1*
We begin by taking the #7 songs of each year and paring them from 10 songs to 4 (to set up brackets of 64 for the rest of the contest).
1970 "I'll Be There" The Jackson 5
1971 "Go Away Little Girl" Donny Osmond
1972 "Lean on Me" Bill Withers
1973 "Crocodile Rock" Elton John
1974 "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" MFSB
1975 "Fame" David Bowie
1976 "Love Machine" The Miracles
1977 "Don't Leave Me This Way" Thelma Houston
1978 "Baby Come Back" Player
1979 "Hot Stuff" Donna Summer
Disco sucks but so did rock.
Well it was the only way to get anyone to go to a White Sox game back then.
IIRC Bowie was the first white artist to appear on Soul Train to perform that song.
9 = 1977 "Don't Leave Me This Way" Thelma Houston
8 = 1973 "Crocodile Rock" Elton John
7 = 1978 "Baby Come Back" Player
6 = 1975 "Fame" David Bowie
5 = 1974 "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" MFSB
4 = 1972 "Lean on Me" Bill Withers
3 = 1979 "Hot Stuff" Donna Summer
2 = 1976 "Love Machine" The Miracles
1 = 1970 "I'll Be There" The Jackson 5
0 = 1971 "Go Away Little Girl" Donny Osmond
Overall, not a list of songs I'm enthused about.
I ranked Thelma Houston at the top as her song reminds me of my first serious crush on a girl in high school. We were freshmen and she was in my biology class. Due to our last names being similar, we were made lab partners as the teacher was one of those who seated the class in alphabetical order. So that song has a lot of special meaning for me. Even today, the opening of that song puts butterflies in my stomach. So sorry, but my top choice is a personal one and not an artistic one.
"Crocodile Rock" was simply one of the best pop-rock songs of the era. What's weird about hearing that song today is that back then, the lyrics hearkened to the distant past (the beginning of rock and roll - probably in the 1950s). Now of course, the song itself is a similar reminder of my past.
"Baby Come Back" was often confused at the time with being a Hall & Oates song. Sounds just like them, does it not? Not a bad song and it stands the test of time.
I was a huge David Bowie fan during the 1970s but "Fame" was a bit out there, even for Bowie. Not my favorite Bowie song by any stretch but grew on my over time.
Disco was just starting to get big in 1974 and "TSOP" was one of the first of the big disco hits. Towards the end of the song, you can hear the vocals of The Three Degrees kick in. A lot of people like to rag on disco but you had to be there. I know it sounds dopey today.
I thought of ranking "Lean On Me" higher but I would rather listen to any of the songs above more so here it sits, in the middle of the pack. This is the dividing line between the decent songs and the truly awful songs below.
I generally liked Donna Summer during the 1970s but even though "Hot Stuff" was probably the biggest of her hits, I find it rather annoying, repetitive and one of the weaker tracks on her "Bad Girls" album of that year. BTW, there was some tremendous songs on that Giorgio Moroder produced double album including the title track and "Dim All The Lights."
"Love Machine" is wicked annoying to listen to. Especially all that primitive grunting going on in the background.
I know that "I'll Be There" by Jackson 5 is considered one of the great pop songs. It's just too sugary sweet for me (much like "One Bad Apple" by The Osmonds which was also a big hit around the same time). Ironically, I thought The Partridge Family blew the doors off both Jackson 5 and The Osmonds, even though I know that PF was mostly studio musicians with only the late David Cassidy having a major role.
"Go Away Little Girl"...need I say more. Utter dreck.
Hopefully we have a better batch of songs in the next round!
Speaking of.....I just pray that the Osmonds' "Crazy Horses" doesn't end up on any of these lists.
You’re in luck. Only 1 other Osmond and it’s not in YOUR post.
Sit on it, Potsie.
In destroying disco, they paved the way for the horrid (c)rap music, which has helped destroy Western Civilization.
Well, this isn’t a definitive list of the possible greatest, just a set of 10 to rank from top to bottom. So you’ve rated 2, give a shot to the remaining 8. ;-)
Yup, I love disco. Where’s your ranked list ? :-P
Well, maybe.
Rap didn’t have to be all bad, but it certainly doesn’t have much musicality to it. Down to the vocal issue.
I love disco. But then, I love alot of stuff. Just not rap - or heavy metal/”hard” rock, which seems to always be the mainstay on the ‘net (along with fringe punk and the like) as if THAT was the popular music - not.
I forgot whether it was here or on the old IMDb boards where they put up the #1 song of each year (or Oscar-winning best song) from the 1960s to present day, and you could see the shockingly left of deterioration after the 1980s. Frankly, almost everything post-1990 is just awful.
I don’t think you did a rating of ‘90s songs, did you ? So much of the post-1990s stuff is so forgettable/derivative (or utterly execrable) that you can’t even really associate a song with a given year anymore (whereas before you could hear a song and instantly say, “1984 !” or “1964 !”). I remember not too long ago discussing in an urban forum with a bunch of suburban-raised White beta male douchecucks as they went on about how great “It’s Hard Out There For A Pimp” and I’m thinking, “Are you $hitting me ?” All tied to this cultural rot. Sometimes I feel like Charlton Heston in “Planet of the Apes” on the beach with “culture/society” being the ruins of the Statue of Liberty.
No, only did ‘80s.
Could do ‘90s as there was SOME good stuff (love Mariah), but most of it would be ‘80s derivative. Early ‘90s I was in college still and there was still some neat stuff, but also (cringe) “grunge”, which defines everything since. Whining, girls and guys “singing” like they’re just getting out of dental anesthesia, never mind the horrid rot they “sing” about.
(How about the song that’s a hit recently - he’s waxing romantic about holding her head while she pukes? Nothing says romance like puking.)
I went country in the ‘90s; great fun and dancing. But now, “country” seems far too mainstream sound. Sometimes I can hardly tell which station it should be on.
As I said, when you reach the point where “It’s Hard Out There For A Pimp” becomes a chart-topper, it’s time to close up shop, ‘cuz we’re done as a musical culture.
1. 1973 “Crocodile Rock” Elton John
2. 1972 “Lean on Me” Bill Withers
3. 1978 “Baby Come Back” Player
4. 1975 “Fame” David Bowie
5. 1976 “Love Machine” The Miracles
6. 1977 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston
7. 1979 “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer
8. 1974 “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” MFSB
9. 1971 “Go Away Little Girl” Donny Osmond
10. 1970 “I’ll Be There” The Jackson 5
There was some great music made in the 70s. There was also a massive pile of ... not-great music, I guess.
Crocodile Rock is still a great song (no matter what one may think of the artist). Lean on Me was great as a remake by Club Nuveau; this version is just good. Baby Come Back was pretty good. Fame was my least-favorite of Bowie’s hits. The rest I hope I never have to hear again.
2.) 1972 “Lean on Me” Bill Withers
3.) 1970 “I’ll Be There” The Jackson 5
4.) 1971 “Go Away Little Girl” Donny Osmond
5.) 1978 “Baby Come Back” Player
6.) 1977 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston
7.) 1975 “Fame” David Bowie
8>) 1979 “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer
9.) 1976 “Love Machine” The Miracles
10.) 1974 “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” MFSB
What a horrible list.
:(
Full disclosure:
“Hot Stuff”
“I’ll Be There”
“TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)”
“Baby Come Back”
“Don’t Leave Me This Way”
“Crocodile Rock”
“Fame”
“Love Machine”
“Go Away Little Girl”
“Lean on Me”
My husband will vote, and maybe our son. No reply yet.
My husband:
1. 1973 “Crocodile Rock” Elton John
2. 1976 “Love Machine” The Miracles
3. 1970 “I’ll Be There” The Jackson 5
4. 1974 “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” MFSB
5. 1977 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston
6. 1979 “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer
7. 1975 “Fame” David Bowie
8. 1978 “Baby Come Back” Player
9. 1972 “Lean on Me” Bill Withers
10. 1971 “Go Away Little Girl” Donny Osmond
TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS 1970S PING LIST
(This is a temporary ping list, so don’t worry!)
2 more days till voting stops for Round 1!
A hint about the results so far:
“Lean on Me” is winning, and “Go Away Little Girl” is losing!
The votes for #4 are tight, so there may be a run-off to choose #4, which is the worst rank in this round to make it to the play-off brackets!
1. “Lean on Me” Bill Withers
2. “Crocodile Rock” Elton John
3. “Fame” David Bowie
4. “I’ll Be There” The Jackson 5
5. “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer
6. “Love Machine” The Miracles
7. “Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston
8. “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” MFSB
9. “Go Away Little Girl” Donny Osmond
10. “Baby Come Back” Player
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