Last Updated on 27 March 2024
I searched the Internet for lists of the best songs from the 1970s. Criteria included the songs being ranked, not just listed, and generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).
I was able to find 17 lists. I took the 17 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every song. I ended up averaging the rankings each song got (there were 298 that were on at least 2 lists) and dividing that average by a factor of the number of lists that song was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.
The songs that were on the most lists (out of 17) were:
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen – 16 lists
- Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees – 12 lists
- Dancing Queen by ABBA – 12 lists
- Dreams by Fleetwood Mac – 12 lists
- Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin – 11 lists
- London Calling by The Clash – 11 lists
- Heart of Glass by Blondie – 11 lists
- Let It Be by The Beatles – 11 lists
- Imagine by John Lennon – 10 lists
- Heroes by David Bowie – 10 lists
- Hotel California by The Eagles – 10 lists
- Superstition by Stevie Wonder – 10 lists
- My Sweet Lord by George Harrison – 10 lists
- My Sharona by The Knack – 10 lists
Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:
- Smooth Radio – 6 Jun 2023
- World Wide Tune – 30 May 2023
- GemTracks – 9 May 2023
- Midder Music – 4 May 2023
- Dig – 9 Mar 2023
- Top 40 Weekly – 8 Feb 2023
- Music in Minnesota – 24 Jan 2023
- The Pioneer Woman – 11 Jan 2023
- Fourth Estate Audio – 1 Jan 2023
- Music Grotto – 29 Dec 2022
- UwUFUFU – 1 Dec 2022
- Music Industry How To – 4 Aug 2022
- Vinyl Mapper – 28 Mar 2022
- NME – 4 Jun 2018
- Genius – 22 Aug 2016
- Acclaimed Music – no date
- MultiScreenSite – no date