Although Billboard has yet to release a top 500 for the biggest hits of the 70's on their website (as of this writing of course) I've decided to make up my own list which I created on my RYM site to look over what I believe to be the biggest hits of the decade over there. As usual this list only includes songs that were popular in the southern hemisphere back in the day and not the songs that didn't appeal to us Aussies or kiwis.
For ten weeks straight, this was the number one song in America during the winter of 1977/1978. It's because of this that this song for the long-forgotten movie of the same name is widely despised to this day, that and this coming from the daughter of Pat Boone who is widely considered one of the worst artists in the music industry of all time.
For most of the decade, there didn't seem to be any song that lasted more than six weeks at number one on the Billboard charts, that changed with this entry from Rod Stewart which lasted an impressive eight weeks at number one and set a precedent for songs lasting longer at this spot at the expense of others that often missed out.
This will be Chic's only appearance on this list given how it was their only hit to find success in the southern hemisphere, however I should note that it was far from their only candidate for this list given how they had several hits on Billboard including a second chart topper in the form of "Good times" months after this took off worldwide.
If you thought the brothers Gibb was inescapable here in Australia and NZ throughout the 70's, then you'll be shocked to discover that they have the most Billboard chart toppers of the decade with an impressive nine all up. This was their first from the Saturday night fever soundtrack, although it didn't last quite as long at the top and only appears this high up due to its refusal to leave the top ten.
Much like his older brothers, Andy Gibb also saw much more success in America than he did anywhere else in the world. Although this wasn't his longest run at number one over there (we'll get to that song in a minute) the fact it got to number one is impressive given how it was his debut single internationally as opposed to merely being his breakthrough single here in Australia.
We have our first entry on this list that wouldn't have been eligible were I only allowed songs that were popular here in Australia and not those that only made it big in NZ, even then, it's success with the kiwis is pitiful to what it achieved in America given how it lasted five weeks at number one for Paul McCartney and company.
Even though this tied for second place as the longest running song at number one on the Billboard charts for the decade, it has a lower placement on this list due to it not lasting as long in their top ten which obviously is a factor for constructing this list overall. Even so, the fact this was the fourth single from the highly lucrative Saturday night fever soundtrack should tell you just how inescapable the film was back in the day.
Finally a song from the first half of the decade on this list, again I should bring up the fact that the charts worldwide were way more chaotic following the end of the hippy era hence why it's taken us this long to feature a song from that period. I guess it's fitting how the biggest hit in America from that side of the decade was as such here in Australia.
We're only ten songs in and already we've had four entries from the Gibb family on this list, this time it's Andy's second biggest hit in his catalogue despite this lasting an impressive seven weeks at number one on the Billboard charts. Again, lengthy runs at the top of the charts were more common as the decade was coming to an end in exchange for songs not lasting as long in the top ten.
The list has only just started, and we've already featured three of the four big hits from the Saturday night fever soundtrack, this one being the more iconic track from the album given how many remixes it's received over the years (most notably from N trance from 1995.) This is the third of nine entries from the brothers Gibb on this list that went to number one throughout the decade.
Even though the promotion for this track was cut short in order to promote the follow up single "Bad girls" in her homeland, it didn't prevent this from being Donna Summer's biggest hit on the Billboard charts hence its high placement on this list. Despite all of this success, Donna would quickly distance herself from her work on this list in order to become a devout Christian feminist moving into the 80's.
There was little doubt this would be a massive success for Carly Simon in her homeland given how inescapably popular this has remained on oldies stations to this day, that said, her success in her homeland was undercut to how well she did here in Australia given how she had a surprise hit with us Aussies with "I've got to have you" in the lead up to its success here.
You'd think these guys would've had other hits in their catalogue in their homeland given how their debut single was such a massive worldwide success for them, alas it appears that even the fellow Americans of Wild cherry weren't impressed with what else they had to offer as none of their other singles managed to come close to the success of this disco classic on Billboard.
They were marketed as the next Beatles which no doubt resulted in this having a six week stay at the top of the Billboard charts for the Knack, impressive give how it was their debut single even in their homeland. That said, even in their homeland, they are considered a one hit wonder despite multiple attempts at recapturing the success of their debut single.
As one of the few women of colour to find success here in Australia during the first half of the decade, it was obvious that Roberta Flack would find even more success in her homeland with an impressive five-week stint at the top of the Billboard charts. Even though this is the only version of the song to chart on Billboard, it's worth noting that the Fugees take on the track was a massive hit on their airwaves.
If you can believe it, this is the only candidate for this list from the Emotions on their own and one of only two candidates where they're a part of a track. For whatever reason, I honestly thought the trio of colour would've been massively inescapable in their homeland especially considering how this wasn't even their biggest hit over in NZ as the kiwis made "Flowers" a huge success over there.
We're not even twenty entries in and we're already looking at our second Oscar winning ballad from the decade, this time it's the title track from Barbra Streisand's romantic drama classic where she plays a feminist who has a romantic tangle with Robert Redford who plays a naval officer who has widely different worldviews to her. The film remains a classic even in this day and age of the political divide.
It's hard to believe that this was only a sleeper hit here in Australia as well as a mere top ten hit in NZ given how it was easily one of the biggest hits of the decade in Walter Murphy's native America, there'll be plenty of other instrumental tracks moving forward as they were quite popular on Billboard like they were internationally.
Here's something that may shock you, it turns out that Gloria Gaynor is a one hit wonder in her homeland given how her breakthrough single "Never can say goodbye" flopped on the Billboard charts despite it being a massive hit here in Australia and the UK earlier in the decade. At least her fellow Americans made up for this by making it a huge chart topper on Billboard right when the disco backlash had begun.
Both of B.J Thomas's international hits were chart toppers for him in his homeland, this being the bigger of the two due to it being the theme song to the western classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid which won the academy award for best song right after it went to number one on Billboard.
This was the breakthrough single for Three dog night even in their homeland, although given how this had an impressive six-week stint at number one on Billboard, it meant that they were able to have plenty of other candidates for this list including all of the songs that I've already featured on this site.
Much like the rest of the world, this was the first big hit that Wings had in America given how it was marketed as a collaboration between them and Paul McCartney as they weren't sure if they wanted him to be permanently part of the band when it first came out. It lasted four weeks at number one on Billboard and possible would've lasted longer had the charts not been so chaotic at the time of its popularity.
For the most part, songs from non-American artists don't tend to do as well on Billboard as they do internationally, there are exceptions of course with this track from Gilbert O'Sullivan being one of them. This didn't even get to number one in his native UK and yet it spent a mammoth six weeks at number one in America, easily making it one of the longest stints at number one throughout the decade.
We haven't even cleared the top thirty yet and we've already looked at both of Roberta Flack's biggest hits on this list, this one originally being a flop even in her homeland upon its 1969 release due to nobody knowing who the woman of colour was at the time. It was given a second chance in 1972 when it became the theme song for the Clint Eastwood flick Play misty for me which was a huge box office success.
Glen Campbell may have had a string of hits worldwide prior to this ballad; however, those hits weren't as such in his native America given how this is one of only two candidates for this list with the other being a song that was released after this came out. Naturally, his fans cried sellout when this topped the Billboard charts due to how pop friendly it was compared to his back catalogue.
Given how Exile is an American band who found massive worldwide success, it makes sense that their breakthrough single would also be a massive success on Billboard even if it was arguable even bigger here in Australia back in the day. They are a one hit wonder in their homeland as opposed to NZ where they scored a second hit with "The part of me that needs you most."
We're not even out of the top thirty yet and we have our fourth Oscar winning ballad on this list, this is the second one to come from Barbra Streisand following her theme to the Way we were from earlier on this list. Unlike that film, her adaptation of A star is born wasn't well received (despite what the Golden globes would have you think) save for this ballad she and co-star Kris Kristofferson wrote for the film.
I still can't believe this song exists, I guess it makes sense that it was a Billboard chart topper given how big it was internationally, however the fact that a song whose core appeal comes from Rick Dees doing a plausible Donald Duck impersonation was one of the biggest hits of the decade worldwide is just puzzling to me.
It seems odd that this would be Rod Stewart's second biggest hit in America and Australia given how his biggest hit differs from both countries, admittedly this was bound to be a massive success for him regardless of where in the world you're from given how disco was at the peak of its popularity when it first came out.
Speaking of Rod's biggest hit here in Australia, we have his breakthrough single which spent five weeks at number one on Billboard which is one more week than what the previous entry spent on there. This is impressive given how even in his native UK, he didn't have any success with his band the Faces prior to when this took off around the world.
This was the second Billboard chart topper Barry Manilow had in his career, although his first chart topper was much less successful to the point where it won't be appearing on this list for quite some time. In any case, I guess the irony was lost on his fellow Americans more so than us Aussies that this song wasn't written by him despite the lyrics and the fact that he is a songwriter.
These guys caused a big of controversy back in the day when they won best new artist over the likes of Elvis Costello and the Cars at the Grammies, I guess even then, people felt they were a flash in the pan despite their debut single being a massive worldwide success and going to number one on Billboard. As we saw in my 80's Billboard list, they were able to escape the one hit wonder bin in 1981 over there.
The brothers Gibb had the most Billboard chart toppers of the decade with an impressive nine songs; Elton John comes in second place with this being the first of six chart toppers from him on this list as well as his fourth chronologically despite him not getting to number one in his native UK until "Don't go breaking my heart" a year after this came out.
Here we are again with the first Billboard chart topper from Elton John, again this failed to get to number one in his homeland despite it being one of the biggest hits of the decade in the UK like it was internationally. While I wouldn't quite call it a glam rock track, it's close enough for it to be considered the Americans introduction to the genre.
This is the only song from Don McLean to be a candidate for this list, this is despite the singer/songwriter having at least two other hits here in Australia this decade in the form of "Vincent" and "If we try," the former of which was his biggest hit in the UK to boot. In any case, his fellow Americans couldn't get enough of this track which allowed it to be as big on Billboard as it was internationally.
This is the third entry where we have to thank the kiwis for allowing it to appear on this list given how it was a massive failure here in Australia, this is because they along with Donna Summer's fellow Americans decided to make this a hit despite her label pushing it as a single whilst her earlier entry was still climbing the charts worldwide. The gambit paid off as this was her third Billboard chart topper.
Both of KC and the Sunshine band's entries from my 70's lists will be accounted for on this list given how they were both Billboard chart toppers for the band back in the day. This was the bigger hit of the two much like it was in NZ given how it was the lead single to their third album as opposed to their other entry which wasn't for its album.
It may be considered one of the worst songs of all time, but that didn't stop this track from becoming a massive Billboard chart topper for Terry Jacks back in the day like it was worldwide. Despite this being a fairly normal song barring its lyrics, Terry is a one hit wonder even in his native Canada as well as in America.
Given how this was Simon and Garfunkel's biggest hit even in their native America, it must have come as a shock for their fans when they decided to call it quits months after this had its six-week run at number one on the Billboard charts due to their creative differences. They only have one other candidate for this list which we'll be revisiting later down this list.
All four of Dawn's entries I've featured on this site will be reappearing on this list, although unlike here in Australia, the band had a third chart topper which failed to become a hit anywhere else in the world as it was released in 1975. Maybe it would've appeared on here if Countdown hadn't considered these guys to be lame as it was a candidate for this list.
Much like the rest of the world, this was a two for one deal in America which helped it become John Denver's biggest hit on Billboard even after he already scored three chart toppers by this point in time. It appears that even his fellow Americans found him lame moving forward as this was his final hit single in his homeland in his career.
This was the song that finally gave Elton John a chart topper in his native UK, although you can argue that was due to the presence of Kiki Dee who already had a hit over there with her debut single "Amoureuse" much like she did here in Australia. None of this mattered in America of course as it was the English piano man's sixth chart topper on Billboard.
I was expecting there to be more candidates for the Manhattans on this list given how the three entries I've skipped over so far on my list from RYM were RNB ballads from musicians of colour, it turns out that these guys saw the exact same success in their homeland as they did in NZ given how their next hit was with "Shining star" four years after this topped the Billboard charts.
We have another two for one deal on this list, this time it's with the breakthrough singles Carole King had in her career which helped her top the Billboard charts for five weeks when it first came out. She has two other candidates for this list, however neither of them was a hit anywhere in the world except for her native America and thus won't be appearing on this list.
As you can imagine, these guys had plenty of success in their homeland throughout the decade and thus will have plenty of representation on this list as it unfolds. That said, I am surprised this was an even bigger hit here in Australia for the Carpenters given how long it's taken us to feature it on this list compared to its Australian equivalent.
I feel like I've done a good enough job at giving each and every entry on this site the respect it deserves for me to say this; I consider the Captain and Tennille to be one of the lamest music acts of all time due to how corny their music was. I bring this up because they were one of the biggest names of the decade in their native America, meaning if I said this at the time, that would leave me in the minority.
We only have two entries from Ray Stevens on this list, both of them were Billboard chart toppers which means that he only had two hits which were nonetheless huge amongst his fellow Americans. This was the bigger of the two as it was a comedy track about a man streaking in public that audiences found funny back in the day, but I doubt many would if it were released today.
Even though this is the only appearance from Johnnie Taylor on this list, he did have a second candidate with his 1973 hit "I believe in you" meaning that he wasn't a one hit wonder in his homeland like so many people believe. For whatever reason, this flopped here in Australia, meaning we have the kiwis to thank for its appearance on this list.
In a bizarre twist, it turns out that the second single from Goodbye yellow brick road wasn't a two for one deal in America like it was internationally. Instead, it was what many consider to be the B-side of "Candle in the wind" which didn't prevent it from topping the Billboard charts for Elton John likely due to the wacky lyrics on display.
While it wasn't quite as inescapable in their homeland as it was here in Australia, this sellout track from Chicago was nonetheless their biggest hit on Billboard as well as their first chart topper in America due to it connecting with easy listening audiences. These guys had the greatest number of candidates for this list that failed to appear on this list for the record.
This is one of only three entries from the Partridge family on this list, that combined with how long it's taken us to feature them on this list should tell you how much more we Aussies loved these guys over their fellow Americans given how they had a total of five hits down under as well as this being one of the top ten biggest hits of the decade.
This is the final appearance form Andy Gibb on this list given how it was the only other international hit he had back in the day, again this was a chart topper for him on Billboard, proving how much Americans loved the younger brother of the Bee gees. He had two more candidates for this list which both would've fitted comfortably in the top 400.
Whereas this was Jim Croce's only international hit, this wasn't even his only Billboard chart topper as "Time in a bottle" would go to number one in his homeland not too long after this did for him. He even had a third candidate for this list with a song that was popular prior to his two chart toppers, proving how much his fellow Americans loved his music.
You knew these guys would be appearing on this list; indeed, they had five Billboard chart toppers during their time together, each lasting a single week at number one for a bit of fun trivia. This was their biggest hit as it was the lead single to their breakthrough album of the same name, although the best would come on their next album even in their homeland.
Even in their homeland, this RNB ballad from Peaches and Herb proved to be the bigger hit from the duo over their much more easily recognisable song "Shake your groove thing" (which is still to come on this list.) It was their only chart topper and indeed their only hit in their homeland aside from their much more popular track the oldies stations love to flog to this day.
Even though they had a string of hits in their homeland prior to this lead single to their biggest album Natural high, this was still the first Billboard chart topper that the Commodores had proving just how little of a difference having a number one hit was in the long run. Indeed, this was a huge international hit for the band even if it was likely due to how easy it is to make fun of.
Here we are with the other entry from KC and the Sunshine band on this list, although I should point out that these guys had three other candidates for this list including two more Billboard chart toppers in addition to the two we've looked at here. This just goes to show how inescapable the band was in their homeland thanks to their catchy disco melodies.
I feel like this is a better representation of how popular this song is here in Australia given how much oldies stations love to flog this track, in any case, we have this hit from Player which was a chart topper in their homeland during the height of the Saturday night fever phenomenon. It was so popular that the band even had a second candidate for this list in the form of "This time I'm in it for love."
I'm a bit surprised this was Cher's biggest hit in America until "Believe" came out nearly two decades later, mainly because it didn't appear on one of her greatest hits packages until 2003 despite two of them being highly lucrative (those being the ones from 1992 and 1999.) Admittedly the song wasn't controversial back in the day, however it's clear she's done her best to bury it despite it topping the Billboard charts.
This is another song from the start of the decade that was far more popular here in Australia than it was in America, although admittedly this was still a huge hit for George Harrison in America given its four-week stint at the top of the Billboard charts. He only has one more entry to come on this list as nothing else he released this decade was even a candidate to appear on here.
This is the first song on this list that failed to top the Billboard charts, it's the second biggest hit of the decade overall in this regard as "I'd really love to see you tonight" from England Dan proved to be slightly more popular than this was back in the day. This really lucked out as it was stuck behind "Le freak" and "Da ya think I'm sexy" whereas Dan's song got stuck behind "Play that funky music."
Given how this was originally written for a British pop star named Stacy Lattisaw, this meant that it was released in the UK the same time it was released in Anita Ward's native America and thus became a chart topper in both countries roughly around the same time. It was also her only hit in both countries just like it was in Australia and NZ, making her an international one hit wonder.
If you thought it was weird that I excluded this track from my Billboard 80's lists even though "Him" made it on my bonus list, that's because this topped the Billboard charts just as the decade came to an end and thus makes it a 70's hit as opposed to an 80's hit like many consider it to be. It's another song from this time period I struggle to take seriously due to how much of a meme it's become.
Given how this wasn't the lead single to the album it came from, it means that it was equally as popular in America as it was here in Australia as we Aussies have a habit of overlooking a song's success in favour of the album which isn't shared by the duo's fellow Americans. I bring this up because if we used Billboard's metrics for the Australian charts, this would be more popular here than it was over there.
Both of the Four seasons entries on this site will be appearing on this list, this was obviously the bigger of the two hits they had this decade given how it was a massive success due to the surprise hit that lead singer Frankie Valli had with "My eyes adored you" worldwide. Even though this was a bigger hit in NZ and their native America back in the day, the 1992 remix wasn't a success in either country until two years after its success here in Australia.
Both of Melanie's songs from my Australian equivalent of this list will be appearing on here, however this was the only one of the two to equal the success it had with us Aussies in her homeland given how "Lay down" was way more popular down under than it was on Billboard back in the day. This means that this was her only Billboard chart topper despite being about three years out of date when it came out.
Even though this wasn't Styx's first hit in their homeland (they had two candidates for this list after all) it was by far their biggest given how it was their only Billboard chart topper which became as such just before the decade came to an end. It was so popular in their homeland that it convinced the Brits to make an exception to their rule of allowing rock songs to become a hit on their charts.
You better believe this was a number one hit in America back in the day, a song that many consider to be one of if not the lamest song of the 70's was at one point considered the most popular of its time. Much like the rest of the world, Starland vocal band failed to score a second hit in their homeland, which lead to their breakup both as a band and in their respective relationships.
Both songs from the Beatles final album were chart toppers on Billboard, meaning that they will both be appearing on this list for the fab four. Even though they never reunited due to the untimely death of John Lennon a decade after this came out, they did have a third candidate for this list as "Got to get you into my life" saw the light of day in 1976 and became a hit in America and nowhere else in the world.
We have our second entry on this list that failed to get to number one on our charts (fourth if we county England Dan and an entry from the Jackson five) this one comes to us from the Silver convention who got stuck behind Wings' top entry on this list for three weeks. Considering they actually did get to number one with a song that's still to come, it should tell you how much more popular this was over that.
Both of Freddy Fender's big international hits will be appearing on this list, although I should point out that his success in his homeland was the same as it was here in Australia as opposed to NZ where they were the top two biggest hits of the decade over there. Even though he had been active in the industry since the 50's, this was the first taste of success he had anywhere in the world.
Bet you weren't expecting this to be among the brothers Gibb's biggest hits in America, were you? Indeed, this track from the first half of the decade was their first chart topper over there even though they saw plenty of success on Billboard with their material from the 60's just like they did internationally. Eventually they would rebrand as a disco act where their popularity would explode once more.
If you're wondering why it's taken this long for me to feature an entry from Diana Ross on this list, that's because I skipped over her 1976 hit "Love hangover" which was the biggest hit she had in her homeland this decade. Hey at least this was eligible for the list due to how big it was here in Australia; it was a massive flop for her in NZ for whatever reason even after her Oscar nominated performance in the Lady sings the blues.
Even though Carl Douglas was based in the UK when he released this track, it didn't take too long for it to see a release in America given how instantly popular it was worldwide for the novelty singer. It was an instant char topper for him on Billboard much like the majority of entries we've looked at so far, however that wasn't enough for him to escape the one hit wonder bin anywhere in the world.
Whereas this guy remains a one hit wonder everywhere else in the world, Harry Nilsson at least has the comfort of knowing he had a second hit in his homeland as "Coconut" was a candidate for this list which was the follow up to his international chart topper. Indeed, this was more of a success on Billboard than the Mariah Carey cover as was the case here in Australia.
Although this will be the only appearance from Steve Miller on this list, he had three other candidates for it including a second Billboard chart topper in the form of "Rock n me" which remains a staple on oldies stations to this day as does his breakthrough single we're currently looking at. It's a bit odd this only became a hit in NZ and the UK when it was featured in a Levi's jeans commercial from 1990.
This is the first entry on this list where we have the Listener charts to thank for its appearance, were it not a massive hit in NZ according to those charts, I'd have to skip over this track from Billy Paul even though this was a minor top ten hit here in Australia. In any case, this was a huge chart topper for him in his homeland which makes it a shoe in for this list this early on.
Even though she had massive success in her homeland prior to this cover of the Richard Harris track, this was Donna Summer's first Billboard chart topper meaning that everything that came before it failed to get to number one in America despite how successful they were internationally. I'm not sure if it was nostalgia that got it there given how the original did almost top the Billboard charts exactly a decade prior.
This was a predictable chart topper for both Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond in their homeland give how popular both artists were among their fellow Americans, although it's worth noting that it was the third chart topper in both artists respective catalogues as well as the first the latter had in six years.
Given how this husband-and-wife duo scored not one but two chart toppers in their homeland during their time with the 5th dimension, it makes sense that they would repeat that success with their first single they released following the departure of that band on the Billboard charts. Again, we have the kiwis to thank for why this song made it on here and not thirteen others that didn't.
Even though I stand by everything I've said in these lists on this site (with a few exceptions here and there) I feel I should take this opportunity to clarify that when I call something problematic, I mean it as a synonym for questionable or head scratching and not what the far left use that term as. With that said, the fact this song got to number one for Elton John in America despite its problematic premise is something I still can't get my head around.
Here's the big chart topper that the Silver convention had in America, again it wasn't as big as their earlier entry due to not lasting as long in the Billboard top ten, however the fact that song got stuck behind Wings' biggest hit over there isn't something it should feel any shame for. Even in America, these were the only two hits that the West German trio had.
This was the second chart topper that the brothers Gibb had in America as well as their first hit anywhere in the world as a disco act, given how for the longest time I confused this for a Fleetwood Mac track, I have to imagine that this was indirectly responsible for that band taking off worldwide given how this came out the same time their breakthrough album did.
Even though this is considered to be one of the worst songs of the decade, that wasn't this song's reception back in the day as it's only in recent years that people have criticised Minnie's infamous falsetto she uses throughout the track. That would explain how it managed to top the Billboard charts for her as well as it becoming a massive worldwide success for her despite it being her only hit.
Even though this was Charlie Rich's only hit in America just like it was in most parts of the world, at least it was able to go to number one on Billboard for the country singer which just adds to the confusion as to why it was his only hit in his homeland. It's even more confusing when you consider the fact he scored a second hit in NZ towards the end of the decade with "On my knees."
We're 100 entries in (assuming we include the fourteen I've disqualified from my RYM list) and we're only now looking at the first of four entries from one of the earliest feminists in the music industry (six if we included two songs of hers that were only hits in America and nowhere else.) This was the biggest of her career on Billboard due to Americans fully embracing the Australian country singer in their country scene.
