What Classic 1970's composition will endure the most time?

[Cabarone]

My take on this is the ones that will endure the longest are the ones I've been sick and tired of hearing being played to death already (Stairway, Hotel, Freebird, Fooled Again, thanks to Big Willie for ruining Don't Stop)...

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by Cabarone

My take on this is the ones that will endure the longest are the ones I've been sick and tired of hearing being played to death already

^^Yes, unfortunately.^^^


What, no "FREEBIRD!"???

[FrankHudson]

I'm thinking of that old advertisement catch-phrase: "What becomes a legend most."

While of course predictions are difficult, especially about the future , a few things would seem to up the odds of future classic status. You could make the question, "Hey, what song do I like to hear from the 70s myself" I suppose, but guessing the future seems like a different question than that. I also took it as "composition"--that is song, not its most famous recording.

Arresting music or lyrics. Not all ear-worms become classics, but many fewer songs become classics without something that hooks the listener. Most of these songs, as this is a list of pop songs that have already been tested in this regard probably have that point covered, but of course so do a thousand others.

A large degree of relevance across time and cultural changes on the lyric's subject is helpful. A song like "Superstition" or "Won't Get Fooled Again" has the edge over a song that is more tied to a time and place like "Hotel California" I'd think.

Likewise I think it helps if the song translates easily and without undo creativity onto various instruments, arrangements, playing styles. I love folks who can take a song and make it sound valid in entirely different styles (l love an lazy afterhours, Julie London vibe take on "Smoke on the Water" and the like, but I wouldn't count on that kind of creativity to keep a song around). A song like "Lola" or even Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" might have advantages over "Stairway..."

Songs with inherent drama often seem to stick around as classics. This can help overcome a lack of distinction in the other areas.

And before folks hit reply too fast, let me reiterate, I'm not taking the OP's question as "Which of these is a good song...my favorite song...or the one that I personally don't want to ever hear again."

[valleyguy]

I voted for Hotel California, but I hear Brown eyed Girl is the most requested song on radio

[AmericanEagle]

I don’t get it why some people hate Stairway. I love that song.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by AmericanEagle

I don’t get it why some people hate Stairway. I love that song.

Me too. And Hotel California. And Bohemian Rhapsody. As I don't listen to music radio in any form, I rarely hear them these days, so when I do, I can reminisce, and enjoy.

Now, if I get a whiff of Freebird anywhere, I find something to block it out as fast as I can. To quote Dorothy Parker, "This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it."

[fazool]

Originally Posted by merlin666

I grew up musically in the 70s and I don't even recall some of the suggested tunes....

Same

Originally Posted by TJE"

...Nevertheless they are mostly pretty mainstream acts that are all still played frequently today.

Where? I listen to nothing but classic stations on XM. Three of these I've never even heard of.

I voted Hotel California which is self-evident in it's longevity but I wouldn't have put any of the rest on a list of "songs that will survive"

Understand I'm not criticizing your preferences or personal tastes - I'm simply saying that these are not mainstream songs that will last.

[TJE"]

Originally Posted by fazool

Same




Where? I listen to nothing but classic stations on XM. Three of these I've never even heard of.

I voted Hotel California which is self-evident in it's longevity but I wouldn't have put any of the rest on a list of "songs that will survive"

Understand I'm not criticizing your preferences or personal tastes - I'm simply saying that these are not mainstream songs that will last.

Maybe it's culturally specific to the UK. But some of these songs are taken from the best selling albums worldwide.. ever. Pink Floyd - Dark side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac - Rumours, Lou Reed -Transformer, Bee Gees etc.

But I'd be interested to see someone else's list of 70's classics, if only coz I might be missing out on something.

[KenL]

"Hotel California" gets my vote. It's a masterpiece.


However, Carly Simon wins the "Best Album Cover" category among those listed. No contest.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by TJE"

Maybe it's culturally specific to the UK. But some of these songs are taken from the best selling albums worldwide.. ever. Pink Floyd - Dark side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac - Rumours, Lou Reed -Transformer, Bee Gees etc.

But I'd be interested to see someone else's list of 70's classics, if only coz I might be missing out on something.

Firstly, your list assumes that people still listen to albums. People below the age of 40 haven't listened to albums since iTunes brought back the single. Vinyl is making a comeback, but I'd be surprised if the 18-35 demographic is part of that.

Because of that, I'm focusing more on songs - or more aptly, commercial "hits." In this day and age, commercialism is alive and well and they know that most of the money is still in the 36 and up demographic. All you have to do is watch "modern" television commercials and you'll be inundated with some producer's idea of a song that speaks to the target demographic.

Don't confuse this with relevance though. The current up and comers are only tolerating the "boomers" and see the previous generations as something to be "reimagined." They like the boomers' money though. Why else would they be charging people to watch reruns of sitcoms from the 70s, 80s and 90s?

Now, on to the list:

Won't Get fooled again - the Who
That particular song was killed in 2012 when the television show that used it (CSI Miami) folded after people got tired of a decade of David Caruso saying something pithy in the opening sequence and donning his Matrix sunglasses. In fact, the entire CSI franchise pretty much killed the Who by relegating them to "post modern jukebox" status. Gladly, nobody touched Pinball Wizard but that song came out in 1969 so it doesn't count here.

Superstition - Stevie Wonder
In this day and age Isn't She Lovely is more relevant. In fact, I seem to recall a geriatric Stevie singing it for his eldest daughter Aisha's televised birthday party several years back. I think she's the only reason he's still relevant.

Perfect Day - Lou Reed
Kids don't know how to Walk on the Wild Side anymore. They'll trip or fall off their electric scooters and break their DSLRs that are poised precariously on Gorilla pods while "Youtubing." I think the last time I heard a Lou Reed song it was on a pharmaceutical ad.

You're So Vain - Carly Simon
Vanity is not chic unless it's used on an awards show or you're doing a series of makeup tutorials on Youtube. Otherwise the last time I heard Carly Simon was on an elevator. I always felt that James Taylor came out of that relationship with a bit more artistic relevance since they seemed to channel the Carpenters and the Captain and Tennille, so JT's Fire and Rain would still be my choice though. If that's the wrong demographic, then I'd counter with Gloria Gayner's I Will Survive.

Rock'n Roll Baby - The Stylistics
To be honest, I had to Google them. There were so many better examples of early 70s R&B to draw from: Al Green (Let's Stay Together, Love and Happiness Marvin Gaye (Let's Get it On, What's Going On) but really the R&B recycling got hung up in the courts when somebody thought Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud sounded a bit too much like Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On.

Starman - David Bowie
Didn't Elon Musk pretty much hijack Bowie's Space Oddity? For Bowie I'd have gone with Changes or Suffragette City as they have more "jingle" in them, but as I said people have short attention spans and kids don't have time for people who are not among the living with no heirs to rake in the royalties. To quote "your father's Star Trek": "he's dead, Jim." The only way Bowie will be remembered is if Lady Gaga can find a way to claw her way back into the spotlight by "borrowing" more of his style if her acting career doesn't take off. Elton John is more visible - and still alive so Rocket Man gets my suggestion. The song, NOT the movie. That was a train wreck.

Brain Damage - Pink Floyd
Too "new age." I've used Dark Side of the Moon as music to fall asleep to since the late 1980s. I'm pretty sure it trained me to sleep through the alarm clock. Nowadays, the only Floyd I hear is played by the local classic rock channel during the morning commute - which is dangerous because the sun hasn't come up yet this time of year. It wouldn't surprise me if a study finds the reason for a daily pileup coincides with when a Pink Floyd song comes up on the rotation. "Wish You Were Here" is presently the most requested song I've heard from them lately on social media live streams so that particular song gets my vote.

Stayin Alive - The Bee Gees
Disco is dead. Actually, it's been repackaged but really most people realize that disco was basically gentrified R&B and gentrification is being portrayed as a bad thing. Disco has never been good.

Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
I'll admit, I thought you said "Don't Stop Believin'" but that's a Journey song from 1981. Of all the songs from Rumors that one is among my least favorite. I'm just not a fan of Christine McVie's voice. I'd have gone with Landslide since the Dixie Chicks managed to bring it back several years ago - and part of the reason why my wife thinks Fleetwood Mac is a country and western band. On the other hand, with Disney buying up Marvel Comics and causing a sort of mini-revival of 70s music with "Guardians of the Galaxy" I was especially pumped when they decided to play Chains during the epic battle with Kurt Russel. Go Your Own Way would be my third choice, making this whole album (B sides, "lesser" hits and all) still relevant.

Lola - The Kinks
Frankly, I'm surprised that in this current age of celebrated "transgenderism" that this song wasn't latched on to by pop culture. I'm guessing it's too obvious and too "raw." Again, they decided to go with Elton John's and his "best" commercial album was "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

[hairpuller]

I'd be happy to never hear "hotel calif." again. WAAAYYY too long, and those guitars at the end!!! Ahhh...
But then I was never a fan of the eagles.

A few I'd have liked to see in the poll are:

Pretender ~ Brass in Pocket
Clash ~ Train in Vain
Stones ~ Brown Sugar
Talking Heads ~ Take me to the River (I know it's not an original)
Bowie ~ Heroes
Elton ~ Rocketman
Beatles ~ Let it Be

Fun to reminisce! Thanks for the poll!
scott

[merlin666]

So I got curious and looked up the List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_the_1970s on Wikipedia, as one would think this should be the ultimate source. Indeed there are 479 choices. Of course almost 5 decades later we have different criteria, but if we take the number of weeks at #1 then the winner is - DRUMROLL - "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone with 10 weeks!

I don't think I have heard that song yet. Will have to check youtube ... and I did, with the conclusion that popularity at the time is not a good criterion for long time endurance.

[Bax Burgess]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

...To quote Dorothy Parker, "This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it."

Apologies to Dorothy Parker, raisins sound like an improvement, but then I'm partial to fruit cake.

[TJE"]

[QUOTE=Neil K Walk;6280341]Firstly, your list assumes that people still listen to albums. People below the age of 40 haven't listened to albums since iTunes brought back the single. Vinyl is making a comeback, but I'd be surprised if the 18-35 demographic is part of that.

I think the 70's was the 'album decade', so it would have been mis-representative to focus just on hit singles from that era.

But the fact that just two songs have got most the most votes seems to support your arguement that the rest will get lost in the ether of time.

Nonetheless to use your own info the fact the some of them are popping up in CSI, adverts and political campaigns etc seems to suggest that they have got some kind of life.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by TJE"

I think the 70's was the 'album decade', so it would have been mis-representative to focus just on hit singles from that era.

But the fact that just two songs have got most the most votes seems to support your arguement that the rest will get lost in the ether of time.

Nonetheless to use your own info the fact the some of them are popping up in CSI, adverts and political campaigns etc seems to suggest that they have got some kind of life.

CSI went off the air years ago though. Those shows themselves are mostly consumed by older generations. That's why my songs you hear are the "oldies."

BTW, younger adults (18-35) are now doing Tik Tok to what they call "hip hop" music. It's really crappy and I wonder if they will last the test of time, but I would guess that in about 30 years that's all you're going to see on an aging Netflix platform .