70s Singers: The Biggest Solo Artists, by the Charts
Elton John was the biggest of all the 70s singers by the charts.
He put 12 solo singles on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 between 1972 and 1979.
No other solo act matched that.
Stevie Wonder was close behind with 10, and Barry Manilow had 9.
This page ranks every solo singer with at least three year-end hits in the decade.
That's 48 names, each with their number ones, weeks at the top, and biggest hit.
Every one of those biggest hits can be played right from the table.
The ten solo singers with the most Billboard year-end Hot 100 hits, 1970 to 1979.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's year-end Billboard data.
The Short Answer: The Top 10 70s Singers
Ranked by solo singles on the Billboard year-end Hot 100, these were the ten biggest names:
- Elton John: 12
- Stevie Wonder: 10
- Barry Manilow: 9
- Olivia Newton-John: 8
- Helen Reddy: 7
- John Denver: 6
- Al Green: 6
- Anne Murray: 6
- Donna Summer: 5
- Andy Gibb: 5
Ties among 70s singers are broken by chart points, so a higher-ranked song counts for more.
That's why John Denver sits above Al Green, and Donna Summer above Andy Gibb.
The year-end list is Billboard's own summary of each year's biggest singles.
Landing on it means a song didn't just chart, it lasted.
Why Solo Singers Only
This is a ranking of 70s singers as individual voices, not bands.
Groups get their own chart-built ranking, since lumping them in would bury most solo acts.
For the record, here's how the biggest groups compare on the same count.
- The Bee Gees had 12 year-end hits, level with Elton John.
- The Carpenters had 11.
- Chicago and Electric Light Orchestra had 8 each.
Andy Gibb, the youngest Gibb brother, makes this list on his own solo record.
Men and Women on the List
Of the 70s singers ranked here, 11 of the 48 are women.
Olivia Newton-John is the highest-placed woman, fourth overall with 8 year-end hits.
Helen Reddy is right behind her in fifth.
Elton John's 12 Year-End Hits
Elton John's first year-end hit came in 1972.
From then on he placed at least one solo single on every year-end list through 1979, except 1978.
| Year | Song | Year-end rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Rocket Man | 40 |
| 1973 | Crocodile Rock | 7 |
| 1973 | Daniel | 48 |
| 1974 | Bennie and the Jets | 9 |
| 1974 | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | 72 |
| 1974 | Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me | 78 |
| 1975 | Philadelphia Freedom | 3 |
| 1975 | Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds | 35 |
| 1975 | Someone Saved My Life Tonight | 92 |
| 1976 | Island Girl | 65 |
| 1977 | Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word | 95 |
| 1979 | Mama Can't Buy You Love | 36 |
1974 and 1975 Were the Peak
He had three year-end hits in 1974 and three more in 1975.
None of the other 70s singers placed more in either year.
Five of these twelve went to number one on the weekly chart:
- "Crocodile Rock," 3 weeks in 1973
- "Bennie and the Jets," 1 week in 1974
- "Philadelphia Freedom," 2 weeks in 1975
- "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," 2 weeks in 1975
- "Island Girl," 3 weeks in 1975
Philadelphia Freedom Was the Biggest
"Philadelphia Freedom" finished number 3 for all of 1975.
It's the highest year-end placing of any Elton John solo record in the decade.
The weekly chart credits it to the Elton John Band, but it counts as his here.
The year-end chart credits it to Elton John alone, and the band was his own touring and studio group.
He wrote it with Bernie Taupin as a favor to his friend Billie Jean King.
She played for a pro tennis team called the Philadelphia Freedoms.
Early 70s vs. Late 70s: Two Different Leaders
Split the decade in half and the leaderboard changes.
| 1970 to 1974 | Hits | 1975 to 1979 | Hits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 7 | Barry Manilow | 9 |
| Elton John | 6 | Elton John | 6 |
| Aretha Franklin | 5 | Linda Ronstadt | 5 |
| Al Green | 5 | Donna Summer | 5 |
| Helen Reddy | 5 | Andy Gibb | 5 |
Elton John is the only one of the 70s singers in the top five of both halves.
That consistency, more than any single smash, is what puts him first.
Stevie Wonder Owned the Early Years
Seven of Stevie Wonder's ten year-end hits came between 1970 and 1974.
That run covers "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," "Superstition" and "Living for the City."
He came back strong in 1977, when "Sir Duke" and "I Wish" both reached number one.
Both came from the double album Songs in the Key of Life.
He tied Elton John for the most solo number ones of the decade, with five each.
Stevie Wonder in 1973, his best year on the year-end chart with three hits.
Image credit: Photo by Motown Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Barry Manilow's Nine in Five Years
Barry Manilow didn't place a single year-end hit before 1975.
Then he placed nine in five years, the most of any solo singer in the second half.
"I Write the Songs" was his biggest, number 13 for 1976.
He never had one giant year.
He just placed two year-end hits a year from 1975 to 1978, then one more in 1979.
Piano ballads built to swell into a big last chorus were exactly what late-70s radio wanted.
Weeks at Number One: A Different Leaderboard
Year-end hits reward 70s singers for consistency.
Weeks at number one reward the monster hit.
Measured that way, the order looks nothing like the chart above.
| Singer | Weeks at No. 1 | Number ones |
|---|---|---|
| Rod Stewart | 17 | 3 |
| Andy Gibb | 13 | 3 |
| Roberta Flack | 12 | 3 |
| Elton John | 11 | 5 |
| Donna Summer | 11 | 3 |
| Stevie Wonder | 7 | 5 |
| Diana Ross | 7 | 4 |
Rod Stewart's Three Long Runs
Rod Stewart had only four year-end hits, which puts him 18th on the main ranking.
But three of them were long-running number ones.
- "Maggie May," 5 weeks in 1971
- "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," 8 weeks across 1976 and 1977
- "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," 4 weeks in 1979
That adds up to 17 weeks, more than any other solo singer of the decade.
Andy Gibb Went Three for Three
Andy Gibb's first three US singles all reached number one.
Billboard's Book of Number One Hits credits him as the first solo artist to do that.
"Shadow Dancing" held the top for seven weeks in 1978 and finished number 1 for the year.
Big Careers, No 70s Number One
Some 70s singers stacked up year-end hits without a single week at the top in the decade.
- Aretha Franklin, 5 year-end hits
- Alice Cooper, 4
- Kenny Rogers, 3
- Peter Frampton, 3
- Elvis Presley, 3
- Cat Stevens, 3
- Jim Stafford, 3
- Joe Simon, 3
Aretha Franklin's biggest, "Until You Come Back to Me," finished number 11 for 1974.
It never topped the weekly chart.
The Top 70s Singers, Year by Year
Here's which solo singer placed the most singles on each year's list.
Three or more in one year was rare, and ties were common.
| Year | Top solo singer(s) | Hits that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | B.J. Thomas | 2 |
| 1971 | Donny Osmond, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin | 2 |
| 1972 | Al Green | 3 |
| 1973 | Stevie Wonder | 3 |
| 1974 | Elton John, Olivia Newton-John, Jim Stafford | 3 |
| 1975 | Elton John | 3 |
| 1976 | Barry Manilow, Diana Ross, Peter Frampton | 2 |
| 1977 | Leo Sayer | 3 |
| 1978 | Andy Gibb | 3 |
| 1979 | Donna Summer | 3 |
Donna Summer Closed the Decade
By chart points, Donna Summer's 1979 was the strongest single year any solo singer had in the decade.
"Bad Girls" finished number 2, "Hot Stuff" number 7 and "MacArthur Park" number 12.
Three top-12 finishes in one year from one voice.
The full year's countdown is on the top songs of 1979 page.
The Duets, Shown Separately
Duets between 70s singers are real hits, but they don't count toward anyone's total here.
Counting them for both singers would double-count the same record.
| Year | Song | Credit | Year-end rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Where Is the Love | Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway | 58 |
| 1974 | Mockingbird | Carly Simon & James Taylor | 52 |
| 1974 | My Mistake (Was to Love You) | Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye | 92 |
| 1976 | Don't Go Breaking My Heart | Elton John & Kiki Dee | 2 |
| 1978 | You're the One That I Want | John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John | 13 |
| 1978 | The Closer I Get to You | Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway | 38 |
| 1978 | Summer Nights | John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John | 69 |
| 1979 | You Don't Bring Me Flowers | Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand | 21 |
What Changes If You Count Them
Adding duets would lift Elton John to 13 and Olivia Newton-John to 10.
It wouldn't change who finishes first.
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" also spent four weeks at number one in the summer of 1976.
All 70s Singers With 3 or More Year-End Hits, Sortable
Here is every solo act that placed three or more singles on the Billboard year-end Hot 100.
Tap a column heading to sort by rank, name, year-end hits, number ones or weeks at the top.
Names and song titles in gold link to a full story on this site.
Press Play to hear each singer's biggest year-end hit in a player that opens under the row.
Want a name you haven't heard of yet?
The Random Artist Picker pulls from over 600 artists of the decade, well beyond this chart list.
| Play | Biggest hit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elton John | 12 | 5 | 11 | Philadelphia Freedom (1975, No. 3) | |
| 2 | Stevie Wonder | 10 | 5 | 7 | Sir Duke (1977, No. 18) | |
| 3 | Barry Manilow | 9 | 3 | 3 | I Write the Songs (1976, No. 13) | |
| 4 | Olivia Newton-John | 8 | 2 | 3 | A Little More Love (1979, No. 17) | |
| 5 | Helen Reddy | 7 | 3 | 3 | Delta Dawn (1973, No. 14) | |
| 6 | John Denver | 6 | 4 | 5 | Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971, No. 8) | |
| 7 | Al Green | 6 | 1 | 1 | Let's Stay Together (1972, No. 11) | |
| 8 | Anne Murray | 6 | 1 | 1 | Danny's Song (1973, No. 36) | |
| 9 | Donna Summer | 5 | 3 | 11 | Bad Girls (1979, No. 2) | |
| 10 | Andy Gibb | 5 | 3 | 13 | Shadow Dancing (1978, No. 1) | |
| 11 | Diana Ross | 5 | 4 | 7 | Ain't No Mountain High Enough (1970, No. 6) | |
| 12 | Cher | 5 | 3 | 5 | Half-Breed (1973, No. 20) | |
| 13 | Paul Simon | 5 | 1 | 3 | 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (1976, No. 8) | |
| 14 | Carly Simon | 5 | 1 | 3 | You're So Vain (1973, No. 9) | |
| 15 | Aretha Franklin | 5 | 0 | 0 | Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) (1974, No. 11) | |
| 16 | Linda Ronstadt | 5 | 1 | 1 | When Will I Be Loved (1975, No. 47) | |
| 17 | Ringo Starr | 5 | 2 | 2 | You're Sixteen (1974, No. 31) | |
| 18 | Rod Stewart | 4 | 3 | 17 | Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) (1977, No. 1) | |
| 19 | Barbra Streisand | 4 | 2 | 6 | The Way We Were (1974, No. 1) | |
| 20 | Marvin Gaye | 4 | 2 | 3 | Let's Get It On (1973, No. 4) | |
| 21 | Jim Croce | 4 | 2 | 4 | Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (1973, No. 2) | |
| 22 | B.J. Thomas | 4 | 2 | 5 | Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (1970, No. 4) | |
| 23 | James Taylor | 4 | 1 | 1 | You've Got a Friend (1971, No. 17) | |
| 24 | Donny Osmond | 4 | 1 | 3 | Go Away Little Girl (1971, No. 7) | |
| 25 | Glen Campbell | 4 | 2 | 3 | Rhinestone Cowboy (1975, No. 2) | |
| 26 | Leo Sayer | 4 | 2 | 2 | You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (1977, No. 13) | |
| 27 | Alice Cooper | 4 | 0 | 0 | You and Me (1977, No. 48) | |
| 28 | Roberta Flack | 3 | 3 | 12 | The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1972, No. 1) | |
| 29 | Billy Preston | 3 | 2 | 3 | Will It Go Round in Circles (1973, No. 8) | |
| 30 | Bill Withers | 3 | 1 | 3 | Lean on Me (1972, No. 7) | |
| 31 | Ray Stevens | 3 | 2 | 5 | The Streak (1974, No. 8) | |
| 32 | Frankie Valli | 3 | 2 | 3 | My Eyes Adored You (1975, No. 5) | |
| 33 | Kenny Rogers | 3 | 0 | 0 | The Gambler (1979, No. 40) | |
| 34 | Neil Diamond | 3 | 2 | 2 | Cracklin' Rosie (1970, No. 17) | |
| 35 | Barry White | 3 | 1 | 1 | I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby (1973, No. 33) | |
| 36 | David Bowie | 3 | 1 | 2 | Fame (1975, No. 8) | |
| 37 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | 3 | 1 | 6 | Alone Again (Naturally) (1972, No. 2) | |
| 38 | Eddie Kendricks | 3 | 1 | 2 | Boogie Down (1974, No. 30) | |
| 39 | Michael Jackson | 3 | 2 | 2 | Ben (1972, No. 20) | |
| 40 | Charlie Rich | 3 | 1 | 2 | The Most Beautiful Girl (1974, No. 23) | |
| 41 | Eric Clapton | 3 | 1 | 1 | Lay Down Sally (1978, No. 15) | |
| 42 | Peter Frampton | 3 | 0 | 0 | I'm in You (1977, No. 42) | |
| 43 | Elvis Presley | 3 | 0 | 0 | Burning Love (1972, No. 48) | |
| 44 | Cat Stevens | 3 | 0 | 0 | Morning Has Broken (1972, No. 44) | |
| 45 | Shaun Cassidy | 3 | 1 | 1 | Da Doo Ron Ron (1977, No. 45) | |
| 46 | Neil Sedaka | 3 | 2 | 4 | Laughter in the Rain (1975, No. 9) | |
| 47 | Jim Stafford | 3 | 0 | 0 | Spiders and Snakes (1974, No. 16) | |
| 48 | Joe Simon | 3 | 0 | 0 | Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor) (1975, No. 76) |
How This Ranking Was Built
Every number on this page comes from two of this site's own Billboard data files.
- The year-end Hot 100 file, 100 songs for each year from 1970 to 1979.
- The weekly number one file, one record for every week of the decade.
To check any figure yourself, Billboard's charts are reproduced year by year on Wikipedia.
- The year-end lists, for example the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975.
- The weekly chart toppers, in the list of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of the 1970s.
The Counting Rules
- Only singles credited to the singer alone count toward the ranking.
- Duets with another named singer are listed in their own table, not counted.
- Singer-plus-band credits, like Paul McCartney & Wings or Gladys Knight & the Pips, are group records and left out.
- Alice Cooper was the name of a band until 1975, so the band's "School's Out" (1972) is not counted. His four solo hits from 1975 on are.
- Ties on year-end hits are broken by chart points: 101 minus the year-end rank, added up across every hit.
Where the Weekly Data Comes In
Number ones and weeks at number one are counted straight from the weekly rows.
That's why a song like "Tonight's the Night" shows its full eight weeks, even though it straddles two years.
The Andy Gibb first is credited to his Wikipedia biography, which cites Billboard's Book of Number One Hits.
Current and archived charts are on Billboard's Hot 100 page.
The full approach to sourcing is on the site's methodology page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the biggest solo singer of the 70s?
Elton John was the biggest solo singer of the 1970s by Billboard's year-end charts. He placed 12 solo singles on the year-end Hot 100 between 1972 and 1979, more than any other solo act. Five of his singles reached number one on the weekly Hot 100, for a combined 11 weeks at the top.
Which 70s singer had the most weeks at number one?
Rod Stewart spent the most weeks at number one of any solo singer in the 1970s, 17 in total. "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" held the top spot for eight weeks, "Maggie May" for five and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" for four. Andy Gibb was second with 13 weeks and Roberta Flack third with 12.
Who was the most successful female singer of the 70s?
Olivia Newton-John placed more solo singles on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 than any other female singer of the 1970s, with 8. Helen Reddy was next with 7. By other measures, Diana Ross had the most number one hits of any woman, with four, and Roberta Flack spent the most weeks at number one, with 12.
Why aren't the Bee Gees on this list of 70s singers?
The Bee Gees are left off because this ranking covers solo singers only, not groups. By the same year-end count, the Bee Gees tied Elton John with 12 entries and the Carpenters had 11. Their younger brother Andy Gibb does appear here in his own right, with five solo year-end hits and three number ones.
How is this 70s singers ranking calculated?
Each singer is ranked by how many solo singles they placed on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 from 1970 to 1979, using this site's own chart data. Ties are broken by chart points, which is 101 minus each song's year-end rank, added up. Duets and singer-plus-band credits are shown separately and not counted.
Think you know which of these singers cut which hit?
Put it to the test on the 70s Music Trivia Quiz.
For every genre, year and artist the site covers, start at Music of the 70s.
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