70s Music Genres

The 70s did not have one sound. This hub covers rock in its hard, soft, glam, folk, country, progressive and punk forms, plus disco, funk, soul and pop. Start with 70s disco music or 70s rock, or pick any genre below.

Dolly Parton in a publicity photo from 1977, wearing a denim shirt with her hair styled in her signature big blonde curls

Genres

70s Country Songs: Play 60 Hits, See Who Ruled #1

70s country songs, played here: 60 hits to watch, plus the acts that really ruled Billboard's country chart, and the few that crossed over.

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Bob Dylan performs in Rotterdam, June 23 1978, eyes closed at the microphone with a Fender Stratocaster, a folk rock in the 70s songwriter whose singles missed the year-end top 100

Genres

Folk Rock in the 70s: The Hits the Year-End Top 100 Missed

Folk rock in the 70s produced legends like Bob Dylan, yet three of its biggest names missed the year-end top 100. See their weekly hits.

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Genesis performing The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in Chicago, November 1974, Peter Gabriel in full costume with Phil Collins on drums, the kind of theatrical concept-album staging that defined 70s progressive rock

Genres

70s Progressive Rock: The Genre That Rarely Made the Top 100

70s progressive rock rarely charted as singles. Discover why concept albums built its real legacy, and the scenes most lists skip.

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Sex Pistols perform at Paradiso in Amsterdam, January 6, 1977, Johnny Rotten at the mic with Glen Matlock, Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, a defining image of 70s punk rock at its rawest

Genres

70s Punk Rock: The Genre the Year-End Chart Barely Noticed

70s punk rock never made the year-end top 100, though the Ramones did chart weekly. See where the data draws the line between punk and new wave.

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Marc Bolan of T. Rex performs in a zebra-print vest and cape during an ABC In Concert taping, May 1973, glam rock in the 70s at its most theatrical

Genres

Glam Rock in the 70s: Huge in Britain, Smaller in America

Glam rock in the 70s ruled British charts, but only T. Rex made the US year-end top 100 among nine hard-rock-tagged acts. See the weekly hits it left out.

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Eric Burdon fronting War in a 1971 performance, the 70s funk act with more year-end entries than any other in this site's data

Genres

70s Funk: Why War Out-Charted Every Other Act

70s funk goes deeper than Parliament and Kool & the Gang. Discover which act actually charted the most, and the real story behind the sound.

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Our 6 latest Genres posts are above. Every Genres post (13 total) is listed below.

70s Country Songs: Play 60 Hits, See Who Ruled #1 — 70s country songs, played here: 60 hits to watch, plus the acts that really ruled Billboard's country chart, and the few that crossed over.
Folk Rock in the 70s: The Hits the Year-End Top 100 Missed — Folk rock in the 70s produced legends like Bob Dylan, yet three of its biggest names missed the year-end top 100. See their weekly hits.
70s Progressive Rock: The Genre That Rarely Made the Top 100 — 70s progressive rock rarely charted as singles. Discover why concept albums built its real legacy, and the scenes most lists skip.
70s Punk Rock: The Genre the Year-End Chart Barely Noticed — 70s punk rock never made the year-end top 100, though the Ramones did chart weekly. See where the data draws the line between punk and new wave.
Glam Rock in the 70s: Huge in Britain, Smaller in America — Glam rock in the 70s ruled British charts, but only T. Rex made the US year-end top 100 among nine hard-rock-tagged acts. See the weekly hits it left out.
70s Funk: Why War Out-Charted Every Other Act — 70s funk goes deeper than Parliament and Kool & the Gang. Discover which act actually charted the most, and the real story behind the sound.
70s Hard Rock: The Genre That Actually Hit #1 — 70s hard rock rarely gets credit for real chart success. Discover which songs actually hit number one and the genre's essential 70s artists.
70s Disco Songs: 98 Hits You Can Play in One List — 70s disco songs from Love's Theme to Good Times: 98 hits from 1974 to 1979 with year-end ranks, weeks at No. 1 and one player for the whole list.
70s Country Rock: The Genre Nobody Wanted to Name — Discover the real story of 70s country rock: the Gilded Palace of Sin, the guitarist who built the Eagles, and Gram Parsons' strange death.
70s Soft Rock: 174 Songs You Can Play in One List — 70s soft rock from Bridge Over Troubled Water to Baker Street: 174 hits with year-end ranks, weeks at No. 1 and one player for the whole list.
1970s Pop Songs: 230 Year-End Hits in One Playlist — 1970s pop songs from Close to You to You Light Up My Life: 230 year-end hits with ranks, weeks at No. 1 and one player for the whole list.
70s Soul Songs: 195 Hits You Can Play in One List — 70s soul songs from I'll Be There to After the Love Has Gone: 195 hits with year-end ranks, weeks at No. 1 and one player for the whole list.
70s Rock: The Sound That Defined a Decade — Discover 70s rock's full story: hard rock, prog rock's chart dominance, Fleetwood Mac's record sales, and the punk revolt that closed out the decade.