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25 Musicians From the ’70s Who Dominated the Charts

25 Musicians From the ’70s Who Dominated the Charts

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25 Musicians From the ’70s Who Dominated the Charts

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

25. Ray Stevens

David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images

24. Betty Wright

Alston Records; Distributed by TK Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

23. Andy Kim

Feld Brothers Management Corp., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

22. Atlanta Rhythm Section

Decca Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

21. Melissa Manchester

C. J. Strauss (management), San Francisco/Arista Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

20. Clarence Carter

John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

19. The Emotions

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

18. The Manhattans

Starday-King Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

17. The 5th Dimension

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

16. The Staple Singers

Soul Train, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

15. Charlie Rich

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

14. The O'Jays

Davizro / Getty Images

13. The Dramatics

vectorfusionart / Shutterstock.com

12. Ohio Players

Mercury Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

11. The Stylistics

Soul Train, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

10. Mark Lindsay

ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

9. Four Tops

Arnie Lee (Arnielee) / Wikimedia Commons

8. Tommy James

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

7. The Main Ingredient

Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

6. Johnnie Taylor

Echoes / Redferns via Getty Images

5. Dennis Yost

ipopba / Getty Images

4. Tyrone Davis

Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

3. The Dells

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

2. Joe Simon

Charday Penn / iStock via Getty Images

1. Engelbert Humperdinck

ABC Television Network, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

25 Musicians From the ’70s Who Dominated the Charts
25. Ray Stevens
24. Betty Wright
23. Andy Kim
22. Atlanta Rhythm Section
21. Melissa Manchester
20. Clarence Carter
19. The Emotions
18. The Manhattans
17. The 5th Dimension
16. The Staple Singers
15. Charlie Rich
14. The O'Jays
13. The Dramatics
12. Ohio Players
11. The Stylistics
10. Mark Lindsay
9. Four Tops
8. Tommy James
7. The Main Ingredient
6. Johnnie Taylor
5. Dennis Yost
4. Tyrone Davis
3. The Dells
2. Joe Simon
1. Engelbert Humperdinck

25 Musicians From the ’70s Who Dominated the Charts

The 1970s were one of the most exciting decades in music history. Rock, disco, soul, funk, pop, and singer-songwriter acts all competed for space on the charts, creating an era packed with unforgettable songs and major stars. Names like David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Kiss still dominate conversations about the decade, but they were far from the only artists shaping what Americans heard on the radio.

Plenty of ’70s musicians had huge hits, landed multiple songs on the Billboard Hot 100, and were household names at the time. Decades later, many of them rarely get the same attention, even though their music once filled record stores, car radios, and living rooms across the country.

To find the forgotten chart-toppers of the decade, 24/7 Tempo reviewed Billboard Hot 100 data and Wikipedia traffic. Artists were ranked by comparing their chart success in the 1970s with how often people still search for them today. Only musicians with at least 10 Hot 100 songs, at least one top 10 hit, and fewer than 1,000 average daily Wikipedia pageviews in 2023 were included.

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