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Forgotten Artists From the 1970s That Once Dominated the Charts

Forgotten Artists From the 1970s That Once Dominated the Charts

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The 1970s very well might have been the greatest decade in popular music history. It saw the birth of arena rock, and the bands that rode its wave – from Led Zeppelin to Queen to Kiss – were on top of the world. But while some of the decade’s top artists forever imprinted themselves in popular music history, others have been all but forgotten.

The 1970s gave us a veritable grab bag of incredible music to listen to, in countless genres. On one end of the spectrum, there was soft rock, singer-songwriter music, jazz rock, and easy listening. On the other end were punk rock, prog rock, and heavy metal. Mainstream rock was in the middle, and let’s not forget about disco, soul, R&B, reggae, funk, country, and country rock, all of which had their heyday in the 1970s.

Each of these genres had countless bands and artists jockeying for success, angling to become the name that’s synonymous with the genre. If you choose a random week’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart from the 1970s, you’re definitely going to see some names you recognize, but what’s shocking is how many acts had several songs – more than a dozen in some cases – on the chart but failed to achieve the long term success that makes them recognizable names to this day. True 70s music aficionados will know some of these names, but we have a feeling that you may only recognize a few, if any.

To determine the forgotten artists from the 1970s that once dominated the charts, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on Billboard Hot 100 chart history and Wikipedia pageviews. Artists were ranked based on the ratio of their Billboard Hot 100 chart score – an inverse point system wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point – to their daily average Wikipedia pageviews in 2023. Only artists with at least 10 songs on the Hot 100, one top 10 song, and less than 1,000 daily average Wikipedia pageviews in 2023 were considered. Chart data is current through March 16, 2024. If you’re feeling nostalgic, these are the biggest love songs of the 1970s.

25. Ray Stevens

Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images

Source: David Redfern / Redferns via Getty Images
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 26 songs (186 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 654 views per day
  • Biggest song: The Streak (1974)

24. Betty Wright

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

Source: Alston Records; Distributed by TK Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 11 songs (97 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 255 views per day
  • Biggest song: Clean Up Woman (1971)

23. Andy Kim

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

Source: Feld Brothers Management Corp., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 12 songs (107 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 331 views per day
  • Biggest song: Rock Me Gently (1974)

22. Atlanta Rhythm Section

Source: Decca Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Decca Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 14 songs (139 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 385 views per day
  • Biggest song: So In To You (1977)

21. Melissa Manchester

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

Source: C. J. Strauss (management), San Francisco/Arista Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 15 songs (156 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 415 views per day
  • Biggest song: You Should Hear How She Talks About You (1982)

20. Clarence Carter

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

Source: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 16 songs (132 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 297 views per day
  • Biggest song: Patches (1970)

19. The Emotions

The Emotions
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 11 songs (109 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 249 views per day
  • Biggest song: Best Of My Love (1977)

18. The Manhattans

Source: Starday-King Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Starday-King Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 16 songs (137 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 265 views per day
  • Biggest song: Kiss And Say Goodbye (1976)

17. The 5th Dimension

Source: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 29 songs (290 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 885 views per day
  • Biggest song: One Less Bell To Answer (1970)

16. The Staple Singers

Source: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Soul Train, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 15 songs (130 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 353 views per day
  • Biggest song: I’ll Take You There (1972)

15. Charlie Rich

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 13 songs (156 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 421 views per day
  • Biggest song: The Most Beautiful Girl (1973)

14. The O’Jays

Source: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Soul Train, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 29 songs (252 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 565 views per day
  • Biggest song: I Love Music (Part 1) (1975)

13. The Dramatics

Close-up of retro microphone at concert
Source: vectorfusionart / Shutterstock.com

Source: vectorfusionart / Shutterstock.com
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 12 songs (108 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 183 views per day
  • Biggest song: Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1971)

12. Ohio Players

Source: Mercury Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ohio Players (Dayton Daily News Archive)

Source: Mercury Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 14 songs (161 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 328 views per day
  • Biggest song: Love Rollercoaster (1975)

11. The Stylistics

Source: Soul Train, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Soul Train, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 18 songs (208 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 421 views per day
  • Biggest song: You Make Me Feel Brand New (1974)

10. Mark Lindsay

Source: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 21 songs (187 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 394 views per day
  • Biggest song: Arizona (1969)

9. Four Tops

Source: Arnie Lee (Arnielee) / Wikimedia Commons

Source: Arnie Lee (Arnielee) / Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 45 songs (382 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 735 views per day
  • Biggest song: When She Was My Girl (1981)

8. Tommy James

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 32 songs (280 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 499 views per day
  • Biggest song: Crimson And Clover (1968)

7. The Main Ingredient

Source: RCA Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 11 songs (101 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 115 views per day
  • Biggest song: Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely (1974)

6. Johnnie Taylor

Johnnie Taylor
Source: Echoes / Redferns via Getty Images

Source: Echoes / Redferns via Getty Images
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 19 songs (161 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 222 views per day
  • Biggest song: Disco Lady (1976)

5. Dennis Yost

Source: Bill Lowery Talent (management), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Bill Lowery Talent (management), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 10 songs (84 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 98 views per day
  • Biggest song: What Am I Crying For? (1972)

4. Tyrone Davis

Source: Dakar Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 15 songs (122 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 116 views per day
  • Biggest song: Turn Back The Hands Of Time (1970)

3. The Dells

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 23 songs (170 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 153 views per day
  • Biggest song: Stay In My Corner (1968)

2. Joe Simon

Source: Charday Penn / iStock via Getty Images

Source: Charday Penn / iStock via Getty Images
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 31 songs (232 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 170 views per day
  • Biggest song: Get Down, Get Down (Get On The Floor) (1975)

1. Engelbert Humperdinck

Source: ABC Television Network, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: ABC Television Network, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Billboard Hot 100 history: 22 songs (177 weeks total)
  • Avg. Wikipedia activity in 2023: 99 views per day
  • Biggest song: After The Lovin’ (1976)
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