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25 Musicians From the 70’s Who Ruled The Charts

25 Musicians From the 70’s Who Ruled The Charts

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25 Musicians From the 70’s Who Ruled 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 70’s Who Ruled 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 70’s Who Ruled The Charts

As someone who grew up with the music of the '70s, I can tell you that every decade had its hits, but the 1970s were something special. It wasn't just the rise of legends like David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Kiss. The era was packed with talent, and the charts were filled with bands fighting to define their sound and make it big.

But what's wild is how many of those hitmakers we don't hear about anymore. If you look at the Billboard Hot 100 from that time, sure, you'll see the familiar names, but also a ton of artists who had multiple charting songs, even major hits, yet somehow slipped into obscurity.

To spotlight those forgotten icons, artists who once ruled the airwaves but are barely remembered today, 24/7 Tempo looked at Billboard chart data and Wikipedia traffic. They ranked musicians based on how successful they were in the '70s compared to how often people still look them up today.

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.)

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