Nov 10 2022
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Top 20 Best 70s Rock Bands Of All Time

By David Presley
Top 20 Best 70s Rock Bands Of All Time

Top-20-Best-70s-Rock-Bands-Of-All-Time-2

We list some of the best 70s rock bands of all time. The 1970s saw the emergence of some new music genres that have become staples of the modern era. Punk rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and soft rock all had their origins in these era. The psychedelic, trippy sounds of the early 60s gave way to darker, heavier sounds with the holy trinity of British bands, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Once they too went mainstream, rebellious subcultures began to pop up on a global scale. In spite of everything, the 70s created a perfect musical bridge from the rebelliousness of the 1960s and the happy songs that are characteristic of the 1980s.

1. Queen

Queen is an English rock band originally consisting of four members: vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bass guitarist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor. The band formed in London in 1970 after May and Taylor’s former band Smile split after having released an album and single. Freddie replaced lead vocalist Tim Staffell, after the latter’s departure from the original trio. Through his legendary theatrical performances, Queen became one of the most popular bands in the world in the mid-’70s, topping the charts in England and regularly cracking the Billboard 200 Top Ten with albums like 1975’s A Night at the Opera, 1976’s A Day at the Races, and 1977’s News of the World. In 1990, Queen received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. They’ve sold over 250 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling music artists. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2018 they were presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

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2. The Beatles

The Beatles were a highly influential English rock ‘n’ roll band from Liverpool. They are the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful rock music band in music history. The innovative music and style of band members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr helped to define the 1960s, and they continue to be well regarded for their artistic achievements and their huge commercial success. They gained popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit, “Love Me Do”, in late 1962. They acquired the nickname “the Fab Four” as Beatlemania grew in Britain over the following year, and by early 1964 they had become international stars, leading the “British Invasion” of the United States music market. The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. In 2004 and 2011, the group topped Rolling Stone’s lists of the greatest artists in history.

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3. AC/DC

AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in November 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. Although the band are considered pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal, its members have always classified their music as “rock ‘n’ roll”. AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, 1975’s High Voltage. Membership subsequently stabilized around the Young brothers, singer Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd, and bassist Mark Evans. Evans was fired from the band in 1977 and replaced by Cliff Williams, who has appeared on every AC/DC album since 1978’s Powerage. In February 1980, Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking. AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 75 million albums in the United States, making them the ninth-highest-selling artist in the United States and the 16th-best-selling artist worldwide.

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4. Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac was founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the lineup. The band released a self-titled debut album in 1968. The album reached number four on the UK charts. They later released the singles ‘Black Magic Woman’ and ‘Need Your Love So Bad’. The band released their second album ‘Mr.Wonderful’ the following year. Following the release of their second album the band added the guitarist, Danny Kirwan to their line-up. Shortly after the band released their first number one single in the UK, ‘Albatross’. In 1998 the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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5. The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band whose music propelled them to the heights of popularity during the “British Invasion” in the early 1960s. They went on to become the longest-lived major rock band in history, and one of the most successful.  As the self-consciously dangerous alternative to the bouncy Merseybeat of the Beatles in the British Invasion, the Stones had pioneered the gritty, hard-driving blues-based rock & roll that came to define hard rock. The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

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6. Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) was an American roots rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 70s with a string of successful songs from multiple albums released from 1968-70. The group consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and songwriter John Fogerty; rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty; bass player Stu Cook; and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and the so-called swamp-rock genre, of which they were a leading example. Hit singles such as “Suzie Q,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Up Around the Bend,” and “Proud Mary” established CCR as one of the top rock groups of the late 1960s. The band broke up in 1972.

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7. Aerosmith

Aerosmith is an American rock group famous for being one of America’s greatest rock and roll bands. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970, and consists of Steven Tyler on vocals and keyboard, guitarist Joe Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer and guitarist Brad Whitford. Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop rock, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. Aerosmith have achieved twenty-one Top 40 hits on the US Hot 100, nine number-one Mainstream Rock hits, and have also won four Grammy Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

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8. The Eagles

The Eagles were an American rock band that started in Los Angeles in 1971. Their early sound was a combination of country music and Surf rock. Their first album, released in 1972, sold over a million copies. They also captured the shifting zeitgeist of the ’70s, riding the country-rock hippie hangover at the end of the ’60s until it reached the slick, expensive, and expansive pop/rock of Southern California in the late ’70s. With five No. 1 singles, six Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and six No. 1 albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

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9. Led Zeppelin

Initially called the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page, the final lead guitarist for the legendary British blues band the Yardbirds. Bassist and keyboard player Jones, like Page, was a veteran studio musician; vocalist Plant and drummer Bonham came from little-known provincial bands. Zeppelin ushered in the era of album rock — they refused to release singles off their albums, even when they were garnering massive radio play — and of arena rock, playing ever-larger stadiums as their ticket sales skyrocketed. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. The band is also considered “as influential” during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s.

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10. Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd started in 1965 with the members Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. Some of the members of the Pink Floyd band started out in previous other bands such as Sigma 6, The Meggadeaths, and The screaming Abdabs all formed in 1964. Gaining a following as a psychedelic band, they were distinguished for their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows, and became a leading band of the progressive rock genre. They are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in popular music history. Pink Floyd were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

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11. Journey

Journey is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, Frumious Bandersnatch, and the Steve Miller Band. Guitarist Neal Schon is their only constant member. The band first began as a progressive rock band and later evolved their sound to include more pop sounds mixed in with their original rock sound. Journey’s greatest commercial success came in the late 1970s through the early 1980s with a series of power ballads and songs such as “Don’t Stop Believin'”, “Any Way You Want It”, “Faithfully”, “Open Arms”, “Separate Ways”, and “Wheel in the Sky”. Although, the band had been highly successful, they also regularly faced criticism, often around being overly commercial. Journey has sold over 48 million albums in the US, making them the 25th best-selling band. Their worldwide sales have reached over 100 million records globally, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the class of 2017.

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12. Kiss

Kiss (often stylized as KIϟϟ) is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. KISS was born out of the ashes of Wicked Lester. Although ‘Heavy Metal’ didn’t exist when the band was formed in 1972 it can be said that they invented a big part of the sound and style which now belong to Heavy Metal. The band is known for its elaborate stage shows, loud music, and extravagant costumes. Kiss is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, as well as one of the bestselling bands of all time, claiming to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 21 million RIAA-certified albums.

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13. Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a Southern Rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida, USA in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before three members and one road crew member died in an airplane crash in 1977. The band reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with lead singer Ronnie Van Zant’s younger brother Johnny as the frontman. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lynyrd Skynyrd No. 95 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006.

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14. Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath was an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. In the early 70s, they were the first to pair heavily distorted, sonically dissonant blues rock at slow speeds with lyrics about drugs, mental pain and abominations of war, thus giving birth to generations of metal bands that followed in their wake. Their name itself taken from a notorious horror film, they are often credited with creating the Heavy Metal genre as well as the doom metal subgenre. Black Sabbath officially disbanded in March 2017. They have also won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, and in 2019 the band were presented a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

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15. Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra is a symphonic rock band which formed in Birmingham, England in 1970. The band was formed by Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar, multiple instruments), Roy Wood (multiple instruments, vocals), Richard Tandy (keyboards, vocals) and Bev Bevan (drums). They incorporated the sounds of string ensembles, vocoders and dub echos into rock songs, thereby creating a very sophisticated studio version of rock.  With their 1973 album ELO II, the band hit the Top Ten with their grandiose cover of the Chuck Berry chestnut “Roll Over Beethoven”; the record was also their first American hit, with 1974’s Eldorado yielding their first U.S. Top Ten, the lovely “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.” Despite Electric Light Orchestra’s commercial success, the band remained relatively faceless; the lineup changed constantly, with sole mainstays Lynne and Bevan preferring to let their elaborate stage shows and omnipresent spaceship imagery instead serve as the group’s public persona. In 2017, the key members of ELO (Wood, Lynne, Bevan and Tandy) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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16. The Clash

The Clash were originally formed when Bernie Rhodes, friend and business rival of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, tried to form his own punk rock group. He recruited guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon and drummer Terry Chimes from protopunk band London S.S. Later on, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer joined the band. Their explosive, uptempo punk-rock manifestos were unleashed with pure adrenaline and total conviction. Following the Sex Pistols’ dissolution in January 1978, the Clash became the central voice of the punk movement and remained at the forefront for five years. In January 2003, shortly after the death of Joe Strummer, the band—including original drummer Terry Chimes—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Clash number 28 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.

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17. Blondie

Blondie, an American rock group known for incorporating varied influences, including avant-garde, reggae, and hip-hop, into the new wave sound of the 1970s and ’80s. Blondie was formed in 1974 by vocalist Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. Among their hits is the groundbreaking rock-disco hybrid “Heart of Glass” the equally influential hip-hop fantasia “Rapture” the stalker-love song “One Way Or Another” and the lilting calypso “The Tide Is High.” The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and has sold over 40 million records worldwide.

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18. Talking Heads

Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City. The band only began to break through further with the landmark Brian Eno-produced, 1978 album More Songs About Buildings And Food. While some of their music can seem too self-consciously experimental, clever, and intellectual for its own good, at their best Talking Heads represent everything good about art-school punks. In 2002, Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of their albums appear in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,

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19. ZZ Top

In 1969, ZZ Top got its start in Houston, Texas. The remnants of two Houston area garage bands — Moving Sidewalks (Billy Gibbons) and American Blues (Frank Beard and Dusty Hill) — formed the band. They began to get significant attention with the release of their third album in 1973, Tres Hombres. The blues-based, guitar-driven boogie beat made them distinctive, as did their signature sunglasses, long beards, and flashy outfits. By the time of Hill’s death in 2021, ZZ Top had become the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of popular music. ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million albums worldwide. In 2004, the members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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20. The Who

The Who were key figures of the British Invasion, the mid-60s mod movement, and 70s arena rock. They exploded conventional rock and R&B structures with Pete Townshend’s furious guitar chords, John Entwistle’s hyperactive basslines, and Keith Moon’s vigorous, seemingly chaotic drumming. They are cited as an influence by many hard rock, punk rock, power pop and mod bands, and their songs are still regularly played. The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

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Honorable mentions

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