The Ultimate 1970s Bracket
Sixteen of the biggest songs of the 1970s go head to head. Pick a winner in every match, crown your champion, then submit to see how everyone else voted.
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How the seeds were chosen
The year-end No. 1s of the 1970s are the top seeds, in order of year, followed by each year's No. 2, then No. 3, until there are sixteen different songs. Seed 1 plays seed 16, seed 8 plays seed 9, and so on, as in a sports tournament. ▶ plays a 30-second preview, so you can settle a tough match by ear.
| Seed | Song | Artist | Year-end finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon and Garfunkel | No. 1 of 1970 |
| 2 | Joy To The World | Three Dog Night | No. 1 of 1971 |
| 3 | The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face | Roberta Flack | No. 1 of 1972 |
| 4 | Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree | Tony Orlando and Dawn | No. 1 of 1973 |
| 5 | The Way We Were | Barbra Streisand | No. 1 of 1974 |
| 6 | Love Will Keep Us Together | Captain and Tennille | No. 1 of 1975 |
| 7 | Silly Love Songs | Wings | No. 1 of 1976 |
| 8 | Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) | Rod Stewart | No. 1 of 1977 |
| 9 | Shadow Dancing | Andy Gibb | No. 1 of 1978 |
| 10 | My Sharona | The Knack | No. 1 of 1979 |
| 11 | (They Long To Be) Close To You | Carpenters | No. 2 of 1970 |
| 12 | Maggie May / (Find A) Reason To Believe | Rod Stewart | No. 2 of 1971 |
| 13 | Alone Again (Naturally) | Gilbert O'Sullivan | No. 2 of 1972 |
| 14 | Bad Bad Leroy Brown | Jim Croce | No. 2 of 1973 |
| 15 | Seasons In The Sun | Terry Jacks | No. 2 of 1974 |
| 16 | Rhinestone Cowboy | Glen Campbell | No. 2 of 1975 |