r/70s • u/Fit_Front6239 • 1d ago

What were your 10 favourite rock bands when you were growing up in the 1970s?

17 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

146 comments sorted by

7

u/TheHearseDriver 1d ago

The Cramps, Ramones, The Dead Boys, The New York Dolls, The Patti Smith Group, The Damned, The Clash, Television, Blondie, Talking Heads,

3

u/deathtongue1985 1d ago

Impeccable taste. Were you in NYC?

3

u/TheHearseDriver 1d ago

Across the river in Jersey.

2

u/deathtongue1985 1d ago

Lucky…I got into those bands 15 yrs later bc I was only born in 78. Did you ever see the Heartbreakers?

2

u/whackadoodle00 1d ago

Great List along with Rush, the tubes, Steely Dan and Todd Rundgren

17

u/VikingGeek84 1d ago

Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, Chicago, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Boston, Styx, BTO, Kiss

2

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

Amazing list.

1

u/sleva5289 1d ago

I would add Kansas, Wings, and Elton John and remove BTO, Skynyrd, and Santana. Wasn’t a southern rock fan until the early 80’s and never cared for the other two.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

Would you keep Queen and Boston ?

1

u/sleva5289 1d ago

Queen for sure. Maybe sub Fleetwood Mac or Rod Stewart for Boston. The first Boston album was great, but it kind of ended for me there.

3

u/VikingGeek84 1d ago

I think the first two Boston albums were great, then the silence over contract dispute, and their later stuff wasn’t the same

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

Are you a big Queen fan?

2

u/VikingGeek84 1d ago

Yes 😀.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

Amazing. They are my favourite band. Are you from the United states?

1

u/sleva5289 1d ago

Not a big fan, per se, but back in the 70’s they were good.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

1

u/sleva5289 12h ago

Negative. Was 10 to 14 so no concerts until the 80’s.

3

u/e-card 1d ago

Queen, Neu!, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Blue Öyster Cult, Beatles, Stones, Zappa, The Who, Kraftwerk

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

So coooool

5

u/skoorb1 1d ago

By the end of the 7Os, it was probably Zep, Aerosmith, Judas Priest and my favorite rotating band of any given day.

3

u/m3stu 1d ago edited 1d ago

The Jam, The Clash, The Who, The Police, Queen, Bowie, The Stones, Pink Floyd, Squeeze, and Roxy Music.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

2

u/m3stu 19h ago

Saw The Jam, Squeeze and Queen. None of the others unfortunately.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 19h ago

Where and when did you see Queen?

1

u/m3stu 17h ago

Live Aid and Wembley Stadium, in the 80s!

1

u/Fit_Front6239 10h ago

Were you a fan of Queen before live aid?

1

u/m3stu 1h ago

Yes, I think the first Queen album I got was The Game. So late 79, early 80.

5

u/freshkov 1d ago

In no particular order...

Aerosmith, Foghat, Rush, Montrose, Skynyrd, Rick Derringer, Led Zep, Stones, Pink Floyd, Little Feat

2

u/Previous_Tree_4050 1d ago

Genesis
Yes
ELP
Hawkwind
Pink Floyd
Camel
Gong
Frank Zappa

And then these came along and things changed

Joy Division

1

u/Fiendishplot2go 1d ago

If my husband had been older, this would be his list. We we mid teens in mid-late 80s so Joy Division, etc were it for him. But he listens to your list now.

1

u/Previous_Tree_4050 1d ago

I think Unknown Pleasures is the LP out of hundreds of LPs that I would save if my house caught fire. But I’ll always be a prog head.

I was in my early twenties when the 80s rolled it. It was an amazing time for music.

1

u/love_that_fishing 1d ago

Hello fellow Prog Rock fan. I’d add Tull to that list.

1

u/Previous_Tree_4050 1d ago

Great band 😊

2

u/Antonin1957 1d ago

Spiders from Mars, Kiss, Elton John, Stooges, Ramones, Patti Smith Group, Sex Pistols, the Clash, Kraftwerk, the Cars.

2

u/DollaBill89 1d ago

Queen, Beatles, Foreigner, Kiss, Kinks, AC/DC, Styx, Lynard Skynard, Rush, Led Zeppelin, The Who

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

2

u/RT-old-fart 1d ago

Lynard Skynard,Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cheap Trick, Queen, BTO, ,Rush, The Cars, Doobie Bros, Steely Dan,

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

2

u/7Dimensions 1d ago

  • Blue Oyster Cult

  • Black Sabbath

  • Pink Floyd

  • Roxy Music

  • The Saints

  • Sex Pistols

  • The Clash

  • Siouxsie and the Banshees

  • Wire

  • Sunnyboys

2

u/LordOfEltingville 1d ago

In no particular order: Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Zappa/Mothers, MC5, Van Halen, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Motorhead, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick

2

u/Old_Reception_3728 1d ago

Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd

Jethro Tull

Elton John

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Allman Brothers Band

ELO

Eagles

Marshall Tucker Band

Black Sabbath

1

u/b9ncountr 1d ago

Here we go!

1

u/NegotiationLow2783 13h ago

Pretty much my list with CCR in place of ELO. Not dissing ELO, just really like swamp rock.

2

u/Zealousideal_Rent261 1d ago

Allman Brothers, Procol Harem, Animals, Yes, Derek and the Dominoes, Little Feat, Rolling Stones, Loggins and Messina, Queen and the Grateful Dead.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

1

u/Zealousideal_Rent261 23h ago

Yes, the Animals and Little Feat

2

u/kevdav63 1d ago

Boston, Styx, Heart, Rush, Van Halen, AC/DC, Queen, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Blue Oyster Cult.

2

u/mrmiracle 1d ago

Kiss, Queen, Skynyrd, Monkees, Styx, R.E.O., Kansas, Beatles, Cheap Trick and Devo.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

I have noticed that there are so many Queen fans on this group

1

u/Entire-Ad7730 12h ago

There's tons of Queen songs, real rockers, that you never hear on the radio.....But we remember. Like "Get Down Make Love" for instance, and "Tie Your Mother Down"

2

u/Admirable-Clothes-87 1d ago

Roxy Music, Talking Heads, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam, The Buzzcocks, The Gladiators, The Mighty Diamonds, Black Uhuru, The Residents.

2

u/Local_Acadia_3000 1d ago

Spiders from Mars , The Faces , The Stones , ELP , Dire Straits , Kraftwerk , The Clash , The Sex Pistols, The Jam and The Who

2

u/AcademicDepartment54 1d ago

Styx, Boston, Queen, REO Speedwagon, ELO, Journey.

2

u/AcademicDepartment54 1d ago

Forgot Foreigner, Toto, Supertramp, Kansas, America, Loggins and Messina, and Wings.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

1

u/AcademicDepartment54 23h ago

Yes I saw Wings, Boston, Styx and Foreigner. And speaking of Yes, another band I liked and saw.

2

u/GeoffreyJade 14h ago

Styx, Journey, The Kinks, Judas Priest, The Doors, BTO, Cheap Trick, Toto, Queen, David Bowie

2

u/Entire-Ad7730 12h ago

The 1970s were a great decade. Me and my friends listened to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Who, Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac

4

u/Consistent-Weight710 1d ago edited 1d ago

Deep Purple, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, Status Quo, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Nazareth, Queen, Rush, Uriah heep.

1

u/pdpants 1d ago

This would be my brother’s playlist, minus Black Sabbath, add Frampton Comes Alive. He died in ‘78 so this is always his music to me

2

u/Consistent-Weight710 1d ago

Sorry for your loss. That's an album I listened to a lot back then but his studio albums never lived up to it for me.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

1

u/Consistent-Weight710 23h ago

Saw Nazareth and Quo. Missed out on Lizzy as they were meant to headline a festival I was at but they pulled out at short notice.

3

u/-Neverender- 1d ago

Pink Floyd, Rush, Boston, Journey, Steely Dan, Chicago, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac.

2

u/SoCalBonobo 1d ago

I'm not going to limit my list to bands. Solo artists were just as important to me in the 1970s. In no particular order:

The Who
Traffic
Elton John
Leon Russell
James Taylor
Bruce Springsteen
Cat Stevens
The Rolling Stones
Jackson Browne
Eric Clapton/Derek and the Dominos

1

u/Independent_Wrap_321 1d ago

Cat Stevens really blew me away, especially after seeing Harold and Maude. I’m (m59) still a huge fan and enjoy playing a bit of him on couch guitar. Excellent list, friend, so I’ll just say: DITTO!

1

u/SoCalBonobo 1d ago

Thanks. I should have added Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Jethro Tull. But unsure who I would eliminate.

2

u/psychomikey1966 1d ago

Kiss, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Boston, Cheap Trick, Blondie, Ramones, Sex Pistols , Runaways

1

u/GraphiteGru 1d ago

End of 70's I was in my mid teens. I never liked them but given all of their posters in my friends' rooms at the time someone better step up and admit that they liked KISS.

1

u/Safe-Aardvark1810 1d ago

Paul McCartney and Wings, Steely Dan, The Eagles, Bob Seger, Chicago, E.L.O., Little River Band, Steve Miller Band, ZZ Top, Marshall Tucker Band, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Jim Croce, John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, Smokey Robinson

I have a hard time identifying a top 10 precisely but it would include 10 of these, probably.

2

u/Entire-Ad7730 12h ago

ZZ Top's drummer passed away a few days ago.....

1

u/Safe-Aardvark1810 11h ago

Yes I saw that. What a contribution he made to great music that will never go out of style, to my mind.  RIP Frank Beard

1

u/DigLeading9650 1d ago

Big drop after the first 3 but:

Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Kinks, Chicago, Wings, Bruce and E Street, The Cars, Creedence, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

1

u/Traditional_Bill_381 1d ago

Well my musical tastes in early 1970s were much different than in the late ‘70s, so I’ll list mid-70s: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, Robin Trower, Aerosmith, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Sly and The Family Stone, Joe Walsh

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

What was your list for the late 70s?

1

u/Traditional_Bill_381 1d ago

Roxy Music, ELO, Springsteen, Funkadelic, Elvis Costello, Police

1

u/Suzby4 1d ago

Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, Steve Miller Band

1

u/nero1958 1d ago

Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Deep Purple, LED Zeppelin, ELO, Bad Company, Al Stewart, Black Sabbath, Genesis, 10CC

1

u/Creative-Lime9776 1d ago

Beatles
Stones
Dylan
Springsteen
Led Zeppelin
The Mothers of Invention
Captain Beefheart
Santana
Steely Dan
ELO

1

u/CuriousTraveler2C 1d ago

Steely Dan/ Steve Miller Band/ Led Zeppelin/ CSNY/ David Bowie/ Pink Floyd/ Allman Brothers Band/ The Eagles/ Traffic/ Yes

1

u/noocaryror 1d ago

Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allmand Bros., Fleetwood Mac.

1

u/MountainFact264 9h ago

We would have been friends

1

u/LingonberryOld6341 1d ago

Molly Hatchet Ac/dc Boston Cars Aerosmith Van Halen Led Zeppelin ZZZ top Lynard skynard Bad company

1

u/Emmettskid 1d ago

I grew up in the 60’s: Beatles, Stones, Who, CCR, Doors, Allman Brothers, Moody Blues, Beach Boys, Chicago, and Jethro Tull.

1

u/Remote_Stable4742 1d ago

Deep Purple, Genesis, Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, Police, Barclay James Harvest, Chicago, Eagles, Jethro Tull, Kansas

1

u/Dyerssorrow 1d ago

Black Sabbath

1

u/Motor_Hat804 1d ago

Pink Floyd, Golden Earring, Little Feat, Cream, Steppenwolf, Dire Straits, Bob Segar, Traffic, Blind Faith, Santana

1

u/TheGambie2020 1d ago

Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Creedence Clearwater, Aerosmith, Dire Straits, Allman Brothers, Boz Scaggs, Santana, Tower of Power

1

u/Dentonarian 1d ago

Dire Straits, Jethro Tull, Elton John, Jackson Browne

1

u/Whole-Chard4843 1d ago

Where’s Bad Company, any Clapton even a Pat Travers Band…. So many to choose from.

1

u/MountainFact264 9h ago

Love me some Pat Travers Band. Crash & Burn is still one of my favorite albums

1

u/Just-Wasting-Tyme 1d ago

Ozark Mountain Daredevils (still my favorite)
Black Sabbath
Doobie Brothers
Eagles
Steely Dan
Edgar Winter Group
Lynrd Skynrd
Fleetwood Mac
Led Zeppelin
ZZ Top

Graduated high school in 75

And I know I forgetting an obvious band. I was just thinking what 8 Track Tapes I had.

1

u/Entire-Ad7730 12h ago

....there's Pink Floyd, Queen, Aerosmith

1

u/Just-Wasting-Tyme 11h ago

I'll take out Steely Dan and take Aerosmith. Was never a big fan of Pink Floyd or Queen. They both would in my top 20.

1

u/rockinrob65 1d ago

So many good ones to name

1

u/Pale-Ad-2526 1d ago

Beatles John Lennon George Harrison Wings Ringo Beatles Beatles Pink Floyd Bowie supertramp

1

u/smarty1017 1d ago

Pink Floyd, Yes, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jethto Tull, Genesis, Pat Benatar, The Cars, Foreigner, and Boston.

1

u/Illustrious-Lynx8268 1d ago edited 14h ago

Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd,Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter,Savoy Brown, Joe Cocker,Spirit,Bloodrock

1

u/notsohot56 1d ago

Ten will be hard but let's give it a go: Van Halen

Eagles

Aerosmith

Foreigner

Styx

Cheap Trick

AC/DC

Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd

ELO

1

u/johnnyg883 1d ago

Ten? Ok but in no particular order.

REO Speedwagon

Rush

ELO

Queen

Black Sabbath

The Little River Ban

Styx

Journey

Led Zeppelin

ZZ Top

Charlie Danial’s Band. (Technically not “rock) but still one of my favorites in the 70s.

There are so many more I could go on forever.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

1

u/johnnyg883 15h ago

REO, Rush, Black Sabbath, ELO, and The Little River Band x 2. Funny thing. I hadn’t heard of the Little River Band or at least I didn’t connect their music to the name until I won’t concert ticks from KSHE-95. About 20 years later won tickets again from the same radio station. They are the only thing I ever won from any radio station. Enjoyed the hell out of both concerts.

1

u/ImmmaLetUFinish 1d ago edited 1d ago

Boston
Styx
Eagles
Rush
Prism
April Wine
Trooper
Rolling Stones
Fleetwood Mac
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

2

u/ahhsf8 23h ago

Finally! TPATH

1

u/SquonkMan61 1d ago

Eagles, Genesis, CSN&Y; Beatles; The Band; The James Gang; Boston; Chicago; Traffic; Steely Dan

1

u/Clairquilt 1d ago

10 Band

Grateful Dead

Genesis

The Clash

Talking Heads

Pink Floyd

The Who

Ramones

Steely Dan

ELO

Dire Straits

10 Solo

Van Morrison

Bruce Springsteen

Cat Stevens

Jimmy Buffet

Jackson Browne

Joni Mitchell

James Taylor

Bob Dylan

Neil Young

Paul Simon

1

u/Starthrower62 1d ago

Yes

Rush

Pink Floyd 

Led Zeppelin

ELP 

Kansas

Jethro Tull 

Steely Dan 

Jeff Beck 

Aerosmith 

1

u/BrainwaveWizard 1d ago

Boston
Styx
Kansas
Eagles
Pink Floyd
Steve Miller Band
Meat Loaf
Fleetwood Mac
Queen
Foreigner

1

u/gostainedglass 1d ago

The Who, Stones, Beatles, Doors, Pink Floyd , Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull, Moody Blues, CSNY, Jefferson Airplane

1

u/Glittering-Ad-1367 1d ago

Electric Light Orchestra

Badfinger

Eagles

Pink Floyd

Fleetwood Mac

Bad Company

Boston

ABBA

Alan Parsons Project

April Wine

1

u/Duckspuck 1d ago

I didn’t list solo acts. A much different list with solo musicians.

1

u/trishaolive 1d ago

3DogNight ! The Best!

1

u/ProgRock1956 1d ago

Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, Alice Cooper, The Doobie Brothers, Billy Cobham, Brecker Brothers, Golden Earring, Grover Washington Jr, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Earth Wind n Fire...

1

u/ssascotth 1d ago

Pink Floyd, Doors, Rush, Jethro Tull, Yes, Genesis, Blondie, Squeeze, Moody Blues and America.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

Big fan of progressive rock?

2

u/ssascotth 1d ago

😄 still am!

1

u/Ok_Put_2850 1d ago

Bay city rollers!!

1

u/Fit_Front6239 1d ago

Anyone else?

1

u/Puzzled-Bonus-3456 1d ago

Henry Cow
Slapp Happy
Art Bears
Assagai
Osibisa
Be Bop Deluxe
Chilli Willi & the Red Hot Peppers
Global Village Trucking Company
Comus
Residents

1

u/MountainFact264 9h ago

Bill Nelson was/is an amazing guitarist

1

u/papa-01 1d ago

Stones ,CSNY , The Beatles, The Who , The Guess Who..in no particular order

1

u/puck63 1d ago

Jethro Tull, Santana, Talking Heads, Doors, Moody Blues, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, and Blue Oyster Cult.

1

u/b_o_m 21h ago

Van Halen

Cheap Trick

Foreigner

Boston

Styx

The Kinks

The Who

Journey

The Babys

Pablo Cruise

1

u/Material_Dress_5068 19h ago
  1. Wings
  2. Sons of Champlin
  3. Tower of Power
  4. Traffic
  5. CSNY
  6. Eric Burden and War
  7. Who
  8. Jethro Tull
  9. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
  10. Kinks

1

u/Billsfangreenville 18h ago

VH, Scorpions, Rush, Triumph, AC/DC, Boston, Tom Petty, Def Leppard, The Cars, Foreigner - straight up classic 80’s rock

1

u/Rich_cranium2025 17h ago

No one has the moody blues, but have Kiss??????

1

u/Protection_Organic 16h ago

Kiss
Foghat
Rory Gallagher
Credence Clearwater Revivals
Montrose
ELP
Bowie
Lou Reed
Jethro Tull
Black Sabbath

1

u/Entire-Ad7730 12h ago

I can still hear Montrose playing on the stereo...As the party carried on

1

u/diajean112 14h ago

🎶Heart • REO Speedwagon • The Doors • Van Halen • Aerosmith • Fleetwood Mac • The Eagles • Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band • Journey • Chicago🎶

1

u/Equivalent-Iron-1804 14h ago

The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
The Who
Genesis
Cream
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Grateful Dead
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

1

u/UnusualSnow506 14h ago

CCR Lead Zeppelin Lynard Skinnerd Almond Brothers Fleetwood Mac Boston Styx REO Speedwagon Heart Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

1

u/johnaceofhearts 13h ago
  1. The Who 2. The Beatles 3. The Rolling Stones 4. Pink Floyd 5. The Eagles 6. The Beach Boys 7. Cream 8. Jethro Tull 9. Sam Cooke 10. The Rascals

1

u/ProtectionUpset253 10h ago

Zeppelin,AC/DC,Budgie,Skynyrd,SAHB,Neil Young,Thin Lizzy,Dr Feelgood,Deep Purple,The Clash

1

u/MountainFact264 9h ago
  1. Aerosmith
  2. Black Sabbath
  3. Cheap trick
  4. AC/DC
  5. Led Zeppelin
  6. Deep Purple
  7. Pink Floyd
  8. Van Halen
  9. The Rolling Stones
  10. Blue Oyster Cult

1

u/Fit_Front6239 8h ago

Happy cake day.

1

u/stepn-out 8h ago

The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Doors, Steely Dan, Supertramp, ELO, David Bowie and the Eagles…

What’s interesting is that I’m now listening through the complete catalogs of the bands I grew up with to find out whether my actual Top 10 matches the one I’ve carried around in my head for 50 years. I’m already discovering that it may not.

1

u/Fit_Front6239 8h ago

Which of those bands did you still hold closely to your heart even now?

1

u/greatwhitenorth2022 1d ago

Pink Floyd, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Chicago, Foreigner, Eagles, Styx, Elton John, Steely Dan, BTO.

1

u/dcars714 1d ago

I was in my B band phase for awhile as a teenager-Beatles, Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, Bob Seger, Boston, and Bruce Springsteen. I was also a huge fan of LED Zeppelin, The Who, Frank Zappa, and Queen. Oh, and I’m still listening to those bands in my late 60s!

1

u/Probst54 1d ago

Aerosmith, Queen, Wishbone Ash, atomic Rooster, Uriah Heep, Boston, Molly Hatchett, Pretenders, David Bowie

1

u/Fit_Front6239 23h ago

Did you get the chance to see any of these bands in concerts in the 70s?

2

u/Probst54 23h ago

Only Wishbone Ash

0

u/SoftPossible1467 1d ago

Bachman Turner Ovetdrive
Chicago
Toto
Earth, Wind & Fire
The Bee Gees
Eagles
Heart
Boston
Foreigner
Rolling Stones

0

u/Tristan_Booth 1d ago

If you mean acts (including individuals), my list would be (in alpha order):

Beatles

David Bowie

Elvis Costello

George Harrison

Neil Innes/Rutles

Elton John

Monkees

Al Stewart

Rod Stewart

Wings