The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of the 1970s
As voted by thousands of Planet Rock listeners earlier this year
Last updated 25th Sep 2026
As voted by thousands of Planet Rock listeners earlier this year, here are The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of the 1970s.
Seminal 70s acts played in the countdown include Led Zeppelin, Queen, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Status Quo, Deep Purple, Motörhead, Slade, Heart, T. Rex, Rush, Alice Cooper and Rainbow to name but a few.
For the statisticians amongst you, 1971 and 1977 are the most represented years on the list with 15 songs apiece, while there are just four songs from 1978.
Such is the enduring appeal of 70s rock music, a whopping 43% of the songs that featured on our Top 500 Greatest Rock Songs countdown earlier this year were from the decade.
Our countdown of The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of the 1980s begins on Monday 28th September and concludes five days later on Friday 2nd October. Make sure you tune in!
The 100 Greatest Rock Songs of the 1970s:
100) Status Quo - Down Down (1974)
99) T. Rex - Get It On (1971)
98) Ram Jam - Black Betty (1977)
97) Motörhead – Motörhead (1977)
96) Black Sabbath - Children of the Grave (1971)
95) Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK (1976)
94) Kansas - Carry on Wayward Son (1976)
93) Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes (1972)
92) Deep Purple - Speed King (1970)
91) AC/DC - Down Payment Blues (1978)
90) Black Sabbath - Iron Man (1970)
89) Motörhead – Bomber (1979)
88) Status Quo - Forty Five Hundred Times (1973)
87) Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
86) Faces - Stay with Me (1971)
85) Led Zeppelin - In My Time of Dying (1975)
84) Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song (1976)
83) Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall (1979)
82) Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath (1971)
81) Focus - Hocus Pocus (1971)
80) AC/DC - Riff Raff (1978)
79) Status Quo - Rockin' All Over the World (1977)
78) Queen - Tie Your Mother Down (1976)
77) Slade - Cum on Feel the Noise (1973)
76) Pink Floyd – Echoes (1971)
75) Rush - La Villa Strangiato (1978)
74) UFO - Lights Out (1977)
73) Neil Young - Like A Hurricane (1977)
72) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (1974)
71) Meat Loaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light (1977)
70) The Doors - Riders on the Storm (1971)
69) Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion (1975)
68) Black Sabbath - Symptom of the Universe (1975)
67) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man (1973)
66) Uriah Heep - July Morning (1971)
65) Free - Wishing Well (1972)
64) The Doors – L.A. Woman (1971)
63) Thin Lizzy - Still in Love With You (1974)
62) Queen - Don't Stop Me Now (1978)
61) Status Quo - Mystery Song (1976)
60) Black Sabbath – N.I.B. (1970)
59) Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (1975)
58) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – The Faith Healer (1973)
57) Led Zeppelin - Black Dog (1971)
56) Heart – Barracuda (1977)
55) Queen - We Will Rock You (1977)
54) Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand (1976)
53) David Bowie – Heroes (1977)
52) Thin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar (1972)
51) Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You (1970)
50) Alice Cooper - School's Out (1972)
49) Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town (1976)
48) Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (1976)
47) Sweet - Ballroom Blitz (1974)
46) Uriah Heep – Gypsy (1970)
45) Hawkwind - Silver Machine (1972)
44) Budgie – Breadfan (1973)
43) Pink Floyd – Time (1973)
42) Status Quo – Caroline (1973)
41) Fleetwood Mac - The Chain (1977)
40) Rush – 2112: Overture (1976)
39) Rainbow - Since You Been Gone (1979)
38) Golden Earring - Radar Love (1973)
37) AC/DC - It's A Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll) (1975)
36) Thin Lizzy - Emerald (1976)
35) Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks (1971)
34) UFO - Love to Love (1977)
33) AC/DC - Touch Too Much (1979)
32) Derek and the Dominoes – Layla (1970)
31) UFO - Rock Bottom (1974)
30) Aerosmith - Dream On (1973)
29) The Who - Baba O’ Riley (1971)
28) Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)
27) Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (1970)
26) Boston - More Than a Feeling (1976)
25) Rush – Xanadu (1977)
24) AC/DC - Let There Be Rock (1977)
23) Deep Purple – Burn (1974)
22) Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
21) Pink Floyd - Shine on You Crazy Diamond (1975)
20) Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)
19) UFO - Doctor Doctor (1974)
18) Free – All Right Now (1970)
17) Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll (1971)
16) Motörhead – Overkill (1979)
15) The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (1971)
14) Deep Purple - Highway Star (1972)
13) Eagles - Hotel California (1976)
12) Deep Purple - Child in Time (1970)
11) Black Sabbath - War Pigs (1970)
10) Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water (1972)
9) Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970)
8) Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977)
7) AC/DC – Whole Lotta Rosie (1977)
6) Led Zeppelin – Kashmir (1975)
5) Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (1974)
4) Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (1979)
3) Rainbow – Stargazer (1976)
2) Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven (1971)
1) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)