User:FraDany/List of my number-one singles of the 1970s

The Singles Chart is a weekly record chart based on single sales from Sunday to Saturday; during the 1970s, a total of 80 singles reached number one. The most successful artist of the 1970s was Swedish pop group ABBA, who topped the Singles Chart for 51 weeks with nine different singles. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by English rock band Queen is the biggest-selling single of the decade. The first number-one single of the 1970s was "Whole Lotta Love" by English rock band Led Zeppelin – released in November 1969, first reached number one in January, and remained at the top for ten consecutive weeks. The final number one of the decade was "I Have a Dream" by ABBA.

Number-one singles

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"Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975) by British rock band Queen is the biggest-selling single of the 1970s; it spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one, longer than any other single.
 
Swedish pop group ABBA is the most successful act of the decade; they spent 51 weeks at the summit, longer than any other artist and reached number one with nine different releases, more than any other artist. ABBA had the most entries in the top 20 best-selling singles chart with two: "Fernando" (1976) which is the third best-selling single of the decade, while "Dancing Queen" (1976) is the 15th.
 
English singer and songwriter Elton John is the most successful male act of the decade and the second overall, having topped the chart with seven different releases which spent 40 weeks at the summit. His 1972 song "Rocket Man" is also the 12th best-selling single of the 1970s.
 
German disco vocal group Boney M. is the third most successful act of the decade; they spent 34 weeks at the summit with five different singles. Boney M. had the most entries in the top 20 best-selling singles chart with two (tying with ABBA): the double A-side single "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" (1978) which is the 4th best-selling single of the decade, while "Daddy Cool" (1976) is the 10th.
 
British-American rock band Wings scored the second best-selling single of the 1970s with the double A-side single "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" (1977).
 
American singer and actress Cher is the most successful female act of the decade having reached number one with 3 different releases.
 
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by American singer John Denver is the 6th biggest-selling single of the decade and the best-seller by a solo male artist.
Key
Best-selling single of the year
Runner-up single of the year
Best-selling single of the decade
Runner-up single of the decade
Contents
← 1960s · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980s→
Artist Song Weeks at
number one
Issue date
1970
Led Zeppelin "Whole Lotta Love" † 10 4 January
The Beatles "Let It Be" 1 15 March
Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water" ‡ 9 22 March
Norman Greenbaum "Spirit in the Sky" 5 24 May
Simon & Garfunkel "El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)" 9 28 June
The Carpenters "(They Long to Be) Close to You" 7 30 August
Black Sabbath "Paranoid" 9 18 October
George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" / "Isn't It a Pity" 7 20 December
1971
Led Zeppelin "Immigrant Song" 7 7 February
Elton John "Your Song" 5 28 March
Three Dog Night "Joy to the World" 6 2 May
Middle of the Road "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" ‡ 7 13 June
T. Rex "Get It On" 5 1 August
John Denver "Take Me Home, Country Roads" † 10 5 September
Cher "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" 4 14 November
John Lennon "Imagine" 6 12 December
1972
Don McLean "American Pie" 6 23 January
Led Zeppelin "Black Dog" 7 5 March
Gilbert O'Sullivan "Alone Again (Naturally)" 7 23 April
Elton John "Rocket Man" † 9 11 June
David Bowie "Starman" ‡ 9 13 August
Elvis Presley "Burning Love" 6 15 October
Elton John "Crocodile Rock" 5 26 November
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" 5 31 December
1973
Stevie Wonder "Superstition" 4 4 February
Elton John "Daniel" 6 4 March
Lou Reed "Walk on the Wild Side" / "Perfect Day" ‡ 8 15 April
Demis Roussos "Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye" 8 10 June
David Bowie "Life on Mars" † 9 5 August
Cher "Half-Breed" 4 7 October
Lobo "I'd Love You to Want Me" 6 4 November
Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" 6 16 December
1974
Aerosmith "Dream On" ‡ 8 27 January
Cher "Dark Lady" 2 24 March
Terry Jacks "Seasons in the Sun" 5 7 April
ABBA "Waterloo" 7 12 May
The Rubettes "Sugar Baby Love" 7 30 June
The Hues Corporation "Rock the Boat" 6 18 August
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama" † 10 29 September
Queen "Killer Queen" / "Flick of the Wrist" 4 8 December
1975
Elton John "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" 5 5 January
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Free Bird" 8 9 February
Sweet "Fox on the Run" 5 6 April
George Baker Selection "Paloma Blanca" 8 11 May
ABBA "SOS" ‡ 9 6 July
Rod Stewart "Sailing" 7 7 September
KC and the Sunshine Band "That's the Way (I Like It)" 5 26 October
Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" † 15 30 November
1976
Nazareth "Love Hurts" 7 14 March
ABBA "Fernando" † 13 2 May
Elton John / Kiki Dee "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" 4 1 August
ABBA "Dancing Queen" 7 29 August
Boney M. "Daddy Cool" ‡ 8 17 October
ABBA "Money, Money, Money" 2 12 December
Queen "Somebody to Love" 2 26 December
1977
Boston "More Than a Feeling" 7 9 January
ABBA "Knowing Me, Knowing You" 5 27 February
Fleetwood Mac "Go Your Own Way" 7 3 April
Boney M. "Ma Baker" 7 22 May
Baccara "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" ‡ 8 10 July
Donna Summer "I Feel Love" 6 4 September
Santa Esmeralda "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" 6 16 October
Wings "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" † 13 27 November
1978
ABBA "Take a Chance on Me" 3 26 February
Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" 5 19 March
Boney M. "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" † 12 23 April
John Travolta / Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want" ‡ 10 16 July
"Summer Nights" 5 24 September
Boney M. "Rasputin" 5 29 October
Rod Stewart "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" 3 3 December
Boney M. "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" 2 24 December
1979
Sylvester "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" 5 7 January
ABBA "Chiquitita" 2 11 February
Blondie "Heart of Glass" ‡ 8 25 February
Patrick Hernandez "Born to Be Alive" † 10 22 April
Earth, Wind & Fire / The Emotions "Boogie Wonderland" 7 1 July
The Knack "My Sharona" 7 19 August
Michael Jackson "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" 5 7 October
The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star" 5 11 November
ABBA "I Have a Dream" 3 16 December
Contents
← 1960s · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980s→

Artists with the most number ones

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Three artists all had at least five number-one singles during the 1970s.

Artist Number ones Singles
ABBA 9
List
Elton John 7
Boney M. 5

Singles with the most weeks at number one

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The following singles spent at least twelve weeks at number one during the 1970s.

Artist Single Weeks at
number one
Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" 15
ABBA "Fernando" 13
Wings "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School"
Boney M. "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" 12

Artists with the most weeks at number one

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Three different artists have spent thirty weeks or more at number one during the 1970s.

Artist Weeks at
number one
Singles
ABBA 51
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Elton John 40
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Boney M. 34
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Best-selling singles of the 1970s

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No. Single Artist Year Weeks at number one
1 "Bohemian Rhapsody" Queen 1975 15
2 "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" Wings 1977 13
3 "Fernando" ABBA 1976 13
4 "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" Boney M. 1978 12
5 "You're the One That I Want" John Travolta / Olivia Newton-John 10
6 "Take Me Home, Country Roads" John Denver 1971 10
7 "Sweet Home Alabama" Lynyrd Skynyrd 1974 10
8 "Whole Lotta Love" Led Zeppelin 1969 10
9 "Bridge over Troubled Water" Simon & Garfunkel 1970 9
10 "Daddy Cool" Boney M. 1976 8
11 "Dream On" Aerosmith 1973 8
12 "Rocket Man" Elton John 1972 9
13 "Life on Mars" David Bowie 1973 9
14 "Paranoid" Black Sabbath 1970 9
15 "Dancing Queen" ABBA 1976 7
16 "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" Baccara 1977 8
17 "More Than a Feeling" Boston 1976 7
18 "Go Your Own Way" Fleetwood Mac 7
19 "Walk on the Wild Side" / "Perfect Day" Lou Reed 1972 8
20 "Born to Be Alive" Patrick Hernandez 1978 10