1971, Great Year for Pop Songs

Ringo Starr

Indian Reservation - The Raiders

One hit Woner - 5 Man Electrical Band

Draggin' the Line - Tommy James (his last hit?)

The Temptations - Just My Imagination

Three Dog Night

Carly Simon's first big hit

I don't care what anybody says. There's was Cher's greatest hit!!

Graham Nash - makes me think of Mod Squad

10 Years After

My favorite song by The Who

Sweet City Woman

Melanie!

I once attempted to interview Lee Michaels, when he appeared 1971-ish opening for the Grass Roots in Phoenix. HE WAS HIGH AS FUCK and did not wish to make a comment for media, screeching and running away from the microphone. It was unbelievably hilarious!

Great choice, R11. I forgot about that one.

Grass Roots

R14 That's hilarious!

Bill Withers... (I know...)

You know what?

Carole King:

It’s Too Late & I Feel the Earth Move & You’ve Got a Friend & So Far Away & Follow Where You Lead

Superstar - the definitive version

love me some grace slick jefferson airplane

For R22 , (who's too lazy to go to YouTube himself)

Yes, "Do You Know What I Mean" is a great song. Another great song from 1971 is "Sunshine" by Jonathan Edwards. It's quite a contrast to John Denver's sappy song of the same name. I love everything about it; the music, the vocals and the great lyrics: "Sunshine go away today, I don't feel much like dancing. Some man's gone he's tried to run my life, don't know what he's asking..."

Sunshine

R27 I’m on my phone and didn’t have time to get links to that many songs.

But thank you for being a cunt. Carole’s message has, clearly, eluded you for 48 years. Well done.

R34 I found the song and linked it for you. How is that being a cunt? I thought it was nice.

Come on! Keep it nice!

R3, technically not a one-hit wonder They had a follow-up that got in the top 30 called Absolutely Right that I absolutely loved. It was a big hit in Canada and one of 2 records that I went out and bought after only hearing it once...the other being the Doobie Brothers "China Grove".

1971 was a banner year for the Carpenters. Three huge hits "For All We Know"/ "Rainy Days and Mondays" / and "Superstar / Bless The Beasts and Children".

Al Green

Remember this big hit?

Too Late to Turn BAck Now - cornelius Bros and Sister Rose !!

Bowie

Every Picture Tells a Story

One of the best years for albums.

Sticky Fingers

Led Zeppelin IV

Electric Warrior - T Rex

The Yes Album

A great year to be an album, indeed.

^^Yours is no disgrace. Love it!

Very few English pop songs here.

"Let's be 1971" was a very good thread.

We're good at this shit.

Bubblegum

One of the last great Motown hits!

Any hits from ELP in 1971? Tarkus was out in 71, not sure if they had any actual hits.

Hard to believe Keith Emerson and Greg Lake are dead.

When do we get to the great stuff?

[quote]When do we get to the great stuff?

Go back to playing with your cell, little boy.

Yeah, that’s what I thought

[quote]Any hits from ELP in 1971? Tarkus was out in 71, not sure if they had any actual hits.

Tarkus was their hit album in 1971. The song "Tarkus" took up all of Side One. It was the "hit," but people bought albums those days. Everyone I knew who had "Tarkus" had the LP.

The FM stations would only play this very late at night

[quote]Tarkus was their hit album in 1971. The song "Tarkus" took up all of Side One. It was the "hit," but people bought albums those days. Everyone I knew who had "Tarkus" had the LP.

I have my brother's entire LP collection, he didn't want to deal with vinyl anymore. At the time he replaced his fave LPs with CDs. He had over 5000 LPs, all sorts of great rock, pop, R'n'B, jazz and well so much interesting music. He had all the ELP LPs up to Brain Salad Surgery. I have Tarkus, I was simply wondering if there was a hit song. I haven't listened to that LP in years.

There was no need to provide me with a history lesson about British rock of the late 1960s-1970s. I also know Keith Emerson was in The Nice, a band I actually preferred over ELP. I do know rock and pop music was certainly more diversified back then. I actually feel bad for young people these days, their music is so derivative. They might as well dig into their parents and grandparents record collections, they will also find out most of what they listen to is hardly original.

Badfinger “Day After Day”

^^1972

Miss Gayle McCormick (RIP)

'Respect Yourself ' The Staple Singers

I was under age in a bottle club (1971) and this was the first song where I was asked to dance by another guy.

Regarding the video - I always watched Soul Train, never American Bandstand.

Late 60s early 70s such promise for the country but it all evaporated.

How could anyone alive in 1971 forget Daddy Dewdrop's hit Chick-aBoom ( Don't Ya Jes' love it ? )

48 years seems to have flown past somehow.

1971 was a little before my time for popular music as I was still watching "Sesame Street", but I think the later 1970s was actually better for pop music. More variety.

The early 70s were too dark.

The Bee Gees biggest hit until they went disco and struck gold with Saturday Night Fever.

Riders on the Storm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y6ruIXYmXY

LA Woman

Yo-Yo ROCKS

So does “Treat Her Like a Lady”

Actually so does the opening track “Motown Special” off the Osmonds “Live” Album.

twice on the pipe if the answer is no.

You've been gone too long....

Damn, right!

Crunchy granola's neat.

I posted Shaft already. Keep up!

Got up to 17 on the charts.

Timothy. God what did we doooo ?

Tom Jones last Top 40 hit?

R78 You did. i saw that. I posted the Movie version. Both are worth noting. :):)

And I posted "Shaft" again, r78, you control queen motherfucking asshole. Stand down!

R65. Released in 1971 on the Straight Up album.

Most of the 70's had great songs so focusing on 1 year is hard.

My one and only hit, until "Diamonds and Rust," that is.

New York got the ways and means

Got up to 64 on the top 100

R83 You know what? It's a great fucking song! Thanks for posting.

We're so sorry this hasn't been posted yet....

(or sorry if it was and I missed it)...

The whole album is worthy of mention:

[quote]Lee Michaels...I just LOVE this song

He rhymes

Stepping out

Found out

THEY DON'T FUCKIN' RHYME

[quote]We're so sorry this hasn't been posted yet....(or sorry if it was and I missed it)...

We had posted it already and I'll bet you haven't done a bloody thing all day.

[quote]The whole album is worthy of mention:

Deserves more than a "mention" - but the kettle's on the boil and we're so easily called away.

Top 25 Pop Songs of 1971

01 "Joy to the World" Three Dog Night

02 "Maggie May"/"Reason to Believe" Rod Stewart

03 "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move" Carole King

04 "One Bad Apple" The Osmonds

05 "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" Bee Gees

06 "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" Paul Revere & the Raiders

07 "Go Away Little Girl" Donny Osmond

08 "Take Me Home, Country Roads" John Denver

09 "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" The Temptations

10 "Knock Three Times" Tony Orlando and Dawn

11 "Me and Bobby McGee" Janis Joplin

12 "Tired of Being Alone" Al Green

13 "Want Ads" Honey Cone

14 "Smiling Faces Sometimes" The Undisputed Truth

15 "Treat Her Like a Lady" Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

16 "You've Got a Friend" James Taylor

17 "Mr. Big Stuff" Jean Knight

18 "Brown Sugar" The Rolling Stones

19 "Do You Know What I Mean" Lee Michael

20 "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" Joan Baez

21 "What's Going On" Marvin Gaye

22 "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" Paul & Linda McCartney

23 "Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers

24 "Signs" Five Man Electrical Band

25 "She's a Lady" Tom Jones

#1 Songs (Hot 100) For the Year 1971

"My Sweet Lord" / "Isn't It a Pity" George Harrison

"Knock Three Times" Dawn

"One Bad Apple" The Osmonds

"Me and Bobby McGee" Janis Joplin

"Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" The Temptations

"Joy to the World" Three Dog Night

"Brown Sugar" The Rolling Stones

"Want Ads" Honey Cone

"It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move" Carole King

"Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" The Raiders

"You've Got a Friend" James Taylor

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" Bee Gees

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" Paul & Linda McCartney

"Go Away Little Girl" Donny Osmond

"Maggie May" / "Reason to Believe" Rod Stewart

"Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves" Cher

"Theme from Shaft" Isaac Hayes

"Family Affair" Sly and the Family Stone

"Brand New Key" Melanie

.....

Grammy Awards Pop:

[bold]Record of the Year (to artist)[/bold]

Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

[bold]Album of the Year[/bold]

Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

[bold]Song of the Year (to songwriter)[/bold]

Paul Simon "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

[bold]Best New Artist[/bold]

The Carpenters

Olivia.

Pop Country

R92 had it right...Joy To The World was the #1 song of the year, just edging out Maggie May.

Cat Stevens was so sexy!

R99 But Yusuf Islam, not so much....

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"

Great song, but not from 1971, from 1969. They weren't a particularly handsome band either, they were originally studio musicians. No need to be hot when you're working behind-the-scenes.

Just heard this song in a TV commercial. It's still going strong!

Ides of March - Vehicle, 1970

Everyone thought this was David Clayton Thomas and Blood, Sweat & Tears.

McCartney - Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey

Cat's wife is no beauty, but his daughters are attractive. Back in the day Cat dated Patti D'Arbanville.

R95, aren't those awards for performers of 1970, not 1971?

Don't Pull Your Love

R65. You’re being civilized. You’ll get a reputation if you keep that up!

I was a preteen when this masterpiece accompanied my college-age sister home on summer break in 1971 -

Love . . . And tomorrow we might not be together; I'm no prophet and I don't know nature's ways . . .

One of the all-time greats!

You beg her to love you, but me you don't ask

Oh - such a great song!

Another Olivia.

R105

Those are the Grammy awards for 1971 so yes, as most would be older as the awards are held early in the year.

For 1972

[bold]Record of the Year (to artist)[/bold]

"It's Too Late" - Carole King

[bold]Album of the Year[/bold]

Tapestry - Carole King

[bold]Song of the Year (to songwriter)[/bold]

"You Got A Friend" - Carole King

[bold]Best New Artist[/bold]

Carly Simon

It was analyzed like Kabbalah.

Frustrated? Feeling down? You gotta have hope it's the price you gotta pay.

It's a good time to step in with a bit of the under rated, brilliant Harry Nilsson. 'Nilsson Schmilsson' is one of my favorite LPs ever. 'Down', while not enjoyable for everyone, is in my own Top 10. We need more musical, primal, angst releasers!

I think 1972 was a great year for hits. Someone needs to start a thread on 1970 songs. That decade was the bomb in music.

“I’ll Meet You Halfway”

“I Woke Up in Love This Morning”

R115 You forgot this one....

Chicago

In addition to "Tarkus" Emerson, Lake & Palmer also released their "Pictures at an Exhibition" album in 1971.

As a kid, I saw the Five Man Electrical Band in concert, in 1971 at the Magic Mountain amusement park (now called Six Flags Magic Mountain) in California. Magic Mountain had just opened in May 1971 and they sometimes offered pop or rock concerts included with park admission, in a way to attract more customers. The band's best known song is "Signs," which still gets airplay on oldies stations, but as mentioned earlier in this thread, they had a secondary hit with "Absolutely Right."

OP, I always loved "Do You Know What I Mean," and I once played it for my Mom when she was around 90. She listened attentively, then when it was over she said, "No, we don't know what you mean."

The all time greatest rock song.

[quote] The all time greatest rock song.

Well almost

I know STH is cliched but yeah, it’s still the greatest.

Was this one posted yet? There was a great story posted on the Frank Sinatra thread about this song. How Frank was supposed to record it, Gordon Lightfoot was in the recording studio to watch, thrilled, and Sinatra, his dementia taking over, complained the song had too any words and ripped up the lyric sheet. Lightfoot was devastated.

Just as well he ripped it up. "But for now love let's get real doobie doobie doo" just doesn't work.

Gordon lucked out.

Indeed, r126. What if Frank had fucked it up the way he did "New York, New York," with his "A-number-one" nonsense?

From a creative, artistic standpoint - yes - but LIghtfoot lost out on a shitload of royalties that allowed Kander and Ebb to pay for an entire mansion!

I hadn't thought of that, r128. Still, I am grateful not to have had to associate IYCRMM with Frank Sinister these past 48 years.

One of my favorite Dolly Parton stories. She was on Jay Leno, and he asked her how she felt about Whitney Houston's recording of her mild hit "I Will Always Love You", (kind of expecting her to trash it). Her response was something like, "Do you know how much money I made off that? Whitney Houston can record any song of mine she wants!!"

The Chicago II album, simply called Chicago, was released in 1970.

Sweet Mary - Wadsworth Mansion

For R132

5...4...3.....

This one

"Back in the day Cat dated Patti D'Arbanville."

Back in the day he was just another randy rock star, banging like the likes of Carly Simon ("Anticipation" is about him) and Patti D'Arbanville, among others. D'Arbanville spilled her guts about their torrid affair in one of Pamela Des Barre's dopey tomes: "Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies." She also showed up at promotional appearances with Des Barres and others who had fucked rock stars decades ago, rehashing those meaningless trysts with longing nostalgia. She said that he liked her to dress in a school girl uniform; I don't know if she was wearing it at the time, but she also recounted how he'd once fucked her on the hood of a car. He was Cat Stevens then; he's Yusef Islam now, a devout Muslim with a wife and five children. I don't think he and his family would appreciate some bimbo dredging up sordid tales of a lifestyle he abandoned so many years ago.

Look out for the clean up woman, y’all!

R137's choice always makes me think of this one

Marvin Gay, "Inner City Blues".

I know this is from 1975 but it’s also similar to The Clean Up Woman.

Oops^

Rockin' Chair was actually one of those "answer" songs to Gwen's hubby's bigger hit. George McCrea's "Rock Me, Baby".

This is a rare find.

This!

Judee Sill's first album came out in 1971. Her voice is heavenly.

"The Kiss"

Jackson 5

R145, that Judee Sill song you linked sounds so much like a slow XTC song, lo and behold, XTC's Andy Partridge is a huge Judee fan.

Judee had a rough life, parents and siblings deaths, two failed marriages, drug addiction due to failed back surgery and lots of other horrible stuff. Judee committed suicide in 1979.

More Jackson 5

I loved this song.

r147, I saw a clip of Andy Partridge saying The Kiss is one of the most beautiful songs he's ever heard, and he had to stop playing it during the interview because he "can't do it mate," too emotional.

I don't know that Judee killed herself. I know that's the account but there's speculation it was an accident. The note left behind was very much like her lyrics notes.

Got to Be There was Michael Jackson's first solo hit. It was not a Jackson 5 song.

Was Bobby Sherman still a factor in 1971?

Bobby Sherman's biggest hit was "Julie do you Love Me" which peaked in 1970. He was running in a tv show, Here Come the Brides, then he was done and out by mid-70s.

Bobby's first hit was Little Woman, followed by La La La (If I Had You), but the songs he's remembered now for are Julie Do Ya Love Me and Easy Come, Easy Go. Of course , on Datalounge, h's known for being Sal Mineo's "protege".

^^First I hear!

This was a good one.

Judee's stuff sounds so contemporary.