Disco hit the scene in the early 1970s and left us with several memorable songs. "The Hustle" by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1976. Other memorable disco songs from the 1970s include "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, "Brick House" by the Commodores --- Lionel Ritchie's first band --- "Fire" by the Ohio Players and "Car Wash" by Rose Royce.
Eric Clapton hit the charts with "I Shot the Sheriff" and Bruce Springsteen hit it big with "Born to Run." Fleetwood Mac had a series of hits off their "Dreams" album, including "Gypsy" and the title track. Lynyrd Skynyrd hit it big with the anthem "Free Bird" and told us how it was in "Sweet Home Alabama." Billy Joel sang to his love about how he loved her "Just the Way You Are," and Elton John gave the City of Brotherly Love a nod with "Philadelphia Freedom."
One of the most successful pop duos of all time had a series of hits that started in the 1970s. Hall and Oates had hits with "Rich Girl," "Sarah Smile" and "She's Gone." Gerry Rafferty gave us the highly recognizable saxophone riff on "Baker Street," and Al Stewart sang about the "Year of the Cat."
The 1970s are considered by some to be the decade of the singer-songwriter. James Taylor had a series of hits, with "Fire and Rain" and "How Sweet It Is" among them. John Denver sang about the "Almost Heaven West Virginia" and the "Rocky Mountain High." Janis Ian sang of the troubles of teenaged awkwardness with "At Seventeen," and Phoebe Snow sang of the "Poetry Man." America, a singer-songwriter group from California, hit it big with "Ventura Highway" and "Sister Golden Hair." Gordon Lightfoot, a native Canadian, told of the tragedy on Lake Superior with his ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."