These ten curated Spotify playlists recreate the sound of summers in the 1970s. Each contains songs that were popular between Memorial Day and Labor Day of a single year during that decade. If you grew up or listened to the radio during the 70s, these playlists will bring back tons of memories. I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed putting them together.
Click any image or text below to open a playlist in Spotify.
The Summer of 1970
A Spotify playlist containing songs that were popular between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1970. What better way to kick of Summer in the 70s than Mungo Jerry's hit, "In The Summertime"? This playlist also includes hits by Rare Earth, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, The Guess Who, Joe Cocker, Vanity Fare, The Ides of March, and many others.
The Summer of 1971
Here are 80 tracks that were popular between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1971. The summer of 1971 brought us the closure of The Fillmore East, the death of Jim Morrison, Nixon's War on Drugs, the birth of Southwest Airlines, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It also brought us music by Ringo Starr, The Grass Roots, The Moody Blues, The Jackson 5, Stampeders, The Rolling Stones, and many more.
The Summer of 1972
Here are over 75 songs that were popular between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1972. The summer of '72 brought us the first arrests for the Watergate break-in, the nomination of George McGovern for President, and four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden by Elvis Presley. It also gave us Top 40 hits by Chicago, Gallery, The Hollies, The Doobie Brothers, Three Dog Night, Jackson Browne, Dr. Hook, Jim Croce, and many more.
The Summer of 1973
Here are over 70 songs that were popular in the USA between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1973. The summer of 1973 saw Ronnie Lane play his last gig with the band Faces, David Bowie "retire" his stage persona Ziggy Stardust, and the break up of The Everly Brothers. It also gave us Top 40 hits by Stealers Wheel, Elton John, Chicago, Steely Dan, Billy Preston, Sweet, Paul Simon, Vicki Lawrence, Helen Reddy, Gladys Knight, and tons of other acts.
The Summer of 1974
A Spotify playlist containing over 60 songs that were popular between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1974. The summer of '74 saw the very first scan of a UPC code (to sell a package of Wrigley's gum,) the resignation of President Nixon, and the release of Patti Smith's first single, "Hey Joe," considered by many to be the first punk rock record. It also gave us Top 40 hits by Wings, Redbone, Blue Swede, Hues Corporation, Maria Muldaur, Andy Kim, Paper Lace, and many others.
The Summer of 1975
Songs that we heard everywhere – at the pool, and the beach, on the jukebox, at the skating rink – during the summer of 1975. The summer of 1975 saw the dawn of Disco Music in the Top 40, as the Bee Gees began their comeback with the hit "Jive Talkin'". 1975 also gave us the summer movie "Jaws", which set the standard for summer blockbusters to come. That summer also gave us Top 40 hits by KISS, Sweet, ABBA, Average White Band, James Taylor, Pilot, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, 10cc, The O'Jays, Bad Company, and lots more.
The Summer of 1976
Songs that we heard everywhere – at the pool, at the beach, and on the jukebox – between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1976. The summer of '76 brought us the Summer Olympics from Montreal, in which American Bruce Jenner won the gold medal for the men's decathlon. It also have us the last movie by John Wayne, "The Shootist," the celebration of America's Bicentennial, the release of the first Boston album (which ushers in the era of "Arena Rock",) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It also gave us Top 40 hits by Wild Cherry, Lou Rawls, Starland Vocal Band, Bay City Rollers, Boz Scaggs, The Sylvers, Peter Frampton, and many others.
The Summer of 1977
Songs we heard everywhere – at the beach, at the pool, at the skating rink, and on the pizza restaurant jukebox – in the summer of 1977. The summer of 1977 gave us the out-of-this-world phenomenon of Star Wars, which resulted in a mania not seen since the summer of Jaws. It also saw the release of the Apple II computer, the first performance by the B-52s, and the death of Elvis Presley at age 42. That summer also gave us memorable Top 40 hits by Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, The Emotions, Crystal Gale, Foreigner, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Steve Miller Band, and many others.
The Summer of 1978
A playlist containing over 90 songs that were popular in the USA between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 1978. The summer of 1978 saw the horse Affirmed win the Triple Crown, The Who play their last show with Keith Moon, and the release of the movie "Grease", which became the highest-grossing musical ever. It also gave us Top 40 hits by Electric Light Orchestra, Gerry Rafferty, Andy Gibb, Bob Seger, Bonnie Tyler, ABBA, Meat Loaf, and lots of other acts.
The Summer of 1979
Tracks that were in the American Top 40 between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 1979 - the songs we heard everywhere during the summer of 1979. The last summer of the 1970s saw a transition in popular music as many Disco acts remained in the Top 40 and, simultaneously, many New Wave bands like Blondie, The Cars, The Knack, and others broke into the Top 10. That summer also gave us Top 40 hits by Donna Summer, Rickie Lee Jones, Supertramp, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, Poco, KISS, and many others.
These playlists were made possible thanks to cool tools like The Ultimate Music Database, Paul Lamer’s Sort Your Music, and the playlist conversion tools of Soundiiz. I hope listening to these playlists takes you back to a better, happier time.
