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The 100 greatest songs of 1971 #1 “When the Levee Breaks” Led Zeppelin (2 Viewers)

timschochet said:
36. Carpenters “Superstar” (from Carpenters) 

https://youtu.be/SJmmaIGiGBg

This performance is a master class in singing by Karen Carpenter. The original song was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie & Delaney, and the story is Karen saw Bette Midler singing it on TV and decided she wanted to try her own version. Now I’ve never heard the Midler version and she is obviously an extraordinary singer and performer, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job than Karen Carpenter. This is o e for the ages. 
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Her voice at the start of this song is just incredible.

 
timschochet said:
36. Carpenters “Superstar” (from Carpenters) 

https://youtu.be/SJmmaIGiGBg

This performance is a master class in singing by Karen Carpenter. The original song was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie & Delaney, and the story is Karen saw Bette Midler singing it on TV and decided she wanted to try her own version. Now I’ve never heard the Midler version and she is obviously an extraordinary singer and performer, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job than Karen Carpenter. This is one for the ages. 
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Mrs. Timschochet, please give Tim back the keys to his FBG account and maybe consider letting him back into the Tim Leegue this year.

 
timschochet said:
36. Carpenters “Superstar” (from Carpenters) 

https://youtu.be/SJmmaIGiGBg

This performance is a master class in singing by Karen Carpenter. The original song was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie & Delaney, and the story is Karen saw Bette Midler singing it on TV and decided she wanted to try her own version. Now I’ve never heard the Midler version and she is obviously an extraordinary singer and performer, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job than Karen Carpenter. This is one for the ages. 
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the best way to totes appreciate this is.................................................long ago and oh sooooooooooooo far away

 
35. Yes “I’ve Seen All Good People” (from The Yes Album) 

https://youtu.be/uJM7TdshUbw

While the other two Yes songs on this list are tributes to the FOUR master musicians in the band (no worries, @Ghost Rider, I won’t forget Bill Bruford again!) this song, their best, is mostly due to the talents of the lead singer, Jon Anderson, though Chris Squire did contribute to the songwriting chores. But Anderson is largely responsible for “Your Turn”, the first half of the overall tune, which lyrically  is a brilliant exploration of relationships using chess play as symbolism. The melody is great and it’s sung well and of course performed perfectly, but it’s the lyrics that rise above the rest and place this song in the category of all time classic. 

 
The last two selections were solid.  Not sure I believe there were 34 songs better.  I think 3 of my top 10 are already off the board. 

 
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timschochet said:
34. Badfinger “Baby Blue” (from Straight Up) 

https://youtu.be/TkA7xQb6uPk

Until I watched those last moments of the last episode of Breaking Bad I had forgotten about this song and how great it was. Badfinger was known as a “Beatlish” band, and this was probably the most “Beatlish” of all their songs. 
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Really like this song , produced by Todd Rundgren . The tragic story of this band needs to be told 

 
I love seeing three Yes tunes here, and I've Seen All Good People is another winner, but some of the best songs from their two 1971 albums are the deeper cuts, and I fear we won't see any of them now.

 
Ghost Rider said:
I love seeing three Yes tunes here, and I've Seen All Good People is another winner, but some of the best songs from their two 1971 albums are the deeper cuts, and I fear we won't see any of them now.
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Agreed

Side A of first album (A/H/S wrote all the songs) is sublime. Both 9 minute tracks on the first side were stellar.

Also love last track on Side B of the second album. That was the first album to feature Roger Dean art work on the cover; we had that poster in our room by late 1971.
 
timschochet said:
36. Carpenters “Superstar” (from Carpenters) 

https://youtu.be/SJmmaIGiGBg

This performance is a master class in singing by Karen Carpenter. The original song was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie & Delaney, and the story is Karen saw Bette Midler singing it on TV and decided she wanted to try her own version. Now I’ve never heard the Midler version and she is obviously an extraordinary singer and performer, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job than Karen Carpenter. This is one for the ages. 
Click to expand...
Actually a real good version of this is by Sonic Youth https://youtu.be/Y21VecIIdBI

 
Thanks Tim.  Very late to the party but spent the last couple of hours catching up.  I was born in 71 and didn’t realize how much fantastic music came from that year.

A flood of childhood memories can back on a few of these songs that I haven’t heard in ages.  Particularly Carole King as I recall as a youngster my mom playing that record over and over.  Thank you can’t wait for the rest of the list.

 
33. Carole King  “Its Too Late” (from Tapestry)

https://youtu.be/VkKxmnrRVHo
 

I’ve contended all along that 1971 is the greatest year in the history of popular music. With a third of the list yet to go, every song on this list is an all time classic, at least IMO. We’ll see if you guys agree. 
Starting with this song, as recognizable as anything that’s come out in the last 40 years. King’s genius, beyond the ability to produce great pop hooks (not a negligible skill in her industry) is her simplicity and efficiency: there is no waste of space in this beauty. 

 
timschochet said:
34. Badfinger “Baby Blue” (from Straight Up) 

https://youtu.be/TkA7xQb6uPk

Until I watched those last moments of the last episode of Breaking Bad I had forgotten about this song and how great it was. Badfinger was known as a “Beatlish” band, and this was probably the most “Beatlish” of all their songs. 
Click to expand...
Great tune.

Badfinger has one of the most tragic backstories of any major rock group from the 71 era.

If you are unaware you have to look into how they got completely ripped off leading to the suicide of the creative force and lead singer of the band Pete Ham because manager Stan Polley stole everything.

Polley is a walking stench of excrement unworthy of being called a human.

The Story Of Badfinger And Their Supposed To Be Success

Badfinger has one of the most tragic stories in rock ‘n roll. They were slated to be the next big thing but a series of bad luck and bad decisions led to one tragedy after another....

Stan Polley...

...On April 24, 1975, Pete Ham hanged himself in his garage studio. He was only 27 years old. His suicide note read:

“Anne, I love you. Blair, I love you. I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. P.S. Stan Polley is a soulless *******. I will take him with me.”
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32. Faces “Stay With Me” (from A Nod is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse) 

https://youtu.be/JtqF0qBqzZo

A nod is as good as a wink, and this song is as good as the Faces ever got, which is pretty damn good in 1971. Rod singing at the top of his lungs really never sounds any better than he does here, while Ron Wood and the rest of the band play their collective asses off. This is outstanding listening. 

 
31. The Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar” (from Sticky Fingers) 

https://youtu.be/59K2kF6o9Tk

One of the Stones’ biggest songs ever comes with that famous guitar riff by Keith and some very raunchy lyrics. Not too much subtlety here just some down home bluesy rock and roll. 

 
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30. David Bowie “Queen #####” (from Hunky Dory) 

https://youtu.be/S5P63qGTm_g

I’m up on the eleventh floor, watching the cruisers below

So says David Bowie, while an acoustic guitar exquisitely accompanies him. Bowie, like his idol Lou Reed, speaks the whole first verse; he doesn’t start singing until the intro to the chorus. 
So good. Yet another legendary tune that I never get tired of. 

 
timschochet said:
30. David Bowie “Queen #####” (from Hunky Dory) 

https://youtu.be/S5P63qGTm_g

I’m up on the eleventh floor, watching the cruisers below

So says David Bowie, while an acoustic guitar exquisitely accompanies him. Bowie, like his idol Lou Reed, speaks the whole first verse; he doesn’t start singing until the intro to the chorus. 
So good. Yet another legendary tune that I never get tired of. 
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Bipperty-bopperty.  😊

To help pay my way through college I spent three summers up in Alaska fishing camps living in tents with lots of tough hombre 'fringe of civilization' peeps whose lingua franca consisted of sentences punctuated by the F-word.  

I fell into a bad cursing habit and wanted to correct it so whenever I got the urge I made up the phrase 'hippity-skippity' and either said it out loud or just thought that in my head and it made me smile to the point I no longer felt the urge to curse.  

 
29. Carole King “I Feel the Earth Move” (from Tapestry)

https://youtu.be/6913KnbMpHM
 

OK, @wikkidpissah, after this post it’s safe to return to the thread because it’s the last time Carole King will be appearing. But what a year for her 1971 was- she actually had two albums that year, I didn’t have room on this list for any songs from the other album, but I especially love “Sweet Seasons”. 
“I Feel the Earth Move” is probably King’s greatest song (at least performed by her)- she was not known for rock music yet this is a rock song. That opening piano riff is as rock and roll as anything Jerry Lee Lewis or Elton John could compose. 

 
timschochet said:
29. Carole King “I Feel the Earth Move” (from Tapestry)

https://youtu.be/6913KnbMpHM
 

OK, @wikkidpissah, after this post it’s safe to return to the thread because it’s the last time Carole King will be appearing. But what a year for her 1971 was- she actually had two albums that year, I didn’t have room on this list for any songs from the other album, but I especially love “Sweet Seasons”. 
“I Feel the Earth Move” is probably King’s greatest song (at least performed by her)- she was not known for rock music yet this is a rock song. That opening piano riff is as rock and roll as anything Jerry Lee Lewis or Elton John could compose. 
Click to expand...
Their is positively no reason to EVER apologize for Carol King (She isthe most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.)

Or any tune fromTapestry (Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years).

 
Bracie Smathers said:
Their is positively no reason to EVER apologize for Carol King (She isthe most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.)

Or any tune fromTapestry (Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years).
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can never get enough of "Survivor is better than Mad Men" arguments

 
timschochet said:
29. Carole King “I Feel the Earth Move” (from Tapestry)

https://youtu.be/6913KnbMpHM
 

OK, @wikkidpissah, after this post it’s safe to return to the thread because it’s the last time Carole King will be appearing. But what a year for her 1971 was- she actually had two albums that year, I didn’t have room on this list for any songs from the other album, but I especially love “Sweet Seasons”. 
“I Feel the Earth Move” is probably King’s greatest song (at least performed by her)- she was not known for rock music yet this is a rock song. That opening piano riff is as rock and roll as anything Jerry Lee Lewis or Elton John could compose. 
Click to expand...
She stole that piano riff from herself. Go listen to the Chiffon's "One Fine Day". Carole covered it herself later on, but she played that jackhammer boogie on the original (sang back up, too).

 
Lot of blues follow baby in rock history. If you said, baby, I'd definitely have to oblige and acknowledge that there are a lot of blues that follow. 

 
wikkidpissah said:
can never get enough of "Survivor is better than Mad Men" arguments
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Tapestry charted for six years so I get where someone could get sick of it but it held for six years because... its good.  Its really good.  King's other album that year did nothing so she wasn't formulaic.  She caught lightening in a bottle with Tapestry.  

 
28. Carly Simon “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” (from Carly Simon)

Carly Simon came from one of the wealthiest Jewish families in America but was determined to make it on her own as a singer-songwriter. Her self titled debut album came out in 1971 and featured two hit singles: the first, “Anticipation”, was just an ordinary pop song (though due to Carly’s fame it still gets played today.) The second hit was a masterpiece of subtlety and musical complexity, a pop arrangement with jazz like changes and lyrics equally as interesting and powerful. I nearly ranked this a lot higher; it truly is one of the best songs of 1971 or any year for that matter. 

The link is to a live performance from the same year: check out George Harrison whispering to Art Garfunkel in the background! 

 
timschochet said:
28. Carly Simon “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” (from Carly Simon)

Carly Simon came from one of the wealthiest Jewish families in America but was determined to make it on her own as a singer-songwriter. Her self titled debut album came out in 1971 and featured two hit singles: the first, “Anticipation”, was just an ordinary pop song (though due to Carly’s fame it still gets played today.) The second hit was a masterpiece of subtlety and musical complexity, a pop arrangement with jazz like changes and lyrics equally as interesting and powerful. I nearly ranked this a lot higher; it truly is one of the best songs of 1971 or any year for that matter. 

The link is to a live performance from the same year: check out George Harrison whispering to Art Garfunkel in the background! 
Click to expand...
One of the best record reviews I've read was when Carly's "You're So Vain" came out: "proof that even rich people can make great rock and roll"

 
timschochet said:
28. Carly Simon “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” (from Carly Simon)

Carly Simon came from one of the wealthiest Jewish families in America but was determined to make it on her own as a singer-songwriter. Her self titled debut album came out in 1971 and featured two hit singles: the first, “Anticipation”, was just an ordinary pop song (though due to Carly’s fame it still gets played today.) The second hit was a masterpiece of subtlety and musical complexity, a pop arrangement with jazz like changes and lyrics equally as interesting and powerful. I nearly ranked this a lot higher; it truly is one of the best songs of 1971 or any year for that matter. 

The link is to a live performance from the same year: check out George Harrison whispering to Art Garfunkel in the background! 
Click to expand...
Possibly the best song from a great singer.

 
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