Top Hits of the 70s - Chart Toppers

by Various Artists

Recording information: Abbey Road, England; Bayshore, Studio, Miami, FL; Caribou Ranch, Nederland, CO; CBS Recording Studios, San Francisco, CA; Cleveland Recording Company, Cleveland, OH; Davlen Sound Studios; England; Foxglove Studios, Watertown, MA; Hollywood Sound Recorders; Hollywood, CA; Kendun Recorders; Nashville, TN; New Jersey; New York, NY; Northstar, Boulder, CO; Oceanway Recording Studio; Quadraphonic, Nashville, TN; Record Plant, Loa Angeles, CA; Record Plant, Sausalito, CA; Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA; The George Massenburg Studios; Village, LA; Wally Heider Studio 3; Wally Heiders, San Francisco, CA.

Collectables has rounded up 20 smash hits from the 1970s on Top Hits of the Seventies: Chart Toppers. The track listing is mostly split between three of the most popular styles of the era: AOR (album oriented rock), soft rock, and smooth soul. The AOR tracks range from the heavy-handed stomp of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" to the psychedelic metal of Blue ™yster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," from the funky Latin rock of Santana's "Black Magic Woman" to the corporate pop of Boston's "More Than a Feeling." The soft rock tracks are highlighted by Michael Murphy's mournful "Wildfire" and Paul Davis's "I Go Crazy." The soul tracks are a fine mix of funk (Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music"), Philly soul (the O'Jays' "Love Train" and Billy Paul's deathless "Me and Mrs. Jones"), and smooth soul (Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star"). Basically the disc sounds like what you would hear if you were switching between three different radio stations. Three pretty darn good radio stations. ~ Tim Sendra