10 Best Selling Artists of the 70s

By: Susan Maphis

Break Studios Contributing Writer

10 Best-Selling Artists of the '70s

Who were the 10 best-selling artists of the '70s? You might be astonished to find that some of your favorites are missing from the list. The list contains just one female artist, four artists from the British isles, and three groups. See if you agree with the sales rankings that made these artists the best-selling of the '70s.

Elvis Presley: Although Elvis Presley died in 1977, he was still the best-selling artist of the '70s, which might surprise some people. During that decade, he released five hit albums and had 11 hit singles, including "Separate Ways" and "Burning Love." In 1977, the year he died, Billboard rated Presley the highest-grossing live act of the year, even though he only got to tour for half of the year.
Elton John: Also known as Reginald Dwight, the artist at number 2 of the 10 best-selling artists of the '70s legally changed his name to Elton John in 1972. The seventies were a prolific decade for John, as he released 12 albums and had a boatload of singles, including "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart."
Barbra Streisand: During the 1970s, Barbra Streisand was known not only as an actress but also as a musician, placing her among the 10 best-selling artists of the '70s. Streisand released ten albums in this decade. Singles she released during the '70s include "The Way We Were" and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," along with the fourth best-selling artist of the '70s.
Neil Diamond: The seventies were good to Neil Diamond. He had nine albums that decade, all of which went platinum. Diamond released a whopping 30 singles during the 1970s, including "September Morn," and "Forever In Blue Jeans." By the end of the decade he had firmly established himself as the fourth best-selling artist of the '70s.
Chicago: Selling enough records to earn the distinction of being the best-selling group of the '70s, Chicago released 10 albums during the decade, all of which went either gold or multi-platinum. Chicago's singles from the '70s include "Saturday in the Park" and "If You Leave Me Now."
The Rolling Stones: Starting with 1971's "Sticky Fingers," the Rolling Stones had eight consecutive albums go to number 1 on the U.S. charts. They are the second-most successful group of all time, and the sixth best-selling artists of the '70s. The Rolling Stones released nine albums during the decade, including the hits "Brown Sugar" and "Shattered."
Bee Gees: The Bee Gees were quite popular during the 1970s, helping to usher in the disco era. They saw their first U.S. number 1 hit in 1970 with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" and enjoyed much success thereafter. Releasing 11 albums, the Bee Gees are ensconced at number 7 among the top 10 best-selling artists of the '70s.
John Denver: Not only does he rank number 8 among the best-selling artists of the '70s, John Denver was also one of the best-selling acoustic artists of that decade. He released an astounding 15 albums during the 1970s, with hits like "Rocky Mountain High" and "Thank God I'm A Country Boy."
Paul McCartney: Not yet a Sir in the 1970s, Paul McCartney still did quite well for himself, garnering the number 9 position among the best-selling artists of the '70s. The breakup of the Beatles in 1970 didn't hurt him much, as McCartney went on to release 12 albums that decade. He had many hit singles as a '70s solo artist, including "Another Day" and "Live and Let Die."
Bob Dylan: Although critics questioned the quality of his work in the 1970s, Bob Dylan lands at number ten in the list of best-selling artists of the '70s. He also became a born-again Christian during this decade, even releasing two Gospel albums. Dylan released a total of 15 albums in the 1970s, with hits including "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and "Tangled Up In Blue."