As the planet awoke from the swinging 60s, the best 70s rockstars sounded the alarm through a giddy mix of gleefully escapist live performances and socially aware lyricism. Following the bubble gum pop records previously, it was the 1970s that brought us rock stars and bands, many of whom consider to be legendary decades and decades later!

With that said, we have decided to take a closer look at some of the greatest rockstars of the 1970s. There's no need for disco here, so fire up your record player and check out the list below.

Elton John

Elton John. He's been around forever, hasn't he? Regardless of how old you are, Elton has been at the forefront of the rock music scene for as long as we can remember. However, if we dive a little deeper, it was 1970 when the star released his first single 'Border Song'. This one didn't quite make a dent in the charts, but if we fast forward to October of the same year, John's 'Your Song' certainly made an impact.

Throughout the 70s, Elton John released a string of hits that we all know and love today. These include 'Tiny Dancer', 'Rocket Man', and who could possibly forget 'Crocodile Rock'? John dominated the music world throughout the 70s, releasing a string of hit albums too, including self-titled 'Elton John', Tumbleweed Connection and the chart-topper Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Fast forward to the 2020s and Elton continues to release music, sell out stadiums and basically be the rock legend we all know him to be!

Rolling Stones

Let's face it, there wasn't any other band in the 1970s that came close to The Rolling Stones in terms of popularity. The Rolling Stones were right in the centre of their greatest creative period, which resulted in the band releasing two brilliant albums at the beginning of the decade. In fact, no one would blame you if you had both 'Exile on Main St.' and 'Sticky Fingers' in your top 10 rock albums!

What you may not know is things took a dip from here onwards. Most people had actually written the group off before 'Some Girls' in 1978. This mega-hit was one of the greatest comebacks of all time and is known as The Rolling Stone's biggest-selling album in the United States. 5 decades on and the group are still playing ginormous gigs to adoring fans across the globe. Why not stick on some of their iconic hits as background music while you check out the Alphabet Bet and play on some fun games?

Bruce Springsteen

While Bruce Springsteen was more of a big rock star in the 1980s, he was already producing marvellous work in the 1970s. One of his greatest albums 'Born to Run' was released in this decade. You could make the case that 'The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle' and 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' fall just behind it in regard to Springsteen rankings.

The 1970s were also Springsteen's most influential era. This decade was when he developed the blueprint for rock and roll. Like the other legends above, Springsteen is still going strong 50 years on is about to embark on a 2023 UK tour.

Queen

We only have to say two words for this band - Bohemian Rhapsody! Regardless of your age, you'll have heard this song (and surely love it too!). This is the long-lasting power Queen have on multiple generations. Throughout the 1970s, Queen released an array of catchy hits, including 'Somebody to Love', 'You're My Best Friend' and of course, 'We Are the Champions'.

While we sadly lost Freddie Mercury in 1991, Queen have gone on to honour his legacy by releasing more iconic songs that millions of fans all over the world know and love. The band have even teamed up with the likes of Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert to provide vocals. However, no one will ever and can ever replace Mercury's powerhouse voice.

Pink Floyd

There is no mistaking Pink Floyd's influence on the rock world in the 1970s. In fact, the 70s saw the group release 3 masterpieces that rank amongst the best and biggest albums of all time! If you're a Pink Floyd fan, you may struggle with where to rank their work. We're obviously talking about 'The Wall', 'Wish You Were Here' and 'Dark Side of the Moon'.

It's also worth noting how much of a juggernaut the group were toward the end of the 1970s. By the time 'The Wall' was unleashed to the world in 1979, Pink Floyd were already known as the biggest rock group on the planet! While the group haven't played together in decades, there are plenty of fans who stick their tunes on decade after decade.

Led Zeppelin

We couldn't possibly compare Led Zeppelin to any of the legends above. This is because there was nothing really like them during the 1970s. John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Bonham kicked off the 70s with 4 monster rock albums. There was no band on the scene that sounded better or who were bigger. Led Zeppelin jumped into the decade with a daring change of pace. This is where they embraced acoustic rock.

Some of the group's most iconic albums in the 1970s include Led Zeppelin III, Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti. While their rock reign ended in 1980, their legacy continues to bring in new legions of fans. Led Zeppelin are one of the best-selling rock groups of all time. It's estimated they have sold a whopping 200 - 300 million records worldwide! The numbers certainly speak for themselves.