THE 200 ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 1970s. This update: #30- 21. Continues next weekend.

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 1970s It was the decade of glam, disco, funk, Philly Soul, heavy metal, the singer/songwriter, punk and new wave. Here are the 200 songs that mattered most during the Seventies, in terms of influence, impact and success. To be eligible, the song needed to be released- as a single or on an album- during the years 1970-1979.
30	ZIGGY STARDUST David Bowie [1972] While artists such as Prince, Cher, Michael Jackson and Madonna re-invented themselves over the decades, few match the master chameleon David Bowie. Of all his personas, Ziggy Stardust was his greatest creation.
29	BLACK DOG Led Zeppelin [1971] Led Zeppelin threw together rock and blues to create its own brand of hard rock. Robert Plant's vocal style and Jimmy Page's guitar wizardry on "Black Dog" helped pave the way for AC/DC and heavy metal. The track was featured on 'Led Zeppelin IV'.
28	THE MODEL Kraftwerk [1978] Kraftwerk released "Das Model" in Germany in 1978. It took off elsewhere 3 years later, re-issued with the English title "The Model". The German group helped usher in synth pop and the electronic sounds that would blossom in the 1980s.
27	SUPERFLY Curtis Mayfield [1972] The blaxploitation film 'Superfly' boasted an influential and watershed soundtrack created by Curtis Mayfield. The soul music legend took R&B into new sonic directions, without compromising its cool-ness. This is most evident on the film's title song.
26	I WANNA BE SEDATED The Ramones [1978] The Ramones were a pivotal band on the American punk/ new wave scene. Their short and snappy rock tracks continue to influence to this day. "I Wanna Be Sedated" appeared on the group's 'Road To Ruin' album and was issued as a B-side in 1979.
25	LE FREAK Chic [1978] The marriage of funk and disco never succeeded as well as on Chic's string of hit singles. "Le Freak" was the group's most successful release, topping charts around the planet. The trademark cool funk sound designed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers continues to be sampled.
24	ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC? Tubeway Army [1979] Led by Gary Numan, Tubeway Army offered a glimpse of the future trend in pop music with "Are 'Friends' Electric?'. Following the pioneering sound of Kraftwerk, the group diminished the guitars present on its eponymous titled debut LP and pushed Moog synthesizers to the foreground.
23	MAMMA MIA ABBA [1975] Although ABBA's impact on the charts had begun with "Ring Ring" and Eurovision Song Contest winner "Waterloo", by 1975 the Swedish group was being dismissed as a one-hit wonder. TV airplay on Australian music show "Countdown" encouraged RCA to release "Mamma Mia" as a single. Swedish label Polar Music refused at first, regarding "Mamma Mia" a flop. When the single spent 10 weeks atop the Australian chart, the disc was issued in Britain, where it too reached #1. ABBA's domination of world charts followed. Today, the group is one of popular music's all-time best selling acts.
22	SMOKE ON THE WATER Deep Purple [1972] Boasting one of rock's best known guitar riffs, "Smoke On The Water" endures as one of the exalted classics of hard rock and heavy metal. Ritchie Blackmore has inspired countless aspiring guitarists since the track's inclusion on the band's 1972 album 'Machine Head'.
21	HOT STUFF Donna Summer [1979] Donna Summer always resisted being categorized as solely a disco artist. With Giorgio Moroder at the helm, her music always pushed the boundaries of dance. After recording many seminal disco classics, "Hot Stuff" saw Summer inject rock and a hint of punk attitude to the disco track. Groups such as Kiss would soon follow in its wake.