“When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that’s the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin’ up to the spirit in the sky

Goin’ up to the spirit in the sky
That’s where I’m gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that’s the best”

-Norman Greenbaum (1969, 1970)

Note: By no means is this a comprehensive list. Those musicians, singers, songwriters and others associated with the 1970s that we have lost would number is the thousands. I have selected artists, groups, and singers of prominence – though highly subjective – that either mainly established their presence specifically during the decade and no later than December 1979 before disbanding, retiring, or dying tragically, or if they were artists of longevity, their major success occurred between the dates of January 1970 and December 1979.

Duane Allman, (The Allman Brothers Band), October 29, 1971

Gregg Allman, (The Allman Brothers Band), May 27, 2017

Nickolas Ashford, (Ashford & Simpson), August 22, 2011

Marc Bolan, (T. Rex), September 16, 1977

Tommy Bolin, (Deep Purple, James Gang), December 4, 1976

John Bonham, (Led Zeppelin), September 25, 1980

David Bowie, January 10, 2016

Randy California, (Spirit), January 2, 1997

Karen Carpenter, February 4, 1983

Harry Chapin, July 16, 1981

Clarence Clemons, (E Street Band), June 18, 2011

Jim Croce, September 20, 1973

Brad Delp, (Boston), March 9, 2007

John Denver, October 12, 1997

Keith Emerson, (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), March 10, 2016

Tom Evans, (Badfinger), November 19, 1983

Dan Fogelberg, December 16, 2007

Glenn Frey, (Eagles), January 18, 2016

J. Geils, (The J. Geils Band), April 11, 2017

Lowell George, (Little Feat), June 29, 1979

Andy Gibb, March 10, 1988

Maurice Gibb, (Bee Gees), January 12, 2003

Robin Gibb, (Bee Gees), May 20, 2012

Andrew Gold, June 3, 2011

Dobie Gray, December 6, 2011

Jimmy Griffin, (Bread), January 11, 2005

Peter Ham, (Badfinger), April 23, 1975

Donny Hathaway, January 13, 1979

Michael Jackson, June 25, 2009

Terry Kath, (Chicago), January 23, 1978

Greg Lake, (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), December 7, 2016

Nicolette Larson, December 16, 1997

Alvin Lee, (Ten Years After), March 6, 2013

Bob Marley, May 11, 1981

Gene McFadden, (McFadden & Whitehead), January 27, 2006

Freddie Mercury, November 24, 1991

Keith Moon, September 7, 1978

Harry Nilsson, January 15, 1994

Robert Palmer, September 27, 2003

Gram Parsons, September 19, 1973

Teddy Pendergrass, (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes), January 13, 2010

Jeff Porcaro, (Toto), August 5, 1992

Gerry Rafferty, (Stealers Wheel), January 4, 2011

Dee Dee Ramone, (Ramones), June 5, 2002

Joey Ramone, (Ramones), April 15, 2001

Johnny Ramone, (Ramones), September 15, 2004

Lou Reed, (Velvet Underground), October 27, 2013

Minnie Ripperton, July 12, 1979

Maggie Roche, (The Roches), January 21, 2017

Mick Ronson, (David Bowie, Mott the Hoople), April 29, 1993

Leon Russell, November 13, 2016

Bon Scott, (AC/DC), February 19, 1980

Gil Scott-Heron, May 27, 2011

Dan Seals, (England Dan and John Ford Coley), March 25, 2009

Phoebe Snow, April 26, 2011

Joe Strummer, (The Clash), December 22, 2002

Peter Tosh, (The Wailers), September 11, 1987

Ronnie Van Zant, (Lynyrd Skynyrd), October 20, 1977

Sid Vicious, (Sex Pistols), February 2, 1979

Bob Welch, (Fleetwood Mac), June 7, 2012

Barry White, July 4, 2003

Maurice White, (Earth, Wind & Fire), February 4, 2016

John Whitehead, (McFadden & Whitehead), May 11, 2004

Eric Woolfson, (The Alan Parsons Project), December 2, 2009

Bernie Worrell, (P-Funk), June 24, 2016

 

For a full list, click here.