DAILY DIRT: ‘Your Song’ might be the overall most memorable from the 1970s debut singles, but it has plenty of company

Published On: July 2, 2025

Tuesday, July 1, 2025: Daily Dirt

The Daily Dirt does not neglect Helen Reddy as frequently as others do. Welcome to The Daily Dirt’s Vol. 1,329, which consists of three thoughts for today.

1. In the 1970s, we were saying good-bye to much of the early rock era, bracing for the disco invasion that would ultimately arrive as the decade moved along.

The political turmoil the country was experiencing as a result of the Vietnam War made this decade particularly difficult. Music served as many people’s only hope, and today we’ll try to highlight some of the best songs and performers that emerged over this ten-year span. The third installment of our four-part series, which covers the 1960s through the 1990s, examines the greatest debut singles from four distinct decades.

Each of our three categories—male and female artists, as well as bands and groups—saw a number of thrilling musical debuts during the 1970s. I believe that Elton John’s “Your Song” will always be my favorite debut song from that decade. I first heard the relatively unknown Elton John’s breakthrough work while on the school bus one morning when I was a sophomore in high school back in Ohio at Mansfield Madison (thank you, home of the Fighting Rams). When we arrived at the front of the high school, I didn’t want to get off the bus since the song was so amazing.

Elton’s song wasn’t the only significant breakthrough release of that decade. It’s unlikely that many people recall how well-known the late Helen Reddy was following her I Don’t Know How To Love Him debut. With hits like I Am Woman, Delta Dawn, You and Me Against the World, Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress), Angie Baby, Ain’t No Way to Treat A Lady, and Somewhere in the Night, Reddy became a household name.

The Eagles and Take It Easy in 1972 are linked to another noteworthy debut. The song only ranks third on my list of bands and groups, but that doesn’t detract from the amazing CV the group went on to develop.

As you can probably see, today’s medal winners are all strong points. I hope you enjoy the third part of our series, which looks at the best debut singles from the 1960s to the 1990s:

The 1970s

Men

Gold medal: Elton John’s “Your Song” (1970). It’s interesting to note that this was originally issued as the B-side to a song called Take Me To The Plot that has long since been forgotten.

Silver medal: Oh Lord, please Harrison, George (1970)

Bronze medal: Bruce Springsteen’s 1973 song “Blinded By The Light”

Women

Helen Reddy’s I Don’t Know How To Love Him (1971) won the gold award. In terms of music, this number from the Jesus Christ Superstar production launched Reddy into the mainstream in the United States and paved the way for her breakthrough single, I Am Woman, which came out a year later.

Silver medal: I’ve always heard it should be like that. Simon, Carly (1971).

Bronze medal: Baby, I love you. Summer, Donna (1975)

Teams

Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits (1978) won the gold award. The band’s successful blend of rock, blues, and country, along with Mark Knopfler’s unique guitar style, contributed to Dire Straits’ widespread popularity at its peak.

Boston’s “More Than A Feeling” (1976) won the silver prize.

Eagles, “Take It Easy,” won the bronze medal in 1972.

Next: The 1960s round out our most notable debut series.

2. Did you know (Part 412)

That Texas is larger than any European country, excluding Russia.
That anteaters eat roughly 35,000 ants a day.
That there are roughly 200 chickens for every person in Delaware.
That the shortest river in the world is located in Montana. It s called the Roe River and only flows for 200 feet.
That one space suit for a NASA astronaut costs about $12 million.