Bowie, Glam Rock, Tiswas and Bagpuss - 70 best things about the 70s

That’s the dream line-up for the perfect 70s supergroup as voted for in a poll of 2,000 music fans to mark the launch of Sky Atlantic’s new rock and roll TV drama ‘Vinyl’, which starts on February 15.

The ultimate band would have an amazing choice of original material for their set-list - everything from Hey Jude and Bohemian Rhapsody to Layla and In the Air Tonight.

The late music legend David Bowie was second in line for vocals followed by Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry and Elton John.

Music journalist and author David Hepworth said: “I’m not sure I’d put any money on this particular supergroup surviving its first rehearsal.

“After his experience in the Beatles McCartney didn’t want to be in any band that he couldn’t boss and Freddie Mercury had the kind of talent that could only flourish in Queen.

“Maybe Clapton and Collins could have done something jazzy between them. We’ll never know. “

“What’s interesting is just how famous the big names of the 70s still are, almost fifty years later. When people nowadays think of ‘rock’ what they see in their mind’s eye is the world that ‘Vinyl’ recreates.

“Bands who were young, fabulous-looking, were making music rather than remaking it and still had enough energy left to behave really badly offstage.

“And thanks to the fact there was no social media they could get away with it. We shall not see their like again.”

Rock and disco battled it out head-to-head for the title of best band of the 70s, with Queen emerging victorious ahead of Abba, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, the Bee Gees and Led Zeppelin.

Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 blockbuster Rumours - thought to have sold over 40 million copies worldwide - was named best album of the 70s, beating Queen’s A Night at the Opera, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and Hotel California by The Eagles.

But when it came to the best thing about the 1970s, music had to take second place - to Star Wars.

The epic sci-fi movie, which came out in 1977, beat Abba, David Bowie, Jaws, the VW Beetle, Concorde, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels and lava lamps.

The survey was commissioned by Sky Atlantic ahead of the start of new drama series Vinyl, set in the music industry in New York during the 1970s, co-produced by Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter.

The new series which stars Jagger’s son James Jagger as the lead singer in a punk band and starts on February 15th - follows record executive Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale) as he struggles with a midlife crisis which threatens both his professional and personal life.

Other cast members include Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano, Ato Essandoh, Max Casella, PJ Byrne, JC MacKenzie, Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, Juno Temple, Jack Quaid and Paul Ben-Victor.

70 Best things about the 1970s

1. Star Wars

2. Abba

3. David Bowie

4. Jaws

5. The VW Beetle

6. Concorde

7. Starsky and Hutch

8. Charlie’s Angels

9. Lava lamps

10. Led Zeppelin

11. Mork and Mindy

12. Vinyl records

13. Platform shoes

14. Flares (trousers)

15. The Godfather

16. Disco mirror balls

17. Saturday Night Fever

18. Watership Down

19. Harrison Ford

20. The Magic Roundabout

21. Hot summers

22. Tupperware

23. Bewitched

24. The Rockford Files

25. Fuzzy felt

26. Glam rock

27. Cola bottles (sweets)

28. Bagpuss

29. The Goodies

30. The Clangers

31. The Wombles

32. Jack Nicholson

33. Mick Jagger

34. Roller skates

35. David Cassidy

36. Afro hairstyles

37. Cassette tape recorders

38. Mr Benn

39. Wagon Wheels

40. Space Hoppers

41. Charlie perfume

42. The Silver Jubilee

43. Tiswas

44. Multi-Coloured Swap Shop

45. Morph

46. Sherbet

47. Suntan oil

48. The Bay City Rollers

49. Record player cabinets

50. Skippy

51. Jackie magazine

52. Long hair and sideburns

53. Shagpile carpets

54. Kevin Keegan

55. Play School

56. The Brady Bunch

57. Animal Magic

58. Mickey Mouse watches

59. Not having to wear seatbelts

60. Why Don’t You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead?

61. Stamp collecting

62. Popping candy

63. Record Breakers

64. Panini sticker albums

65. Half-penny coins

66. Dymo label makers

67. Look-In magazine

68. Fingerbobs

69. Brown/orange wallpaper/bedding/cushions

70. Playing oranges and lemons

Best band of the 70s

1. Queen

2. Abba

3. Fleetwood Mac

4. Pink Floyd

5. The Bee Gees

6. Led Zeppelin

7. The Eagles

8. The Rolling Stones

9. The Who

10. The Beach Boys

Best album

1. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

2. A Night at the Opera - Queen

3. The Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

4. Hotel California - The Eagles

5. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf

6. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

7. Hunky Dory - David Bowie

8. Imagine - John Lennon

9. Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield

10. Parallel Lines - Blondie

Best frontman/woman of the 70s

1. Freddie Mercury

2. David Bowie

3. Elvis Presley

4. Mick Jagger

5. Debbie Harry

6. Elton John

7. John Lennon

8. Paul McCartney

9. Rod Stewart

10. Bob Marley

Best guitarist

1. Eric Clapton

2. Jimi Hendrix

3. Brian May

4. Mark Knopfler

5. Jimmy Page

6. George Harrison

7. Carlos Santana

8. Keith Richards

9. Pete Townshend

10. David Gilmour

Best bassist

1. Paul McCartney

2. Suzi Quatro

3. Phil Lynott

4. Bill Wyman

5. Brian Wilson

6. Roger Waters

7. John Entwhistle

8. John Paul Jones

9. Lemmy

10. John Deacon

Best drummer

1. Phil Collins

2. Keith Moon

3. Roger Taylor

4. Mick Fleetwood

5. Charlie Watts

6. Ginger Baker

7. John Bonham

8. Alex Van Halen

9. Nick Mason

10. Brian Downey

Best solo artist

1. David Bowie

2. Elton John

3. Stevie Wonder

4. Rod Stewart

5. John Lennon

6. Bob Marley

7. Bruce Springsteen

8. Paul McCartney

9. Eric Clapton

10. Marvin Gaye