Music Fans Pick Perfect 70s Supergroup

Freddie Mercury on vocals, Eric Clapton on guitar, Paul McCartney on bass and Phil Collins on drums – not a bad little combo.

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’ available exclusively on the channel from 15 February.

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 super group 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 re-making 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