Best Songs of 1971
For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify and Apple Music. Sadly all 100 tracks aren't available, but you get the general idea. Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.
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Changes
David Bowie
Hunky Dory
RCA
Notes
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Can You Get to That
Funkadelic
Maggot Brain
Westbound
Notes
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Sweetback’s Theme
Melvin Van Peebles
Sweetback’s Theme 7"
Stax
Notes
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The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Gil Scott-Heron
Pieces of a Man
Flying Dutchman
Notes
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Right Off
Miles Davis
Jack Johnson
Columbia
Notes
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Moment of Truth
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Can’t Stand It
James Brown
Hot Pants
Polydor
Notes
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Love the One You’re With
The Isley Brothers
Givin’ It Back
T-Neck
Notes
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Southern Man
Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton
Ode
Notes
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He Called Me Baby
Candi Staton
Stand By Your Man
Fame
Notes
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I’ll Be Faithful
Dusty Springfield
Dusty in Memphis Deluxe
EMI
Recorded in 1971 but previously unreleased
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Rock Me on the Water
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Capitol
Notes
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Helpless
Buffy Sainte-Marie
She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina
Vanguard
Notes
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I Don’t Want to Talk About It
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse
Reprise
Notes
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Word Game
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills 2
Atlantic
Notes
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Laughing
David Crosby
If I Could Only Remember My Name
Atlantic
Notes
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I Used to Be a King
Graham Nash
Songs for Beginners
Atlantic
Notes
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Stay With Me
Faces
A Nod Is as Good as a Wink… to a Blind Horse…
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Rock ’N’ Roll Stew
Traffic
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Island
Notes
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Everything’s Coming Our Way
Santana
Santana III
Columbia
Notes
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I Just Want to Celebrate
Rare Earth
One World
Rare Earth
Notes
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Hard Times
Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters
The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
Curtom
Notes
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Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Undisputed Truth
The Undisputed Truth
Gordy
Notes
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Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
The Temptations
Sky’s the Limit
Motown
Notes
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I Love What You Do to Me
Ike and Tina Turner
’Nuff Said
United Artists
Notes
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Medicated Goo
PP Arnold
The Turning Tide
Kundalini Music
“Lost” 1971 album issued by Kundalini Music in 2017
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Mr. Big Stuff
Jean Knight
Mr. Big Stuff
Stax
Notes
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Clean Up Woman
Betty Wright
Clean Up Woman 7"
Alston
Notes
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Tired of Being Alone
Al Green
Gets Next to You
Hi
Notes
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Hijackin’ Love
Johnnie Taylor
Hijackin’ Love 7"
Stax
Notes
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She’s a Lady
Tom Jones
Tom Jones Sings She’s a Lady
Parrot
Notes
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Yo-Yo
The Osmonds
Phase III
MGM
Notes
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Want Ads
Honey Cone
Sweet Replies
Hot Wax
Notes
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Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get
The Dramatics
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get
Volt
Notes
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Have You Seen Her
The Chi-Lites
(For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People
Brunswick
Notes
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Strawberry Letter 23
Shuggie Otis
Freedom Flight
Epic
Notes
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Angel
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Cry of Love
MCA
Notes
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Won’t Get Fooled Again
The Who
Who’s Next
MCA
Notes
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Baby Blue
Badfinger
Straight Up
Parlophone
Notes
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It Don’t Come Easy
Ringo Starr
It Don’t Come Easy 7"
Parlophone
Notes
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Eat at Home
Paul & Linda McCartney
Ram
Apple
Notes
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20th Century Man
The Kinks
Muswell Hillbillies
RCA
Notes
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Do You Know What I Mean
Lee Michaels
5th
A&M
Notes
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Be My Lover
Alice Cooper
Killer
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Jump Into the Fire
Harry Nilsson
Nilsson Schmilsson
RCA
Notes
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Bang a Gong (Get It On)
T. Rex
Electric Warrior
Reprise
Notes
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Brown Sugar
The Rolling Stones
Sticky Fingers
Rolling Stones
Notes
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Love Is Gone
Clover
Fourty-Niner
Fantasy
Notes
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California Women
Hoyt Axton
Joy to the World
Capitol
Notes
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Voodoo Village
Tony Joe White
Tony Joe White
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Fire and Brimstone
Link Wray
Link Wray
Polydor
Notes
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Tulsa Turnaround
Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Transition
Reprise
Notes
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Walking Blues
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Something on Your Mind
Karen Dalton
In My Own Time
Paramount
Notes
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We Got to Have Peace
Curtis Mayfield
Roots
Curtom
Notes
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Theme From Shaft
Isaac Hayes
Shaft
Enterprise
Notes
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Wild Night
Van Morrison
Tupelo Honey
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Stranger in a Strange Land
Leon Russell
Leon Russell and the Shelter People
Shelter
Notes
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Madman Across the Water
Elton John
Madman Across the Water
UNI
Notes
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To Whom It May Concern
Rodriguez
Coming From Reality
Sussex
Note
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It’s Too Late
Carole King
Tapestry
Epic
Notes
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Brand New Key
Melanie
Gather Me
Buddah
Notes
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Me and Bobby McGee
Janis Joplin
Pearl
Columbia
Notes
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Yesterday’s Wine
Willie Nelson
Yesterday’s Wine
Columbia
Notes
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Man in Black
Johnny Cash
Man in Black
Columbia
Notes
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Take Me Home, Country Roads
John Denver
Poems, Prayers & Promises
RCA
Notes
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A Horse With No Name
America
America
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Angel From Montgomery
John Prine
John Prine
Atlantic
Notes
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I Shall Be Released
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II
Columbia
Notes
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Find Yourself Sometime
Rick Hayward
Rick Hayward
Blue Horizon
Notes
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Oh Louisiana
Chuck Berry
San Francisco Dues
Chess
Notes
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Life Is a Carnival
The Band
Cahoots
Capitol
Notes
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Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes
Brave Belt
Brave Belt
Reprise
Notes
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Love Has Brought Me Around
James Taylor
Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Bitterblue
Cat Stevens
Teaser and the Firecat
A&M
Notes
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Every Picture Tells a Story
Rod Stewart
Every Picture Tells a Story
Mercury
Notes
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In the Summertime
Mungo Jerry
Electronically Tested
Dawn
Notes
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All Day Music
War
All Day Music
United Artists
Notes
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What’s Going On
Marvin Gaye
What’s Going On
Tamla
Notes
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Family Affair
Sly and the Family Stone
There’s a Riot Goin’ On
Epic
Notes
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Never Can Say Goodbye
The Jackson 5
Maybe Tomorrow
Motown
Notes
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If I Were Your Woman
Gladys Knight & The Pips
If I Were Your Woman
Soul
Notes
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Thin Line Between Love and Hate
The Persuaders
Thin Line Between Love and Hate 7"
Atlantic
Notes
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A Song for You
Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
ATCO
Notes
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River
Joni Mitchell
Blue
Reprise
Notes
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She’s Got a Way
Billy Joel
Cold Spring Harbor
Family
Notes
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Omega Day
Bill Fay
Time of the Last Persecution
Deram
Notes
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Motel Blues
Loudon Wainwright III
Album II
Atlantic
Notes
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Loves in the Answer
Ray Stinnett
A Fire Somewhere
Light in the Attic
“Lost” 1971 album issued by Light in the Attic in 2012
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Here Comes the Sun
Richie Havens
Alarm Clock
Stormy Forest
Notes
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Imagine
John Lennon
Imagine
Apple
Notes
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Famous Blue Raincoat
Leonard Cohen
Songs of Love and Hate
Columbia
Notes
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Fearless
Pink Floyd
Meddle
EMI
Notes
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Whiskey Woman
Flamin’ Groovies
Teenage Head
Kama Sutra
Notes
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When the Levee Breaks
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV
Atlantic
Notes
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Do Yourself a Favor
Stevie Wonder
Where I’m Coming From
Tamla
Notes
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Fire and Rain
Bobby Womack
Communication
Capitol
Notes
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Ain’t No Sunshine
Bill Withers
Just As I Am
Columbia
Notes
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Let the Good Things Come
John Martyn
Bless the Weather
Island
Notes
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Riders on the Storm
The Doors
Riders on the Storm 7"
Elektra
Notes