The Greatest Songs of the Seventies

Released in 2007, 'The Greatest Songs of the Seventies' is the third installment in Barry Manilow's successful 'Decades' series. Following the chart-topping success of his 1950s and 1960s collections, this album finds Manilow tackling the decade where he achieved his greatest fame. The record is strategically split into two distinct halves: the first ten tracks are covers of 1970s standards by artists like Carole King and Elton John, while the final eight tracks (excluding the remix) are 'acoustic' reimagining of his own hits. This structure allows the album to function as both a tribute to his peers and a retrospective of his own legacy. Produced by Clive Davis and Manilow himself, the album emphasizes a 'soft adult contemporary' aesthetic. While critics, including those at BBC Music, noted that Manilow occasionally plays it too safe with 'straight' vocal deliveries, the album was praised for its technical polish and the genuine warmth of the acoustic arrangements. It serves as a bridge between his theatrical past and his later-career role as a curator of pop history.