20 popular '70s bands that still perform today

Since 1969, shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper has made a name for himself with theatrical sets featuring everything from electric chairs to boa constrictors. The Alice Cooper band released their breakthrough third album, "Love It to Death," in 1971. In 1975, Cooper put out his first solo album, "Welcome to My Nightmare." Fifty years later, "The Godfather of Shock Rock" still spends six months out of the year on the road (and finds time to golf too!). He even reunited with his original band for the album "The Revenge of Alice Cooper," which dropped on July 25, 2025, and has shows scheduled around the world all the way into December 2026.

Barry Manilow dominated the mid-to-late '70s with a bestselling studio album, 1978's "Even Now," and three #1 singles (1974's "Mandy," 1975's "I Write the Songs," and 1977's "Looks Like We Made It"). During his lauded career, Manilow nabbed 50 Top 40 hits and sold over 85 million albums. And he still performs those toe-tapping hits today. In December 2024, the singer-songwriter announced a lifetime Las Vegas residency at the Westgate Hotel and Casino, with shows booked through December 2026. On top of that residency, Manilow performed a series of shows across the eastern U.S. in January 2026.

After being diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in December of 2025, and undergoing surgery, Manilow postponed several dates — but he returned to the stage in June 2026 for a run of U.K. shows, then reclaimed his Westgate residency with sold-out performances that July, saying he's making "great progress."

One of the most popular recording artists in the world, Billy Joel has sold more than 150 million albums since his career began in 1972. A lot of Joel's success came during the '70s. The Piano Man won four of his six Grammys during that decade and released his bestselling album "The Stranger" in 1977. In addition to touring throughout his career, in 2024, Joel concluded his historic residency at New York City's Madison Square Garden, where he played 104 monthly shows throughout the course of 10 years. Though Joel canceled all upcoming tour dates after receiving a brain disorder diagnosis in May 2025, he performed live in January 2026, and his daughter gave an encouraging update on Joel's health in a March 2026 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying, "He's doing physical therapy regularly, and he's doing great."

Rising to mainstream success with "Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and helped the singer-songwriter and his group, the E Street Band, establish their place in Heartland Rock history. Springsteen parted ways with his band in 1989 to pursue a solo career, launching a reunion 10 years later.

Since then, Springsteen has toured consistently, with the E Street Band usually backing him. During a concert in 2024, Springsteen addressed rumors of a farewell tour: "We've been around for 50 f------ years, and we ain't quitting!" Springsteen declared. "We ain't doing no farewell tour bulls---! Jesus Christ! No farewell tour for the E Street Band!" In 2025, The Boss played across Europe, with stops in Italy, Germany, and England. When the tour wrapped in July 2025, it had earned over $700 million, more than twice what Springsteen's previous best-selling tour made. 

He kept the momentum going in 2026, wrapping a 20-date "Land of Hope and Dreams" North American tour in May — his first U.S. shows since 2024.

Chicago released a whopping 11 albums in the '70s, with five topping the charts. During their successful run, the band suffered a devastating blow in 1978 with the death of guitarist and vocalist Terry Kath. But the prog rockers persevered and continue to be pillars in the rock world despite numerous lineup changes. Recording 38 albums and selling more than 100 million records over the course of their decade-spanning career, Chicago continues to tour frequently, including a 2026 co-headlining "Windy Cities Tour" with Styx that marks the band's 59th consecutive year on the road, with dozens of shows scheduled into 2027.

Diana Ross was already a star with the Supremes when she decided to leave the group in 1970. The soul singer didn't miss a beat when she went solo, releasing the #1 single "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" that same year. She would go on to record three more hit singles during the decade. Ross released her most recent album, "Thank You," in 2021, and she's still touring today, with several domestic and international performances scheduled until October 2026. Ross has staying power in more ways than one—her July 2025 concert at the Hollywood Bowl lasted nearly three hours. "Either you move it or you lose it," she told the crowd.

No, you can't see Fleetwood Mac performing live in 2026. The celebrated band behind the record-breaking 1977 album "Rumours" has had a tumultuous several decades, including a longtime feud between former romantic partners Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Although the two have made amends, Fleetwood Mac no longer exists as a group, and any chance of reformation was crushed by the death of Christine McVie in 2022. Nicks said that without McVie, there was "no reason" to continue Fleetwood Mac. But Nicks herself—who began a successful solo career in the '80s—continues to perform. Her last tour was in 2025, and she most recently performed a handful of shows in April 2026.

Arguably the biggest rock band of the '70s, the Eagles' two albums from that era—"Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" and "Hotel California"—are among the bestselling records of all time. Although all five of the band's #1 hits were released during the '70s, the Eagles have managed to ride the wave of success to the present day. The rockers' long-running residency at Las Vegas' Sphere began in September 2024 and has since added dates through January 2027, making it the longest-running residency in the venue's history.

When Maurice White founded Earth, Wind & Fire in 1969, he set out to do something that had never been done before. The result was an evolution of pop music that incorporated elements of funk, rock, soul, R&B, and jazz. The band released their self-titled debut album in 1971.

By 1975, they had a chart-topping album in "That's The Way of the World," which featured their only #1 hit, "Shining Star." The band has gone through many lineup changes throughout the years, and White passed away from Parkinson's disease in 2016. However, the group still tours today with White's brother Verdine White being the band's sole original member. Earth, Wind & Fire spent 2026 co-headlining shows with Lionel Richie and now has dates on the books into spring 2027, including a stop at the Hollywood Bowl.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a quintessential southern rock band. They hit their peak in the mid-'70s with songs like "Free Bird," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "What's Your Name." Interestingly, despite their status as modern classics, none of the aforementioned songs reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (only "Sweet Home Alabama" broke the top 10).

The band took a hiatus in 1977 after three of its members, including singer Ronnie Van Zant, died in a plane crash. In 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed as a tribute tour to prompt the band's rebirth. The current lineup—led by Ronnie's younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, on vocals—continues to tour,  co-headlining the "Double Trouble Double Vision" tour with Foreigner through October 2026, and performances slated into July 2027.

A founding member of the popular 1960s rock band Buffalo Springfield, it wasn't until going solo that Neil Young hit his peak. In 1972, the singer-songwriter released his biggest hit (and only chart-topper) "Heart of Gold," which appeared on Young's first #1 album, "Harvest." The folk-rock legend has released over 40 studio albums during his prolific career, his latest being 2024's "FU##IN UP." In June 2025, Young headlined the renowned Glastonbury Festival, and he wrapped the "Love Earth" tour in September 2025. He canceled a planned 2026 European tour in February, saying simply that he needed to "take a break," but he made a surprise solo appearance at a benefit concert in May and released the live album "As Time Explodes," documenting the 2025 tour, that same month.

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, Paul McCartney promptly began his solo career. That same year, he had his first #1 album in his solo debut, "McCartney." The decade continued to go well for McCartney, who ended up with six chart-topping albums between his solo material and new band Wings. He's been actively touring ever since, and the "Got Back 2025" North American tour ran from September to November 2025, and he returned to the stage in March 2026 for two intimate shows at Los Angeles' Fonda Theatre — his first live dates since that tour wrapped.

Live albums were all the rage in the '70s, and Peter Frampton's 1976 double LP "Frampton Comes Alive!" catapulted him into the limelight while simultaneously reenergizing his earlier songs into Top 40 hits. After scoring a #1 album, the singer-songwriter returned the next year with "I'm In You," which peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2019, the rock legend disclosed that he'd been diagnosed with a rare degenerative muscle disease four years prior and announced a farewell tour. However, Frampton returned to the stage in 2023 and continued his aptly titled "Let's Do It Again! Tour,"  into 2026. He's also readying a new studio album that includes "Buried Treasure," a song he co-wrote with his son, Julian.

The '70s were an incredibly successful decade for Rod Stewart, both as a solo artist and as a member of the Faces. The band's debut album emerged in the spring of 1970, drawing comparisons to the Rolling Stones; Stewart's sophomore album arrived later that fall. The following year also saw both a Faces and a solo album release for Stewart. However, it was the latter, "Every Picture Tells a Story," that shot Stewart to stardom after it topped the Billboard 200 chart.

The Faces broke up in 1975. Three years later, Stewart released his second #1 album, the disco-influenced "Blondes Have More Fun," which included the hit single "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" The soft rock star keeps busy these days, touring around the world until at least September 2027.

Led by vocalist and guitarist Carlos Santana, the band Santana is heralded for its innovative sound that fuses blues, jazz, and Latin rock. The band became famous after playing the Woodstock festival in 1969 and began the '70s with two #1 albums: 1970's "Abraxas" and 1971's "Santana III." In 1998, Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016, the early '70s lineup reunited to release "Santana IV." The guitarist continues to tour both as a solo artist and with the group and has dates scheduled through November 2026.

After making a name for himself in the '60s as a blues rocker, Steve Miller reinvented himself as a pop-rock act in the '70s to great success. In 1973, Miller released "The Joker," which rose to platinum status while its title track topped the charts. Three years later, Miller released another incredibly popular album, "Fly Like an Eagle," and solidified himself as one of the top-selling pop-rock artists of the decade. While Miller's success has ebbed and flowed throughout his career, his band continues to tour and most recently played two shows in November 2025 in New York. His only announced shows for 2026 are a return engagement at that same venue, Lincoln Center's Rose Theater, on October 9–10.

Stevie Wonder has succeeded in every stage of his career, as evidenced by his notching his first #1 hit in 1963 at just 13. Still, it was the '70s that saw the R&B singer paving the way for future artists. During that decade, Wonder recorded five chart-topping singles, as well as his 1976 diamond platinum album "Songs in the Key of Life." Despite beginning his career at such a young age and being an active musician for over 60 years, the soul icon has performed at least one live show annually since 1962. Wonder performed a handful of shows across the U.S. in October and November 2025, and he's kept the streak alive in 2026 with surprise guest spots — including a January cameo at the NAMM Show and an April sit-in at PJ Morton's Blue Note L.A. residency finale — rather than a formal tour.

The Isley Brothers' sound and lineup have evolved immensely over the years. Yet while the siblings experimented with R&B, Motown, and funk, their foray into rock in the '70s led them to success.

In 1975, the Isley Brothers released their 13th album, "The Heat Is On," which became their first album to top the Billboard 200 chart (they didn't record another #1 album until 2003's "Body Kiss"). Unfortunately, four of the six Isley brothers have passed away. However, surviving members Ronald and Ernie are still actively touring. They'll play a small number of dates throughout 2026.

The Rolling Stones may have been calling themselves the world's greatest rock band since the late '60s, but it was during the '70s that the band recorded six of their nine chart-topping records. Mick Jagger and company have been prolific in every decade of their career and have released numerous studio albums since forming in 1962, with their latest, "Hackney Diamonds," released in 2023. They spent 2024 on the road in support of that album, which won Best Rock Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Their 25th album, "Foreign Tongues," dropped in July 2026 — though guitarist Keith Richards said that month that his arthritis would keep the band off the road in 2026, while leaving the door open to touring in 2027.

Three Dog Night had a heyday between 1969 and 1974, achieving more top 10 hits and record and concert ticket sales than any other artist. In 1970, the funk rock hitmakers scored their first #1 song in "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," and by 1972, they recorded two more ("Joy to the World" and "Black and White"). In 1976, the band went on hiatus only to reunite in 1981 with all original members besides bassist Joe Schermie. Since then, Three Dog Night has played a handful of shows yearly, with founder and vocalist Danny Hutton still leading the stage. The legendary band is currently playing a full slate of dates across the U.S. all the way through May 2027, and is reportedly working on a new album.

Additional writing by Robert Wickwire. Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Copy editing by Meg Shields. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. Updated by Colby Droscher.