Unearth The Voyage
You can feel the 1970s in every shuffle, from vinyl-soft grooves to stadium-blasting hooks. These artists shaped entire genres, and somehow their songs still sound built for right now. Whether you stream while commuting or curate the perfect party mix, these legends never leave rotation. Let’s dive into the icons who keep playlists buzzing in 2025.
1. Elton John
Elton John’s catalog is like a jukebox that never runs dry. Your mood has an Elton track, whether you need Tiny Dancer tenderness or a Rocket Man liftoff. Those melodies lodge in your memory and stay rent free.
His farewell tour ended in 2023 as the highest-grossing ever, a victory lap decades in the making. Streaming keeps introducing younger listeners to his kaleidoscope of eras. You press play and remember why piano pop can feel heroic.
Elton’s hooks are classic, but his storytelling feels present tense. The choruses rise, the keys shimmer, and suddenly your day has a score. In 2025, his catalog remains massive and endlessly replayable.
2. Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin stopped touring long ago, but the riffs never stopped marching. Black Dog and Kashmir still flex on gym playlists and road trips alike. The thunder of Bonham’s drums feels engineered for modern subwoofers.
Every rock band studies them like scripture. Guitarists still chase that tone, and producers decode the room mics from Headley Grange. You hear their fingerprints on everything loud and swaggering.
Even without new music, they rank among the most streamed rock titans globally. It is pure electricity preserved on tape. When you need epic scale or a riff that refuses to quit, Zeppelin answers in seconds.
3. The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones treat time like another city on the tour route. Six decades in, the groove still struts, and the chorus still lands. You can smell the asphalt of Brown Sugar and the late-night neon of Start Me Up.
They keep releasing new music and playing to crowds that span generations. In 2024-25, they prove durability can feel exciting, not just nostalgic. The secret is attitude sharpened into timeless rhythm.
Your playlists call for their scrappy elegance more than you expect. A riff slices in, the drums hit, and you remember rock can grin. The Stones still move like the world’s heartbeat on two and four.
4. Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac never really left your playlists, they just moved in permanently. Rumours is the shared language of heartbreak and harmony, and those harmonies still sparkle through modern earbuds. You can feel the tension, the poetry, and the groove that makes long drives pass in a blink.
Producers still chase that warm, wood-paneled sound, and younger artists sample the attitude if not the tapes. Even their deep cuts feel like secrets you already know. When The Chain hits, crowds roar like a single voice.
Rumours pulls huge streams every year for a reason. It is therapy you can dance to and a diary you can sing. In 2025, Fleetwood Mac remains the textbook on how to be timeless.
5. Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is the fountain where R&B, pop, and funk refill their cups. Songs in the Key of Life remains a masterclass you can dance to. Play Superstition and the groove practically grabs your shoulders.
Producers sample him, singers study him, and listeners trust him. His 1970s output is a map for melody, syncopation, and joy. The craftsmanship is meticulous, yet it feels effortless every time.
From family cookouts to late-night headphone sessions, Stevie’s songs fit every scene. You hit play to feel brighter without getting corny. In 2025, he sounds newly born each morning.
6. David Bowie
David Bowie remains the permission slip to reinvent yourself. Ziggy, Berlin, and Blackstar form a constellation you can navigate forever. The moods flicker from glam swagger to haunted beauty without losing authenticity.
Even after his passing, streams keep climbing as new fans find their mirror. You hear Bowie in pop’s shapeshifting and indie’s daring edges. His songs feel like invitations to build your own universe.
Press play when you crave courageous melody and risky elegance. The choruses shimmer like neon on rain, and the basslines strut. In 2025, Bowie is the influence behind countless favorite songs.
7. ABBA
ABBA writes hooks that feel genetically engineered for joy. Dancing Queen still refuels every wedding dance floor and TikTok loop. In the 2020s, Voyage and the London virtual residency rebooted the sparkle.
Their harmonies glide while the bassline smiles. You hear sophistication hidden inside pure sugar. It is easy to sing and surprisingly deep when you listen closer.
ABBA’s resurgence proves pop can grow older without losing blush. Whether you want glitter or catharsis, they deliver in three minutes. Playlists keep them near the top because happiness never goes out of style.
8. Queen
Queen is stadium-scale emotion poured into four minutes. Those harmonies stack like architecture, and the solos soar. Bohemian Rhapsody still explodes on cue, whether in arenas or cars.
Streams stay huge as new listeners discover the theater inside rock. With Adam Lambert, the live show keeps the legacy breathing loud. You feel included, like the chorus already knows your name.
Press play when you need drama you can belt without irony. The rhythms stomp, the vocals gleam, and joy wins. In 2025, Queen remains the bar for spectacle that feels personal.
9. Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is country’s North Star and pop culture’s favorite aunt. Jolene still stings sweetly on replay, and 9 to 5 powers workday pep. She collaborates widely, turning fresh duets into instant classics.
Her songwriting is clean as a mountain stream. You hear kindness, humor, and steel in every verse. New projects keep arriving, and they feel like postcards from home.
Playlists lean on Dolly when you need clarity with sparkle. She makes sincerity sound fashionable and generous. In 2025, Dolly remains a constant because heart never trends out.
10. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen turns everyday lives into epics you can shout. Born to Run still chases the horizon from your earbuds. The E Street Band powers stages across the globe with marathon heart.
His catalog sells steadily because the stories feel earned. You hear friendships, paychecks, and hopes welded into choruses. On tour, the community becomes the star you sing beside.
When your day needs courage, Bruce supplies ignition. The drums punch, the guitar answers, and the road opens. In 2025, he is still the boss of cathartic rock and roll.
11. The Eagles
The Eagles mastered the art of cruising speed. Hotel California floats like a mirage and then lands sharply on the solo. You can hear highway air between those layered harmonies.
They still tour with precision, delivering a pristine greatest hits experience. Streaming loves their clean production and road-ready storytelling. Even casual listeners can sing two verses without thinking.
When concentration needs calm momentum, The Eagles deliver. The songs breathe, the choruses glide, and time loosens its grip. In 2025, Hotel California remains a streaming monument that never fades.
12. Billy Joel
Billy Joel writes city anthems with kitchen table honesty. Piano Man still feels like last call with friends who get you. His Madison Square Garden residency built a legend in real time.
He releases sparingly, but the catalog keeps expanding in hearts. You play him for singalongs that dodge cheesiness and land real. The melodies carry just enough grit to feel lived in.
In 2024 the residency wrapped, but the songs keep selling out speakers. Commutes feel shorter and evenings warmer with Billy in queue. In 2025, he remains a piano powerhouse for every mood.
13. Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney is the rare artist whose side projects are also history. Solo gems sit beside Beatles classics and still compete. You press play and stumble into a melody that feels inevitable.
Streaming keeps him top tier because craft ages well. The hooks are generous, the basslines playful, and the spirit curious. You hear the joy of making music never switched off.
Whether you want nostalgia or discovery, Paul has a lane. The catalogs braid together into an endless playlist of comfort and surprise. In 2025, he remains a living bridge between eras.
14. AC/DC
AC/DC turns volume into vitamin. Back in Black still hits like a fresh cup of electricity. The grooves are simple, the impact surgical, and your mood improves instantly.
They remain one of the highest-streamed rock bands worldwide because energy translates. Stadium tours prove that power chords scale forever. You do not need instructions, just a volume knob.
When workouts stall or mornings drag, AC/DC kickstarts the day. Riffs lock in, drums stomp, and your stride finds itself. In 2025, they are the undefeated champions of no-filler rock.
15. Bob Marley
Bob Marley sounds like sun on skin and truth in rhythm. Three Little Birds resets your worries in under three minutes. The Wailers’ pulse keeps summer alive no matter the season.
He remains the most streamed reggae artist globally, a gateway and a destination. Playlists lean on him for peace that still feels alive. The messages land gently and last fiercely.
Every rooftop, beach, and backyard knows these choruses. You exhale, shoulders drop, and the smile arrives on time. In 2025, Marley is the world’s favorite reminder to breathe.
16. Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell writes like a painter and sings like the weather. Blue still feels like reading a friend’s brave confession. In the 2020s, she returned to stages and honors with luminous grace.
Young artists study her tunings and fearless detail. You can taste the coffee and the cities in her songs. The writing invites you to listen closer and live softer.
When you crave wisdom without lectures, Joni delivers. The melodies wander and then land exactly where needed. In 2025, her resurgence reminds everyone that vulnerability scales.
17. Bee Gees
The Bee Gees engineered disco that keeps rebooting culture. Stayin Alive walks with you into gyms, movies, and memes. Those falsettos slice cleanly through modern mixes like laser silk.
Beyond the singles, their songwriting catalog fuels pop’s backbone. Producers crib their rhythmic tricks, and DJs trust the instant lift. TikTok trends prove the groove’s half-life might be forever.
You queue them when a room needs oxygen and sparkle. The bass hums, the strings twirl, and heads start nodding. In 2025, the Bee Gees remain the definition of dance survival.
