Titles

The biggest books on NYT Hardcover Fiction that entered the chart in the 1970s, ranked by Top-ten weeks. Click a column to re-sort.

Book Power is the book's own figure: each week on the list is worth its position as a share of a full list — a #1 week is 14.5, a #6 week is 7.3, a #16 week is 1.8 — added up over the run. No credit split and no discount for what else the author had charting. What a book earned each author is on the author pages.

Ranked by Top-ten weeks, part of the ChartReign Power model — not a list published by anyone else. How it works →

All time 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s

Biggest books
#	Title	Book Power	Weeks at #1	Top-ten weeks	Weeks on list	Peak	On list
1	TrinityLeon Uris	917.5	36	76	77	#1Jun 1976	Mar 1976 → Sep 1977
2	Jonathan Livingston SeagullRichard Bach	840.2	38	70	70	#1Jul 1972	Apr 1972 → Sep 1973
3	The Winds of WarHerman Wouk	727.8	21	65	65	#1Jan 1972	Nov 1971 → Feb 1973
4	Love StoryErich Segal	788.9	41	62	62	#1May 1970	Mar 1970 → May 1971
5	IllusionsRichard Bach	507.0	0	61	80	#2Sep 1977	Jun 1977 → May 1979
6	CentennialJames Michener	701.3	28	60	60	#1Oct 1974	Sep 1974 → Oct 1975
7	The Thorn BirdsColleen McCullough	712.7	16	58	59	#1Jun 1977	May 1977 → Jul 1978
8	The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty	582.1	12	55	55	#1Jul 1971	Jun 1971 → Jul 1972
9	The SilmarillionJ.R.R. Tolkien	594.6	23	51	59	#1Oct 1977	Sep 1977 → Feb 1979
10	The Odessa FileFrederick Forsyth	518.9	6	48	48	#1Mar 1973	Nov 1972 → Sep 1973
11	War and RemembranceHerman Wouk	511.1	9	45	61	#1Nov 1978	Nov 1978 → Jan 1980
12	The Crash of '79Paul E. Erdman	442.5	0	45	45	#2Mar 1977	Dec 1976 → Oct 1977
13	JawsPeter Benchley	433.1	0	45	45	#2Mar 1974	Mar 1974 → Feb 1975
14	ChesapeakeJames A. Michener	470.5	13	44	47	#1Jul 1978	Jul 1978 → Sep 1979
15	Sophie's ChoiceWilliam Styron	383.1	6	43	47	#1Jul 1979	Jun 1979 → May 1980
16	Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, SpyJohn le Carré	398.7	10	40	40	#1Aug 1974	Jun 1974 → Mar 1975
17	The Seven-Per-Cent SolutionNicholas Meyer	368.6	0	40	40	#2Jan 1975	Sep 1974 → Jun 1975
18	RagtimeE. L. Doctorow	455.7	13	39	39	#1Aug 1975	Aug 1975 → Apr 1976
19	BurrGore Vidal	452.7	21	39	39	#1Dec 1973	Nov 1973 → Aug 1974
20	QB VIILeon Uris	434.4	9	39	39	#1Feb 1971	Dec 1970 → Aug 1971
21	The MoneychangersArthur Hailey	403.5	14	37	37	#1May 1975	Mar 1975 → Jan 1976
22	The Day of the JackalFrederick Forsyth	409.4	7	36	36	#1Oct 1971	Sep 1971 → May 1972
23	Once Is Not EnoughJacqueline Susann	377.6	8	36	36	#1May 1973	Apr 1973 → Dec 1973
24	Looking for Mr. GoodbarJudith Rossner	359.6	3	36	36	#1Aug 1975	Jun 1975 → Feb 1976
25	The Hollow HillsMary Stewart	386.7	11	35	35	#1Sep 1973	Jul 1973 → Mar 1974
26	The Crystal CaveMary Stewart	348.9	0	35	35	#2Aug 1970	Jul 1970 → Feb 1971
27	The Dogs of WarFrederick Forsyth	291.8	0	35	35	#2Aug 1974	Jul 1974 → Mar 1975
28	Great Lion of GodTaylor Caldwell	310.2	0	34	34	#2Jul 1970	May 1970 → Jan 1971
29	CurtainAgatha Christie	400.0	19	33	33	#1Nov 1975	Oct 1975 → May 1976
30	WheelsArthur Hailey	391.9	7	33	33	#1Nov 1971	Oct 1971 → May 1972
31	Watership DownRichard Adams	357.8	13	33	33	#1May 1974	Apr 1974 → Jan 1975
32	Rich Man, Poor ManIrwin Shaw	251.5	0	33	33	#3Mar 1971	Oct 1970 → May 1971
33	The Matarese CircleRobert Ludlum	401.9	14	32	40	#1Apr 1979	Mar 1979 → Dec 1979
34	The New CenturionsJoseph Wambaugh	260.7	0	32	32	#2Jun 1971	Feb 1971 → Sep 1971
35	ShogunJames Clavell	234.8	0	32	32	#3Aug 1975	Jul 1975 → Feb 1976
36	The Eagle Has LandedJack Higgins	180.1	0	32	32	#6Sep 1975	Aug 1975 → Mar 1976
37	The Passions of the MindIrving Stone	351.4	13	31	31	#1Apr 1971	Mar 1971 → Oct 1971
38	The WordIrving Wallace	308.2	2	31	31	#1May 1972	Mar 1972 → Oct 1972
39	Captains and the KingsTaylor Caldwell	293.3	0	31	31	#2Aug 1972	Apr 1972 → Nov 1972
40	TripleKen Follett	290.6	2	31	34	#1Dec 1979	Sep 1979 → May 1980
41	Calico PalaceGwen Bristow	189.0	0	30	30	#5Jun 1970	May 1970 → Jan 1971
42	Oliver's StoryErich Segal	300.8	7	29	31	#1Apr 1977	Mar 1977 → Oct 1977
43	Something HappenedJoseph Heller	298.7	1	29	29	#1Feb 1975	Oct 1974 → May 1975
44	August 1914Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn	289.4	0	29	29	#2Oct 1972	Sep 1972 → Apr 1973
45	Semi-ToughDan Jenkins	273.8	0	29	29	#3Nov 1972	Oct 1972 → May 1973
46	Breakfast of ChampionsKurt Vonnegut	327.7	10	28	28	#1Jul 1973	May 1973 → Nov 1973
47	The ChoirboysJoseph Wambaugh	281.3	0	28	28	#2Feb 1976	Nov 1975 → Jun 1976
48	Message from MalagaHelen MacInnes	218.7	0	28	28	#4Oct 1971	Oct 1971 → Apr 1972
49	JailbirdKurt Vonnegut	303.6	5	27	31	#1Oct 1979	Sep 1979 → Apr 1980
50	The Honorary ConsulGraham Greene	295.8	2	27	27	#1Nov 1973	Oct 1973 → Apr 1974
51	BloodlineSidney Sheldon	335.8	13	26	26	#1Mar 1978	Feb 1978 → Aug 1978
52	Sleeping MurderAgatha Christie	300.3	7	26	26	#1Nov 1976	Sep 1976 → Mar 1977
53	Come Nineveh, Come TyreAllen Drury	238.7	0	26	26	#2Feb 1974	Nov 1973 → May 1974
54	DeliveranceJames Dickey	233.4	0	26	26	#3Apr 1970	Apr 1970 → Oct 1970
55	The PirateHarold Robbins	214.5	0	26	26	#3Nov 1974	Oct 1974 → Apr 1975
56	My Name Is Asher LevChaim Potok	207.6	0	26	26	#3Sep 1972	May 1972 → Nov 1972
57	The Child from the SeaElizabeth Goudge	179.9	0	26	26	#4Nov 1970	Sep 1970 → Mar 1971
58	The Gang That Couldn't Shoot StraightJimmy Breslin	159.0	0	26	26	#5Mar 1970	Jan 1970 → Jul 1970
59	1876Gore Vidal	274.5	9	25	25	#1Apr 1976	Mar 1976 → Sep 1976
60	The Last EnchantmentMary Stewart	258.5	4	25	30	#1Sep 1979	Aug 1979 → Mar 1980
61	DoloresJacqueline Susann	229.8	0	25	25	#2Aug 1976	Jul 1976 → Jan 1977
62	Storm WarningJack Higgins	214.7	0	25	25	#3Nov 1976	Oct 1976 → Mar 1977
63	Green DarknessAnya Seton	197.5	0	25	25	#3Mar 1973	Dec 1972 → Jun 1973
64	Passenger to FrankfurtAgatha Christie	185.8	0	25	25	#3Dec 1970	Dec 1970 → Jun 1971
65	Islands in the StreamErnest Hemingway	260.1	0	24	24	#2Nov 1970	Oct 1970 → Mar 1971
66	The OtherThomas Tryon	224.9	0	24	24	#2Aug 1971	Jun 1971 → Nov 1971
67	The DeepPeter Benchley	211.2	0	24	24	#2Jun 1976	May 1976 → Nov 1976
68	The Snare of the HunterHelen MacInnes	209.2	0	24	24	#2Apr 1974	Mar 1974 → Aug 1974
69	The Greek TreasureIrving Stone	208.4	0	24	24	#2Dec 1975	Oct 1975 → Apr 1976
70	The Lonely LadyHarold Robbins	205.0	0	24	24	#2Aug 1976	Jun 1976 → Nov 1976
71	The Fan ClubIrving Wallace	194.8	0	24	24	#2Jun 1974	Apr 1974 → Sep 1974
72	SlapstickKurt Vonnegut	191.0	0	24	24	#4Nov 1976	Sep 1976 → Mar 1977
73	LadyThomas Tryon	174.9	0	24	24	#3Mar 1975	Dec 1974 → May 1975
74	The Bell JarSylvia Plath	164.8	0	24	24	#4Jun 1971	May 1971 → Oct 1971
75	Humboldt's GiftSaul Bellow	163.1	0	24	24	#2Nov 1975	Sep 1975 → Feb 1976
76	God Is an EnglishmanR.F. Delderfield	158.2	0	24	24	#4Oct 1970	Sep 1970 → Mar 1971
77	The First Deadly SinLawrence Sanders	155.9	0	24	24	#4Feb 1974	Oct 1973 → Apr 1974
78	The Secret WomanVictoria Holt	152.7	0	24	24	#4Sep 1970	Jul 1970 → Jan 1971
79	The StandStephen King	252.3	4	23	38	#1May 1990	Jan 1979 → Feb 1991
80	THE THIRD WORLD WAR: August 1985General Sir John Hackett	235.5	0	23	40	#3Jun 1979	May 1979 → Mar 1980
81	Touch Not the CatMary Stewart	191.0	0	23	23	#2Oct 1976	Aug 1976 → Jan 1977
82	The Billion Dollar Sure ThingPaul Emil Erdman	188.6	0	23	23	#3Sep 1973	Aug 1973 → Jan 1974
83	The Great Train RobberyMichael Crichton	184.2	0	23	23	#3Aug 1975	Jun 1975 → Dec 1975
84	The Dreadful Lemon SkyJohn D. MacDonald	169.3	0	23	23	#3Jun 1975	Mar 1975 → Aug 1975
85	The Persian BoyMary Renault	158.0	0	23	23	#4Feb 1973	Nov 1972 → May 1973
86	The SalamanderMorris L. West	143.2	0	23	23	#5Nov 1973	Sep 1973 → Feb 1974
87	FalconerJohn Cheever	253.0	3	22	25	#1May 1977	Apr 1977 → Sep 1977
88	Smiley's PeopleJohn le Carré	239.2	4	22	28	#1Jan 1980	Dec 1979 → Jul 1980
89	Raise the Titanic!Clive Cussler	204.6	0	22	22	#2Feb 1977	Dec 1976 → May 1977
90	Travels with My AuntGraham Greene	186.1	0	22	22	#2Mar 1970	Feb 1970 → Jun 1970
91	CondominiumJohn D. MacDonald	170.4	0	22	27	#3Jul 1977	Apr 1977 → Oct 1977
92	The DriftersJames A. Michener	157.1	0	22	22	#4Jul 1971	Jun 1971 → Nov 1971
93	ScruplesJudith Krantz	251.8	4	21	29	#1Jun 1978	Mar 1978 → Dec 1978
94	The Dead ZoneStephen King	212.9	2	21	32	#1Oct 1979	Sep 1979 → Apr 1980
95	ShibumiTrevanian	176.0	0	21	23	#3Jul 1979	May 1979 → Oct 1979
96	CashelmaraSusan Howatch	160.5	0	21	21	#3Jul 1974	May 1974 → Oct 1974
97	Theophilus NorthThornton Wilder	157.8	0	21	21	#4Dec 1973	Nov 1973 → Apr 1974
98	A Stranger in the MirrorSidney Sheldon	144.5	0	21	21	#3May 1976	May 1976 → Sep 1976
99	Agent in PlaceHelen MacInnes	144.2	0	21	21	#4Jun 1976	May 1976 → Oct 1976
100	The Chancellor ManuscriptRobert Ludlum	142.1	0	21	23	#5Apr 1977	Mar 1977 → Sep 1977