Titles

The biggest books on NYT Hardcover Fiction that entered the chart in the 1970s, ranked by Weeks at #1. 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 Weeks at #1, 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	Love StoryErich Segal	788.9	41	62	62	#1May 1970	Mar 1970 → May 1971
2	Jonathan Livingston SeagullRichard Bach	840.2	38	70	70	#1Jul 1972	Apr 1972 → Sep 1973
3	TrinityLeon Uris	917.5	36	76	77	#1Jun 1976	Mar 1976 → Sep 1977
4	CentennialJames Michener	701.3	28	60	60	#1Oct 1974	Sep 1974 → Oct 1975
5	The SilmarillionJ.R.R. Tolkien	594.6	23	51	59	#1Oct 1977	Sep 1977 → Feb 1979
6	The Winds of WarHerman Wouk	727.8	21	65	65	#1Jan 1972	Nov 1971 → Feb 1973
7	BurrGore Vidal	452.7	21	39	39	#1Dec 1973	Nov 1973 → Aug 1974
8	CurtainAgatha Christie	400.0	19	33	33	#1Nov 1975	Oct 1975 → May 1976
9	The Thorn BirdsColleen McCullough	712.7	16	58	59	#1Jun 1977	May 1977 → Jul 1978
10	The MoneychangersArthur Hailey	403.5	14	37	37	#1May 1975	Mar 1975 → Jan 1976
11	The Matarese CircleRobert Ludlum	401.9	14	32	40	#1Apr 1979	Mar 1979 → Dec 1979
12	ChesapeakeJames A. Michener	470.5	13	44	47	#1Jul 1978	Jul 1978 → Sep 1979
13	RagtimeE. L. Doctorow	455.7	13	39	39	#1Aug 1975	Aug 1975 → Apr 1976
14	Watership DownRichard Adams	357.8	13	33	33	#1May 1974	Apr 1974 → Jan 1975
15	The Passions of the MindIrving Stone	351.4	13	31	31	#1Apr 1971	Mar 1971 → Oct 1971
16	BloodlineSidney Sheldon	335.8	13	26	26	#1Mar 1978	Feb 1978 → Aug 1978
17	The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty	582.1	12	55	55	#1Jul 1971	Jun 1971 → Jul 1972
18	The Hollow HillsMary Stewart	386.7	11	35	35	#1Sep 1973	Jul 1973 → Mar 1974
19	Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, SpyJohn le Carré	398.7	10	40	40	#1Aug 1974	Jun 1974 → Mar 1975
20	Breakfast of ChampionsKurt Vonnegut	327.7	10	28	28	#1Jul 1973	May 1973 → Nov 1973
21	War and RemembranceHerman Wouk	511.1	9	45	61	#1Nov 1978	Nov 1978 → Jan 1980
22	QB VIILeon Uris	434.4	9	39	39	#1Feb 1971	Dec 1970 → Aug 1971
23	1876Gore Vidal	274.5	9	25	25	#1Apr 1976	Mar 1976 → Sep 1976
24	Once Is Not EnoughJacqueline Susann	377.6	8	36	36	#1May 1973	Apr 1973 → Dec 1973
25	The Day of the JackalFrederick Forsyth	409.4	7	36	36	#1Oct 1971	Sep 1971 → May 1972
26	WheelsArthur Hailey	391.9	7	33	33	#1Nov 1971	Oct 1971 → May 1972
27	Oliver's StoryErich Segal	300.8	7	29	31	#1Apr 1977	Mar 1977 → Oct 1977
28	Sleeping MurderAgatha Christie	300.3	7	26	26	#1Nov 1976	Sep 1976 → Mar 1977
29	The Odessa FileFrederick Forsyth	518.9	6	48	48	#1Mar 1973	Nov 1972 → Sep 1973
30	Sophie's ChoiceWilliam Styron	383.1	6	43	47	#1Jul 1979	Jun 1979 → May 1980
31	The EstablishmentHoward Fast	215.3	6	20	26	#1Oct 1979	Oct 1979 → Apr 1980
32	JailbirdKurt Vonnegut	303.6	5	27	31	#1Oct 1979	Sep 1979 → Apr 1980
33	The Last EnchantmentMary Stewart	258.5	4	25	30	#1Sep 1979	Aug 1979 → Mar 1980
34	The StandStephen King	252.3	4	23	38	#1May 1990	Jan 1979 → Feb 1991
35	ScruplesJudith Krantz	251.8	4	21	29	#1Jun 1978	Mar 1978 → Dec 1978
36	Smiley's PeopleJohn le Carré	239.2	4	22	28	#1Jan 1980	Dec 1979 → Jul 1980
37	Looking for Mr. GoodbarJudith Rossner	359.6	3	36	36	#1Aug 1975	Jun 1975 → Feb 1976
38	FalconerJohn Cheever	253.0	3	22	25	#1May 1977	Apr 1977 → Sep 1977
39	The WordIrving Wallace	308.2	2	31	31	#1May 1972	Mar 1972 → Oct 1972
40	The Honorary ConsulGraham Greene	295.8	2	27	27	#1Nov 1973	Oct 1973 → Apr 1974
41	TripleKen Follett	290.6	2	31	34	#1Dec 1979	Sep 1979 → May 1980
42	The Dead ZoneStephen King	212.9	2	21	32	#1Oct 1979	Sep 1979 → Apr 1980
43	Good as GoldJoseph Heller	207.1	2	19	25	#1Apr 1979	Mar 1979 → Sep 1979
44	OverloadArthur Hailey	177.0	2	17	19	#1Feb 1979	Jan 1979 → Jun 1979
45	Something HappenedJoseph Heller	298.7	1	29	29	#1Feb 1975	Oct 1974 → May 1975
46	The Holcroft CovenantRobert Ludlum	189.0	1	18	18	#1Jul 1978	Apr 1978 → Aug 1978
47	IllusionsRichard Bach	507.0	0	61	80	#2Sep 1977	Jun 1977 → May 1979
48	The Crash of '79Paul E. Erdman	442.5	0	45	45	#2Mar 1977	Dec 1976 → Oct 1977
49	JawsPeter Benchley	433.1	0	45	45	#2Mar 1974	Mar 1974 → Feb 1975
50	The Seven-Per-Cent SolutionNicholas Meyer	368.6	0	40	40	#2Jan 1975	Sep 1974 → Jun 1975
51	The Crystal CaveMary Stewart	348.9	0	35	35	#2Aug 1970	Jul 1970 → Feb 1971
52	Great Lion of GodTaylor Caldwell	310.2	0	34	34	#2Jul 1970	May 1970 → Jan 1971
53	Captains and the KingsTaylor Caldwell	293.3	0	31	31	#2Aug 1972	Apr 1972 → Nov 1972
54	The Dogs of WarFrederick Forsyth	291.8	0	35	35	#2Aug 1974	Jul 1974 → Mar 1975
55	August 1914Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn	289.4	0	29	29	#2Oct 1972	Sep 1972 → Apr 1973
56	The ChoirboysJoseph Wambaugh	281.3	0	28	28	#2Feb 1976	Nov 1975 → Jun 1976
57	Semi-ToughDan Jenkins	273.8	0	29	29	#3Nov 1972	Oct 1972 → May 1973
58	The New CenturionsJoseph Wambaugh	260.7	0	32	32	#2Jun 1971	Feb 1971 → Sep 1971
59	Islands in the StreamErnest Hemingway	260.1	0	24	24	#2Nov 1970	Oct 1970 → Mar 1971
60	Rich Man, Poor ManIrwin Shaw	251.5	0	33	33	#3Mar 1971	Oct 1970 → May 1971
61	Come Nineveh, Come TyreAllen Drury	238.7	0	26	26	#2Feb 1974	Nov 1973 → May 1974
62	THE THIRD WORLD WAR: August 1985General Sir John Hackett	235.5	0	23	40	#3Jun 1979	May 1979 → Mar 1980
63	ShogunJames Clavell	234.8	0	32	32	#3Aug 1975	Jul 1975 → Feb 1976
64	DeliveranceJames Dickey	233.4	0	26	26	#3Apr 1970	Apr 1970 → Oct 1970
65	DoloresJacqueline Susann	229.8	0	25	25	#2Aug 1976	Jul 1976 → Jan 1977
66	The OtherThomas Tryon	224.9	0	24	24	#2Aug 1971	Jun 1971 → Nov 1971
67	Message from MalagaHelen MacInnes	218.7	0	28	28	#4Oct 1971	Oct 1971 → Apr 1972
68	Storm WarningJack Higgins	214.7	0	25	25	#3Nov 1976	Oct 1976 → Mar 1977
69	The PirateHarold Robbins	214.5	0	26	26	#3Nov 1974	Oct 1974 → Apr 1975
70	The DeepPeter Benchley	211.2	0	24	24	#2Jun 1976	May 1976 → Nov 1976
71	The Snare of the HunterHelen MacInnes	209.2	0	24	24	#2Apr 1974	Mar 1974 → Aug 1974
72	The Greek TreasureIrving Stone	208.4	0	24	24	#2Dec 1975	Oct 1975 → Apr 1976
73	My Name Is Asher LevChaim Potok	207.6	0	26	26	#3Sep 1972	May 1972 → Nov 1972
74	The Lonely LadyHarold Robbins	205.0	0	24	24	#2Aug 1976	Jun 1976 → Nov 1976
75	Raise the Titanic!Clive Cussler	204.6	0	22	22	#2Feb 1977	Dec 1976 → May 1977
76	Green DarknessAnya Seton	197.5	0	25	25	#3Mar 1973	Dec 1972 → Jun 1973
77	The Fan ClubIrving Wallace	194.8	0	24	24	#2Jun 1974	Apr 1974 → Sep 1974
78	SlapstickKurt Vonnegut	191.0	0	24	24	#4Nov 1976	Sep 1976 → Mar 1977
79	Touch Not the CatMary Stewart	191.0	0	23	23	#2Oct 1976	Aug 1976 → Jan 1977
80	Calico PalaceGwen Bristow	189.0	0	30	30	#5Jun 1970	May 1970 → Jan 1971
81	The Billion Dollar Sure ThingPaul Emil Erdman	188.6	0	23	23	#3Sep 1973	Aug 1973 → Jan 1974
82	Travels with My AuntGraham Greene	186.1	0	22	22	#2Mar 1970	Feb 1970 → Jun 1970
83	Passenger to FrankfurtAgatha Christie	185.8	0	25	25	#3Dec 1970	Dec 1970 → Jun 1971
84	The Great Train RobberyMichael Crichton	184.2	0	23	23	#3Aug 1975	Jun 1975 → Dec 1975
85	Delta of VenusAnais Nin	183.2	0	18	36	#4Aug 1977	Aug 1977 → May 1978
86	The Eagle Has LandedJack Higgins	180.1	0	32	32	#6Sep 1975	Aug 1975 → Mar 1976
87	The Child from the SeaElizabeth Goudge	179.9	0	26	26	#4Nov 1970	Sep 1970 → Mar 1971
88	ShibumiTrevanian	176.0	0	21	23	#3Jul 1979	May 1979 → Oct 1979
89	LadyThomas Tryon	174.9	0	24	24	#3Mar 1975	Dec 1974 → May 1975
90	Daniel MartinJohn Fowles	173.5	0	19	27	#4Nov 1977	Sep 1977 → Apr 1978
91	CondominiumJohn D. MacDonald	170.4	0	22	27	#3Jul 1977	Apr 1977 → Oct 1977
92	The Dreadful Lemon SkyJohn D. MacDonald	169.3	0	23	23	#3Jun 1975	Mar 1975 → Aug 1975
93	The Women's RoomMarilyn French	168.4	0	18	35	#4Mar 1978	Dec 1977 → Aug 1978
94	The Bell JarSylvia Plath	164.8	0	24	24	#4Jun 1971	May 1971 → Oct 1971
95	The Promise of JoyAllen Drury	163.2	0	19	19	#3Apr 1975	Mar 1975 → Aug 1975
96	Humboldt's GiftSaul Bellow	163.1	0	24	24	#2Nov 1975	Sep 1975 → Feb 1976
97	PortraitsCynthia Freeman	162.9	0	20	27	#4Feb 1980	Dec 1979 → Jul 1980
98	Hanta YoRuth Beebe Hill	162.3	0	17	30	#3May 1979	Mar 1979 → Sep 1979
99	ShardikRichard Adams	161.1	0	19	19	#2Jul 1975	May 1975 → Sep 1975
100	CashelmaraSusan Howatch	160.5	0	21	21	#3Jul 1974	May 1974 → Oct 1974