Titles

The biggest books on NYT Hardcover Fiction that entered the chart in the 1970s, ranked by Weeks on list. 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 on list, 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	IllusionsRichard Bach	507.0	0	61	80	#2Sep 1977	Jun 1977 → May 1979
2	TrinityLeon Uris	917.5	36	76	77	#1Jun 1976	Mar 1976 → Sep 1977
3	Jonathan Livingston SeagullRichard Bach	840.2	38	70	70	#1Jul 1972	Apr 1972 → Sep 1973
4	The Winds of WarHerman Wouk	727.8	21	65	65	#1Jan 1972	Nov 1971 → Feb 1973
5	Love StoryErich Segal	788.9	41	62	62	#1May 1970	Mar 1970 → May 1971
6	War and RemembranceHerman Wouk	511.1	9	45	61	#1Nov 1978	Nov 1978 → Jan 1980
7	CentennialJames Michener	701.3	28	60	60	#1Oct 1974	Sep 1974 → Oct 1975
8	The Thorn BirdsColleen McCullough	712.7	16	58	59	#1Jun 1977	May 1977 → Jul 1978
9	The SilmarillionJ.R.R. Tolkien	594.6	23	51	59	#1Oct 1977	Sep 1977 → Feb 1979
10	The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty	582.1	12	55	55	#1Jul 1971	Jun 1971 → Jul 1972
11	The Odessa FileFrederick Forsyth	518.9	6	48	48	#1Mar 1973	Nov 1972 → Sep 1973
12	ChesapeakeJames A. Michener	470.5	13	44	47	#1Jul 1978	Jul 1978 → Sep 1979
13	Sophie's ChoiceWilliam Styron	383.1	6	43	47	#1Jul 1979	Jun 1979 → May 1980
14	The Crash of '79Paul E. Erdman	442.5	0	45	45	#2Mar 1977	Dec 1976 → Oct 1977
15	JawsPeter Benchley	433.1	0	45	45	#2Mar 1974	Mar 1974 → Feb 1975
16	The Matarese CircleRobert Ludlum	401.9	14	32	40	#1Apr 1979	Mar 1979 → Dec 1979
17	Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, SpyJohn le Carré	398.7	10	40	40	#1Aug 1974	Jun 1974 → Mar 1975
18	The Seven-Per-Cent SolutionNicholas Meyer	368.6	0	40	40	#2Jan 1975	Sep 1974 → Jun 1975
19	THE THIRD WORLD WAR: August 1985General Sir John Hackett	235.5	0	23	40	#3Jun 1979	May 1979 → Mar 1980
20	RagtimeE. L. Doctorow	455.7	13	39	39	#1Aug 1975	Aug 1975 → Apr 1976
21	BurrGore Vidal	452.7	21	39	39	#1Dec 1973	Nov 1973 → Aug 1974
22	QB VIILeon Uris	434.4	9	39	39	#1Feb 1971	Dec 1970 → Aug 1971
23	The StandStephen King	252.3	4	23	38	#1May 1990	Jan 1979 → Feb 1991
24	The MoneychangersArthur Hailey	403.5	14	37	37	#1May 1975	Mar 1975 → Jan 1976
25	The Day of the JackalFrederick Forsyth	409.4	7	36	36	#1Oct 1971	Sep 1971 → May 1972
26	Once Is Not EnoughJacqueline Susann	377.6	8	36	36	#1May 1973	Apr 1973 → Dec 1973
27	Looking for Mr. GoodbarJudith Rossner	359.6	3	36	36	#1Aug 1975	Jun 1975 → Feb 1976
28	Delta of VenusAnais Nin	183.2	0	18	36	#4Aug 1977	Aug 1977 → May 1978
29	The Hollow HillsMary Stewart	386.7	11	35	35	#1Sep 1973	Jul 1973 → Mar 1974
30	The Crystal CaveMary Stewart	348.9	0	35	35	#2Aug 1970	Jul 1970 → Feb 1971
31	The Dogs of WarFrederick Forsyth	291.8	0	35	35	#2Aug 1974	Jul 1974 → Mar 1975
32	The Women's RoomMarilyn French	168.4	0	18	35	#4Mar 1978	Dec 1977 → Aug 1978
33	Great Lion of GodTaylor Caldwell	310.2	0	34	34	#2Jul 1970	May 1970 → Jan 1971
34	TripleKen Follett	290.6	2	31	34	#1Dec 1979	Sep 1979 → May 1980
35	EvergreenBelva Plain	158.9	0	20	34	#5Nov 1978	Jul 1978 → May 1979
36	CurtainAgatha Christie	400.0	19	33	33	#1Nov 1975	Oct 1975 → May 1976
37	WheelsArthur Hailey	391.9	7	33	33	#1Nov 1971	Oct 1971 → May 1972
38	Watership DownRichard Adams	357.8	13	33	33	#1May 1974	Apr 1974 → Jan 1975
39	Rich Man, Poor ManIrwin Shaw	251.5	0	33	33	#3Mar 1971	Oct 1970 → May 1971
40	The New CenturionsJoseph Wambaugh	260.7	0	32	32	#2Jun 1971	Feb 1971 → Sep 1971
41	ShogunJames Clavell	234.8	0	32	32	#3Aug 1975	Jul 1975 → Feb 1976
42	The Dead ZoneStephen King	212.9	2	21	32	#1Oct 1979	Sep 1979 → Apr 1980
43	The Eagle Has LandedJack Higgins	180.1	0	32	32	#6Sep 1975	Aug 1975 → Mar 1976
44	The Passions of the MindIrving Stone	351.4	13	31	31	#1Apr 1971	Mar 1971 → Oct 1971
45	The WordIrving Wallace	308.2	2	31	31	#1May 1972	Mar 1972 → Oct 1972
46	JailbirdKurt Vonnegut	303.6	5	27	31	#1Oct 1979	Sep 1979 → Apr 1980
47	Oliver's StoryErich Segal	300.8	7	29	31	#1Apr 1977	Mar 1977 → Oct 1977
48	Captains and the KingsTaylor Caldwell	293.3	0	31	31	#2Aug 1972	Apr 1972 → Nov 1972
49	The Last EnchantmentMary Stewart	258.5	4	25	30	#1Sep 1979	Aug 1979 → Mar 1980
50	Calico PalaceGwen Bristow	189.0	0	30	30	#5Jun 1970	May 1970 → Jan 1971
51	Hanta YoRuth Beebe Hill	162.3	0	17	30	#3May 1979	Mar 1979 → Sep 1979
52	DynastyRobert S. Elegant	150.9	0	18	30	#3Sep 1977	Aug 1977 → Mar 1978
53	Something HappenedJoseph Heller	298.7	1	29	29	#1Feb 1975	Oct 1974 → May 1975
54	August 1914Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn	289.4	0	29	29	#2Oct 1972	Sep 1972 → Apr 1973
55	Semi-ToughDan Jenkins	273.8	0	29	29	#3Nov 1972	Oct 1972 → May 1973
56	ScruplesJudith Krantz	251.8	4	21	29	#1Jun 1978	Mar 1978 → Dec 1978
57	Breakfast of ChampionsKurt Vonnegut	327.7	10	28	28	#1Jul 1973	May 1973 → Nov 1973
58	The ChoirboysJoseph Wambaugh	281.3	0	28	28	#2Feb 1976	Nov 1975 → Jun 1976
59	Smiley's PeopleJohn le Carré	239.2	4	22	28	#1Jan 1980	Dec 1979 → Jul 1980
60	Message from MalagaHelen MacInnes	218.7	0	28	28	#4Oct 1971	Oct 1971 → Apr 1972
61	The Honorary ConsulGraham Greene	295.8	2	27	27	#1Nov 1973	Oct 1973 → Apr 1974
62	Daniel MartinJohn Fowles	173.5	0	19	27	#4Nov 1977	Sep 1977 → Apr 1978
63	CondominiumJohn D. MacDonald	170.4	0	22	27	#3Jul 1977	Apr 1977 → Oct 1977
64	PortraitsCynthia Freeman	162.9	0	20	27	#4Feb 1980	Dec 1979 → Jul 1980
65	BloodlineSidney Sheldon	335.8	13	26	26	#1Mar 1978	Feb 1978 → Aug 1978
66	Sleeping MurderAgatha Christie	300.3	7	26	26	#1Nov 1976	Sep 1976 → Mar 1977
67	Come Nineveh, Come TyreAllen Drury	238.7	0	26	26	#2Feb 1974	Nov 1973 → May 1974
68	DeliveranceJames Dickey	233.4	0	26	26	#3Apr 1970	Apr 1970 → Oct 1970
69	The EstablishmentHoward Fast	215.3	6	20	26	#1Oct 1979	Oct 1979 → Apr 1980
70	The PirateHarold Robbins	214.5	0	26	26	#3Nov 1974	Oct 1974 → Apr 1975
71	My Name Is Asher LevChaim Potok	207.6	0	26	26	#3Sep 1972	May 1972 → Nov 1972
72	The Child from the SeaElizabeth Goudge	179.9	0	26	26	#4Nov 1970	Sep 1970 → Mar 1971
73	The Stories of John CheeverJohn Cheever	159.0	0	19	26	#3Jan 1979	Dec 1978 → Jun 1979
74	The Gang That Couldn't Shoot StraightJimmy Breslin	159.0	0	26	26	#5Mar 1970	Jan 1970 → Jul 1970
75	1876Gore Vidal	274.5	9	25	25	#1Apr 1976	Mar 1976 → Sep 1976
76	FalconerJohn Cheever	253.0	3	22	25	#1May 1977	Apr 1977 → Sep 1977
77	DoloresJacqueline Susann	229.8	0	25	25	#2Aug 1976	Jul 1976 → Jan 1977
78	Storm WarningJack Higgins	214.7	0	25	25	#3Nov 1976	Oct 1976 → Mar 1977
79	Good as GoldJoseph Heller	207.1	2	19	25	#1Apr 1979	Mar 1979 → Sep 1979
80	Green DarknessAnya Seton	197.5	0	25	25	#3Mar 1973	Dec 1972 → Jun 1973
81	Passenger to FrankfurtAgatha Christie	185.8	0	25	25	#3Dec 1970	Dec 1970 → Jun 1971
82	The Executioner's SongNorman Mailler	120.6	0	14	25	#3Jan 1980	Oct 1979 → May 1980
83	Dreams Die FirstHarold Robbins	114.0	0	17	25	#6Dec 1977	Oct 1977 → Apr 1978
84	There's No Such Place as Far AwayRichard Bach	95.7	0	10	25	#6Jul 1979	Jun 1979 → Jan 1980
85	Islands in the StreamErnest Hemingway	260.1	0	24	24	#2Nov 1970	Oct 1970 → Mar 1971
86	The OtherThomas Tryon	224.9	0	24	24	#2Aug 1971	Jun 1971 → Nov 1971
87	The DeepPeter Benchley	211.2	0	24	24	#2Jun 1976	May 1976 → Nov 1976
88	The Snare of the HunterHelen MacInnes	209.2	0	24	24	#2Apr 1974	Mar 1974 → Aug 1974
89	The Greek TreasureIrving Stone	208.4	0	24	24	#2Dec 1975	Oct 1975 → Apr 1976
90	The Lonely LadyHarold Robbins	205.0	0	24	24	#2Aug 1976	Jun 1976 → Nov 1976
91	The Fan ClubIrving Wallace	194.8	0	24	24	#2Jun 1974	Apr 1974 → Sep 1974
92	SlapstickKurt Vonnegut	191.0	0	24	24	#4Nov 1976	Sep 1976 → Mar 1977
93	LadyThomas Tryon	174.9	0	24	24	#3Mar 1975	Dec 1974 → May 1975
94	The Bell JarSylvia Plath	164.8	0	24	24	#4Jun 1971	May 1971 → Oct 1971
95	Humboldt's GiftSaul Bellow	163.1	0	24	24	#2Nov 1975	Sep 1975 → Feb 1976
96	God Is an EnglishmanR.F. Delderfield	158.2	0	24	24	#4Oct 1970	Sep 1970 → Mar 1971
97	The First Deadly SinLawrence Sanders	155.9	0	24	24	#4Feb 1974	Oct 1973 → Apr 1974
98	The Secret WomanVictoria Holt	152.7	0	24	24	#4Sep 1970	Jul 1970 → Jan 1971
99	Memories of Another DayHarold Robbins	139.8	0	21	24	#4Dec 1979	Nov 1979 → Apr 1980
100	The Book of MerlynTerence H. White	103.2	0	12	24	#6Nov 1977	Oct 1977 → Mar 1978