Four years before I was even born, and yet already seeing a couple of songs that would rank among my favorite of all time. In 1970 we see some of the best from CCR, Simon & Garfunkel and what is my favorite from that year – Lola.
Unlike most rankings, I won’t be simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because I know better than anybody that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow, if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment. So I’ll group them:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with inter-group splitting.
I’ve noticed a large increase in songs I enjoy this year. I had always kind of assumed that I enjoyed songs from the 60s more than those of the 70s but that is clearly not the case. More accurate – I enjoy bands who emerged in the 60s, but their better songs came out in the early 70s.
First, some videos of the best.
16 Great Songs From 1970
The Seeker – The Who
Paranoid – Black Sabbath
Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
From Zeppelin III, one of the best albums of all time. And I didn’t know that before buying the CD…I just quickly fell in love with all the songs on it. And as time went by, it became my favorite Zep album. Kids these days would know this one as the song from Thor: Ragnarkok
Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
Let It Be – The Beatles
Share the Land – The Guess Who
I Think I Love You – The Partridge Family
Now don’t make fun. This is a catchy song. I actually got into it thanks to a Saturday Night Live skit that pitted the Partridge Family vs. the Brady Bunch.
Summertime Blues – The Who
Your Song – Elton John
Hand Me Down World – The Guess Who
Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
Casey Jones – Grateful Dead
I Heard it Through the Grapevine – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
I Hear You Knocking – Dave Edmunds
Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
21 Truly Awesome Songs from 1970
Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
All Right Now – Free
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
Hey, Hey, What Can I Do – Led Zeppelin
Instant Karma! – John Lennon, Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band
The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel
Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
No Time – The Guess Who
Lola – The Kinks
See Me, Feel Me – The Who
No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature – The Guess Who
Peace Frog – The Doors
Maggie M’Gill – The Doors
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp – Led Zeppelin
Woodstock – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
American Woman – The Guess Who
Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
Iron Man – Black Sabbath
Tangerine – Led Zeppelin
Moondance – Van Morrison
I put together a great playlist on Youtube of my favorites from 1970 here.
Here is the complete chart of my favorite songs from 1970.
| Awesome – 1 | Up Around the Bend | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Awesome – 1 | Ohio | – | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young |
| Awesome – 1 | All Right Now | – | Free |
| Awesome – 1 | My Sweet Lord | – | George Harrison |
| Awesome – 1 | Hey, Hey, What Can I Do | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Awesome – 1 | Instant Karma! | – | John Lennon, Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band |
| Awesome – 1 | The Boxer | – | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Awesome – 1 | Cecilia | – | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Awesome – 1 | No Time | – | The Guess Who |
| Awesome – 1 | Lola | – | The Kinks |
| Awesome – 1 | See Me, Feel Me | – | The Who |
| Awesome – 1 | No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature | – | The Guess Who |
| Awesome – 1 | Peace Frog | – | The Doors |
| Awesome – 1 | Maggie M’Gill | – | The Doors |
| Awesome – 1 | Bron-Y-Aur Stomp | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Awesome – 16 | Long As I Can See The Light | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Awesome – 16 | Woodstock | – | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young |
| Awesome – 16 | American Woman | – | The Guess Who |
| Awesome – 16 | Roadhouse Blues | – | The Doors |
| Awesome – 16 | Iron Man | – | Black Sabbath |
| Awesome – 16 | Tangerine | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Awesome – 16 | Moondance | – | Van Morrison |
| Great – 23 | The Seeker | – | The Who |
| Great – 23 | Paranoid | – | Black Sabbath |
| Great – 23 | Immigrant Song | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Great – 23 | Love the One You’re With | – | Stephen Stills |
| Great – 23 | Let It Be | – | The Beatles |
| Great – 23 | Share the Land | – | The Guess Who |
| Great – 23 | I Think I Love You | – | The Partridge Family |
| Great – 23 | Summertime Blues | – | The Who |
| Great – 23 | Your Song | – | Elton John |
| Great – 32 | Hand Me Down World | – | The Guess Who |
| Great – 32 | Bridge over Troubled Water | – | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Great – 32 | Casey Jones | – | Grateful Dead |
| Great – 32 | I Heard it Through the Grapevine | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Great – 32 | Big Yellow Taxi | – | Joni Mitchell |
| Great – 32 | I Hear You Knocking | – | Dave Edmunds |
| Great – 32 | Our House | – | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young |
| Solid – 39 | The Only Living Boy In New York | – | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Solid – 39 | Do You Miss Me Darlin’ | – | The Guess Who |
| Solid – 39 | Lucky Man | – | Emerson, Lake & Palmer |
| Solid – 39 | In the Summertime | – | Mungo Jerry |
| Solid – 39 | Gimmie Shelter | – | Rolling Stones |
| Solid – 39 | 25 or 6 to 4 | – | Chicago |
| Solid – 39 | Looking Out My Back Door | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Solid – 39 | Travelin’ Band | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Solid – 39 | After Midnight | – | Eric Clapton |
| Solid – 39 | Mississippi Queen | – | Mountain |
| Solid – 39 | Black Magic Woman | – | Santana |
| Solid – 39 | Evil Ways | – | Santana |
| Solid – 39 | El Condor Pasa | – | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Solid – 39 | Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye | – | Steam |
| Solid – 39 | Hey Lawdy Mama | – | Steppenwolf |
| Solid – 39 | Up on Cripple Creek | – | The Band |
| Solid – 39 | I Want You Back | – | The Jackson 5 |
| Solid – 39 | Sugar Sugar | – | Wilson Pickett |
| Solid – 39 | Don’t Let Me Down | – | The Beatles |
| Solid – 39 | Gallows Pole | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Solid – 39 | Friends | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Solid – 39 | Celebration Day | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Solid – 39 | Out on the Tiles | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Solid – 62 | Who’ll Stop the Rain | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Solid – 62 | Ooh Child | – | The Five Stairsteps |
| Solid – 62 | Midnight Rambler | – | Rolling Stones |
| Solid – 62 | Run Through the Jungles | – | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Solid – 62 | The Shape I’m In | – | The Band |
| Solid – 62 | Bus Rider | – | The Guess Who |
| Solid – 62 | Truckin’ | – | Grateful Dead |
| Solid – 62 | I Walk the Line | – | Johnny Cash |
| Solid – 62 | That’s the Way | – | Led Zeppelin |
| Solid – 62 | Domino | – | Van Morrison |
| Not Bad – 72 | Son of a Preacher Man | – | Aretha Franklin |
| Not Bad – 72 | Leaving on a Jet Plane | – | Peter, Paul and Mary |
| Not Bad – 72 | Born to Wander | – | Rare Earth |
| Not Bad – 72 | The Long and Winding Road | – | The Beatles |
| Not Bad – 72 | ABC | – | The Jackson 5 |
| Not Bad – 72 | I’ll Be There | – | The Jackson 5 |
| Not Bad – 72 | Voodoo Chile | – | The Jimi Hendrix Experience |
| Not Bad – 72 | Green-Eyed Lady | – | Sugarloaf |
| Not Bad – 72 | They Long To Be (Close To You) | – | The Carpenters |
| Not Bad – 72 | Mama Told Me Not To Come | – | Three Dog Night |
Dobber's Take 
Leave a Reply