Much like this year, 1970 was a scary, exciting, and uncertain time, with many world-firsts inspiring both music and emotion, leaving an everlasting footprint on our human history.

1970 saw the Boeing 747 make its first commercial trip to London, the U.S invaded Cambodia, The Apollo 13 Moon Mission crew had a near-fatal accident and the Treaty on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed by 43 countries.

Naturally, the musicians of 1970 were affected and inspired by these and other events of the era, so it was also the year that saw many world-famous songs top the charts. 1970 also presented the largest ever rock festival held on the Isle of Wight with 600,000 people attending, including some of the biggest name in music like Jimi Hendrix and The Who.   

Isle of Wight Rock Festival 1970
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Here are 10 of the most loved songs of 1970 that turn 50 this year

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Who’ll Stop The Rain

One of their many rain-themed songs, lead singer John Fogerty said that the inspiration for the song came from watching festival goers at Woodstock dance naked, muddy and cold, huddling together in the unrelenting rain.  

Elvis Presley – The Wonder of You

The song was one of his most successful singles in the UK ever, topping the UK Singles Chart for six weeks. It is his fifth biggest seller in the UK to date, with sales of 891,000.

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Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours

This was the first single Wonder produced on his own, and was also the first to feature his female backup singing group. Even more interesting, is that 20 year old Wonder wrote this along with his mother Lula Mae Hardaway.

The Jackson 5 – ABC

It’s hard to resist the foot-tapping beat of this Jackson 5 hit. The song grabbed the #1 spot on the charts from “Let It Be” and sat there for a solid month.

The Doors – Roadhouse Blues

Jim Morrison and the Doors pulled out all the stops and honked all the tonks for “Roadhouse Blues.” The song became a concert staple for the group and it has been covered by numerous artists.

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Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart

The song became Irish singer Tyler’s biggest career hit, topping the UK Singles Chart, and becoming the fifth-best-selling single in 1983 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the single spent four weeks at the top of the charts, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Image Credit: medium.com

Black Sabbath – Paranoid

“Paranoid” was actually a last-minute addition to their second studio album, and eventually became the name of the album. It is often cited as an influential album in the early development of the heavy metal genre, and interestingly, the word paranoid is never mentioned in the lyrics.

Diana Ross -Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Known as the first lady of Motown, Diana Ross has been entertaining the world for over 4 decades. The song became Ross’s first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Elton John – Your Song

Known for its poetic lyrics and ethereal composition, “Your Song” was written by Elton John and was first released by Three Dog Night in March 1970. John was also an opening act for the band at the time and consented them recording it. They did not release it as a single however as they wanted to give John, an up and coming artist at the time, the opportunity.

Beatles – Let It Be

The Liverpool Lads held nothing back recording their twelfth and final album. “Let it Be” was released on 8 May 1970, almost a month after the group’s break-up. Topping the charts across the world, it serves as a worthy tribute of the band’s relatively short but blindingly bright journey.

Image Credit: USA today

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