1970 music was a bridge between the late 1960s and the new decade ahead. Motown, soul, classic rock, folk-rock, country crossover, bubblegum pop, early hard rock, singer-songwriter music, and novelty songs all shared space on radio. The Jackson 5, The Beatles, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Santana, Chicago, James Taylor, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Simon & Garfunkel helped make 1970 feel like the 60s were still echoing while the 70s were finding their own groove.

This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 1970, then groups more 1970 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was a year of soul harmony, rock muscle, folk reflection, country storytelling, and one very famous rubber duck. The charts had range, and occasionally feathers.

Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 1970?

Popular music in 1970 included Motown, soul, classic rock, folk-rock, country-pop, bubblegum pop, singer-songwriter ballads, early hard rock, and novelty songs. Songs like ABC, Close to You, I’ll Be There, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Let It Be, and Bridge over Troubled Water helped define the sound of 1970.

Top 10 Songs of 1970

1. ABC – The Jackson 5
2. (They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters
3. I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5
4. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross
5. The Wonder of You – Elvis Presley
6. The Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
7. I Want You Back – The Jackson 5
8. Evil Ways – Santana
9. 25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
10. Give Me Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the Board

More 1970 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 1970 music gets more interesting when grouped by style. The year still had strong late-60s influence, but the mix of Motown, rock, country, folk, funk, and soft pop already pointed toward the wide-open sound of the 1970s.

1970 Motown, Soul, Funk, and R&B Hits

Motown, soul, funk, and R&B were major forces in 1970. The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Four Tops, The Temptations, Freda Payne, Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, James Brown, and The Delfonics helped give the year some of its strongest vocal performances and most memorable grooves. This was the part of 1970 where the rhythm section came dressed for business.

The Love You Save – The Jackson 5
Still Water (Love) – Four Tops
Hey There Lonely Girl – Eddie Holman
Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) – The Delfonics
Band of Gold – Freda Payne
Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine – James Brown
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly & The Family Stone
War – Edwin Starr
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
O-o-h Child – The Five Stairsteps
Stoned Love – The Supremes
Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today) – The Temptations
Rainy Night in Georgia – Brook Benton
Do the Funky Chicken – Rufus Thomas
Give Me Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the Board

1970 Classic Rock, Hard Rock, and Album Rock Hits

Rock music in 1970 was moving toward heavier guitars, longer album cuts, and a more serious FM-radio identity. Santana, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Mountain, The Doors, The Guess Who, Black Sabbath, The Who, Free, Fleetwood Mac, The Kinks, and Creedence Clearwater Revival all helped shape the year’s rock side. The 70s had barely started, and rock was already plugging in extra amps.

Evil Ways – Santana
25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
American Woman – The Guess Who
Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
No Time – The Guess Who
Mississippi Queen – Mountain
Lola – The Kinks
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
Paranoid – Black Sabbath
Up on Cripple Creek – The Band
Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
Funk #49 – James Gang
All Right Now – Free
Who’ll Stop the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Fresh Air – Quicksilver Messenger Service
Question – The Moody Blues
Summertime Blues – The Who
After Midnight – Eric Clapton
1984 – Spirit
Empty Pages – Traffic
The Court of the Crimson King – King Crimson
Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman) – Led Zeppelin
Green-Eyed Lady – Sugarloaf
Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Make Me Smile – Chicago
Vehicle – The Ides of March

1970 Folk-Rock, Singer-Songwriters, and Reflective Radio Hits

Folk-rock and singer-songwriter music had a powerful year in 1970. James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell helped make radio more personal, poetic, and reflective. This is where 1970 sounded less like a party and more like someone staring thoughtfully out a window, probably near an acoustic guitar.

Fire and Rain – James Taylor
Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) – John Lennon
Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
Uncle John’s Band – Grateful Dead
Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
Woodstock – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
Carolina in My Mind – James Taylor
Cold Turkey – John Lennon
Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
Teach Your Children – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
El Condor Pasa (If I Could) – Simon & Garfunkel
Only Love Can Break Your Heart – Neil Young
Solitary Man – Neil Diamond
Come Saturday Morning – The Sandpipers
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison

1970 Pop, Bubblegum, and Soft Rock Favorites

Pop and soft rock were a huge part of 1970, from The Carpenters’ smooth harmonies to The Partridge Family’s TV-pop brightness. Bread, Bobby Sherman, Anne Murray, Edison Lighthouse, The Monkees, and The Beatles helped keep the year melodic and radio-friendly. This was the gentler side of 1970, where the hooks were sweet and the sweaters were probably excellent.

(They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters
Make It with You – Bread
I Think I Love You – The Partridge Family
We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
Tighter, Tighter – Alive N Kickin’
Yellow River – Christie
Ticket to Ride – The Carpenters
Julie, Do Ya Love Me – Bobby Sherman
It Don’t Matter to Me – Bread
Snowbird – Anne Murray
Oh My My – The Monkees
The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) – Edison Lighthouse
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head – B.J. Thomas
Everything Is Beautiful – Ray Stevens
Come and Get It – Badfinger

1970 Country, Country-Pop, and Roots-Leaning Hits

Country and roots-leaning music had a strong place in 1970, especially through Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Anne Murray, and Elvis Presley’s country-leaning material. These songs brought storytelling, plainspoken emotion, and a little Nashville grit into a year full of soul, rock, and pop. Not every 1970 hit needed a fuzz guitar; sometimes a good story did the job.

What Is Truth – Johnny Cash
Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn
Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard
Kentucky Rain – Elvis Presley
Snowbird – Anne Murray
The Wonder of You – Elvis Presley

1970 Beatles, Solo Beatles, and British Pop/Rock Moments

1970 was a major transition year for the Beatles. The Beatles were ending as a band, but their music and solo work remained central to pop culture. John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney’s lingering Beatles impact, and the group’s final singles, helped make 1970 feel like both an ending and a beginning. The band broke up, but the charts did not get the memo right away.

Let It Be – The Beatles
The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
Come and Get It – Badfinger
Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) – John Lennon
Cold Turkey – John Lennon
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
She Came In Through the Bathroom Window – Joe Cocker

1970 Novelty, Kids’ Songs, and Pop Culture Curveballs

1970 had plenty of serious music, but it also had novelty, children’s records, TV-connected songs, and oddball pop moments. Rubber Duckie became a pop culture favorite through Sesame Street, while songs like In the Summertime, Montego Bay, and Do the Funky Chicken kept the year playful. Every great music year needs at least one entry that makes historians sigh and trivia players grin.

Rubber Duckie – Ernie
In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
Montego Bay – Bobby Bloom
Funky Chicken, Part 1 – Willie Henderson
Do the Funky Chicken – Rufus Thomas
Superman – The Ides of March

PCM’s Top 100 1970 Popular Music Chart

1. ABC – The Jackson 5
2. (They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters
3. I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5
4. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross
5. The Wonder of You – Elvis Presley
6. The Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
7. I Want You Back – The Jackson 5
8. Evil Ways – Santana
9. 25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
10. Give Me Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the Board
11. The Letter – Joe Cocker
12. Montego Bay – Bobby Bloom
13. Band of Gold – Freda Payne
14. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine – James Brown
15. American Woman – The Guess Who
16. The Love You Save – The Jackson 5
17. Venus – Shocking Blue
18. Make It with You – Bread
19. I Think I Love You – The Partridge Family
20. Let It Be – The Beatles
21. Still Water (Love) – Four Tops
22. Get Ready – Rare Earth
23. Hey There Lonely Girl – Eddie Holman
24. Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) – The Delfonics
25. Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
26. In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
27. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
28. No Time – The Guess Who
29. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly & The Family Stone
30. We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
31. Mississippi Queen – Mountain
32. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) – John Lennon
33. War – Edwin Starr
34. What Is Truth – Johnny Cash
35. Lola – The Kinks
36. Tighter, Tighter – Alive N Kickin’
37. Yellow River – Christie
38. Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
39. Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn
40. Uncle John’s Band – Grateful Dead
41. Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
42. Paranoid – Black Sabbath
43. Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard
44. Up on Cripple Creek – The Band
45. Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
46. Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
47. Kentucky Rain – Elvis Presley
48. Funk #49 – James Gang
49. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – The Hollies
50. Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
51. All Right Now – Free
52. Who’ll Stop the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
53. Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
54. Fresh Air – Quicksilver Messenger Service
55. Question – The Moody Blues
56. Mama Told Me (Not to Come) – Three Dog Night
57. Woodstock – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
58. Ticket to Ride – The Carpenters
59. Spill the Wine – Eric Burdon & War
60. Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
61. Summertime Blues – The Who
62. Carolina in My Mind – James Taylor
63. After Midnight – Eric Clapton
64. 1984 – Spirit
65. Cold Turkey – John Lennon
66. Rubber Duckie – Ernie
67. Empty Pages – Traffic
68. Big Yellow Taxi – The Neighborhood
69. The Court of the Crimson King – King Crimson
70. Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman) – Led Zeppelin
71. Funky Chicken, Part 1 – Willie Henderson
72. Green-Eyed Lady – Sugarloaf
73. Julie, Do Ya Love Me – Bobby Sherman
74. It Don’t Matter to Me – Bread
75. Snowbird – Anne Murray
76. Teach Your Children – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
77. Oh My My – The Monkees
78. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
79. She Came In Through the Bathroom Window – Joe Cocker
80. Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
81. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) – Simon & Garfunkel
82. O-o-h Child – The Five Stairsteps
83. The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
84. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
85. Celebrate – Three Dog Night
86. Stoned Love – The Supremes
87. Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival
88. Make Me Smile – Chicago
89. Vehicle – The Ides of March
90. Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today) – The Temptations
91. Rainy Night in Georgia – Brook Benton
92. Only Love Can Break Your Heart – Neil Young
93. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) – Edison Lighthouse
94. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head – B.J. Thomas
95. Do the Funky Chicken – Rufus Thomas
96. Solitary Man – Neil Diamond
97. Come Saturday Morning – The Sandpipers
98. Everything Is Beautiful – Ray Stevens
99. Come and Get It – Badfinger
100. Superman – The Ides of March