1970 in music

List of years in music (table)

List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1970.

American soul singer Wilson Pickett with Pino Presti (1970)

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

In 1970, 4,000 albums and 5,700 singles were released in the US.

January

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Barbra Streisand Compilation
Big Band Sound Jo Stafford Compilation
On the Boards Taste -
Stone the Crows Stone the Crows -
3 The Madcap Laughs Syd Barrett -
5 Wings Upon Your Horns Loretta Lynn -
7 Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today! Tony Bennett -
8 That's the Way Love Is Marvin Gaye -
9 Magic Christian Music Badfinger UK
15 Back in the USA MC5 -
A Brand New Me Dusty Springfield -
This Girl's in Love with You Aretha Franklin -
19 Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Johnny Cash -
John B. Sebastian John Sebastian Album recorded autumn 1968
23 A Song for Me Family -
25 John Phillips (John, the Wolf King of L.A.) John Phillips -
26 Bridge over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel -
Chicago Chicago aka Chicago II
27 Moondance Van Morrison -
- Ain't It Funky James Brown -
American Woman The Guess Who -
Argent Argent -
Frijid Pink Frijid Pink -
Kool and the Gang Kool and the Gang -
One Day at a Time Joan Baez -
Try a Little Kindness Glen Campbell -
Redbone Redbone -
Waylon Waylon Jennings -

February

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Sweet Baby James James Taylor -
The Delfonics The Delfonics -
9 Burnt Weeny Sandwich The Mothers of Invention -
Morrison Hotel The Doors -
Zabriskie Point Various Artists Soundtrack
13 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath UK; released June 1970 in US
24 Funkadelic Funkadelic -
26 Hey Jude The Beatles Compilation; aka The Beatles Again
- The American Revolution David Peel and The Lower East Side Band -
Dragonfly (Strawbs album) Strawbs -
Atomic Roooster Atomic Rooster -
The Great Songs of Roy Orbison Roy Orbison Compilation
Knef Hildegard Knef -
The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other Van der Graaf Generator -
Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends Screaming Lord Sutch -
My Prescription Bobby Womack -
Nilsson Sings Newman Harry Nilsson Randy Newman compositions
Shazam The Move -
Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -

March

Day Album Artist Notes
6 Lie: The Love and Terror Cult Charles Manson recorded 1967–'68
Psychedelic Shack The Temptations -
Stevie Wonder Live Stevie Wonder -
7 Climbing! Mountain -
8 Get into Something The Isley Brothers -
11 Déjà Vu Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -
13 A Beard of Stars Tyrannosaurus Rex -
Egg Egg -
23 Leon Russell Leon Russell -
25 Band of Gypsys Jimi Hendrix Live
Vintage Violence John Cale -
27 Easy Action Alice Cooper -
First Step Faces -
Sentimental Journey Ringo Starr -
30 Ginger Baker's Air Force Ginger Baker's Air Force Live
Bitches Brew Miles Davis -
31 It Ain't Easy Three Dog Night -
Bloodrock Bloodrock -
- Cold Fact Sixto Rodriguez -
Don't Think Twice Waylon Jennings -
Desperado Pat Martino -
Marriage on the Rocks/Rock Bottom The Amboy Dukes -
On Tour with Eric Clapton Delaney & Bonnie Live
Still Waters Run Deep Four Tops -
Tom Rush Tom Rush -
Travelin' Tommy James and the Shondells -
Watertown Frank Sinatra -
Magick Brother Gong -

April

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Ladies of the Canyon Joni Mitchell -
9 Remedies Dr. John -
10 Elton John Elton John -
Getting to This Blodwyn Pig -
13 Farewell Diana Ross & The Supremes Live
Silk Purse Linda Ronstadt -
17 Brinsley Schwarz Brinsley Schwarz -
Cricklewood Green Ten Years After -
McCartney Paul McCartney -
20 Benefit Jethro Tull -
22 Live Iron Butterfly Live
24 Mona Bone Jakon Cat Stevens -
26 Right On The Supremes -
28 What Love Has...Joined Together Smokey Robinson & the Miracles -
- 12 Songs Randy Newman -
Burrito Deluxe The Flying Burrito Brothers -
Candles in the Rain Melanie -
Cucumber Castle Bee Gees -
Eric Burdon Declares "War" Eric Burdon & War -
The Grass Is Greener Colosseum US only
I Looked Up Incredible String Band -
The Isaac Hayes Movement Isaac Hayes -
Live Cream Cream Live 1968 + 1 studio outtake
McLemore Avenue Booker T. & the M.G.s instrumental covers LP of Abbey Road
My Kind of Jazz Ray Charles -
Oh Happy Day Glen Campbell -
Open Blues Image -
Portrait The 5th Dimension -
Sit Down Young Stranger Gordon Lightfoot -
Soul on Top James Brown -
Zero She Flies Al Stewart -

May

Day Album Artist Notes
6 Poco Poco -
8 ABC The Jackson 5 -
Let It Be The Beatles -
11 Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More Various Artists Soundtrack
15 In the Wake of Poseidon King Crimson -
16 Live at Leeds The Who Live
CJ Fish Country Joe and the Fish -
Come Together Ike & Tina Turner
Hot Tuna Hot Tuna Live
Live in London The Beach Boys Live
Quatermass Quatermass -
Thank Christ for the Bomb The Groundhogs -
Will You Visit Me on Sunday? George Jones -
The World of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash -
Writer Carole King -

June

Day Album Artist Notes
3 Deep Purple in Rock Deep Purple -
5 Barclay James Harvest Barclay James Harvest -
Home Procol Harum -
6 Third Soft Machine -
8 Self Portrait Bob Dylan -
12 Gasoline Alley Rod Stewart -
13 ... Very 'Eavy ... Very 'Umble Uriah Heep -
14 Workingman's Dead Grateful Dead -
15 Closer to Home Grand Funk Railroad -
19 Diana Ross Diana Ross -
26 Fire and Water Free -
30 Changes The Monkees -
- Alone Together Dave Mason -
Marrying Maiden It's A Beautiful Day -
Sing Brother Sing Edgar Broughton Band -
Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 Blood, Sweat & Tears -
Ecology Rare Earth -
Electronic Meditation Tangerine Dream -
Fotheringay Fotheringay -
Hark! The Village Wait Steeleye Span -
It's a New Day - Let a Man Come In James Brown -
Kristofferson Kris Kristofferson -
Memphis Petula Clark -
Norwood Glen Campbell Soundtrack
On Stage Elvis Presley Live
The Other Side of Abbey Road George Benson
Parachute Pretty Things -
Struttin' The Meters -
Vehicle Ides of March -

July

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Cactus Cactus -
John Barleycorn Must Die Traffic -
Everything Is Everything Donny Hathaway -
7 Fun House The Stooges -
Osmium Parliament -
14 Supertramp Supertramp -
16 Cosmo's Factory Creedence Clearwater Revival -
20 Absolutely Live The Doors Live
22 Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers The Firesign Theatre -
24 Time and a Word Yes -
- Devotion John McLaughlin -
Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow Funkadelic -
Full House Fairport Convention -
Humble Pie Humble Pie -
James Gang Rides Again James Gang -
The Last Puff Spooky Tooth -
Live at London's Talk of the Town The Temptations Live
On the Waters Bread -

August

Day Album Artist Notes
3 Future Blues Canned Heat -
7 A Question of Balance The Moody Blues -
Signed, Sealed & Delivered Stevie Wonder -
8 Runt Todd Rundgren -
10 Weasels Ripped My Flesh The Mothers of Invention -
12 Chapter Two Roberta Flack -
13 Metamorphosis Iron Butterfly -
14 Hawkwind Hawkwind -
16 Eric Clapton Eric Clapton -
17 Stage Fright The Band -
19 Close to You Carpenters -
24 Spirit in the Dark Aretha Franklin -
29 Scorpio's Dance Shocking Blue -
31 Sunflower The Beach Boys -
- A Woman Lives for Love Wanda Jackson -
Come Saturday Morning The Sandpipers -
Easy Does It Al Kooper -
From Home to Home Fairfield Parlour -
Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way Roy Orbison -
Just for Love Quicksilver Messenger Service -
Mad Dogs & Englishmen Joe Cocker Live
Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon Status Quo -
Mongrel The Bob Seger System -
The Rill Thing Little Richard -
Mungo Jerry Mungo Jerry -
Something Shirley Bassey -
Whales & Nightingales Judy Collins -

September

Day Album Artist Notes
4 Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert The Rolling Stones Live
If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You Caravan -
8 Third Album The Jackson 5 -
11 Encouraging Words Billy Preston
14 Untitled The Byrds -
18 Kiln House Fleetwood Mac -
Paranoid Black Sabbath UK; released January 1971 in US
19 After the Gold Rush Neil Young -
Performance Various Artists Soundtrack
23 Abraxas Santana -
Idlewild South The Allman Brothers Band -
25 Beaucoups of Blues Ringo Starr -
26 Leftover Wine Melanie Live (recorded at Carnegie Hall)
30 A Pocket Full of Miracles The Miracles -
- Curtis Curtis Mayfield -
Down Home Seals and Crofts -
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album Glen Campbell -
Hello! The Osmond Brothers The Osmonds -
If If -
Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice -
Johnny Winter And Johnny Winter -
Mad Shadows Mott the Hoople -
The Magnificent 7 The Supremes & The Four Tops -
The Original Human Being Blue Cheer -
Sex Machine James Brown Live (some tracks recorded in studio with added reverb)

October

Day Album Artist Notes
2 Atom Heart Mother Pink Floyd -
5 Led Zeppelin III Led Zeppelin -
Share the Land The Guess Who -
15 Jackson 5 Christmas Album The Jackson 5 Christmas
Louis 'Country & Western' Armstrong Louis Armstrong -
19 The Johnny Cash Show Johnny Cash Live
New Feelin' Liza Minnelli -
New Morning Bob Dylan -
Shades of Rock The Shadows -
22 Miles Davis at Fillmore Miles Davis Live
23 Chunga's Revenge Frank Zappa -
Trespass Genesis -
30 Tumbleweed Connection Elton John -
The Temptations Christmas Card The Temptations Christmas
- 2nd Time Around The Spinners -
Be a Brother Big Brother and the Holding Company -
Bloodrock 2 Bloodrock -
The First Ten Years Joan Baez Compilation
Forever Yours Dottie West -
Indianola Mississippi Seeds B.B. King -
Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios Strawbs -
Looking In Savoy Brown -
New Ways but Love Stays The Supremes -
Potlatch Redbone -
Shooting at the Moon Kevin Ayers -
Skid Skid Row -
Tapestry Don McLean -
Tony Bennett's Something Tony Bennett -
U Incredible String Band -
UFO 1 UFO -
Vintage Dead Grateful Dead Live
Warhorse Warhorse -
Washington County Arlo Guthrie -
Woodsmoke and Oranges Paul Siebel -
Wrong End of the Rainbow Tom Rush -

November

Day Album Artist Notes
1 American Beauty Grateful Dead -
Death Walks Behind You Atomic Rooster -
3 Everything Is Everything Diana Ross -
4 The Man Who Sold The World David Bowie -
9 No Dice Badfinger US
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs Derek and the Dominos -
11 That's the Way It Is Elvis Presley Soundtrack
14 Barrett Syd Barrett -
Osmonds The Osmonds -
15 His Band and the Street Choir Van Morrison -
Loaded The Velvet Underground -
16 The J. Geils Band The J. Geils Band -
Live Album Grand Funk Railroad Live
18 Naturally Three Dog Night -
20 Despite It All Brinsley Schwarz -
Emerson Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer -
21 Greatest Hits Sly and the Family Stone Compilation
23 I Walk the Line Johnny Cash Soundtrack
Stephen Stills Stephen Stills -
Tea for the Tillerman Cat Stevens -
25 Christmas and the Beads of Sweat Laura Nyro -
27 All Things Must Pass George Harrison -
Cruel Sister Pentangle -
Gentle Giant Gentle Giant -
Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One The Kinks -
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus Spirit -
28 Play It Loud Slade -
30 13 The Doors Compilation
2 Years On Bee Gees -
Air Conditioning Curved Air -
Almost in Love Elvis Presley -
Anyway Family -
Blows Against the Empire Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship -
Confessions of the Mind The Hollies -
Come to My Garden Minnie Riperton -
Loose Salute Michael Nesmith -
Kraftwerk Kraftwerk -
Medusa Trapeze -
Moon Man Charles Lloyd -
Number 5 Steve Miller Band -
Scott Joplin: Piano Rags Joshua Rifkin -
Singer of Sad Songs Waylon Jennings -
Starsailor Tim Buckley -
Steppenwolf 7 Steppenwolf -
Sugar Stanley Turrentine -
...To Be Continued Isaac Hayes -
Warhorse Warhorse -
Words and Music Jimmy Webb -
Workin' Together Ike & Tina Turner -
The Worst of Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane Compilation

December

Day Album Artist Notes
4 The End of an Ear Robert Wyatt -
Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash -
9 Pendulum Creedence Clearwater Revival -
10 Ginger Baker's Air Force 2 Ginger Baker's Air Force -
11 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band John Lennon -
Lizard King Crimson -
Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band Yoko Ono and Plastic Ono Band -
18 T. Rex T. Rex -
20 H to He, Who Am the Only One Van der Graaf Generator -
Just Another Diamond Day Vashti Bunyan -
- The Black-Man's Burdon Eric Burdon and War -
Daughter of Time Colosseum -
Desertshore Nico -
The End of the Game Peter Green -
False Start Love -
Highway Free -
I Like Your Lovin' (Do You Like Mine?) The Chi-Lites -
Kingdom Come Sir Lord Baltimore -
Lick My Decals Off, Baby Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band -
Looking On The Move -
Odetta Sings Odetta -
Ry Cooder Ry Cooder -
Soul Rebels The Wailers -
'Til the Band Comes In Scott Walker -
Watt Ten Years After -
What About Me Quicksilver Messenger Service -

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1970.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 Elvis Presley The Wonder of You 1970 United States US BB 1 – Mar 1970, Canada 1 – Mar 1970, Netherlands 1 – Mar 1970, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1970, Norway 1 – Mar 1970, Australia 1 of 1970, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Sep 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Apr 1970, UK 2 – Mar 1970, Germany 2 – Apr 1970, DDD 3 of 1970, Italy 8 of 1970, US CashBox 9 of 1970, RYM 9 of 1970, France 10 – Mar 1970, Virgin 11, WXPN 12, Japan 14 of all time (international songs), Europe 15 of the 1970s, US BB 20 of 1970, Rolling Stone 20, POP 20 of 1970, OzNet 25, Poland 28 – Dec 2003, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, Scrobulate 34 of classic rock, Belgium 77 of all time, Germany 149 of the 1970s, TheQ 318
2 Mungo Jerry In the Summertime 1970 United Kingdom UK 1 – Jun 1970, Netherlands 1 – Jun 1970, Switzerland 1 – Jun 1970, Norway 1 – Jul 1970, Germany 1 – Jul 1970, Éire 1 – Jul 1970, Australia 1 for 1 week Feb 1971, Australia Goset 1 – Aug 1970, South Africa 2 of 1970, US BB 3 – Jul 1970, Canada 4 – Jul 1970, Italy 5 of 1970, France 7 – Aug 1970, Australia 16 of 1970, US BB 26 of 1970, POP 26 of 1970, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, US CashBox 35 of 1970, Germany 45 of the 1970s, DDD 47 of 1970, RYM 61 of 1970, Acclaimed 2451
3 Various Artists Once Upon a Time in the West 1970 Canada UK 1 – Feb 1970, US BB 1 – Feb 1970, Canada 1 – Feb 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Mar 1970, Grammy in 1970, DDD 2 of 1970, Germany 4 – Apr 1970, US CashBox 5 of 1970, Netherlands 5 – Feb 1970, Switzerland 5 – Mar 1970, Australia 5 of 1970, Norway 7 – Apr 1970, US BB 9 of 1970, France 10 – Apr 1970, Europe 18 of the 1970s, RYM 19 of 1970, 28 in 2FM list, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, POP 41 of 1970, WXPN 41, Scrobulate 66 of oldies, Belgium 162 of all time, Germany 239 of the 1970s
4 Shocking Blue Venus 1969 Netherlands US BB 1 – Dec 1969, Canada 1 – Dec 1969, France 1 – Apr 1970, Switzerland 1 – Oct 1969, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Aug 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Jan 1970, Norway 2 – Feb 1970, Germany 2 – Jan 1970, Netherlands 3 – Jul 1969, Italy 3 of 1970, US CashBox 6 of 1970, South Africa 7 of 1970, UK 8 – Jan 1970, Japan 15 of all time (international songs), POP 17 of 1970, Australia 19 of 1970, Europe 20 of the 1960s, US BB 21 of 1970, RYM 26 of 1969, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1969, DDD 34 of 1969, Germany 261 of the 1960s
5 Diana Ross Ain't No Mountain High Enough 1970 United States France 1 – Jan 1970, Germany 1 – Mar 1970, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Sep 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Feb 1970, TheQ 1, DDD 1 of 1969, Canada 2 – Dec 1969, US BB 4 – Dec 1969, Netherlands 4 – Dec 1969, Switzerland 5 – Mar 1970, RYM 8 of 1969, Australia 11 of 1970, Europe 11 of the 1960s, Scrobulate 11 of classic rock, US BB 38 of 1970, POP 38 of 1970, Belgium 48 of all time, US CashBox 54 of 1970, Poland 74 of all time, Acclaimed 3475, Germany 120 of the 1970s, WXPN 400

Top hits – US and UK singles

Published popular songs

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Eurovision Song Contest


This page was last updated at 2022-02-28 16:05 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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