1970 in music
See also:
1969 in music,
other events of 1970,
1971 in music, 1970s in music and the list of 'years in music'
Events
- Charles Wuorinen, aged 32, becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
- January 3 - Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees.
- January 7 - Max Yasgur, owner of the New York farm where the 1969 Woodstock Festival was held, is sued for $35,000 in property damages by neighboring farmers
- January 14 - Diana Ross performs with the Supremes for the last time at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.
- January 16 - John Lennon's London Art gallery exhibit of lithographs, Bag One, is shut down by Scotland Yard for displaying "erotic lithographs"
- January 24 - James Shep Sheppard , of The Heartbeats and Shep and the Limelites, is found murdered in his car on the Long Island Expressway
- January 26 - Simon and Garfunkel release their final album together, Bridge Over Troubled Water. The title track and album stay #1 on the Billboard charts for six weeks and go on to win a record six Grammys at the 13th Grammy Awards, including "Record of the Year," "Song of the Year," and "Album of the Year."
- January 28 - The newly formed group Band of Gypsies breaks up when guitarist Jimi Hendrix walks out after playing just two songs, telling the audience "I'm sorry we just can't get it together".
- February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. The film's soundtrack album, including Badfinger's "Come and Get It," (which is written and produced by Paul McCartney), is also released on Apple Records.
- February 11 - John Lennon pays £1,344 in fines for 96 people who had protested against the South African rugby team playing in Scotland.
- February 14 - The Who records Live At Leeds in Yorkshire, England
- February 17 - Joni Mitchell announces that she is retiring from live performances, following her show at London's Royal Albert Hall. Mitchell would be back performing concerts within a year.
- February 23 - Ringo Starr appears on the television show Laugh-In
- February 27 - Jefferson Airplane is fined $1,000 for using profanity during a concert in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- February 28 - Led Zeppelin performs in Copenhagen under the pseudonym The Nobs, due to threats of lawsuits from Count Evan von Zeppelin , descendant of airship designer Ferdinand von Zeppelin
- March 4 - Janis Joplin is fined $200 for using obscene language during a concert performance in Tampa, Florida
- March 6 - Cult leader and suspected murderer Charles Manson releases an album titled Lies to help finance his defense.
- March - Jim Morrison of The Doors is found guilty of indecent exposure and profanity because of his behavior during a March 1, 1969 concert. Morrison is sentenced to eight months of hard labor and a $500 fine.
- March 20 - David Bowie marries model Angela Barnett
- April 2 - The London Magistrate's Court hears arguments on John Lennon's indecency summons for his exhibition of erotic lithographs during his art exhibit on January 16
- April 3 - Minneapolis nightclub "the Depot" opens, eventually renamed to First Avenue.
- April 17 - Johnny Cash performs at the White House at the invitation of President Richard M. Nixon.
- April 20 - Paul McCartney's first solo album, McCartney is released.
- April 24 - Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane is invited to a party at the White House by Tricia Nixon, daughter of US President Richard Nixon. Slick arrives at the party with Abbie Hoffman, who is on trial for conspiring to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Hoffman is not allowed into the White House and leaves with Slick.
- May 15 - The Beatles' last LP, Let It Be, is released in the United States
- May 16 - Randy Bachman leaves The Guess Who to start up Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
- June 13 - "The Long and Winding Road" becomes the Beatles' last Number 1 song. [1]
- July 26 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix plays at his hometown of Seattle at Sicks Stadium where under the influence of drugs starts verbally abusing members of the audience.
- September 6 - During his final European tour, guitarist Jimi Hendrix is greeted by booing and jeering by German fans at his late appearance on stage and incoherent stage performance. Bassist Billy Cox quits the tour and heads back to the United States as a result.
- The Beatles break up. All four band members release solo albums.
- Simon and Garfunkel break up, and both members of the duo go on to solo careers.
- The Dave Clark Five break up
- Isle of Wight Festival
- Genesis forms
- Styx forms
- Jimmy Buffett begins recording
- The Monkees disband
- Eric Clapton leaves Blind Faith for a solo career
- Dalida leaves Barclay Record for Orlando Record
- Ocean forms
Albums released
Top hits
- "(I Know) I'm Losing You" - Rare Earth
- "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" - Ronnie Dyson
- "(They Long to Be) Close to You" - The Carpenters
- "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" - Chairmen of the Board
- "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago
- "Maybe I'm Amazed" - Paul McCartney
- "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)" - The Presidents
- "A Song of Joy (Himno A La Alegria)" - Miguel Rios
- "ABC" - The Jackson 5
- "After Midnight" - Eric Clapton
- "Ain't It Funky Now (Part 1)" - James Brown
- "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Diana Ross
- "Airport Love Theme (Gwen & Vern)" - Vincent Bell & Orchestra
- "All I Have To Do Is Dream" - Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
- "All Right Now" - Free
- "Always Something There to Remind Me" - R.B. Greaves
- "American Woman" - The Guess Who
- "Amos Moses" - Jerry Reed
- "Angels Don't Lie" - Jim Reeves
- "Are You Ready?" - Pacific Gas & Electric
- "Arizona" - Mark Lindsay
- "As the Years Go By" - Mashmakhan
- "Avant de te connaître" - Dalida
- "Baby Hold On" - The Grass Roots
- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations
- "Band of Gold" - Freda Payne
- "Be My Baby" - Andy Kim
- "Big Yellow Taxi" - The Neighborhood
- "Black Magic Woman " - Santana
- "Black Night " - Deep Purple
- "Blowing Away" - The 5th Dimension
- "Border Song (Holy Moses)" - Aretha Franklin
- "Born to Wander" - Rare Earth
- "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" - Lenny Welch
- "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel
- "Brother Rapp (Parts 1 & 2)" - James Brown
- "Call Me" - Aretha Franklin
- "Call Me Super Bad" - James Brown
- "Candida" - Tony Orlando and Dawn
- "Can't Stop Loving You" - Tom Jones
- "Cecilia" - Simon & Garfunkel
- "Celebrate" - Three Dog Night
- "Check Out Your Mind" - The Impressions
- "Chicken Strut" - The Meters
- "Close To You " - Carpenters
- "Closer to Home" - Grand Funk Railroad
- "Come And Get It" - Badfinger
- "Come Running" - Van Morrison
- "Come Saturday Morning" - The Sandpipers
- "Come Together /Something " - The Beatles
- "Concerto pour une Voix" - Dalida
- "Cottage Cheese " - Crow
- "Cracklin' Rosie" - Neil Diamond
- "Cry Me A River" - Joe Cocker
- "Cupid " - Johnny Nash
- "Darla Dirladada" - Dalida
- "Daughter of Darkness" - Tom Jones
- "Deeper and Deeper" - Freda Payne
- "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" - The Delfonics
- "Do It" - Neil Diamond
- "Do the Funky Chicken" - Rufus Thomas
- "Do What You Wanna Do " - Five Flights Up
- "Do You See My Love (for You Growing)" - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
- "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is" - Chicago
- "Domino" - Van Morrison
- "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" - Aretha Franklin
- "Down on the Corner" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Easy Come, Easy Go" - Bobby Sherman
- "El Condor Pasa" - Simon & Garfunkel
- "Eli's Coming" - Three Dog Night
- "Engine Number 9" - Wilson Pickett
- "Everybody Is A Star" - Sly & The Family Stone
- "Everybody's Got the Right to Love" - The Supremes
- "Everybody's Out of Town" - B.J. Thomas
- "Everything is Beautiful" - Ray Stevens
- "Everything's Tuesday" - Chairmen of the Board
- "Evil Ways" - Santana
- "Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me" - Crow
- "Express Yourself" - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
- "Fancy" - Bobbie Gentry
- "Fire and Rain" - James Taylor
- "For the Good Times" - Ray Price
- "For the Love of Him" - Bobbi Martin
- "For You Blue" - The Beatles
- "Games" - Redeye (band)
- "Get Ready" - Rare Earth
- "Get Up I Feel Like Being Like a Sex Machine (Part 1)" - James Brown
- "Gimme Dat Ding" - The Pipkins
- "Give Me Just A Little More Time" - The Chairman of the Board
- "Go Back " - Crabby Appleton
- "God, Love and Rock & Roll" - Teegarden & Van Winkle
- "Gotta Hold on to This Feeling" - Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
- "Green-Eyed Lady" - Sugarloaf
- "Groovy Situation" - Gene Chandler
- "Gypsy Woman" - Brian Hyland
- "Hand Me Down World" - The Guess Who
- "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - Neil Diamond
- "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - The Hollies
- "Heaven Help Us All" - Stevie Wonder
- "Heed the Call" - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
- "Hello Darlin'" - Conway Twitty
- "Hey Lawdy Mama" - Steppenwolf
- "Hey There Lonely Girl " - Eddie Holman
- "Hey, Mister Sun" - Bobby Sherman
- "Hi-De-Ho" - Blood, Sweat & Tears
- "Hitchin' a Ride" - Vanity Fare
- "Holly Holy" - Neil Diamond
- "Honey Come Back" - Glen Campbell
- "House of the Rising Sun" - Frijid Pink
- "I (Who Have Nothing)" - Tom Jones
- "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" - The Glass Bottle
- "I Am Somebody (Part 2)" - Johnnie Taylor
- "I Found That Girl" - The Jackson 5
- "I Just Can't Help Believing" - B.J. Thomas
- "I Really Don't Want to Know" - Elvis Presley
- "I Think I Love You" - The Partridge Family
- "I Want to Take You Higher" - Ike & Tina Turner
- "I Want You Back " - The Jackson 5
- "If I Were a Carpenter" - Johnny Cash & June Carter
- "If I Were Your Woman" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
- "If You Could Read My Mind" - Gordon Lightfoot
- "Ils ont changé ma chanson" - Dalida
- "I'll Be There" - The Jackson 5
- "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" - Dionne Warwick
- "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper" - The Flaming Ember
- "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin
- "In the Summertime" - Mungo Jerry
- "Indiana Wants Me " - R. Dean Taylor
- "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" - John Ono Lennon
- "Isn't It a Pity" - George Harrison
- "It Don't Matter to Me" - Bread
- "It's a New Day (Parts 1 & 2)" - James Brown
- "It's a Shame" - The Spinners
- "It's All In the Game" - Four Tops
- "It's Impossible " - Perry Como
- "It's Only Make Believe" - Glen Campbell
- "I've Lost You" - Elvis Presley
- "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" - Tommy Roe
- "Jennifer Tomkins" - Street People
- "Jingle Jangle" - The Archies
- "Joanne" - Michael Nesmith & The First National Band
- "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" - Bobby Sherman
- "Kentucky Rain" - Elvis Presley
- "Knock Three Times " - Tony Orlando and Dawn
- "Lady d'Arbanville" - Dalida
- "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me" - Robin McNamara
- "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" - Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins Singers
- "Leaving on a Jet Plane" - Peter, Paul and Mary
- "Let A Man Come in and Do the Popcorn (Part 2)" - James Brown
- "Let It Be" - The Beatles
- "Let Me Go to Him" - Dionne Warwick
- "Let's Work Together" - Canned Heat
- "Let's Work Together (Part 1)" - Wilbert Harrison
- "Little Green Bag" - George Baker Selection
- "Lola " - The Kinks
- "Lonely Days " - The Bee Gees
- "Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles
- "Long Lonesome Highway" - Michael Parks
- "Long Long Time" - Linda Ronstadt
- "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" - The New Seekers
- "Looking Out My Back Door " - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Look-Ka Py Py" - The Meters
- "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" - Edison Lighthouse
- "Love Land" - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
- "Love on a Two Way Street" - The Moments
- "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" - The Friends of Distinction
- "Love the One You're With" - Stephen Stills
- "Lucretia MacEvil" - Blood, Sweat & Tears
- "Ma Belle Amie" - The Tee Set
- "Make It Easy on Yourself" - Dionne Warwick
- "Make it With You" - Bread
- "Make Me Smile " - Chicago
- "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" - Three Dog Night
- "Maybe" - The Three Degrees
- "Merry Christmas, Darling " - Carpenters
- "Midnight Cowboy" - Ferrante and Teicher
- "Mississippi" - John Phillips
- "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
- "Mongoose " - Elephants Memory
- "Montego Bay" - Bobby Bloom
- "Most of All" - B.J. Thomas
- "Mr. Bojangles" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- "My Baby Loves Lovin'" - White Plains
- "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison
- "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" - Steam
- "Neanderthal Man" - Hotlegs
- "Never Had a Dream Come True" - Stevie Wonder
- "No Matter What" - Badfinger
- "No Time " - The Guess Who
- "Oh Happy Day" - Glen Campbell
- "Ohio" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- "One Less Bell to Answer" - The 5th Dimension
- "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" - Neil Young
- "Ooh Child" - The Five Stairsteps
- "Our House" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- "Out In the Country" - Three Dog Night
- "Overture from Tommy (A Rock Opera)" - The Assembled Multitude
- "Patches" - Clarence Carter
- "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)" - Melanie
- "Precious, Precious" - Jackie Moore
- "Psychedelic Shack" - The Temptations
- "Puppet Man" - The 5th Dimension
- "Question" - The Moody Blues
- "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" - B.J. Thomas
- "Rainy Night In Georgia" - Brook Benton
- "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" - Diana Ross
- "Reflections of My Life" - Marmalade
- "Remember Me" - Diana Ross
- "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image
- "Rubber Duckie" - Ernie (Jim Henson)
- "Save the Country" - The 5th Dimension
- "See Me, Feel Me " - The Who
- "Share the Land" - The Guess Who
- "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" - Joe Cocker
- "Shilo" - Neil Diamond
- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" - Stevie Wonder
- "Silver Bird" - Mark Lindsay
- "Sly, Slick & The Wicked " - Lost Generation
- "Snowbird" - Anne Murray
- "Solitary Man " - Neil Diamond
- "Somebody's Been Sleeping " - 100 Proof
- "Somebody's Watching You" - Little Sister
- "Someday We'll Be Together" - Diana Ross & the Supremes
- "Somethings Burning" - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
- "Son of a Preacher Man" - Aretha Franklin
- "Soolaimon (African Trilogy II)" - Neil Diamond
- "Spill the Wine" - Eric Burdon and War
- "Spirit in the Dark" - Aretha Franklin
- "Spirit In The Sky " - Norman Greenbaum
- "Stand By Your Man" - Candi Staton
- "Steal Away" - Johnnie Taylor
- "Still Water (Love)" - The Four Tops
- "Stoned Love" - The Supremes
- "Stoney End" - Barbra Streisand
- "Stop the War Now" - Edwin Starr
- "Sugar Sugar" - Wilson Pickett
- "Summertime Blues" - The Who
- "Super Bad (Parts 1 & 2)" - James Brown
- "Sweet Mary" - Wadsworth Mansion
- "Take a Letter Maria" - R. B. Greaves
- "Teach Your Children" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- "Tell It All, Brother " - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
- "Temma Harbour" - Mary Hopkin
- "Tennessee Bird Walk" - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
- "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly & The Family Stone
- "That's Where I Went Wrong" - Poppy Family
- "The Bells" - The Originals
- "The End of Our Road" - Marvin Gaye
- "The Letter" - Joe Cocker with Leon Russell
- "The Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles
- "The Love You Save" - The Jackson 5
- "The Rapper" - The Jaggerz
- "The Sly, Slick, and the Wicked" - The Lost Generation
- "The Tears Of A Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
- "The Thrill Is Gone" - B.B. King
- "The Touch Of You " - Brenda & The Tabulations
- "The Wonder of You" - Elvis Presley
- "Tighter, Tighter" - Alive and Kicking
- "Travelin' Band" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Trying to Make a Fool of Me" - The Delfonics
- "Turn Back the Hands of Time" - Tyrone Davis
- "Ugena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)" - The Temptations
- "United We Stand " - The Brotherhood Of Man
- "Up Around the Bend" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Up on Cripple Creek" - The Band
- "Up the Ladder to the Roof" - The Supremes
- "Vehicle" - The Ides of March
- "Venus" - Shocking Blue
- "Viva Tirado (Part 1)" - El Chicano
- "Walk A Mile in My Shoes" - Joe South & The Believers
- "War" - Edwin Starr
- "We Gotta Get You a Woman" - Runt (Todd Rundgren)
- "Westbound #9" - The Flaming Ember
- "We've Only Just Begun " - Carpenters
- "What Is Truth?" - Johnny Cash
- "Where Do The Children Play?" - Cat Stevens
- "Which Way You Goin' Billy? " - Poppy Family
- "Whole Lotta Love " - Led Zeppelin
- "Who'll Stop The Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Who's Your Baby" - The Archies
- "Without Love" - Tom Jones
- "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" - Jimmy Cliff
- "Woodstock " - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- "Yellow River" - Christie
- "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" - Elvis Presley
- "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
- "Your Song" - Elton John
- "Your Time to Cry" - Joe Simon
- "You're the One (Part 1)" - Little Sister
Published popular songs
- Herman D. Koppel - Macbeth
- 1776, London production
- Applause, Broadway production
- The Boy Friend (Sandy Wilson) - Broadway revival
- Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) - Vienna production
- Company (Stephen Sondheim) - Broadway production
- Dames at Sea , Broadway revival
- The Great Waltz, London production
- Joy, Broadway production
- Last Days of Isaac , Broadway production
- Look To The Lilies (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) - Broadway production
- The Me Nobody Knows , Broadway production
- Minnie's Boys , Broadway production
- Ododo , Broadway production
- Purlie, Broadway production
- The Rothschilds, Broadway production
- Touch, Broadway production
- Two by Two, Broadway production
Births
- January 13 - Zack de la Rocha, Rage Against The Machine
- January 26 - Kirk Franklin
- January 27 - Mark Trojanowski, Sister Hazel
- March 24 - Sharon Corr, musician
- March 27 - Brendan Hill , Blues Traveler
- March 27 - Mariah Carey
- April 10 - Mike Mushok , Staind
- May 19 - Prince Be , P.M. Dawn
- June 13 - Rivers Cuomo, Weezer
- June 22 - Steven Page , Barenaked Ladies
- July 8 - Beck Hansen
- July 24 - Jennifer Lopez
- August 31 - Debbie Gibson
- September 5 - Liam Lynch
- September 7 - Chad Sexton , 311
- September 9 - Macy Gray
- September 23 - Ani DiFranco
- September 25 - Gene Ween, Ween
- October 29 - S.A. , 311
- October 31 - Linn Berggren, Ace Of Base
- November 1 - Mags Furuholmen , a-ha
- December 2 - Treach, Naughty By Nature
- December 6 - Ulf Ekberg, Ace Of Base
- December 14 - Beth Orton
Deaths
Awards
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