1970 in music

List of years in music (table)
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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. Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs.
• 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 neighbouring farmers.
• January 14 - Diana Ross and the Supremes perform for the last time together 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." In Britain it tops the album chart at regular intervals over the next two years, and becomes the best-selling album in Britain during the 1970s.
• 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 13 - Black Sabbath releases debut self-titled LP. It is Friday the 13th.
• February 14 - The Who records Live At Leeds in Yorkshire, England. The Grateful Dead plays an equally historic concert on the same date at the Fillmore East, New York City.
• February 17 - Joni Mitchell announces that she is retiring from live performances, following her show at London's Royal Albert Hall. She 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 Eva 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 20 - David Bowie marries model Angela Barnett.
• March 21 – Dana wins Eurovision Song Contest – and later became a Euro MP.
• March 26 - Peter Yarrow (of Peter Paul and Mary) pleads guilty to "taking immoral liberties" with a 14 year old girl in Washington D.C.
• 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 10 - Paul McCartney publicly announced the break-up of The Beatles, though John Lennon had left the previous year.
• 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 U.S. 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.
• May 23-24 - Grateful Dead make their first British appearance at Hollywood Festival, Newcastle-under-Lyme, on a bill also featuring Black Sabbath, Free, and Jose Feliciano. Everyone is completely upstaged by the previously unknown Mungo Jerry, whose debut single "In the Summertime" becomes the best-selling hit of the year.
• June 13 - "The Long and Winding Road" becomes the Beatles' last U.S. Number 1 song, though it is never released as a single in Britain. [1]
• June 13 - The Stooges play at the Cincinnati Pop Festival.
• July 26 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix plays at his hometown of Seattle at Sicks Stadium where, under the influence of drugs, he starts verbally abusing members of the audience.
• August 30 - The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Malmö, Sweden.
• 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 returns to the United States.
• October 30 - Jim Morrison of The Doors, found guilty of indecent exposure and profanity because of his behaviour during a March 1, 1969 concert, is sentenced to eight months of hard labour and a $500 fine.
• Isle of Wight Festival.
• Jimmy Buffett begins recording.
• Paul Davis begins recording.
• Eric Clapton leaves Blind Faith for a solo career.
• Dalida leaves Barclay Records for Orlando Records.
• Derek Bailey and Evan Parker found Incus Records, specialising in releasing free improvised music and said to be the first independent artist-owned record label.
• Miles Davis' Bitches Brew is widely considered the first successful full-fledged fusion of rock and roll and jazz, as well as being one of the most famous and well-remembered albums by Davis.

Bands formed

• The Doobie Brothers, formerly Pud, forms with Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, John Hartman, Dave Shogren.
• Electric Light Orchestra form as an offshoot project of rock band The Move with Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan.
• Ocean formed.
• Queen forms with its first three members Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor. Bassist John Deacon joins in 1971.
• Styx formed.
• Emerson, Lake and Palmer is formed, taking its name from its three founding members Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer.
• Manfred Mann's Earth Band is formed in 1971 with Manfred Mann

Bands disbanded

• The Beatles break up. All four band members release solo albums.
• The Dave Clark Five
• The Monkees
• Simon and Garfunkel break up, and both members of the duo go on to solo careers, although they have reunited and performed together numerous times since breaking up.
• The Nice break up. Keith Emerson weingart founded ELP.

Albums released

• 12 Songs - Randy Newman
• A Beard Of Stars - Tyrannosaurus Rex
• A Song For Me - Family
• ABC - Jackson 5
• Abraxas - Santana
• After the Gold Rush - Neil Young
• All Kinds of Everything - Dana
• All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
• American Beauty - Grateful Dead
• American Woman - The Guess Who
• Anyway - Family
• Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd
• A Tribute to Jack Johnson - Miles Davis
• A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World - Merle Haggard
• Band of Gypsys - Jimi Hendrix
• Benefit - Jethro Tull
• The Best of the Wailers - The Wailers
• The Big O - Roy Orbison
• Bill Haley's Scrapbook: Live at the Bitter End - Bill Haley & His Comets
• Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
• Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
• Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
• Bullshit 3 1/4 - Danny Ben-Israel
• Canto Libre - Víctor Jara
• Changes - The Monkees
• Chapter 2 - Roberta Flack
• Chicago (sometimes referred to as Chicago II) - Chicago
• Climbing! - Mountain
• Closer to Home - Grand Funk Railroad
• Close to You - The Carpenters
• Come To My Garden - Minnie Riperton
• Cosmo's Factory - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Cucumber Castle - The Bee Gees
• Deep Purple in Rock - Deep Purple
• Déjà Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• Die Flippers - Die Flippers
• Down to Earth - Jimmy Buffett
• Easy Action - Alice Cooper
• Egg - Egg
• Electronic Meditation - Tangerine Dream
• Ella in Budapest, Hungary - Ella Fitzgerald
• Elton John - Elton John
• Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (debut)
• Eric Burdon Declares "War" - Eric Burdon & War
• The End of an Ear - Robert Wyatt
• Fire and Water - Free
• Fun House - The Stooges
• Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow-Funkadelic
• Funkadelic-Funkadelic
• The Great Songs Of Roy Orbison - Roy Orbison
• Hank Williams The Roy Orbison Way - Roy Orbison
• His Band and the Street Choir - Van Morrison
• Idlewild South - The Allman Brothers Band
• if (aka If 1) - If
• IF 2 - If
• (I Live) One Day at a Time - Joan Baez
• Ils ont changé ma chanson - Dalida
• In and Out of Focus - Focus
• The Isaac Hayes Movement - Isaac Hayes
• It Ain't Easy - Three Dog Night
• John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic
• Klopfzeichen - Kluster
• Ladies of the Canyon - Joni Mitchell
• Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek & the Dominoes
• Led Zeppelin III - Led Zeppelin
• Legal - Gal Costa
• Let It Be - The Beatles
• Live Album - Grand Funk
• Live at Leeds - The Who
• Lizard - King Crimson
• Loaded - The Velvet Underground
• Looking On - The Move
• Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends - Screaming Lord Sutch
• McCartney - Paul McCartney
• Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon - Status Quo
• The Madcap Laughs - Syd Barrett
• Magic Christian Music - Badfinger
• The Man Who Sold The World - David Bowie
• Maria Bethânia Ao Vivo - Maria Bethânia
• Master - Tremeloes
• Moondance - Van Morrison
• Morrison Hotel - The Doors
• Mungo Jerry - Mungo Jerry
• Naturally - Three Dog Night
• No Dice - Badfinger
• On Stage - Elvis Presley
• Open Road - Donovan
• Osmium - Parliament
• Paranoid - Black Sabbath
• Pearl - Janis Joplin
• Perry Como in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas - Perry Como
• Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band - Yoko Ono
• The Point! - Harry Nilsson
• Portrait - Fifth Dimension
• Self Portrait - Bob Dylan
• Sex Machine - James Brown
• Share the Land - The Guess Who
• Shooting at the Moon - Kevin Ayers
• Sit Down Old Friend - Dion DiMucci
• Skid - Skid Row
• Small Talk at 125th and Lenox - Gil Scott-Heron
• Soul Rebels - The Wailers
• Spirit in the Dark - Aretha Franklin
• Stranded - Edwards Hand
• Sunflower - The Beach Boys
• Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
• Tea for the Tillerman - Cat Stevens
• Thank Christ for the Bomb - The Groundhogs
• The Black Gladiator - Bo Diddley
• Things Ain't What They Used to Be - Ella Fitzgerald
• This Girl's In Love With You - Aretha Franklin
• Tide - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• 'Til The Band Comes In - Scott Walker
• Time and a Word - Yes
• Tin Tin - Tin Tin
• Trespass - Genesis
• Vintage Violence - John Cale
• Watertown - Frank Sinatra
• Wailing Wall - Wailing Wall
• Weasels Ripped My Flesh - Frank Zappa
• Well Now Dig This - The Jodimars
• Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash
• Workingman's Dead - Grateful Dead
• Yeti - Amon Düül II

Biggest hit singles

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

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	The Beatles	Let it Be	1970		US BB 1 - Mar 1970, Canada 1 - Mar 1970, Holland 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, Acclaimed 342
2	Mungo Jerry	In the Summertime	1970		UK 1 - Jun 1970, Holland 1 - Jun 1970, Switzerland 1 - Jun 1970, Norway 1 - Jul 1970, Germany 1 - Jul 1970, Éire 1 - Jul 1970, Australia 1 for 1 weeks 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 2195
3	Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	1970		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, Holland 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, Rolling Stone 47, Acclaimed 64, Scrobulate 66 of oldies, Belgium 162 of all time, Germany 239 of the 1970s
4	Shocking Blue	Venus	1970		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, Holland 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	Led Zeppelin	Whole Lotta Love	1970		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, Holland 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, Rolling Stone 75, Acclaimed 85, Germany 120 of the 1970s, WXPN 400

Top hits - US and UK singles

• "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 Kinds of Everything" – Dana
• "All Right Now" - Free
• "Always Something There to Remind Me" - R.B. Greaves
• "Amazing Grace" - Judy Collins
• "American Woman" - The Guess Who
• "Amos Moses" - Jerry Reed
• "Are You Ready?" - Pacific Gas & Electric
• "Arizona" - Mark Lindsay
• "As the Years Go By" - Mashmakhan
• "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
• "Beaucoups of Blues" - Ringo Starr
• "Big Yellow Taxi" - Joni Mitchell
• "Black Magic Woman" - Santana
• "Black Night" - Deep Purple
• "Blowing Away" - The Fifth Dimension
• "Border Song (Holy Moses)" - Aretha Franklin
• "Born to Wander" - Rare Earth
• "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "Brontosaurus" - The Move
• "Brother Rapp (Parts 1 & 2)" - James Brown
• "Call Me" - Aretha Franklin
• "Candida" - Tony Orlando and Dawn
• "Cecilia" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "Celebrate" - Three Dog Night
• "Check Out Your Mind" - The Impressions
• "(They Long to Be) Close to You" - The Carpenters
• "Closer to Home" - Grand Funk Railroad
• "Come And Get It" - Badfinger
• "Come Running" - Van Morrison
• "Come Saturday Morning" - The Sandpipers
• "Cracklin' Rosie" - Neil Diamond
• "Cry Me A River" - Joe Cocker
• "Cupid" - Johnny Nash
• "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
• "Easy Come, Easy Go" - Bobby Sherman
• "El Condor Pasa" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "Eli's Coming" - Three Dog Night
• "Engine Number 9" - Wilson Pickett
• "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
• "Express Yourself" - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
• "Fire and Rain" - James Taylor
• "For the Good Times" - Ray Price
• "For the Love of Him" - Bobbi Martin
• "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" - Chairmen of the Board
• "God, Love and Rock & Roll" - Teegarden & Van Winkle
• "Gotta Hold on to This Feeling" - Jr. Walker & the All-Stars
• "Green-Eyed Lady" - Sugarloaf
• "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)" - Fleetwood Mac
• "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
• "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 Am Somebody (Part 2)" - Johnnie Taylor
• "I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top" - The Hollies
• "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 You Back" - The Jackson 5
• "If I Were Your Woman" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
• "If You Could Read My Mind" - Gordon Lightfoot
• "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" - Ronnie Dyson
• "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
• "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
• "(I Know) I'm Losing You" - Rare Earth
• "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" - Chairmen of the Board
• "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)" - The Presidents
• "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" - Cat Stevens (all other versions were dubbed)
• "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's Work Together" - Canned Heat
• "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
• "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
• "Me And My Life" - The Tremeloes
• "Midnight Cowboy" - Ferrante & Teicher
• "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
• "Mongoose" - Elephant's 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
• "Ohio" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• "One Less Bell to Answer" - The Fifth 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
• "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
• "Patches" - Clarence Carter
• "Psychedelic Shack" - The Temptations
• "Puppet Man" - The Fifth Dimension
• "Question" - The Moody Blues
• "Rainbow" - Marmalade
• "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 Fifth 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
• "Someday We'll Be Together" - Diana Ross & the Supremes
• "Somethings Burning" - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
• "Son of a Preacher Man" - Aretha Franklin
• "A Song of Joy (Himno A La Alegria)" - Miguel Rios
• "Soolaimon (African Trilogy II)" - Neil Diamond
• "Spill the Wine" - Eric Burdon & 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
• "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
• "Temptation Eyes" - The Grass Roots
• "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 Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "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 Tears Of A Clown" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
• "The Thrill Is Gone" - B.B. King
• "The Wonder of You" - Elvis Presley
• "Ticket To Ride" - The Carpenters
• "Tighter, Tighter" - Alive and Kicking
• "Tracy" - The Cuff Links
• "Travelin' Band" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Turn Back the Hands of Time" - Tyrone Davis
• "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago
• "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" - The Carpenters
• "What Is Truth?" - Johnny Cash
• "When I'm Dead And Gone" - McGuinness Flint
• "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

Published popular songs

• "An American Trilogy" medley written & arranged by Mickey Newbury
• "Bein' Green" w.m. Joe Raposo, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" w.m. John C. Fogerty
• "I Love Trash" w.m. Jeff Moss, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "If Not For You" w.m. Bob Dylan
• "Kentucky Rain" w.m. Eddie Rabbitt & Dick Heard
• "The Ladies Who Lunch" w.m. Stephen Sondheim. Introduced by Elaine Stritch in the musical Company.
• "Lookin' Out My Back Door" w.m. John C. Fogerty
• "People in Your Neighborhood" w.m. Jeff Moss, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "Rubber Duckie" w.m. Jeff Moss, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "Teach Your Children" w.m. Graham Nash
• "(They Long to Be) Close to You" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
• "Who'll Stop The Rain?" w.m. John C. Fogerty
• "Where Do I Begin" (Love Story) - w. Carl Sigman, m. Francis Lai

Classical music

• Sir Arthur Bliss - Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
• George Crumb
  • Ancient Voices of Children for mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, amplified piano (and toy piano), and percussion (three players)
  • Black Angels (Images I) for electric string quartet
• Charles Dodge - Earth's Magnetic Field
• Mario Davidovsky - Synchronisms No. 6 for piano and electronic sound
• Luc Ferrari - Presque rien No. 1 "Le Lever du jour au bord de la mer"
• Miloslav Kabeláč - Symphony No. 8 "Antiphonies"
• György Ligeti - Continuum

Opera

• Herman D. Koppel - Macbeth

Musical theater

• 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
• Golden Bat Off-Broadway production opened at the Sheridan Square Playhouse on July 21 and ran for 152 performances
• 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

Musical films

• The Aristocats     animated feature film with the voices of Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Thurl Ravenscroft, Hermione Baddeley and Sterling Holloway,
• Darling Lili starring Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, Lance Percival and Jeremy Kemp.
• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever starring Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand and Bob Newhart.
• Scrooge released November 5 starring Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Kenneth More, Suzanne Neve and Anton Rodgers
• Song of Norway starring Toralv Maurstad, Florence Henderson and Harry Secombe.

Births

• January 9 - Lara Fabian, singer
• January 12 - Zack de la Rocha, Rage Against the Machine
• January 12 - Raekwon, rapper
• January 16 - Dead, singer (d. 1991)
• January 18 - DJ Quik, rapper and record producer
• January 26 - Kirk Franklin
• January 27 - Mark Trojanowski, Sister Hazel
• January 31 - Minnie Driver, actress and singer
• March 5 - John Frusciante, guitarist
• March 9 - La India, salsa singer
• March 18 - Queen Latifah, rapper, singer and actress
• March 24 - Sharon Corr, musician
• March 27 - Brendan Hill, Blues Traveler
• March 27 - Mariah Carey
• April 6 - Joe Gittleman, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• April 10 - Mike Mushok, Staind
• April 12 - Nick Hexum, 311
• April 17 - Redman, rapper
• April 20 - Phife Dawg, rapper
• May 4 - Gregg Alexander, New Radicals
• May 19 - Billy Howerdel, A Perfect Circle
• May 19 - Prince Be, P.M. Dawn
• June 2 - B-Real, Cypress Hill
• June 13 - Rivers Cuomo, Weezer
• June 22 - Steven Page, Barenaked Ladies
• June 24 - Glen Medeiros, singer
• July 8 - Beck Hansen
• August 3 - Itamar Golan, pianist
• August 11 - Andy Bell, bassist
• August 23 - River Phoenix, actor and singer of Aleka's Attic (d. 1993)
• August 28 - Sherrié Austin, actress and singer
• August 31 - Deborah Gibson
• September 4 - Daisy Dee, singer
• September 5 - Liam Lynch
• September 7 - Chad Sexton, 311
• September 9 - Macy Gray
• September 14 - Craig Montoya, bassist
• September 19 - Takanori Nishikawa, T.M. Revolution
• September 23 - Ani DiFranco
• September 25 - Gene Ween, Ween
• October 31 - Linn Berggren, Ace of Base
• November 20 - Q-Tip, rapper
• December 2 - Treach, Naughty By Nature
• December 6 - Ulf Ekberg, Ace of Base
• December 14 - Beth Orton
• December 29 - Aled Jones, boy soprano, later baritone

Deaths

• January 5 - Roberto Gerhard, composer
• January 9 - Jani Christou, composer
• January 17
  • Simon Kovar, bassoonist
  • Billy Stewart, scat singer
• January 25 - Jane Bathori, opera singer
• January 31 - Slim Harpo, blues musician
• February 1 - Blaž Arnič, composer (car crash)
• February 12
  • Ishman Bracey, blues musician
  • André Souris, composer and writer
• February 20 - Albert Wolff, conductor
• March 1 - Lucille Hegamin, singer
• March 16 - Tammi Terrell, singer, brain tumors, 24 years old
• April 20 - Shakeel Badayuni, songwriter
• April 21
  • Earl Hooker, blues musician
  • Joe Young, lyricist
• April 23 - Adeline Genée, ballerina
• April 24 - Otis Spann, blues musician
• April 26 - Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque entertainer
• May 11 - Johnny Hodges, jazz musician
• May 14 - Jack Fina, pianist and bandleader
• May 23 - Nydia Westman, actress and singer
• June 6 - Lonnie Johnson, blues and jazz musician
• June 11 - Earl Grant, pianist and singer
• June 16 - Heino Eller, composer and music teacher
• July 7 - Charles Tobias, US songwriter and singer
• July 12 - L. Wolfe Gilbert, Russian-born US songwriter
• July 13 - Roger Edens, composer and arranger
• July 23 - Leith Stevens, composer
• July 29 - Sir John Barbirolli, conductor
• July 30 - George Szell, conductor and composer
• September 2 - Kees van Baaren, composer and music teacher
• September 3 - Alan Wilson (musician), singer Canned Heat
• September 18
  • Jimi Hendrix, guitarist and singer
  • Maxwell Davis, saxophonist
• October 2 - Bo Linde, Swedish composer
• October 4 - Janis Joplin, singer
• October 22
  • Pauline Donalda, operatic soprano
  • Samson François, pianist
• October 28 - Baby Huey, singer
• November 6 - Agustín Lara, composer
• November 7 - Eddie Peabody, banjo player
• November 19 - Maria Yudina, pianist
• December 31
  • Ray Henderson, songwriter
  • Cyril Scott, composer
• date unknown
  • Calvin Boze, trumpeter and bandleader
  • Booker Ervin, jazz musician
  • Luis Mariano, singer and actor
  • Efisio Melis, folk musician
  • Nick Pantas, guitarist Elf

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1970
  • Record of the Year: "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Simon and Garfunkel
  • Song of the Year: "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Simon and Garfunkel
  • Album of the Year: Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
  • Best Contemporary Song: "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Simon and Garfunkel
  • Best Engineered Record: "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Simon and Garfunkel, and Roy Halee
  • Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists: "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Simon and Garfunkel

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1970