4 Solo Female Acts Who Soared up the Pop Charts in 1970

The solo female acts who did the most damage on the charts in 1970 came at it in a variety of ways. Some wrote their own stuff, while others interpreted the songs of others. They also inhabited several different genres.

One artist on this list was an established superstar, while the other three were just starting out on their journey. Here are four 1970 hits that showed that the ladies had it all figured out.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross

Such was the celebrity of Diana Ross and the notoriety surrounding her first effort separate from The Supremes that a No. 20 chart position for debut single “Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand” was considered a disappointment. No worries, though. The follow-up headed right to No. 1. This despite the fact that “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” had already scored on the charts via a version by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Songwriters Valerie Simpson and Nickolas Ashford came up with an airy, stretched-out production that matched Ross’ ethereal vocals. It felt like a reinvention of the original and gave Ross an immediate signature song for her solo career.

“Band Of Gold” by Freda Payne

Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland penned an impressive percentage of Motown’s 60s hits. By 1970, however, relations had strained between the three men and the label. They took off to form their own label and signed Freda Payne as one of their first moves. The trio wrote “Band Of Gold” with Ron Dunbar, although they had to do so under a pseudonym because of their contract squabble with Motown. Meanwhile, Payne, who hadn’t really done a lot of pop-type singing prior to this, took the song by the horns from the very first note she sang. “Band Of Gold”, which featured some slyly controversial lyrics that sneaked by most folks, peaked at No. 3 on the pop charts.

“Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” by Melanie

A couple of factors played into the massive success of Melanie Safka’s breakthrough hit, which made it to No. 3 in 1970. It was a collaboration with the Edwin Hawkins Singers, whose single “Oh Happy Day” smashed the previous year. On top of that, Melanie was singing about the Woodstock festival, where she’d performed the previous year. The pop music world was still basking in the glow of that event. As such, “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” was kind of preaching to the choir. Safka’s performance was so heartfelt and earnest that you couldn’t really deny it. It was a far cry from the playful “Brand New Key”, the song that put her at No. 1 just a year later.

“Snowbird” by Anne Murray

Anne Murray overcame the trend of Canadian hitmakers failing to do much damage on the US charts. She turned into one of the most reliable purveyors of easy listening-style singles for the entirety of the 70s. “Snowbird” acted as the song that got the ball rolling for her in that department. Murray first released the song on her sophomore album in 1969. When she gave it a single release in 1970, it took off, landing at No. 8. Like many of her subsequent hits, it also did well on the country charts. Murray’s crystalline vocals trip lightly over the melody. Written by Gene McLellan, “Snowbird” certainly captures those wintry Canadian vibes.

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