Here are some of the most popular songs in 1970. During this time, The Beatles were on the brink of a breakup, and Motown artists like The Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder took the spotlight. I think teens would have loved these hits.
“Lola” by The Kinks
“Well, I’m not dumb, but I can’t understand / Why she walk like a woman but talk like a man / Oh, my Lola.”
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According to Ray Davies of The Kinks, “Lola” was inspired by a personal experience. While at the club, Davies was approached by a cross-dresser, whose advances he politely declined. They ended up going home with his manager, Robert Wace, instead.
“Fire And Rain” by James Taylor
“I walked out this mornin’ and I wrote down this song / I just can’t remember who to send it to.”
“Fire And Rain” was written partly in response to the death of one of Taylor’s childhood friends and also partly about his own experiences with addiction. The line “Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you” are in reference to that childhood friend, who died by suicide while Taylor was working on his first album with Apple Records. This song was on his second album and became his first Top 10 hit.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” by Stevie Wonder
“Now, I’m back and not ashamed to cry / Ooh baby, here I am / Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours.”
Wonder wrote this song with Lee Garrett, Syreeta Wright, and his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway. This song was also the first track Wonder produced on his own. This song is kind of about laying it all on the line. You’re boldly proclaiming your love for someone, and even if it’s a little embarrassing, you’re proud to admit it.
“Let It Be” by The Beatles
“When I find myself in times of trouble / Mother Mary comes to me / Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
This song was inspired by a dream Paul McCartney had in which his deceased mother visited him. Her name was Mary Patricia McCartney, and she did, in fact, tell him to “let it be.”
Photo by: Columbia TriStar/Courtesy of Getty Images
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English musician, singer, songwriter, and composer Paul McCartney records the Lennon-McCartney composition 'Thingumybob' with the Black Dyke Mills Band in Saltaire, City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, 30th June 1968. (Photo by Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd./Getty Images) -
USTRALIA – NOVEMBER 20: Photo of Michael JACKSON; Michael Jackson performing on stage, with backing singers, at the Paramatta Stadium in Sydney – Bad Tour (Photo by Bob King/Redferns) -
American musician Aretha Franklin performs in concert, New York, New York, circa 1990. (Photo by Larry Busacca/WireImage) -
Bassist Timothy B. Schmit (left) and singer/guitarist Glenn Frey (1948 – 2016) performing with American rock group, The Eagles, USA, November 1979. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NY ย CIRCA 1981: Deborah Harry of Blondie circa 1981 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images) -
Portrait of the American-based rock band Foreigner as they pose backsatge at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, November 8, 1981. Pictured are, from left, Dennis Elliot, Lou Gramm, Rick Wills, and Mick Jones. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) -
(L-R) Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Don Felder of the rock band "Eagles" performing onstage in 1980. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
