1. OK, done with my column, my "back to brunch" (at home with my family pod) and Sunday chores, so here's my thread on why 1970 is the greatest music year of all time. But I have to start with two...
https://twitter.com/Will_Bunch/status/1366031103186907136
2. caveats. First, most critics think of 1970 for the rise of the singer-songwriter, to which I say...meh. Second, some horrible things happened in 1970 off-vinyl -- the death of Jimi and Janis, breakup of the Beatles. No studio records from the Stones or the Who, BUT...
3. 1970 was the last super great year for the one-off pop-rock 45, including "Venus" by Shocking Blue, "Spirit in the Sky," by Norman Greenbaum, and of course "Ride Captain Ride" by Blues Image
4. In a big news year that marked the true end of the '60s, amazing topical songs included "War" by Edwin Starr, Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" and two blasts from CSNY, "Woodstock" and "Ohio"
5. OK, the Stones were still frazzled from Altamount but that didn't stop a flood of other rock hits from CCR like "Travelin Band," "Lola" by the Kinks and the Guess Who's "American Woman"
6. But what really gives 1970 that extra bounce is that soul/R&B was near or at its peak -- especially Motown w/ 4 No. 1 hits by the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed Delivered and Smokey Robinson's "Tears of a Clown"
7. Other soul/R&B/blues songs that leapt out in 1970: B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone," Clarence Carter's "Patches," Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," Supremes' "Stoned Love" and Chairman of the Board's "Pay to the Piper"
8. Note that I'm glossing over some of the obvious picks, "Let It Be," "My Sweet Lord," "Instant Karma," "Fire and Rain," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," "Sex Machine," etc, etc. But in the end...
9. The years went by and the rock just died. 1971 was a peak year for classic rock and revolutionary soul but joyful power pop fast faded along with Top 40 stations like KHJ or WABC. 51 years later, I thank the internet, Pandora and "1970 Hits Radio" for keeping this alive! -30-
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