Forgotten Hits

The Top 50 Songs Of Summer, 1970

The Top 50 Songs Of Summer, 1970

We want to once again thank both Randy Price and Jack Levin for all of the time, effort and due-diligence put into compiling these charts. There was a TON of research to review and these guys came through for us again. Thanks, Guys! Thanks to you, we've now posted Top 50 Summer Recap Charts for EVERY Year, 1963 - 1970!!!

(And, if you browse around a bit, you'll also find a couple of pages devoted to "The Best Of The Rest ... Top Ten Summer Charts for 1955 - 1962 and 1971 - 1980!)

Meanwhile, here are The Biggest Songs from the Summer of 1970, as tabulated by the rankings in both the national and the local Chicagoland charts:

The Biggest Songs of Summer, 1970 -

based on The National Charts

1. MAMA TOLD ME (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night (Dunhill)

2. BAND OF GOLD - Freda Payne (Invictus)

3. BALL OF CONFUSION (That's What The World Is Today) -

The Temptations (Gordy)

4. THE LOVE YOU SAVE - The Jackson 5 (Motown)

5. (They Long To Be) CLOSE TO YOU - Carpenters (A&M)

6. MAKE IT WITH YOU - Bread (Elektra)

7. RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE - The Blues Image (Atco)

8. LAY DOWN (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins

Singers (Buddah)

9. SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I'M YOURS - Stevie Wonder (Tamla)

10. TIGHTER, TIGHTER - Alive And Kicking (Roulette)

11. HITCHIN' A RIDE - Vanity Fare (Page One)

12. O-O-H CHILD - The Five Stairsteps (Buddah)

13. THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - The Beatles (Apple)

14. SPILL THE WINE - Eric Burdon & War (MGM)

15. GET READY - Rare Earth (Rare Earth)

16. WHICH WAY YOU GOIN' BILLY? - The Poppy Family (London)

17. THE WONDER OF YOU - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)

18. GIMME DAT DING - The Pipkins (Capitol)

19. WAR - Edwin Starr (Gordy)

20. LAY A LITTLE LOVIN' ON ME - Robin McNamara (Steed)

21. I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING - B.J. Thomas (Scepter)

22. IN THE SUMMERTIME - Mungo Jerry (Janus)

23. ARE YOU READY? - Pacific Gas & Electric (Columbia)

24. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL - Ray Stevens (Barnaby)

25. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Atlantic)

26. (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) WHY CAN'T I TOUCH YOU? -

Ronnie Dyson (Columbia)

27. OHIO - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Atlantic)

28. LOVE ON A TWO-WAY STREET - The Moments (Stang)

29. THE LETTER - Joe Cocker (A&M)

30. A SONG OF JOY (Himno A La Alegria) - Miguel Rios (A&M)

31. UNITED WE STAND - The Brotherhood Of Man (Deram)

32. MY BABY LOVES LOVIN' - White Plains (Deram)

33. LOVE LAND - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

(Warner Bros.)

34. PATCHES - Clarence Carter (Atlantic)

35. WESTBOUND #9 - The Flaming Ember (Hot Wax)

36. TELL IT ALL BROTHER - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (Reprise)

37. UP AROUND THE BEND - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy)

38. IT'S ALL IN THE GAME - The Four Tops (Motown)

39. THE SLY, SLICK, AND THE WICKED - The Lost Generation (Brunswick)

40. 25 OR 6 TO 4 - Chicago (Columbia)

41. OVERTURE FROM TOMMY (A Rock Opera) - The Assembled Multitude

(Atlantic)

42. QUESTION - The Moody Blues (Threshold)

43. CECILIA - Simon & Garfunkel (Columbia)

44. MISSISSIPPI QUEEN - Mountain (Windfall)

45. SUMMERTIME BLUES - The Who (Decca)

46. CHECK OUT YOUR MIND - The Impressions (Curtom)

47. MAKE ME SMILE - Chicago (Columbia)

48. DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS - Tom Jones (Parrot)

49. SILVER BIRD - Mark Lindsay (Columbia)

50. MAYBE - The Three Degrees (Roulette)

The Biggest Songs of Summer, 1970 - Chicagoland Charts

1. The Love You Save - The Jackson Five
2. Close To You - The Carpenters
3. Make It With You - Bread
4. Mama Told Me (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night
5. Ball Of Confusion - The Temptations
6. Spill The Wine - Eric Burdon & War
7. Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
8. Ooh Child - Five Stairsteps
9. Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
10. Tighter & Tighter - Alive & Kicking

11. My Baby Loves Loving - White Plains
12. Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie
13. The Long And Winding Road - The Beatles
14. Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
15. In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
16. War - Edwin Starr
17. Why Can't I Touch You - Ronnie Dyson
18. Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fare
19. I Just Can't Help Believing - B.J. Thomas
20. Lay A Little Lovin' On Me - Robin McNamara
21. Loveland - Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
22. Get Ready - Rare Earth
23. Love On A Two Way Street - The Moments
24. Gimme Dat Ding - The Pipkins
25. 25 Or 6 To 4 - Chicago
26. A Song Of Joy - Miguel Rios
27. Mississippi Queen - Mountain
28. Question - The Moody Blues
29. Make Me Smile - Chicago
30. Daughter Of Darkness - Tom Jones
31. The Wonder Of You - Elvis Presley
32. Are You Ready - Pacific Gas & Electric
33. The Letter - Joe Cocker
34. Cottage Cheese - Crow
35. United We Stand - Brotherhood Of Man
36. Patches - Clarence Carter
37. Mississippi - John Phillips
38. Julie Do Ya Love Me - Bobby Sherman
39. Overture From Tommy - The Assembled Multitude
40. Up Around The Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
41. Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens
42. Hand Me Down World - The Guess Who
43. Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
44. Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwayer Revival
45. Neanderthal Man - Hotlegs
46. Hey Mr. Sun - Bobby Sherman
47. It's All In The Game - The Four Tops
48. Solitary Man - Neil Diamond
49. Hi De Ho - Blood, Sweat and Tears
50. Silver Bird - Mark Lindsay

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