100 Greatest Songs From 1970
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Layla
Derek And The Dominos
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon and Garfunkel
3. Let It Be
Beatles
4. Your Song
Elton John
5. Paranoid
Black Sabbath
6. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine
James Brown
7. Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Creedence Clearwater Revival
8. My Sweet Lord
George Harrison
9. Fire and Rain
James Taylor
10. Lola
Kinks
11. Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin
12. All Right Now
Free
13. Move On Up
Curtis Mayfield
14. Who'll Stop the Rain
Creedence Clearwater Revival
15. ABC
Jackson 5
16. Black Magic Woman
Santana
17. War
Edwin Starr
18. Iron Man
Black Sabbath
19. Moondance
Van Morrison
20. I'll Be There
Jackson 5
21. Maybe I'm Amazed
Paul McCartney
22. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Stevie Wonder
23. American Woman
Guess Who
24. Ohio
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
25. Instant Karma
John Lennon
26. O-o-h Child
Five Stairsteps
27. Band Of Gold
Freda Payne
28. Oye Como Va
Santana
29. The Long and Winding Road
Beatles
30. Wild World
Cat Stevens
31. Roadhouse Blues
Doors
32. Joy To the World
Three Dog Night
33. Big Yellow Taxi
Joni Mitchell
34. 25 or 6 To 4
Chicago
35. Truckin'
Grateful Dead
36. Up Around the Bend
Creedence Clearwater Revival
37. Close To You
Carpenters
38. Ball Of Confusion
Temptations
39. In the Summertime
Mungo Jerry
40. Lookin' Out My Back Door
Creedence Clearwater Revival
41. Across the Universe
Beatles
42. If You Could Read My Mind
Gordon Lightfoot
43. Cecilia
Simon and Garfunkel
44. We've Only Just Begun
Carpenters
45. It's a Shame
Spinners
46. Child In Time
Deep Purple
47. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Diana Ross
48. Proud Mary
Ike and Tuna Turner
49. Woodstock
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
50. Cracklin' Rosie
Neil Diamond
51. Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
52. The Love You Save
Jackson 5
53. Mama Told Me (Not To Come)
Three Dog Night
54. Rose Garden
Lynn Anderson
55. Lucky Man
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
56. Kentucky Rain
Elvis Presley
57. Question
Moody Blues
58. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
Edison Lighthouse
59. Into the Mystic
Van Morrison
60. Travelin' Band
Creedence Clearwater Revival
61. The Wonder Of You
Elvis Presley
62. Express Yourself
Charles Wright & Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
63. Eighteen
Alice Cooper
64. Make It With You
Bread
65. Sweet Jane
Velvet Underground
66. Patches
Clarence Carter
67. No Matter What
Badfinger
68. Spill the Wine
Eric Burdon and War
69. Samba Pa Ti
Santana
70. Stoned Love
Supremes
71. Since I've Been Loving You
Led Zeppelin
72. I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Creedence Clearwater Revival
73. El Condor Pasa
Simon and Garfunkel
74. I Think I Love You
Partridge Family
75. Call Me Super Bad
James Brown
76. Mississippi Queen
Mountain
77. Domino
Van Morrison
78. Colour My World
Chicago
79. Run Through the Jungle
Creedence Clearwater Revival
80. Don't Play That Song
Aretha Franklin
81. Midnight Rider
Allman Brothers Band
82. After Midnight
Eric Clapton
83. Knock Three Times
Dawn
84. If I Were Your Woman
Gladys Knight and the Pips
85. War Pigs
Black Sabbath
86. Southern Man
Neil Young
87. What Is Life
George Harrison
88. Love the One You're With
Stephen Stills
89. Groove Me
King Floyd
90. Make Me Smile
Chicago
91. Working Class Hero
John Lennon
92. Yellow River
Christie
93. Coal Miner's Daughter
Loretta Lynn
94. I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home
Grand Funk Railroad
95. Green-Eyed Lady
Sugarloaf
96. Turn Back the Hands Of Time
Tyrone Davis
97. I Hear You Knocking
Dave Edmunds
98. Draggin' the Line
Tommy James
99. Carry On
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
100. Rivers Of Babylon
Melodians
Derek And The Dominos
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon and Garfunkel
3. Let It Be
Beatles
4. Your Song
Elton John
5. Paranoid
Black Sabbath
6. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine
James Brown
7. Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Creedence Clearwater Revival
8. My Sweet Lord
George Harrison
9. Fire and Rain
James Taylor
10. Lola
Kinks
11. Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin
12. All Right Now
Free
13. Move On Up
Curtis Mayfield
14. Who'll Stop the Rain
Creedence Clearwater Revival
15. ABC
Jackson 5
16. Black Magic Woman
Santana
17. War
Edwin Starr
18. Iron Man
Black Sabbath
19. Moondance
Van Morrison
20. I'll Be There
Jackson 5
21. Maybe I'm Amazed
Paul McCartney
22. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Stevie Wonder
23. American Woman
Guess Who
24. Ohio
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
25. Instant Karma
John Lennon
26. O-o-h Child
Five Stairsteps
27. Band Of Gold
Freda Payne
28. Oye Como Va
Santana
29. The Long and Winding Road
Beatles
30. Wild World
Cat Stevens
31. Roadhouse Blues
Doors
32. Joy To the World
Three Dog Night
33. Big Yellow Taxi
Joni Mitchell
34. 25 or 6 To 4
Chicago
35. Truckin'
Grateful Dead
36. Up Around the Bend
Creedence Clearwater Revival
37. Close To You
Carpenters
38. Ball Of Confusion
Temptations
39. In the Summertime
Mungo Jerry
40. Lookin' Out My Back Door
Creedence Clearwater Revival
41. Across the Universe
Beatles
42. If You Could Read My Mind
Gordon Lightfoot
43. Cecilia
Simon and Garfunkel
44. We've Only Just Begun
Carpenters
45. It's a Shame
Spinners
46. Child In Time
Deep Purple
47. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Diana Ross
48. Proud Mary
Ike and Tuna Turner
49. Woodstock
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
50. Cracklin' Rosie
Neil Diamond
51. Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
52. The Love You Save
Jackson 5
53. Mama Told Me (Not To Come)
Three Dog Night
54. Rose Garden
Lynn Anderson
55. Lucky Man
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
56. Kentucky Rain
Elvis Presley
57. Question
Moody Blues
58. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
Edison Lighthouse
59. Into the Mystic
Van Morrison
60. Travelin' Band
Creedence Clearwater Revival
61. The Wonder Of You
Elvis Presley
62. Express Yourself
Charles Wright & Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band
63. Eighteen
Alice Cooper
64. Make It With You
Bread
65. Sweet Jane
Velvet Underground
66. Patches
Clarence Carter
67. No Matter What
Badfinger
68. Spill the Wine
Eric Burdon and War
69. Samba Pa Ti
Santana
70. Stoned Love
Supremes
71. Since I've Been Loving You
Led Zeppelin
72. I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Creedence Clearwater Revival
73. El Condor Pasa
Simon and Garfunkel
74. I Think I Love You
Partridge Family
75. Call Me Super Bad
James Brown
76. Mississippi Queen
Mountain
77. Domino
Van Morrison
78. Colour My World
Chicago
79. Run Through the Jungle
Creedence Clearwater Revival
80. Don't Play That Song
Aretha Franklin
81. Midnight Rider
Allman Brothers Band
82. After Midnight
Eric Clapton
83. Knock Three Times
Dawn
84. If I Were Your Woman
Gladys Knight and the Pips
85. War Pigs
Black Sabbath
86. Southern Man
Neil Young
87. What Is Life
George Harrison
88. Love the One You're With
Stephen Stills
89. Groove Me
King Floyd
90. Make Me Smile
Chicago
91. Working Class Hero
John Lennon
92. Yellow River
Christie
93. Coal Miner's Daughter
Loretta Lynn
94. I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home
Grand Funk Railroad
95. Green-Eyed Lady
Sugarloaf
96. Turn Back the Hands Of Time
Tyrone Davis
97. I Hear You Knocking
Dave Edmunds
98. Draggin' the Line
Tommy James
99. Carry On
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
100. Rivers Of Babylon
Melodians
20 more worth mentioning.
101. Black Night
Deep Purple
102. Our House
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
103. Lonely Days
Bee Gees
104. Casey Jones
Grateful Dead
105. Still Water (Love)
Four Tops
106. Funk #49
James Gang
107. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
108. After the Gold Rush
Neil Young
109. Uncle John's Band
Grateful Dead
110. Call Me
Aretha Franklin
111. Mr. Bojangles
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
112. Merry Christmas Darling
Carpenters
113. Ride Captain Ride
Blues Image
114. No Sugar Tonight
Guess Who
115. If There's a Hell Below We're All Going To Go
Curtis Mayfield
116. Vehicle
Ides Of March
117. Signs
Five Man Electrical Band
118. For the Good Times
Ray Price
119. One Bad Apple
Osmonds
120. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You
Wilson Pickett
Deep Purple
102. Our House
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
103. Lonely Days
Bee Gees
104. Casey Jones
Grateful Dead
105. Still Water (Love)
Four Tops
106. Funk #49
James Gang
107. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
108. After the Gold Rush
Neil Young
109. Uncle John's Band
Grateful Dead
110. Call Me
Aretha Franklin
111. Mr. Bojangles
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
112. Merry Christmas Darling
Carpenters
113. Ride Captain Ride
Blues Image
114. No Sugar Tonight
Guess Who
115. If There's a Hell Below We're All Going To Go
Curtis Mayfield
116. Vehicle
Ides Of March
117. Signs
Five Man Electrical Band
118. For the Good Times
Ray Price
119. One Bad Apple
Osmonds
120. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You
Wilson Pickett
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1970
An unheralded great record from 1970
Brian's choice:
* I Can't Get Next to You
Al Green
Lew's choice:
* You Better Think Twice
Poco
Bruce's choice:
* Will There Be Another Love For Me
Winfield Parker
Adam's choice:
* Sleeping
The Band
Brett's choice:
* Gonna Get My Baby Back
Doris Troy
1969 | 1971
Brian's choice:
* I Can't Get Next to You
Al Green
Lew's choice:
* You Better Think Twice
Poco
Bruce's choice:
* Will There Be Another Love For Me
Winfield Parker
Adam's choice:
* Sleeping
The Band
Brett's choice:
* Gonna Get My Baby Back
Doris Troy
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Edited By: Brian
Last Updated: 2026-09-04
Last Updated: 2026-09-04
