Wumbo Ranks Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Charts! (Ahhh, the deed is done.)

[Wumbo]

"Unwell": In 1996, calling Matchbox 20 a middle-of-the-road adult alternative band did them injustice. In 2003... it's a bit more painfully accurate than I'd like to admit. At least this isn't completely embarrassing like "Disease".

"Here without You": Booooooriiiiiiiing.

"I'm with You": There's a certain emotional rawness combined with teen pop that Avril Lavigne tapped into like no other. I really appreciate that.

"Landslide": This kinda feels like the Kidz Bop cover of "Landslide". It just sounds so emotionless and sterile to me.

"Where is the Love?": Yeah, I like this one. Call it corny, but I liked when Black Eyed Peas songs at least tried to have a conscience rather than "my hump, my hump my hump my hump..."

"Clocks": I really can't think of what to say about this song one way or the other. You'd think because it was freakin' everywhere that year I'd have come up with something almost fifteen years later, but nope. Not particularly good, not particularly bad. Just kinda hangs there.

"Fighter": I'm not the biggest Christina Aguilera fan on the whole, so save for "Beautiful", even her empowerment anthems don't do much for me. Maybe I'd prefer hearing this sentiment coming from someone else, but as it stands, it's just meh.

"Jenny from the Block": THA BRONX

"Suga Suga": Completely forgettable.

"Forever and for Always": I love Shania Twain's voice. The song might not be the most interesting, which is why it missed my Top 10, but it certainly is beautiful.

"She Hates Me": This is pretty much every shitty post-grunge song boiled down to its essence. Ugly, whiny, juvenile, and thinks it sounds a lot edgier than it does. Fuck this song, honestly. Maybe it should have been on my Bottom 10.

"Beer for My Horses": I can't shake the feeling that Toby Keith sounds like what people who don't like country music think every country artist sounds like. This song doesn't help that in the slightest. Not even Willie can save it.

"Have You Forgotten?": This is probably the most "mature" song on this list. Given its subject matter, that's inevitable. I hesitate to call this preachy, especially since it came so soon after the events, but like... have people forgotten? I dunno, I don't want to dislike it, but I can't give it many points for reducing politics to "IF YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE WARS GOING ON THEN YOU MUST HATE AMERICA"... like, jesus christ man. Actually, you know what, never mind. This song fucking blows. Consider it my honorary #11 worst.

"Beautiful": Probably the only Christina Aguilera song where she doesn't sound completely phony. Not that phoniness is inherently a bad thing, but this song definitely benefits from that quality.

"Why Don't You and I": Another Santana banger. Is it weird I prefer the Chad Kroeger version, though?

"Get Low": God bless Lil Jon.

"When I'm Gone": Not the worst, but this song, and this album in general really, was when 3 Doors Down's music started getting noticeably sludgier and a lot less fun (well, "fun" for this band, anyway).

"Don't Know Why": If there was any artist I would say I respect more than I like, it would be Norah Jones.

"Calling All Angels": This is still the whitest song I've ever heard, fourteen years later. This must be the song they play to set the mood for stock photo shoots.

"Drift Away": Fuck Uncle Kracker. Like, seriously, fuck Uncle Kracker. The poor man's John Mayer.

"Ignition (Remix)": I don't really get it. Maybe I have to listen to this again, but is this really anything you couldn't hear from, like, Usher? Honestly kind of forgettable to me.

"Sing for the Moment": I love "Dream On", and if Eminem tarnished that song's legacy, I'd tell you. As is, you get a good Eminem song, Good for him, but not great.

[President Squidward]

Read this as fast as I could since I'm a fast reader

I agree with a lot of the songs on the worst list, but Never Leave You, Can't Stop Won't Stop and Right Thurr were my jams in 2015 . Good thing is that a lot of the songs on the best list I love too. Great list, wumbooty.

[Wumbo]

aight y'all so the next year that is definitely not coming out this month is

1970

Yep, another year of the 70's. This decade's almost done! How 'bout that?

[Joe Biden]

Ah, 1970. The year of Mungo Jerry.

[Steel Sponge]

All I can say first thing is have fun listening to that year. So many underrated gems and classic hits from that list.

Edited September 1, 2017 by Steel Sponge

[4EverGreen]

The last year that The Beatles were a band, and the first year that Michael Jackson (with The Jackson Five) had a #1 single. Definitely a transitional year, that's for sure.

[Katniss]

I know you're moving on to 1970 but I hope you don't mind me asking for a few more thoughts on 2003:

Rock Your Body

Underneath it All

In da Club

Miss Independent 

Cry Me a River 

[Wumbo]

"Rock Your Body": JT really wasted no time trying to break away from the boy band. "Rock Your Body" is a pretty decidedly adult phrase in general, and the song definitely has that feel. I like it, though; it's got a good beat to it, it's catchy.

"Underneath it All": This isn't my favourite No Doubt song, but I really do appreciate the flavour it gives off with Lady Saw and the overall melancholy attitude trying to be disguised as a love song. I can't believe Stefani was married to the lead singer of fucking Bush for so long, holy christ girl do better.

"In Da Club": The beat carries 50 Cent's usual lackluster performance, one of the best if not the best beats he's ever had. Thank Dr. Dre for this song being any good at all.

"Miss Independent": This feels like a proto-"Since U Been Gone". It's got the bite that basically all her songs after Breakaway didn't have, but it still feels like it needs to be ironed out. Give it time.

"Cry Me a River": Justin Timberlake is a very convincing performer, and here he convinces me that he's completely intolerable. "Don't it make you sad about it"? Who wrote this? *NSYNC's lyrics are better on the average.

[Wumbo]

1970! Yet another year to put up on the wall of classic Billboard years.

 

Oh, this was a good one. So good, in fact, that I found myself hard-pressed to make a Bottom 10 this year. I was seriously at a loss for many songs that I would consider outright terrible. As such, we gotta get through the boring part before we get to the good. It's only fair to give every year its full day in court, right? And so we shall. Here's...

Wumbo's Bottom 10 Hits of 1970

Spoiler

 

Like I said, many of these songs I didn't find terrible, or even bad. So unfortunately, songs that are honestly pretty okay wound up on the worst list anyway. Don't consider it bad, just consider it "less good" than its competition.

10. "Snowbird" - Anne Murray

 

I don't hate Anne Murray. Really, I don't. I consider her to be the female Gordon Lightfoot, or maybe the Canadian Karen Carpenter. Neither of which is a bad thing to be. But amidst all the fantastic tunes of the 70s, this sweet little song falls a bit short for me. I don't hate it, really I don't even dislike it, but there are definitely much better songs from 1970 than this one. In a year where everything seemed to be a 10/10, a solid 7/10 has a chance of making the bottom list. That's how good this year was, y'all. Sorry, Anne.

 

 

Spoiler

 

And as this bottom list continues, we find ourselves with a slightly more tedious song.

9. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" - B.J. Thomas

 

As I said with "Snowbird", I honestly don't think this is a bad song. But it really isn't one I would ever actively seek out. It's a song that just kinda hangs there, part of the pop consciousness, but not really one I identify with in any way.

I dunno, something about its supposedly happy tone being masked by a kind of limp instrumentation. Maybe it's supposed to be ironic? If so, that's some "Shiny Happy People" levels of its message being obscured. Either way, it doesn't really work for me. I can see why others would dig it, but to me, this is a song akin to a raindrop falling on my head. Easily ignorable and not really worth my time.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Now here's a song I just plain find irritating. Maybe that'll get the creative juices flowing.

8. "Gimme Dat Ding" - The Pipkins

 

What in God's name is this? We go from the slightly tedious and boring songs straight into the bizarre. Honestly, parts of this song work, as I love me a good piano tune, but what really kills it are the two voices on the track, the duo known as The Pipkins.

The vocal tracks sound so disorganized and unnecessary. These guys are constantly talking over each other, so you can barely tell what either of them are saying. What's more, both of them are ungodly annoying.

You got the one guy that sounds like he smoked two packs of Marlboros before shuffling into the studio, and then you got the other guy who sounds like he got his left nut chopped off. If they had just left this as an instrumental, I would be fine with it. But The Pipkins couldn't leave well enough alone and decided to shit all over this track with their "novelty". Fuck 'em.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Seems no year in the 70's is complete without some shitty Tony Orlando or Captain & Tennille song. Sigh...

7. "Candida" - Dawn

 

Admittedly, this is probably one of the "better" Tony Orlando songs I've heard in my life, but it's still Tony Orlando, so by default it's still cheesy, saccharin useless pop. And I just don't understand how this got big over other songs this year that deserved it so much more. Like, does anyone actually like this song now? It's pleasant, I guess, but that's it. There's no longevity to this song, at least not for me. Of course, landing in the early half of my Bottom 10 for this band is pretty much me singing their praises, so congratulations, Tony. You're off the shitty shitlist, at least for this year. Don't think I've forgotten about all your other atrocities you've committed against music, though. "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" still haunts my dreams. As for this song? Good for a Tony Orlando song, but that still means it's pretty damn bad. Sorry.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Okay, so when I said I couldn't find very many shit songs this year, that doesn't mean they still didn't exist. Ladies and gentlemen, here come the really shitty songs of 1970. Songs that I would rank below a Tony Orlando song. Viewer beware, you're in for a scare.

So, I imagine patriotism was pretty rampant in this time period. Love thy country and thy flag and all that. But that's still no excuse for songs like these.

6. "United We Stand" - The Brotherhood of Man

 

Out of these five people, you've got maybe one decent singer in the solo female performer. Every other moment of this song is completely insufferable to me. It really has that feel of early 60's pop to me, with the lush instrumentation and traditional-sounding, patriotism-evoking lyrics. But as you may all remember, I don't like early 60's pop that much. And it's not like these singers really carry the song, either. It's just dull and drab at best. A total waste of airplay.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Okay... remember this guy?

 

How could you not? This song remains the bane of my existence from the first time I heard it. Yes, Ray Stevens is a "comedy" artist, making songs that are only funny to him and maybe three others if you get 'em drunk enough. But, whatever. Ray Stevens isn't funny. At least he doesn't try to opt for more serious songs! Boy, he would be way out of his depth then.

ohwaityeahtherewasthisone

5. "Everything is Beautiful" - Ray Stevens

 

Ray Stevens is a joke. He doesn't make jokes, he is a joke. And probably no song perfectly sums up his status as a joke more than this one, his feeble attempt to actually be a singer-songwriter. Or, like, Raffi. I dunno. What the fuck is this?

I'll tell you what it is: pure bullshit. Ray, you can't go singing songs about harmony and coming together, appreciating the beauty in the world when you record alienating songs like "Ahab the Arab" or similar garbage. These sentiments in "Everything is Beautiful" are nice, if a little thin, but when you take your entire body of work into account, it's very easy to see how full of shit you are with this whole "don't judge others by the color of their skin" message. Who are you trying to fool, Ray? You're not Bono. You're not the guy who's going to bring the world together and make them forget about hatred and violence or whatever the fuck this meaningless song is about. Fuck this shit. If you're going to be an unfunny asshole, then just stick to that. Don't bullshit me.

 

 

Spoiler

 

1970: the year that began the 70s. Unfortunately, it was also the year that began 70s kitsch. Tread lightly.

4. "Hitchin' a Ride" - Vanity Fare

 

Oh god, right from the beginning this song pisses me off. Seriously, is that a recorder? Why? What does it add?

And what does this song add to the public consciousness? It's just a stupid song about a hitchhiker. It doesn't mean anything beyond that, it's just about a hitchhiker. That's really all you had? Good lord.

I really don't have much more to say about this. Amidst all the good songs of the 70s, this was definitely not one of them. No thank you.

 

Spoiler

 

You don't get much whiter than Bread, lemme tell ya.

3. "Make It with You" - Bread

 

Yeah, my tolerance for Bread's slow, sappy music ends at my coverage of this year. I just lost my patience, what with all the great songs of this year and yet somehow this becomes a #1 hit. I certainly don't understand it and am not about to pretend to. I guess inoffensiveness is a good quality to have when making successful pop music. Blech.

This song is nothing. It really doesn't have a speck of interest that grabs me. This guy's voice is boring, the instrumentation is boring, the subject matter is boring. Everything about it has been done better by better artists. There is no reason to waste your time on this song. This is the stalest bread I've ever consumed.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Okay, I like to think I at least tried to stick up for B.J. Thomas. But this is where a line must be drawn.

2. "I Just Can't Help Believing" - B.J. Thomas

 

I'm starting to think I should retract my praise for this guy's version of "Hooked on a Feeling". Y'know, Blue Swede was an insufferable group, but at least they had personality. What am I supposed to gain from listening to this? B.J. Thomas is a hopelessly bland man that makes hopelessly bland music.

It's like there's half a song here, but not a full one. I really can't express how much these songs bore me. If the singer's not particularly good, then what else is there to latch onto? Certainly not the boring instrument arrangements, or the tired, tread-upon subject of being lovey-dovey. Nothing here is new or original or worth latching onto. It's all just boring, bland, and pointless. And I believe that I'm done with this one.

 

 

Spoiler

 

The 70s, for all its good music, does also offer many different flavours of bad music as well. Whether it's just boring, bland adult contemporary, kitschy novelty pop, or just plain terrible singing, there's a kind of bad for everyone who's lookin'. But, more often than not, with the 70's, it all comes back to teen idols. And here's one of the worst I've heard in quite some time.

1. "Julie, Do Ya Love Me?" - Bobby Sherman

 

Well, I don't think Julie will be lovin' ya after this one.

Good lord, this is insufferable. Before the song even begins, I want to punch this guy in the face. I guess it's probably not his fault, he was probably groomed to say these things by record executives, but it doesn't make him any less insufferable and punchable.

There is just no quality control with these guys, is there? Any schmo who looks halfway decent can walk in and ask for a record deal, and whammo. You have shit!

I don't ever wanna hear another bad word against Bieber again. For all his faults, at least the kid was trying. This is just garbage. Lackluster and aloof, I don't think this guy believes a word he's singing. He's only singing it to bang every girl in that room. and, well, judging by their screams, I guess it's working. What a world.

Such a bad song and such a bad performer. Not much more to say except give me Bobby Shmurda over Bobby Sherman any day. That's all.

 

 

[Joe Biden]

That #8 though. I can see why Bev Bighead's singing career never took off.

[4EverGreen]

Except for "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," I've never heard of ANY of these bad songs. It's like they're not bad enough to be REMEMBERED to be terrible, they're just forgettable at WORST!  Hopefully, the best list will be a whole lot BETTER!

[Wumbo]

Folks, the 70s was my favourite decade for pop music, as I've said time and time again. No question about it, really. There's just something that the 70s kept getting right with its many varieties of music. It was as though it took the soul of the 60s, the bombast of the 80s, and rolled it all up into one fantastic decade. And apparently, my random number generator adores the 70s as much as I do, as I've covered more years of the 70s than any other decade thus far. Obviously I'll be covering all of them, but I will really miss coming back to this decade when all's said and done. So let's celebrate the great music of the 70s once again with...

Wumbo's Top 10 Hits of 1970

Spoiler

 

 

There are few groups I can think of that were more versatile with their music than The Temptations. They could switch from doo-wop soul to psychedelic funk in the blink of an eye. It definitely explains their longevity as a group, and with it, we get fantastic songs such as these.

10. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations

 

I love pretty much everything The Temptations have put out, but if I had to pick an era for this group, I would definitely pick the early 70s. They transitioned so well into the decade you'd think they had a psychic working for them to predict trends. And this song in particular is just masterful. All The Temptations put in their best efforts to make a fantastic performance on the whole. I love the range of these guys; they've got a guy for every sound they want to make.

Even within the realms of the genre, I can't think of a song quite like this. You've got songs with similar topics, but none that came together quite like this. I believe that's where the advantage of the group comes in; it makes the song unique in its delivery. I love every second of this. Definitely a must-listen for the decade.

 

 

Spoiler

 

There was many a song this year that you could just jam out to. Only the best of the best made this list, and I believe this one qualifies.

9. "Green-Eyed Lady" - Sugarloaf

 

What's better than a love song? A 7-minute rock jam about the bewitching enchantment of a woman with green eyes. There really isn't much to this song content-wise. It's a song about a green-eyed lady. But the song definitely carries the message of how striking this green-eyed lady is. Because the song is just plain sexy with its groove. And there really doesn't need to be much more than that. The guitar work and the rhythm of this song do more than enough to speak for the song's subject matter. Fantastic, enchanting track that knocks me out every time.

 

 

Spoiler

 

You know, I think I'm just going to rock out to these songs and you can fill in your commentary yourselves. Sound good? Alright then. Or should I say...

8. "All Right Now" - Free

 

Ha! Get it? I just... ah, fuck you, I'm funny.

So many of these songs basically defy analysis to me. 1970 was a great time for chill-out rock where you can just sit back and feel the groove. That guitar riff is legendary. Every time you hear it, you just know things are gonna be all right now.

There's a secret code that bands of 1970 must have cracked in order to uncover these perfect, yet simple rhythms that keep me coming back to these songs. But let's not leave Paul Rodgers out of the equation as well. He certainly helps to add extra punch to the riff with his vocals, laid-back yet forceful they are. Awesome.

Yeah. Everything's all right now. God damn, what a fantastic year this turned out to be. Even for the 70s.

 

 

Spoiler

 

So, we've already established 1970 to be a fantastic year for music. Not coincidentally, it was also a fantastic year for The Jackson 5! With four #1 singles, it was hard not to just clog up my Top 10 list with all of their songs. I restrained myself to two. Here's one of them.

7. "The Love You Save" - The Jackson 5

 

Now, just looking at the lyrics, this song could very easily be insufferable. Not only is it a song basically lecturing women on their sexual morals, but it's coming from children who've barely hit puberty yet. This song fundamentally shouldn't work, not even for The Jackson 5. But... damn it, it just does! Something about the groove as well as Michael Jackson's charisma makes it work all the same. I guess you can kinda drown out the lyrics and appreciate everything else the song has to offer. With a shitty group like The Osmonds, you have nothing good to latch onto, so you notice shit like "hey, one bad apple actually does spoil the whole bunch!" The Jackson 5 have the luxury of not sucking, so they're allowed to get away with this. And how!

God bless The Jackson 5. Truly one of the great American bands, setting the gold standard for children's groups.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Man, you can keep your Bob Dylans, your Byrds. To me, these two gentlemen will always be the gold standard for folk rock.

Sometimes it just takes two. When Simon & Garfunkel were big, their music played masterfully every time. I can't think of a single song of theirs I dislike. And when they were on, they were really on. Here's an example of them being really on.

6. "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel

 

If there's anyone who could rival an Aretha Franklin performance in the early 70s, you'd have to give it up to Simon & Garfunkel. Well, mostly Garfunkel here. Art Garfunkel mostly took a backseat when it came to vocals for this duo, but here he truly gets to show off his pure vocal talent. Well, here and that one Arthur episode. But that's for another blog.

I love this song. Both incarnations, but honestly, if I had to choose, I would have to go with this version. there's really just nothing like it. Simon & Garfunkel took the most bare-bones instrumentation with a simple piano and pipes and always went full force with it. This may just be one of the duo's best songs, period. It is so beautiful and raw. I never get tired of it. It is just one of those classic songs that people will still probably be listening to a hundred years from now, like Beethoven. Good job, Art. Now get away from Arthur's house. That's creepy.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Did I mention this was a good year for The Jackson 5? Take a listen.

5. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5

 

Okay, okay, stop, stop. I need to show you guys something. It's not pleasant.

You saw that right. That's Cher Lloyd sitting pretty on top of the recommendations, above one of the biggest and best songs of all time. There's no justice left in this world.

Sorry, just... that made my blood boil a little. Let's not let it distract too much from the song, which is fucking amazing as usual for this group. Quite possibly the best song they've ever released. It's one of the most sampled songs in rap history, and for good reason. Who wouldn't want a groove like that in their song?

Not much I can add here. Another dynamite performance from Michael, and another great groove. A real winner. You'd be blind to let it go.

 

 

Spoiler

 

One of the greatest bands of all time in my books, one that deserves to be mentioned alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, is War.

 

If you are a funk fan in the slightest, you absolutely must dive into War's work if you haven't already. They are a fantastic group, with song after song that just mesmerizes me with its greatness and originality. One of the best songs they did was in collaboration with Eric Burdon of The Animals. And here it is.

4. "Spill the Wine" - Eric Burdon & War

 

This song is so goddamn bizarre, but at the same time it's so wonderful as well. It is a marvel in music making. There's not a moment here that isn't captivating, whether that be from Eric Burdon's erratic performance or the various instruments used in this song. It's honestly just a trip. Makes you want to lay in a field of grass yourself and smoke some of it. Honestly, this song already feels like you're partaking in that activity. I love every second of it. Time to topple some Pinot Noir.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

I gotta throw a bone for my Canadian artists now and again. We have a lot of homegrown talent here in Canada, and I love it when it's so good I can recognize it in a Top 10. This here is an historic song for Canada, as it is the first one to reach #1 on Billboard's chart. And judging by my placement of it on this list, it was well deserved.

3. "American Woman" - The Guess Who

 

Now, don't get your feathers in a ruffle. This song is not meant to be anti-American, or even anti-American woman. It's just a kind of backhanded song about how the guys from Canada much prefer the girls back here. Hmm, these slightly problematic themes keep making their way into my Top 10 this year.

I guess when you have a great rockin' band like The Guess Who to deliver these sentiments, it really doesn't matter all that much. The Guess Who were one of the great early rock bands to come out of Canada, and were widely embraced by Canadians and Americans alike. Odd that a song with an easy interpretation of trashing America would be their first #1 hit there, but there ya go.

Again, it's the riff as well as Burton Cummings' voice that make this song. There's just such drive and groove to it. I love it all the way through. Lenny Kravitz certainly tried, but couldn't quite match the majesty that is the original. But the original is truly masterful.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Stevie Wonder!

2. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" - Stevie Wonder

 

God dammit, what more do you really want me to say? It's Stevie Wonder, he's a legend, we're all aware of this. Yet another great song by a great man in music.

Y'all can go ahead and talk about this song. I'll be over in the corner grooving to it. Signed, sealed, delivered it's mine.

...I suppose I should say something more. Well, this song was featured heavily in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. That right there should speak to the majesty of this song. Doesn't it just fill you with such inspiration, no matter what the context is? Here he is, baby. Signed, sealed, delivered he's yours.

Anyone who dislikes either this song or Stevie is no friend of mine. Guy's a legend, we all know this, on to the next one.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Many of the songs this year, as I've said, are just jams. They don't really need to be about much, or at least what they're about isn't as important as just rockin' out to them. This #1 song is probably the grand testament to that type of song. It is a song about staying up late trying to write a song. Quite possibly one of the most meta subjects you can write a song about. and it works all the way through, carried by its fantastic instrumentation and infectious melody. Would you like to know the culprits behind this song?

 

YUP!

1. "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago

 

One of the biggest musical tragedies I can think of is how long Chicago wasted time with sappy love ballads when they were capable of so much more. They started out as such an interesting band! Mixing traditional rock sounds with brass instruments and jazz fusion. Holy crap, why didn't more of their songs sound like this?! Well, selling out. The answer is selling out. But... god damn it, if we can only have one indisputably fantastic song by this band, than I'm glad it's this.

See, Peter Cetera's voice may not have been the problem. Quite probably, the problem may have been that he had to sing against shitty music. Because here, he's fucking perfect. There are no weak spots in this song. It is a face-melting fury of rock and jazz about one of the most mundane topics in songwriting history: songwriting itself.

Of course, Terry Kath's guitar work takes center stage here. we truly lost a legend with this guy. One of the most underrated guitarists out there, probably forgotten because of how shitty Chicago became. But.. holy god, just listen to his chops, man.

"25 or 6 to 4" is definitely the best Chicago song, and quite possibly one of the best songs of the decade. If ever there was a song to prepare us for the greatness to come, this is it. What a masterful track from a once-masterful band.

 

 

Full List:

Spoiler

 

1. "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago

2. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" - Stevie Wonder

3. "American Woman" - The Guess Who

4. "Spill the Wine" - Eric Burdon & War

5. "I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5

6. "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel

7. "The Love You Save" - The Jackson 5

8. "All Right Now" - Free

9. "Green-Eyed Lady" - Sugarloaf

10. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations

11. "Let It Be" - The Beatles

12. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Diana Ross

13. "ABC" - The Jackson 5

14. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - Sly and the Family Stone

15. "Make Me Smile" - Chicago

16. "Instant Karma!" - John Lennon

17. "(I Know) I'm Losing You" - Rare Earth

18. "Patches" - Clarence Carter

19. "O-o-h Child" - Five Stairsteps

20. "The House of the Rising Sun" - Frijid Pink

21. "Get Ready" - Rare Earth

22. "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" - Melanie

23. "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - The Hollies

24. "Still Water (Love)" - The Four Tops

25. "Call Me" - Aretha Franklin

26. "War" - Edwin Starr

27. "Lola" - The Kinks

28. "Vehicle" - The Ides of March

29. "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain

30. "Woodstock" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

31. "I Want to Take You Higher" - Ike & Tina Turner

32. "Are You Ready?" - Pacific Gas & Electric

33. "Venus" - Shocking Blue

34. "Spirit in the Sky" - Norman Greenbaum

35. "No Time" - The Guess Who

36. "The Letter" - Joe Cocker

37. "Rainy Night in Georgia" - Brook Benton

38. "The Thrill Is Gone" - B.B. King

39. "Somebody's Been Sleeping" - 100 Proof (Aged in Soul)

40. "I'll Be There" - The Jackson 5

41. "Express Yourself" - Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

42. "Tighter, Tighter" - Alive N Kickin'

43. "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" - The Delfonics

44. "Psychedelic Shack" - The Temptations

45. "It's Only Make Believe" - Glen Campbell

46. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" - Dionne Warwick

47. "Up Around the Bend" - Creedence Clearwater Revival

48. "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" - Tom Jones

49. "In the Summertime" - Mungo Jerry

50. "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" - Ronnie Dyson

51. "The Wonder of You" - Elvis Presley

52. "Turn Back the Hands of Time" - Tyrone Davis

53. "Love Land" - Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

54. "The Long and Winding Road" - The Beatles

55. "Evil Ways" - Santana

56. "Yellow River" - Christie

57. "The Bells" - The Originals

58. "Give Me Just a Little More Time" - Chairmen of the Board

59. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" - Edison Lighthouse

60. "Come and Get It" - Badfinger

61. "It's a Shame" - The Spinners

62. "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" - The Poppy Family

63. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" - Creedence Clearwater Revival

64. "Love on a Two-Way Street" - The Moments

65. "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" - The Friends of Distinction

66. "Up the Ladder to the Roof" - The Supremes

67. "Travelin' Band" - Creedence Clearwater Revival

68. "Cecilia" - Simon & Garfunkel

69. "Band of Gold" - Freda Payne

70. "Hey There Lonely Girl" - Eddie Holman

71. "Groovy Situation" - Gene Chandler

72. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" - The Carpenters

73. "Fire and Rain" - James Taylor

74. "Come Saturday Morning" - The Sandpipers

75. "Something's Burning" - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition

76. "My Baby Loves Lovin'" - White Plains

77. "Indiana Wants Me" - R. Dean Taylor

78. "Cracklin' Rosie" - Neil Diamond

79. "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image

80. "The Rapper" - The Jaggerz

81. "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" - Joe South

82. "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" - Three Dog Night

83. "For the Love of Him" - Bobbi Martin

84. "Ma Belle Amie" - Tee Set

85. "Lay a Little Lovin' on Me" - Robin McNamara

86. "Reflections of My Life" - Marmalade

87. "Arizona" - Mark Lindsay

88. "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma" - The New Seekers

89. "Easy Come, Easy Go" - Bobby Sherman

90. "We've Only Just Begun" - The Carpenters

91. "Snowbird" - Anne Murray

92. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" - B.J. Thomas

93. "Gimme Dat Ding" - The Pipkins

94. "Candida" - Dawn

95. "United We Stand" - The Brotherhood of Man

96. "Everything is Beautiful" - Ray Stevens

97. "Hitchin' a Ride" - Vanity Fare

98. "Make It with You" - Bread

99. "I Just Can't Help Believing" - B.J. Thomas

100. "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" - Bobby Sherman

 

 

Edited September 12, 2017 by jjsthekid

[Katniss]

So many gems on this list! Thank you, 1970. 

Your thoughts on:

Let It Be

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

O-o-h Child

Spirit in the Sky

[Joe Biden]

Thoughts on:

Instant Karma

Vehicle

Mississippi Queen

Express Yourself

The Letter

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

Cecilia

Evil Ways

(They Long to Be) Close to You

In the Summertime

[Wumbo]

"Let it Be": This is one of my favourite Beatles songs. 1970 was so good it didn't even make the list.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough": This song suddenly became charming to me again. I was originally burnt out on it back when I did '67, but I love it again now. It's just so happy and joyful.

"O-o-h Child": 1970 was just a great year for feel-good songs, and this is definitely a great feel-good song.

"Spirit in the Sky": I'm not sure exactly what it is I like about this song, as on a whole I'm really not sure if it works all that well. But it does have some great guitar work in it.

"Instant Karma!" One of my favourite solo Lennon songs. This is a song that really demonstrates what he could do: a fantastic rock tune that also sorta makes you think.

"Vehicle": Honestly, all the great funk songs started to blend together for me after awhile, but I do still remember this one being particularly great.

"Mississippi Queen": Another one of them classic jammin' rock tunes. If you know what I mean. There's a lot to love about this track; it's simple, but it gets the job done.

"Express Yourself": This band didn't really stick out to me as much as other funk bands this year, but "Express Yourself" is still a solid, classic track.

"The Letter": One of the few Joe Cocker covers where I actually prefer the original, but Joe Cocker is always delightful to hear.

"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)": Going down this list, many of these songs kind of blur together for me as just being kind of okay.

"Cecilia": Definitely do not hate this song; again, can't think of a single Simon & Garfunkel song I hate. It just falls short a little when comparing it to the rest of the great music 1970 had to offer.

"Evil Ways": It's no "Black Magic Woman", but you still gotta admire the Latin groove this song has.

"(They Long to Be) Close to You": The Carpenters' music has never emotionally resonated with me like it does for many people, I'm sure. I can appreciate this song, I suppose, but I would never find myself coming back to it.

"In the Summertime": Definitely a fun, carefree song. There's not much to it, but I still enjoy it.

[Steel Sponge]

Thoughts on:

The Thrill Is Gone

Travelin' Band

Lookin' Out My Back Door

Up the Ladder to the Roof

Make Me Smile

I'll Be There

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Psychedelic Shack

Venus

Edited September 11, 2017 by Steel Sponge

[Wumbo]

"The Thrill is Gone": Love love love B.B. King. It's just unfortunate that this song was stuck in a year full of great stuff.

"Travelin' Band"/"Lookin' Out My Back Door": I love CCR as well, but these are not their best songs. I still like 'em, but I'm not sure I would go out of my way to listen to them like I would with many songs on this list.

"Up the Ladder to the Roof": Another casualty of there just being too many good songs for everything to fit. I don't want to make it seem like I hate Jean Terrell or anything, and this isn't a bad song. It's just another one that falls short in comparison.

"Make Me Smile": A fun, happy, upbeat song that works to showcase Chicago's strengths as a band. It may not be "25 or 6 to 4", but then again, few things are.

"I'll Be There": Hearing The Jackson 5 do funktastic soul songs kind of puts this one on the backburner. It's still a fantastic performance by Michael, but in comparison, I do believe it falls short.

"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother": Now here's a ballad that really works, taking genuine emotion from a sad situation and putting it into a song. I love this one.

"Psychedelic Shack": "Ball of Confusion" kind of eclipsed this song a tad, but it's still a worthy entry into the funk catalog.

"Venus": I do like the original here, but I will say that every time I thought of this song, the Bananarama cover popped into my head first.

[4EverGreen]

Thoughts on: "The Long and Winding Road; Fire and Rain; War; Band of Gold;" and "No Time", when you HAVE the time! I crack me up!

[Wumbo]

"The Long and Winding Road": Definitely one of the more low-key, wistful Beatles songs. I don't mind it, but there are certainly better in their catalog.

"Fire and Rain": One of the better James Taylor songs out there, but suffice to say I don't think I'll ever really be a fan.

"War": HUH!

"Band of Gold": I remember this one being perfectly okay and that's about it.

"No Time": Another great one from The Guess Who. Awesome Canadian band.

And with that, we come to the next year. Let's take it about five years further back and go to...

1965

How does '65 hold up in between two great years? Only time will tell. Hopefully I'll be able to get this one out by the end of the month and get back on track.

[Joe Biden]

I've heard Todd say that this was one of his favorite years of music so it must be a pretty great year.