# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1970 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828 "2014-09-18T15:32:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/21 "2014-09-19T00:42:17Z")
A shite year considering what came before. Bridge Over Troubled Water was so very _unlike_ what made S&G great. As **koeeoaddi** said, there was something “produced” and “overwrought” about it. On the other hand, My Sweet Lord captures the sound of the year, at least in retrospect (and at least for me). Gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/22 "2014-09-19T01:00:09Z")
Damn I love “I Want You Back.” Played on anything better than a computer’s internal speakers, the first 30 seconds will tie my spine in a knot. There probably aren’t five other songs that affect me so much. And I’m not otherwise much of a Jackson 5 fan. [This video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Q80mk7bxE&list=RDs3Q80mk7bxE) of the boys doing a version of I Want You Back is pretty amazing though. Michael had some amazing chops at a tender age. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/23 "2014-09-19T01:34:27Z")
Well, I guess I get the first vote for “ABC” by the Jackson 5. I don’t know what it is about that song, but every time I hear it, I’m just floored by the performance. ETA: Looks like second vote. When I first posted, it had my vote counted, but only 1 total, but now it has 2 total, so maybe there’s some weird lag. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/24 "2014-09-19T04:19:55Z")
I went with \*Close to You, \*not because I think it’s a great song, but because it may be my only chance to include Karen Carpenter. Such a great singer, she doesn’t deserve to be judged solely on the songs that were popular during her short career. The amazing thing is that she considered herself a drummer who sang. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/25 "2014-09-19T04:58:30Z")
Can we please just stop it with the “70s suck” comments? It was tiresome hearing it 7 polls ago. :rolleyes: Would vote for “Ain’t no Mountain” except it’s not [Marvin and Tammi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-UvQYAmbg). Almost went with “Thank you faletting me…” but we’ve got “Family Affair” coming up in 1971 and while that shouldn’t affect my vote for 1970… it does. “American Woman”… great protest rock song, possibly the last one we can vote for, right? For me, it’s AW or “I Want You Back”. Gonna go with “American Woman”. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/26 "2014-09-19T05:40:05Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Yeesh. I hope the next poll includes Bill Withers’ _Ain’t No Sunshine_, which is one of the only listenable songs from the 70s. I hate to disappoint you but “Ain’t No Sunshine” didn’t hit number one. Withers’ “Lean On Me”, however, did hit the top in 1972 but that’s a couple polls away. There were about five songs I considered picking but, in the end, I went with “My Sweet Lord”. Contrary to what’s been said in this thread, there were a lot of good songs released in 1970 but many of them didn’t hit #1 or were album cuts. That problem is only going to get worse as we move forward through the years. [QUOTE=koeeoaddi] Everyone loves Bridge and I bet it wins. It always struck me as too, I dunno, …produced? overwrought? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=TreacherousCretin] Me too. Overproduced, overwrought, takes itself too seriously. Probably my least liked S&G song. [/QUOTE] That, pretty much, is why I didn’t pick it. (Not that I think being overproduced is always bad. You can say the same thing about S&G’s “The Boxer” which was on the same album but is a much superior song.) I also don’t think BOTW has aged that well. Incidentally, if you really want to talk about a song that’s “overproduced, overwrought, and takes itself too seriously”, try Diana Ross’ version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. That makes “Bridge Over Troubled Water” sound like an understated acoustic number and, from the perspective of more than 40 years, is a self-parody of most of the stuff Ross has done since leaving The Supremes. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/27 "2014-09-19T11:28:37Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > Well… > > No disputing Smokey’s greatness, but there has always been considerable dispute over what Dylan did or did not say about him. Can’t say I’m surprised - I still think it is cool, in terms of Dylan respecting good pop lyric craft when he hears it. **Exapno** - we’ll have to agree to disagree. I am no 70’s apologist, but I think there are some great, great songs on the list - ones that endure. As I have said in previous threads in this series, I haven’t checked ahead, but assume 1974 will be profound in its awfulness… ETA: I just checked. Hooooo-boy, am I right. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/28 "2014-09-19T12:21:26Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Can we please just stop it with the “70s suck” comments? It was tiresome hearing it 7 polls ago. :rolleyes: The 70s were awesome for music, but this year does happen to suck. A lot. I went with the Partridge Family because that’s the chorus everyone will happily sing along with if it comes up on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/29 "2014-09-19T12:36:05Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > The 70s were awesome for music, but this year does happen to suck. A lot. I count 24 songs in the list. I subjectively count a dozen+ great songs - the Jackson 5 songs, the Sly Stone songs, Smokey, Let it Be and a few others - the point isn’t to debate song by song, but to say that, in general, it isn’t the end-to-end greatness of some of the years of the 60’s, but it has some quality songs and stands up. It ain’t 1974 fercrissake! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/30 "2014-09-19T14:12:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I count 24 songs in the list. I subjectively count a dozen+ great songs - the Jackson 5 songs, the Sly Stone songs, Smokey, Let it Be and a few others - the point isn’t to debate song by song, but to say that, in general, it isn’t the end-to-end greatness of some of the years of the 60’s, but it has some quality songs and stands up. It ain’t 1974 fercrissake! 😉 I haven’t looked forward to 1974 yet, but let me tell you, I am giddy with anticipation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/31 "2014-09-19T14:33:56Z")
The 1974 crop is pretty lame overall, but there are still at least two or three pretty great songs to choose from. It’s a shame that “Hocus Pocus” didn’t make #1; I’d love to see how that would have done in the poll. As for the current poll, “Thank You…” was an easy choice for me. Spooky, funky, funny, disturbing, wicked, and very, very _sly_. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/32 "2014-09-19T14:42:13Z")
Sail on silver girl. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/33 "2014-09-19T14:49:17Z")
People are being very tough customers in these threads! I think the vast majority of this list are great songs, and the same goes for every previous year we’ve looked at. (“Mr. Custer” from 1960 may be the last one I really can’t stand at all). I’ll take “Thank You” from this list, well-described by **Bippy**. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/34 "2014-09-19T15:04:05Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I haven’t looked forward to 1974 yet, but let me tell you, I am giddy with anticipation. 🙂 You have no idea. There are at least three nominees for the worstest, most 70’siest, silliness ever. Clutch those pearls; we’re almost there. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/35 "2014-09-19T15:21:56Z")
Looks like 1970 was a pretty good year, music-wise. I voted for “No Sugar Tonight” because I love the way Burton Cummings sings. But it was close. I could have voted for “My Sweet Lord” (another demonstration of how the real action was on albums by 1968 or so: this was maybe the fourth-best song on the album) or Edwin Starr’s “War,” or “Cracklin’ Rosie.” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/36 "2014-09-19T15:48:18Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Can we please just stop it with the “70s suck” comments? It was tiresome hearing it 7 polls ago. :rolleyes: > [@WordMan](#): > > **Exapno** - we’ll have to agree to disagree. I am no 70’s apologist, but I think there are some great, great songs on the list - ones that endure. The 70s did not suck. Great music appeared all over the place. Top 40 radio sucked. We see the beginnings of that huge divergence in 1970. The best/most interesting artists stopped crafting singles for radio play and increasingly began looking at whole albums as a coherent product, possibly with one song culled out as a single. (Ironically, most early 60s albums were built around the one song intended for a single with a bunch of slapped-together filler.) We remember almost every song that hit number one in the 60s. Almost every song we remember from the 70s are part of albums and only incidentally hit number one. 1970 in particular is filled with second-rate songs by artists who did much better work. IMO. I also don’t get the love for “ABC;” to me it’s nails on a blackboard. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/37 "2014-09-19T16:00:58Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I also don’t get the love for “ABC;” to me it’s nails on a blackboard. There ya go - a perfect example of where we will need to agree to disagree. I think it’s great - a perfect pop confection that showcased the starpower of a brand-new Michael Jackson. And followed so closely by the other hits which are even better - there’s a reason they endure. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/38 "2014-09-19T17:35:53Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I hate to disappoint you but “Ain’t No Sunshine” didn’t hit number one. IknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknowIknow. Sorry. _Long and Winding Road_ is my choice - it sort of ends the Sixties in mood and musical development. The Beatles never got back together, and we had the Seventies to look forward to. But we wound up OK. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/39 "2014-09-19T18:01:43Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The 70s did not suck. Great music appeared all over the place. Top 40 radio sucked. > > We see the beginnings of that huge divergence in 1970. The best/most interesting artists stopped crafting singles for radio play and increasingly began looking at whole albums as a coherent product, possibly with one song culled out as a single. (Ironically, most early 60s albums were built around the one song intended for a single with a bunch of slapped-together filler.) We remember almost every song that hit number one in the 60s. Almost every song we remember from the 70s are part of albums and only incidentally hit number one. QFT. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828/40 "2014-09-19T18:04:00Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > 1970 in particular is filled with second-rate songs by artists who did much better work. IMO. I also don’t get the love for “ABC;” to me it’s nails on a blackboard. I actually was going back and forth about this–that is, between “I Want You Back” and “ABC.” I think “I Want You Back” is the better song, but, man, do I just love the performance on “ABC.” It never fails to make me smile, especially knowing that it’s a 12-year-old (or however old he was) Michael Jackson singing the main parts. I mean, Jesus, how can you listen to that and not smile and be floored? Such talent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1970/698828.md?page=3)