Album closers are just as important as album openers. While it’s crucial to have a good opener, the closer is the last thing an artist leaves with a listener. Will it be something that makes you start the album over? Or will it cause you to put this one on your record shelf and forget about it? Here, we’ve compiled a list of great album closers exclusively from 1970—some of them end on a high note, while others will make you question your life, but they’re all top-notch.
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Album Closers from 1970
“The Human Being Lawnmower” — MC5, Back in the USA
MC5’s debut album Back in the USA featured a brash anti-war song as its closer. The U.S. was still embroiled in the Vietnam War, where it would be five more years before its end. “The Human Being Lawnmower,” by title alone, paints a clear picture of how things were going. There’s a sense of outrage at the waste of human life, but MC5 presented it in an ironic way here. It almost pokes fun at the false blamelessness of pro-war supporters.
“Where Do We Go From Here” — Chicago, Chicago II
“Where Do We Go From Here” is a song about life being too short, so we should enjoy everything and everyone while we can. Let’s all get together soon, before it is too late / Forget about the past and let your feelings fade away / If you do I’m sure you’ll see, the end is not yet near, goes the final verse. This song also subtly reflects the times when it was released. It’s about fear of the unknown, but appreciating what you have in the world anyway.
“Glad Tidings” — Van Morrison, Moondance
This is an infectious song that highlights Van Morrison’s signature vocal, musical, and songwriting style. There’s a grooving bass line and a rockin’ horn section, making this a high note to end the album on. “Glad Tidings” makes you want to dance badly around the living room, reveling in the joy of movement. It leaves you wanting to turn the record over and play the album again.
“Humpty’s Blues/American Woman (Epilogue)” — The Guess Who, American Woman
Here’s a perfect companion to “American Woman,” the opener of The Guess Who’s 1970 album of the same name. “Humpty’s Blues” is a delightfully bluesy track that meanders through its guitar phrases and wailing harmonica with rolling ease. As album closers go, it’s perfection. Including the “American Woman” epilogue at the end leads listeners back to the beginning of the record, creating an enjoyable loop.
“Suite for 20 G” — James Taylor, Sweet Baby James
“Suite for 20 G” works as an album closer because it starts gentle and light, but transitions into a groovy rock song in the second half. There’s more of a drum beat, the saxophones and horns come in, and there’s a slick bass line in the background. Again, this ends the album on a high note even as it fades out.
“Roll Away The Stone” — Leon Russell, Leon Russell
“Roll Away The Stone” closes out Leon Russell’s debut self-titled album with expertise. His jam session style is fully alive here, and there’s something almost tent revival-y about the chorus of this song that makes you want to get up and wave your arms around. However, it’s mostly reminiscent of just jamming with friends, which is another reason to get up and dance.
“The King Must Die” — Elton John, Elton John
As an album closer, “The King Must Die” ends Elton John’s second record on a heavy note, but one that works well. It’s steeped in jazzy phrases and tempo changes, with John showing off his piano prowess while accompanied by horns and strings. There’s no shortage of drama, which puts it at odds with the opener, “Your Song.” However, this song brings it all home at the end, putting its theatrics to work and creating a satisfying finale.
“Star-Spangled Banner” — Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock Documentary Soundtrack
The soundtrack to the Woodstock documentary came out in 1970, and the album closer was Jimi Hendrix’s “Star-Spangled Banner” rendition. He turned the national anthem into a rock and roll heat-seeker, and it was immortalized as the soundtrack closer. There’s no more that needs to be said for it—Hendrix was a master of his craft and knew how to make a statement.
“L.A. Blues” — The Stooges, Fun House
“L.A. Blues” is a great album closer because it’s just five minutes of unintelligible screaming. Genius even made that the official lyrics. As a closer, it really rounds out the experience of listening to The Stooges. No notes.
“Weasels Ripped My Flesh” — The Mothers of Invention, Weasels Ripped My Flesh
The title track and album closer of this record, “Weasels Ripped My Flesh,” starts out with a discordant cacophony of sound and doesn’t really go anywhere from there. However, it’s a fitting album closer similar to The Stooges’ “L.A. Blues.” It just works when you consider who you’re listening to, even if it’s a little hard on the ears.
“The Supermen” — David Bowie, The Man Who Sold the World
“The Supermen” was David Bowie’s reaction to writings by Friedrich Nietzsche. Bowie was fascinated by the concept of the Übermensch, and this song came out of that fascination. Working as an album closer, it poses a lot of questions, as Bowie’s work often did. However, sometimes it’s best to end an album on a question mark instead of an exclamation point.
Featured Image by Robert Knight Archive/Redferns
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