The year 1970 became the start of an important decade in country music. As the sounds became more modern, the genre went through a significant revolution. These are three of the best country songs from 1970, which every 70s kid almost certainly still knows by heart today.
“He Loves Me All The Way” by Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette’s “He Loves Me All The Way” is the second single from her Tammy’s Touch album. “He Loves Me All The Way” was written by Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson, and Carmol Taylor.
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The chorus says, “I’m not ever gonna worry about tomorrow / As long as he makes everything alright today / I’d rather wonder a little and have his lovin’ / ‘Cause when he loves me he loves me all the way.”
Sherrill and Wilson also wrote “I’ll See Him Through”, the first single from Tammy’s Touch. That song became a Top 5 hit for Wynette.
“Endlessly” by Sonny James
If the year 1970 belonged to anyone, it belonged to Sonny James. James had plenty of hits throughout the year, including “Endlessly”. Written by Brook Benton and Clyde Otis, it was Benton who released a version of “Endlessly” first, making it a Top 5 R&B single in 1959. 11 years later, James put his own spin on “Endlessly”, becoming one of his many songs to reach the top of the charts.
The sweet love song begins with, “Higher than the highest mountain / Deeper than the deepest sea / That’s how I will love you / Oh, darlin’, endlessly.”
“Endlessly” became a three-week No. 1 single for James. He also had other multi-week chart-topping hits in 1970, with “It’s Just A Matter Of Time”, “My Love”, and “Don’t Keep Me Hangin’ On”.
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” by Johnny Cash
One of Johnny Cash’s most well-known songs, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” was written by Kris Kristofferson. Ray Stevens first released the song in 1969. One year later, Cash released his own version, becoming one of his many songs to reach the top of the charts.
The sad song says in part, “And there’s nothin’ short of dyin’ / That’s half as lonesome as the sound / Of a sleepin’ city sidewalk / And Sunday mornin’ comin’ down.”
Although Kristofferson wrote numerous other hits, he says most of it points back to “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”.
“I’m just real grateful for that song because it opened up a whole lot of doors for me,” Kristofferson tells NPR. “So many people that I admired, admired it. Actually, it was the song that allowed me to quit working for a living.”
Numerous other artists later covered “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, including Waylon Jennings, whose version appears on his 1971 The Taker/Tulsa record.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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