3 Remarkable Hits From 1970 That Bring 60+ Rock Fans Straight Back to Their Youth

The year 1970 birthed some crazy-good rock songs and albums, and fans around the world got to enjoy some of the best hits of the 70s right from the get-go. Let’s take a look at a handful of rock songs from 1970 that will send you straight back in time if you were young when they dropped that year.

“American Woman” by The Guess Who from ‘American Woman’

Is there a more memorable chorus than the one found in The Guess Who’s “American Woman”? Burton Cummings’ vocal delivery is gritty and unreal, and the whole of this blues rock classic just hits so good, decades later.

“American Woman” by The Guess Who topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top Singles charts in the US upon its release. It also did well in Canada and the UK.

“Up Around The Bend” by Creedence Clearwater Revival from ‘Cosmo’s Factory’

America’s favorite swamp rock band dropped this gem in 1970, and it’s still a hard rock delight that listeners love after all these years. Those high notes from John Fogerty’s guitar at the song’s introduction are as memorable as it gets. “Up Around The Bend” really is a classic from its time, and outside of this song, you can hear how much the band influenced other rock stars throughout the rest of the 1970s.

“Up Around The Bend” by Creedence Clearwater Revival was a Top 10 hit across the board for the band. It peaked at No. 3 in the UK and No. 4 in the US.

“Iron Man” by Black Sabbath from ‘Paranoid’

Black Sabbath has a ton of immediately recognizable hits, but “Iron Man” from 1970 is a particularly nostalgic and memorable tune for rock fans. This heavy metal classic is sludgy and brooding, and Ozzy Osbourne’s vocal delivery of “I am Iron Man!” still hits so good, decades later.

“Iron Man” by Black Sabbath was a No. 52 success on the Hot 100. While not a Top 40 hit, it became the band’s highest-charting single on the US pop charts. Decades later, Black Sabbath’s rendition of the track for their 1998 album Reunion would score them a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

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