So many amazing rock songs hit the airwaves in the year 1970. And many of them remain classic rock staples today. However, some of those legendary songs never actually made it to the top of the Hot 100 chart back in the day, and I think that’s just crazy. Let’s take a look at some now-famous rock songs released in 1970 that didn’t make it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart!
“Paranoid” by Black Sabbath
What started out as a “filler” track that was basically written as an afterthought ended up becoming one of the greatest signature songs by one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time. And yet, “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath did not make it to No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe the outfit’s appeal hadn’t quite made it across the pond yet. Though, “Paranoid” only made it to No. 4 on the UK Singles chart when it was released, which is also pretty shocking to me.
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“Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin
Several Led Zeppelin tunes have been deemed immortal, from “Stairway To Heaven” to “Whole Lotta Love”. “Immigrant Song” is another one of those long-endured Led Zeppelin hits, released way back in 1970 on Led Zeppelin III. Despite the fact that the band had already cemented their status as legends in both the UK and US (and everywhere else, honestly), “Immigrant Song” didn’t top the Hot 100 when it was first released with the album. In fact, it only made it to No. 16. That’s just nonsense to me, personally. But, I imagine if the band had released “Immigrant Song” as a single, which they typically avoided doing, it would have charted even higher.
“Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
This is one of the best rock and roll songs of the year 1970. It’s also one of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s catchiest tunes. If you love songs like “Bad Moon Rising”, “Born On The Bayou”, and “Fortunate Son”, you probably also love “Travelin’ Band”. This jam made it all the way to No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart that year, just narrowly missing the top spot. I think it should have gone all the way.
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