3 Soft Rock Songs That Defined Summer for Millions of Americans in 1970

Soft rock songs were still in their infancy in the year 1970, as the genre hadn’t quite popped off yet. But there were some really amazing pioneering songs in that genre that year, many of which came to define summer break for many a young 70s kid. Let’s look at just a few tunes that you might just remember.

“Make It With You” by Bread from ‘On The Waters’

This summer hit was one of the first of the soft rock genre to really do numbers on the charts. That sweet acoustic guitar, that smooth and relaxed vocal track à la David Gates… There’s a quality to this song that makes it perfect for lazy, chill summertime afternoons.

“Make It With You” by Bread was written by Gates and recorded by the band Bread in 1970. After dropping in May of that year, the easy listening classic became quite a hit. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the UK Singles chart.

“In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry from ‘Electronically Tested’

“Summertime” is in the name, after all, so I couldn’t leave Mungo Jerry’s sole claim to fame off this list. “In The Summertime” has soft rock elements but leans more toward blues and skiffle pop, if anything. Still, this song really did define summer in 1970 for a lot of listeners.

“In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry was written by Ray Dorset and released in June 1970. The song became a fast hit, peaking at No. 1 almost everywhere in the world, though it came in shy of the top of the Hot 100 at No. 3. “In The Summertime” remains the band’s only charting hit on the Hot 100, making them a bit of a one-hit wonder.

“Fire And Rain” by James Taylor from ‘Sweet Baby James’

James Taylor’s folky soft rock hit on our list of songs from 1970 dropped in August, making it an excellent late-summer treat for radio listeners. And what a song to close out summer break! “Fire And Rain” remains one of Taylor’s most enduring songs after all these years, and listeners at the time loved it. This tune peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart and did similarly well in Canada.

(Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)