4 Top 40 Hits From 1970 That Every Baby Boomer Can Still Sing by Heart

Some Billboard Hot 100 charts become cheesy and antiquated in a few years’ time, highlighting musical trends and styles that we were glad to leave behind when we did. Some Billboard Hot 100 charts are timeless, inventive, and groundbreaking. 1970 is a year that decidedly falls in the latter category, featuring Billboard charts chock-full of classic songs that we still listen to and love today—songs that every baby boomer can sing by heart, including these four iconic tracks below.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross

The first version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” came out in 1967 and was performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It was a successful song then, and it became a successful hit once more three years later, when Diana Ross released her own 1970 version. The song is a feel-good, infectious bop, making it easy to see why it was able to break into the Top 40 multiple times under multiple artists. Decades later, every baby boomer can still sing either version of this classic song by heart.

“ABC” by The Jackson 5

It’s right there in the title: singing along to this Jackson 5 hit is as “A, B, C,” “one to three,” “do-re-mi,” etcetera. The family Motown band released this hit single in February 1970, after which it topped the charts for two weeks in the spring. This is one of those tracks that definitely sounds like it’s from the 1970s. Nevertheless, it remains as fun and groovy as ever. Decades later, it’s a song that almost every baby boomer can sing along to—even if it’s only in their heads. 

“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum

Norman Greenbaum left the music industry as unassumingly as he entered it, leaving the world with one of the best songs for defining 1970s rock and fuzzy guitar tones alike: “Spirit In The Sky”. The straightforward lyrics about how you “gotta have a friend in Jesus” are laid-back and mellow enough to pick up on the first few listens. And considering how catchy the guitar riff is, people have been listening far more than a few times for decades on end. If you’re a baby boomer, you’re likely singing the chorus in your head right now.

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

1970 was the final year of The Beatles’ reign as the world’s biggest rock ‘n’ roll band. Before they left, they released Let It Be, the title track of which has been ingrained in every baby boomer’s head in the years since. “Let It Be” is a classic example of Paul McCartney’s skills as a ballad writer á la “Blackbird” or “Yesterday”. It’s pensive and reflective without feeling too down in the dumps, and it delivers an impactful message with straightforward language. What a beautiful parting word to bestow upon the world: “let it be.”

Photo of Diana Ross Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images