4 Songs From 1970 That Forever Changed Rock History

Rock music was changing fast by 1970. The previous decade featured The Beach Boys and The Beatles transforming the recording process and expanding what was even possible within the context of a rock band. The evolution seemed to happen at lightning speed. But rock and roll had barely reached adulthood, so you’re going to break ground when everything in front of you is uncharted territory. Still, rock history wouldn’t be the same without the four iconic 1970 songs below.

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“Let It Be” by The Beatles

The Beatles were finished. The greatest rock band the world had ever known broke up in 1970. No, Paul McCartney’s piano ballad isn’t about his band. But listening to “Let It Be”, you can feel the pain of something great coming to an end. Just let it be. There’s nothing to be done now. It closed the book on one of the most revolutionary music acts in history. He tried to save The Beatles by “getting back” to straight rock and roll. But the album and film project only documented the inevitable.

“Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin III begins with a battle cry. Robert Plant’s wail declaring a British invasion on Iceland as Led Zeppelin rewrote the book on rock and roll with each new release. Jimmy Page had revolutionized the guitar riff and expanded the reach of heavy blues into arenas. And if you’re going to write an invasion tune using a Norse god metaphor, it better sound like this. The band indeed conquered new lands with its groundbreaking records. “Immigrant Song” wasn’t the last heavy metal anthem to deliver a message with a myth.

“Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors

“Roadhouse Blues” foreshadowed The Doors’ final album with Jim Morrison. On L.A. Woman, the band would streamline song arrangements to avoid long, drawn-out recording sessions. Morrison Hotel opens with a similar and simpler four-minute blues jam with Morrison at the top of his primal powers. Since then, most rock singers with a low voice echo Morrison. And his baritone poetry also inspired three prominent Ians: Curtis from Joy Division, McCulloch from Echo And The Bunnymen, and Astbury from The Cult.

“Paranoid” by Black Sabbath

If you were looking for a heavy metal handbook, you’ve come to the right place with one of the best songs of 1970. Black Sabbath’s second studio album features three tracks that helped pioneer the genre: “Paranoid”, “Iron Man”, and “War Pigs”. You could look to the band’s first album and its titular song. But Black Sabbath’s defining trio of songs makes up nearly half the running time of Paranoid. Without them, you don’t get to Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career, Metallica, Faith No More, Nirvana, and most heavy bands in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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