On This Day in 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival Started a Nine-Week Run at No. 1 with an Album That Produced Six Hit Singles

On this day (August 22) in 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival started a nine-week No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Cosmo’s Factory. It was the band’s most successful album in an all-too-short run of hit LPs. It produced six singles, all of which reached the upper region of the Hot 100.

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1970 saw Creedence Clearwater Revival at the peak of their fame. When they released Cosmo’s Factory in 1970, they were riding the wave created by releasing three hit albums the previous year. Bayou Country hit shelves in February 1969 and peaked at No. 7. Green River came out in August and topped the chart. Willie and the Poor Boys dropped in October and peaked at No. 3. Those albums produced the now-classic hit singles “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner,” “Green River,” and “Fortunate Son.”

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CCR wore their influences on their collective sleeve on Cosmo’s Factory. The heavy influences of country, rockabilly, psychedelic rock, R&B, and 1950s rock and roll were all present. No two songs from the album sounded the same, and few showed strains of the same influences. However, the 11-track collection retained an air of cohesion, mostly driven by the songwriting of John Fogerty, who penned all but four of its songs.

Creedence Clearwater Revival Found Six Hit Singles with Cosmo’s Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival released more than half of the songs on Cosmo’s Factory as double A-side singles.

First, they released “Travelin’ Band” backed with “Who’ll Stop the Rain” in January 1970. Both tracks peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. “Up Around the Bend” came in April, backed with “Run Through the Jungle.” Both sides peaked at No. 4.

The sales of those singles helped propel sales of Cosmo’s Factory when the band released it on July 8, 1970. It debuted on the Billboard 200 chart dated July 25. That day, Creedence Clearwater Revival released the final set of singles from the album. “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” backed with “Long As I Can See the Light” peaked at No. 2 on October 3, a little more than a month after the LP reached No. 1.

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