4 Songs From 1970 Every 70s Kid Heard While Riding in the Family Car to School Each Morning

Remember jumping in the family car to head on over to school back in 1970? For many a 70s kid, that was a special period of time in which you got to hang with your parents before being let loose. And it was also a time when many young music fans got exposed to the songs that would shape their music tastes for life. Let’s take a look at a few songs from 1970 that you definitely heard on the radio on the way to school!

“Let It Be” by The Beatles from ‘Let It Be’

There was no avoiding this one. “Let It Be” might as well be The Beatles’ swan song, considering it’s the title track of their final album together. It’s an uplifting, anthemic tune written by Paul McCartney, and few people alive today have never heard it. “Let It Be” peaked at No. 1 across the board in 1970, and it was a go-to radio favorite for years.

“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum from ‘Spirit In The Sky’

This song technically dropped at the tail end of 1969. However, that just allowed it plenty of time to be all over the radio throughout 1970. This is easily one of the best songs of the era. It’s shocking to me that it’s more or less Norman Greenbaum’s only hit. “Spirit In The Sky” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year and also reached the Top 5 almost globally.

“American Woman” by The Guess Who from ‘American Woman’

Can you hear this song without trying to belt out that chorus? I doubt it. I know I certainly can’t. “American Woman” by The Guess Who was one of the most popular songs on rock radio in 1970. And it remains one of the band’s biggest career hits. This bluesy psych-rock number peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 19 in the UK.

“War” by Edwin Starr from ‘War & Peace’

Considering the time period, it wasn’t really possible to avoid protest songs in some form on the radio. Edwin Starr’s hit “War” managed to have meaning while also being insanely catchy. This entry on our list of 1970 songs you heard on the way to school is one of Starr’s most famous and era-defining funk songs. It peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Photo by Gems/Redferns

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