#1 song of the year at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Let It Be” by the Beatles. The Fab Four were followed by Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Close To You” by the Carpenters. These were the top three songs of the year virtually everywhere in the country, though their order varied depending on the radio station. The era of “soft rock” had arrived.
A surprise, however, is at #4: “Holly Go Softly” by Cornerstone, a song that never charted nationally, though it did hit big in several cities. It has a rather creepy storyline that somehow resonated with KRIZ listeners — or maybe it was because the band was from Phoenix.
“Arizona” by Mark Lindsay was a national hit and not surprisingly scored big in Phoenix as well, coming in at #20 for the year.
Back to the Beatles: Their final single, “The Long And Winding Road” is at #64. Two solo Beatles are also on this top 100 of 1970: “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison (#15) and “Instant Karma” by John Lennon (#43). And Beatles protegees Badfinger landed at #48 with “No Matter What” and its flip side, “Carry On Till Tomorrow, ” which was featured in the movie The Magic Christian — co-starring none other than Ringo Starr.
Three acts had three records each on this year-end review:
- Chicago, with “Make Me Smile” (#26), “25 or 6 To 4” (#41), and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” (#54);
- The Guess Who, with “No Time” (#55), “Hand-Me-Down World” (#97) and the two-sided “American Woman” / “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” (#14);
- Creedence Clearwater Revival did even better with three double-sided hits — “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” / “Long As I Can See The Light” (#27), “Up Around The Bend” / “Run Through The Jungle” (#31), and “Travelin’ Band” / “Who’ll Stop The Rain” (#40).
Lots of other great songs on this list. Check it out.