American Top 40 1970

This is the first six months of American Top 40. To the best of my knowledge, the show was broadcast using the Billboard chart for the upcoming week, until May of 1971. The chart date and the show coincided. I give to you what my CoPilot gave to me, and he doesn't seem to miss a beat when it comes to AT40, so although I'm confused about which show aired when, I know we are all in good hands when I say this is all of 1970 with one exception.

The last hour of the second show, (07-18-1970) has never been found. What you have here is a reconstruction that has been floating around the internet for some time. Remember, that show was only carried by seven stations.

Events that shaped the Rock world in 1970.

The "Fab Four" Is No More: Six years earlier John, Paul, George, and Ringo - The Beatles - made their debut in America, becoming the most popular Rock band in history! In 1970, the Beatles went their separate ways. To fans, it seems like they would last forever. But infighting between band members led to their permanent breakup in April. It started with the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, in 1967, and the Beatles' attempt to manage themselves. After this event, heavy drug use, an unsuccessful venture with their own record company, and crippling disagreements with each other, George Harrison announced he was leaving the band in 1969. Although he returned before the end of the year, Paul McCartney left in 1970, and the band became history. The "Fab Four" was no more!

Joplin, Hendrix Deaths Shock The Country: On September 18, the news of Rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix' death from a drug overdose stunned the Rock world. Heavy drug use became the norm for the "Hippie" counterculture generation. Now one of their own lost his life due to this. A little more than 2 weeks later, October 4, the news announcement of Rock/Blues artist Janis Joplin's death, another drug overdose, was a sobering announcement. Losing two great artists almost simultaneously may have led to the end of the counterculture movement, as related music began to disappear from the charts. Did this sad, but telling moment lead the young generation to re·think drug use? One can only speculate.

Teen Bands Take Front Stage: The Jackson 5 made Pop music history in 2 ways. First, they became the first act ever to have their first 4 singles hit number one! Second, they ushered in the new trend on the Top 40: teen bands. Later that year, a "family" band featuring teenagers, the Partridge Family, would also reach number one with I Think I Love You. Unlike the Jackson 5, the Partridge Family was not a family at all. They were a group of actors/musicians who played family members on the popular TV show The Partridge Family. Before 1970 drew to a close another teen family band, the Osmonds, released what became their first Top 40 single, and first number one, One Bad Apple, in early 1971. Teen family bands would be the norm at the dawn of the 1970's.

Watermark Launches AT 40: July 4, 1970 turned out to be more than just the United States' 194th Birthday as a nation. It also marked the Birthday of what would become a staple on Top 40 radio stations for the next two decades: American Top 40 with host Casey Kasem. Watermark, a distributor of nationally syndicated radio shows, began the weekly radio show that counted down the top 40 hits as determined by Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart. Casey Kasem would play and announce each song as he counted them down. Kasem earned a loyal following for his 3 hour show, which included tidbits of interesting trivia and special countdowns during selected holidays each year.

Here is a list of all the songs on the chart in 1970, although not all of those songs are in this vault, because AT40 debuted in July.

[ ]--Original Date of Entry Into Top 40
( )--Peak Position on Chart

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head--B.J.Thomas [see 1969] (#1)
Leaving On A Jet Plane--Peter, Paul & Mary [see 1969] (#1)
Someday, We'll Be Together--Diana Ross & The Supremes [see 1969] (#1)
Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son--Creedence Clearwater Revival [see 1969] (#3)
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye--Steam [see 1969] (#1)
Whole Lotta Love--Led Zeppelin [see 1969] (#4)
I Want You Back--Jackson 5 [see 1969] (#1)
Venus--Shocking Blue [see 1969] (#1)
Holly Holy--Neil Diamond [see 1969] (#6)
La La La (If I Had You)--Bobby Sherman [see 1969] (#9)
Midnight Cowboy--Ferrante & Teicher [see 1969] (#10)
Come Together / Something--Beatles [see 1969] (#1)
Jam Up Jelly Tight--Tommy Roe [see 1969] (#8)
Eli's Coming--Three Dog Night [see 1969] (#10)
Don’t Cry Daddy/Rubberneckin'--Elvis Presley [see 1969] (#6)
Take A Letter Maria--R.B. Greaves [see 1969] (#2)
Jingle, Jangle--Archies [see 1969] (#10)
Early In The Morning--Vanity Fare [see 1969] (#12)
Backfield In Motion--Mel & Tim [see 1969] (#10)
And When I Die--Blood, Sweat, & Tears [see 1969] (#2)
These Eyes--Jr. Walker & The All Stars [see 1969] (#16)
Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me--Crow [see 1969] (#19)
Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday--Stevie Wonder [see 1969] (#7)
Friendship Train--Gladys Knight & The Pips [see 1969] (#17)
Up On Cripple Creek--The Band [see 1969] (#25)
Smile A Little Smile For Me--The Flying Machine [see 1969] (#5)
A Brand New Me--Dusty Springfield [see 1969] (#24)
She--Tommy James & The Shondells [see 1969] (#23)
Without Love (There Is Nothing)--Tom Jones [1/3] (#5)
Baby, I'm For Real--The Originals [see 1969] (#14)
Ain't It Funky Now (Part 2)--James Brown [see 1969] (#24)
Wedding Bell Blues--5th Dimension [see 1969] (#1)
Cold Turkey--Plastic Ono Band [see 1969] (#30)
Cherry Hill Park--Billy Joe Royal [see 1969] (#15)
Winter World Of Love--Engelbert Humperdinck [1/3] (#16)
Heaven Knows--Grass Roots [see 1969] (#24)
Wonderful World, Beautiful People--Jimmy Cliff [see 1969] (#25)
She Belongs To Me--Rick Nelson [1/3] (#33)
Point It Out--Smokey Robinson & The Miracles [see 1969] (#37)
I'll Never Fall In Love Again--Dionne Warwick [1/3] (#6)
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window--Joe Cocker [1/10] (#30)
Hey There Lonely Girl--Eddie Holman [1/10] (#2)
Arizona--Mark Lindsay [1/10] (#10)
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)/Everybody Is A Star--Sly & The Family Stone [1/10] (#1)
No Time--Guess Who [1/17] (#5)
Walkin' In The Rain--Jay & The Americans [1/17] (#19)
Walk A Mile In My Shoes--Joe South [1/17] (#12)
Blowing Away--5th Dimension [1/24] (#21)
Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn (Part 2)--James Brown [1/24] (#40)
Let's Work Together (Part 1)--Wilbert Harrison [1/24] (#32)
Baby Take Me In Your Arms--Jefferson [1/24] (#23)
Cupid--Johnny Nash [1/24] (#39)
Psychedelic Shack--The Temptations [1/24] (#7)
Rainy Night In Georgia--Brook Benton [1/31] (#4)
Honey Come Back--Glen Campbell [1/31] (#19)
Fancy--Bobby Gentry [1/31] (#31)
The Thrill Is Gone--B.B. King [1/31] (#15)
Give Me Just a Little More Time--Chairmen Of the Board [2/7] (#3)
Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop The Rain--Creedence Clearwater Revival [2/7] (#2)
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)--Delfonics [2/7] (#10)
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother--The Hollies [2/7] (#7)
One Tin Soldier--Original Caste [2/7] (#34)
Evil Ways--Santana [2/7] (#9)
Monster--Steppenwolf [2/7] (#39)
Ma Belle Amie--Tee Set [2/7] (#5)
Always Something There to Remind Me--R.B. Greaves [2/14] (#27)
The Rapper--Jaggerz [2/14] (#2)
Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel [2/14] (#1)
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do--Lenny Welch [2/14] (#34)
If I Were a Carpenter--Johnny Cash & June Carter [2/21] (#36)
House Of the Rising Sun--Frijid Pink [2/21] (#7)
Kentucky Rain--Elvis Presley [2/21] (#16)
Jennifer Tomkins--Street People [2/21] (#36)
Never Had A Dream Come True--Stevie Wonder [2/21] (#26)
It's a New Day (Part 1 & Part 2)--James Brown [2/28] (#32)
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)--Edison Lighthouse [2/28] (#5)
Call Me--Aretha Franklin [2/28] (#13)
Gotta Hold On To This Feeling--Jr. Walker & The All Stars [2/28] (#21)
Easy Come, Easy Go--Bobby Sherman [2/28] (#9)
Do the Funky Chicken--Rufus Thomas [2/28] (#28)
Come and Get It--Badfinger [3/7] (#7)
Spirit In The Sky--Norman Greenbaum [3/7] (#3)
Instant Karma (We All Shine On)--John Lennon Ono [3/7] (#3)
The Bells--The Originals [3/7] (#12)
Celebrate--Three Dog Night [3/7] (#15)
All I Have To Do Is Dream--Glen Campbell & Bobby Gentry [3/14] (#27)
Something's Burning--Kenny Rogers & The First Edition [3/14] (#11)
Up The Ladder To The Roof--Supremes [3/14] (#10)
Let It Be--Beatles [3/21] (#1)
Shilo--Neil Diamond [3/21] (#24)
Love Or Let Me Lonely--Friends Of Distinction [3/21] (#6)
ABC--Jackson 5 [3/21] (#1)
Who's Your Baby--Archies [3/28] (#40)
Tennessee Bird Walk--Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan [3/28] (#23)
American Woman/No Sugar Tonight--Guess Who [3/28] (#1)
Temma Harbour--Mary Hopkin [3/28] (#39)
You're The One - Part I--Little Sister [3/28] (#22)
Long Lonesome Highway--Michael Parks [3/28] (#20)
Woodstock--Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young [4/4] (#11)
Turn Back The Hands Of Time--Tyrone Davis [4/4] (#3)
You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)--Gladys Knight & The Pips [4/4] (#25)
Reflections Of My Love--Marmalade [4/4] (#10)
Get Ready--Rare Earth [4/4] (#4)
Little Green Bag--George Baker Selection [4/11] (#21)
Vehicle--Ides Of March [4/11] (#2)
For the Love of Him--Bobbi Martin [4/11] (#13)
Everybody's Out of Town--B.J. Thomas [4/11] (#26)
Love On A Two-Way Street--Moments [4/18] (#3)
Cecilia--Simon & Garfunkel [4/18] (#4)
Everything Is Beautiful--Ray Stevens [4/18] (#1)
Airport Love Theme--Vincent Bell Orchestra [4/25] (#31)
What Is Truth--Johnny Cash [4/25] (#19)
Make Me Smile--Chicago [4/25] (#9)
Come Running--Van Morrison [4/25] (#39)
Which Way You Goin' Billy?--Poppy Family featuring Susan Jacks [4/25] (#2)
Puppet Man--5th Dimension [5/2] (#24)
Up Around The Bend--Creedence Clearwater Revival [5/2] (#4)
Viva Tirado (Part I)--El Chicano [5/2] (#28)
Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)--Diana Ross [5/2] (#20)
Come Saturday Morning--Sandpipers [5/2] (#17)
Oh Happy Day--Glen Campbell [5/9] (#40)
The Letter--Joe Cocker [5/9] (#7)
Daughter of Darkness--Tom Jones [5/9] (#13)
Hey Lawdy Mama--Steppenwolf [5/9] (#35)
Let Me Go To Him--Dionne Warwick [5/9] (#32)
Soolaimon (African Trilogy II)--Neil Diamond [5/16] (#30)
Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)--Melanie [5/16] (#6)
Hitchin' a Ride--Vanity Fare [5/16] (#5)
The Long and Winding Road--Beatles [5/23] (#1)
Ride Captain Ride--Blues Image [5/23] (#4)
Brother Rapp (Part 1 & Part 2)--James Brown [5/23] (#32)
Sugar Sugar--Wilson Pickett [5/23] (#25)
The Wonder Of You--Elvis Presley [5/23] (#9)
My Baby Loves Lovin'--White Plains [5/23] (#13)
It's All in the Game--Four Tops [5/30] (#24)
Question--Moody Blues [5/30] (#21)
Band of Gold--Freda Payne [5/30] (#3)
Love Land--Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band [5/30] (#16)
(You've Got Me) Dangling On a String--Chairmen Of the Board [6/6] (#38)
The Love You Save--Jackson 5 [6/6] (#1)
Gimme Dat Ding--The Pipkins [6/6] (#9)
Hey, Mister Sun--Bobby Sherman [6/6] (#24)
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)--The Temptations [6/6] (#3)
Mama Told Me (Not To Come)--Three Dog Night [6/6] (#1)
Baby Hold On--The Grass Roots [6/13] (#35)
Check Out Your Mind--Impressions [6/13] (#28)
Mississippi Queen--Mountain [6/13] (#21)
Teach Your Children--Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young [6/20] (#16)
O-o-h Child--Five Stairsteps [6/20] (#8)
Westbound #9--The Flaming Ember [6/20] (#24)
Are You Ready?--Pacific Gas & Electric [6/20] (#14)
Mississippi--John Phillips [6/20] (#32)
A Song Of Joy--Miguel Rios [6/20] (#14)
I Want to Take You Higher--Sly & The Family Stone [6/20] (#38)
Save The Country--5th Dimension [6/27] (#27)
(They Long To Be) Close To You--Carpenters [6/27] (#1)
Go Back--Crabby Appleton [6/27] (#36)
Tighter, Tighter--Alive & Kicking [7/4] (#7)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours--Stevie Wonder [7/4] (#3)
Make It With You--Bread [7/11] (#1)
Spill the Wine--Eric Burdon & War [7/11] (#3)
Ohio--Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young [7/11] (#14)
The End of Our Road--Marvin Gaye [7/11] (#40)
Silver Bird--Mark Lindsay [7/11] (#25)
I Just Can't Help Believing--B.J. Thomas [7/11] (#9)
Lay A Little Lovin' On Me--Robin McNamara [7/18] (#11)
Steal Away--Johnnie Taylor [7/18] (#37)
Trying To Make A Fool Out Of Me--Delfonics [7/25] (#40)
(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?--Ronnie Dyson [7/25] (#8)
In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry [7/25] (#3)
Tell It All Brother--Kenny Rogers & The First Edition [7/25] (#17)
War--Edwin Starr [7/25] (#1)
Maybe--Three Degrees [7/25] (#29)
Overture From Tommy (A Rock Opera)--Assembled Multitude [8/1] (#16)
Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine (Part 1)--James Brown [8/1] (#15)
Patches--Clarence Carter [8/1] (#4)
25 Or 6 To 4--Chicago [8/1] (#4)
Do You See My Love (For You Growing)--Jr. Walker & The All Stars [8/1] (#32)
The Sly, Slick, And The Wicked--Lost Generation [8/1] (#30)
Everybody's Got the Right to Love--Supremes [8/1] (#21)
Summertime Blues--The Who [8/1] (#27)
Groovy Situation--Gene Chandler [8/8] (#12)
Hand Me Down World--Guess Who [8/8] (#17)
Big Yellow Taxi--The Neighborhood [8/8] (#29)
I Want to Take You Higher--Ike & Tina Turner [8/8] (#34)
Hi-De-Ho--Blood, Sweat, & Tears [8/15] (#14)
Lookin' Out My Back Door--Creedence Clearwater Revival [8/15] (#2)
Solitary Man--Neil Diamond [8/15] (#21)
Ain't No Mountain High Enough--Diana Ross [8/15] (#1)
Julie, Do Ya Love Me--Bobby Sherman [8/15] (#5)
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)--Aretha Franklin [8/22] (#11)
Snowbird--Anne Murray [8/22] (#8)
I've Lost You/The Next Step Is Love--Elvis Presley [8/22] (#32)
(I Know) I'm Losing You--Rare Earth [8/22] (#7)
It's a Shame--Spinners [8/22] (#14)
Candida--Dawn [8/29] (#3)
Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond [8/29] (#1)
Rubber Duckie--Ernie [8/29] (#16)
I (Who Have Nothing)--Tom Jones [8/29] (#14)
All Right Now--Free [9/5] (#4)
Closer to Home--Grand Funk Railroad [9/5] (#22)
Neanderthal Man--Hotlegs [9/5] (#22)
Peace Will Come (According To Plan)--Melanie [9/5] (#32)
Joanne--Michael Nesmith & The First National Band [9/5] (#21)
Everything's Tuesday--Chairmen Of the Board [9/12] (#38)
Lola--The Kinks [9/12] (#9)
Long Long Time--Linda Ronstadt [9/12] (#25)
Out In The Country--Three Dog Night [9/12] (#15)
Express Yourself--Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band [9/12] (#12)
I'll Be There--Jackson 5 [9/19] (#1)
Look What They've Done To My Song Ma--New Seekers [9/19] (#14)
That's Where I Went Wrong--Poppy Family featuring Susan Jacks [9/19] (#29)
Green-Eyed Lady--Sugarloaf [9/19] (#3)
Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor [9/19] (#5)
It's Only Make Believe--Glen Campbell [9/26] (#10)
Still Water (Love)--Four Tops [9/26] (#11)
El Condor Pasa--Simon & Garfunkel [9/26] (#18)
Fire and Rain--James Taylor [9/26] (#3)
Somebody's Been Sleeping--100 Proof Aged In Soul [10/3] (#8)
Stand By Your Man--Candi Staton [10/3] (#24)
We've Only Just Begun--Carpenters [10/3] (#2)
Do What You Wanna Do--Five Flights Up [10/3] (#37)
Lucretia Mac Evil--Blood, Sweat, & Tears [10/10] (#29)
It Don't Matter To Me--Bread [10/10] (#10)
Our House--Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young [10/10] (#30)
Deeper and Deeper--Freda Payne [10/10] (#24)
Montego Bay--Bobby Bloom [10/17] (#8)
Super Bad (Part 1 & Part 2)--James Brown [10/17] (#13)
God, Love and Rock & Roll--Teegarden & Van Winkle [10/17] (#22)
Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)--The Temptations [10/17] (#33)
See Me, Feel Me--The Who [10/17] (#12)
Yellow River--Christie [10/24] (#23)
Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland [10/24] (#3)
Engine Number 9--Wilson Pickett [10/24] (#14)
I Think I Love You--Partridge Family [10/31] (#1)
Tears Of A Clow