1970 in music

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List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1970.

Events

• January 3 – Ex-Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs.
• January 4 – The Who drummer Keith Moon fatally runs over his chauffeur with his Bentley trying to escape a mob outside a pub. The death is later ruled an accident.
• January 7 – Max Yasgur, owner of the New York farm where the 1969 Woodstock Festival was held, is sued for $35,000 in property damages by neighboring farmers.
• January 9 - Led Zeppelin performs at The Royal Albert Hall. John Bonham plays a fifteen minutes rendition of Moby Dick.
• January 14 – Diana Ross and the Supremes perform for the last time together at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.
• January 16 – John Lennon's London art gallery exhibit of lithographs, Bag One, is shut down by Scotland Yard for displaying "erotic lithographs".
• January 24 – James "Shep" Sheppard, of The Heartbeats and Shep and the Limelites, is found murdered in his car on the Long Island Expressway.
• January 26 – Simon & Garfunkel release their final album together, Bridge Over Troubled Water. The title track and album stay #1 on the Billboard charts for six weeks and go on to win a record six Grammys at the 13th Grammy Awards, including "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year", and "Album of the Year." In Britain it tops the album chart at regular intervals over the next two years, and becomes the best-selling album in Britain during the 1970s.
• January 27 - Miles Davis makes the final recordings for his experimental album Circle in the Round, featuring sitar and tabla.
• January 28 – The newly formed Band of Gypsies breaks up when guitarist Jimi Hendrix walks out after playing just two songs, telling the audience "I'm sorry we just can't get it together".
• February 11 – The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, is premiered in New York City. The film's soundtrack album, including Badfinger's "Come and Get It" (written and produced by Paul McCartney), is released on Apple Records.
• February 13 – English band Black Sabbath release their self titled debut album in the U.K., credited as the first major album in the heavy metal genre.
• February 14 – The Who records Live At Leeds in Yorkshire, England. The Grateful Dead plays an equally historic concert on the same date at the Fillmore East, New York City.
• February 17 – Joni Mitchell announces that she is retiring from live performances, following her show at London's Royal Albert Hall. She would be back performing concerts within a year.
• February 23 – Ringo Starr appears on the television show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
• February 27 – Jefferson Airplane is fined $1,000 for using profanity during a concert in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
• February 28 – Led Zeppelin perform in Copenhagen under the pseudonym The Nobs, to avoid a threatened lawsuit by Count Eva von Zeppelin, descendant of airship designer Ferdinand von Zeppelin.
• March 4 – Janis Joplin is fined $200 for using obscene language during a concert performance in Tampa, Florida.
• March 6 – Cult leader and suspected murderer Charles Manson releases an album titled Lie: The Love and Terror Cult to help finance his defense.
• March 7 – Mountain, one of the many bands credited as having influence in the development of heavy metal music, releases Climbing!, their debut album.
• March 15 – West German pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka features 5½ hours' daily live performances of the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen (to September 13).
• March 19 – David Bowie marries model Angela Barnett.
• March 21 – In Amsterdam, Dana wins the 15th annual Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland with the song All Kinds of Everything. She is elected to the European Parliament some 29 years later.
• March 25 – José José gives a masterful performance of the song "El Triste" at the "Latin Song Festival II", predecessor of the OTI Festival.
• March 26 – Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) pleads guilty to "taking immoral liberties" with a 14-year-old girl in Washington, D.C., on August 31, 1969.
• April 2 – The London Magistrate's Court hears arguments on John Lennon's indecency summons for his exhibition of erotic lithographs during his art exhibit on January 16.
• April 3 – Minneapolis nightclub the Depot opens, eventually renamed to First Avenue.
• April 10 – Paul McCartney publicly announces the break-up of The Beatles.
• April 14 - Michael Nesmith announces he has left The Monkees.
• April 17 – Johnny Cash performs at the White House at the invitation of President Richard M. Nixon.
• April 20 – Paul McCartney's first solo album, McCartney, is released.
• April 24 – Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane is invited to a tea party at the White House by Tricia Nixon, daughter of U.S. President Richard Nixon. Slick arrives at the party with Abbie Hoffman, who is on trial for conspiring to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The pair planned to spike Nixon's tea cup with a heavy dose of LSD. Slick is recognized (although Hoffman is not) and told to leave because she is on the FBI list.
• May 4 – Charles Wuorinen, 32, becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
• May 8 – The Beatles' last LP, Let It Be, is released.
• May 16
  • Randy Bachman leaves the Guess Who to start up Brave Belt.
  • The Who release Live at Leeds which is their first live album. Since its initial reception, Live at Leeds has been cited by several music critics as the best live rock recording of all time.
• May 20 – The Beatles' film Let It Be premières in London and Liverpool. None of the four band members are in attendance at either screening.
• May 23–24 – Grateful Dead make their first British appearance at Hollywood Festival, Newcastle-under-Lyme, on a bill also featuring Black Sabbath, Free, and José Feliciano. Everyone is completely upstaged by the previously unknown Mungo Jerry, whose debut single "In the Summertime" becomes the best-selling hit of the year.
• June - Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe receives the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
• June 7 - The Who play two shows of Tommy, at the New York Metropolitan Opera House.
• June 13
  • "The Long and Winding Road" becomes the Beatles' last U.S. Number 1 song, though it is never released as a single in Britain.
  • The Stooges play at the Cincinnati Pop Festival, Midsummer Rock.
• July 4 – The music countdown show American Top 40 debuts.
• July 17 – The Guess Who perform at the White House for President Nixon and his guest The Prince of Wales. At Pat Nixon's request, they do not play their breakthrough hit "American Woman" due to the song's supposed anti-American lyrics.
• July 26 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix plays at his hometown of Seattle at Sicks Stadium where, under the influence of drugs, he starts verbally abusing members of the audience.
• August 3 – Janis Joplin makes her final TV appearance, on the Dick Cavett Show.
• August 26–30 – The Isle of Wight Festival 1970 takes place on East Afton Farm off the coast of England. Some 600,000 people attend the largest rock festival of all time. Artists include The Moody Blues, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Chicago, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, Joan Baez, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Jethro Tull.
• August 30 – The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Malmö, Sweden.
• September 6 – During his final European tour, guitarist Jimi Hendrix is greeted by booing and jeering by German fans as a result of his late appearance on stage and incoherent stage performance. Bassist Billy Cox quits the tour and returns to the United States.
• September 17 – Jimi Hendrix makes his last appearance, with Eric Burdon & War jamming at Ronnie Scotts Club in London. Hendrix, aged 27, dies the following day from a barbiturate overdose at his London hotel.
• October 4 – Janis Joplin is found dead in her bedroom in the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood. She died from a heroin overdose, at the age of 27.
• October 10 – Newly independent Fiji adopts God Bless Fiji as its national anthem.
• October 30 – Jim Morrison of The Doors, found guilty of indecent exposure and profanity because of his behavior during a March 1, 1969, concert, is sentenced to eight months of hard labor and a $500 fine.
• November 12 - After Yehudi Menuhin accepts honorary citizenship from Switzerland, he receives a letter from the United States State Department telling him that both he and his son will lose their US citizenship as a result.
• November 23 – The Electric Factory concert venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania' closes its doors.
• December 8 – John Lennon conducts a lengthy and intensely candid interview with Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine. He discusses his new solo album and the influence of primal therapy on its creation, as well as his personal traumas dating back to childhood. He also makes many revelations about his time in The Beatles, including his account of the group's breakup.
• December 12 - The Doors play their final concert with singer Jim Morrison at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana. After the concert The Doors decide that they will not play live anymore due to Morrisons unpredictable live persona.
• December 31
  • The Beatles officially and finally split up after 10 years.
  • Dalida, still unable to cut a UK record deal, leaves Barclay Records for Orlando Records.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1970

Bands disbanded

• The Beatles break up permanently.
• The Nice disband.
• Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band split, with reunions in 1972, 1988, and 2006.
• Simon & Garfunkel – both members of the duo go on to solo careers, although they have reunited and performed together numerous times since breaking up.
• The Turtles (reform in 1983)
• See also Musical groups disestablished in 1970

Albums released

In 1970, 4,000 albums and 5,700 singles were released in the US.>

1. Woodstock Original Soundtrack

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1970.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	The Beatles	Let It Be	1970		US BB 1 – Mar 1970, Canada 1 – Mar 1970, Netherlands 1 – Mar 1970, Switzerland 1 – Mar 1970, Norway 1 – Mar 1970, Australia 1 of 1970, Australia 1 for 8 weeks Sep 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Apr 1970, UK 2 – Mar 1970, Germany 2 – Apr 1970, DDD 3 of 1970, Italy 8 of 1970, US CashBox 9 of 1970, RYM 9 of 1970, France 10 – Mar 1970, Virgin 11, WXPN 12, Japan 14 of all time (international songs), Europe 15 of the 1970s, US BB 20 of 1970, Rolling Stone 20, POP 20 of 1970, OzNet 25, Poland 28 – Dec 2003, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, Scrobulate 34 of classic rock, Belgium 77 of all time, Germany 149 of the 1970s, TheQ 318, Acclaimed 342
2	Mungo Jerry	In the Summertime	1970		UK 1 – Jun 1970, Netherlands 1 – Jun 1970, Switzerland 1 – Jun 1970, Norway 1 – Jul 1970, Germany 1 – Jul 1970, Éire 1 – Jul 1970, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Feb 1971, Australia Goset 1 – Aug 1970, South Africa 2 of 1970, US BB 3 – Jul 1970, Canada 4 – Jul 1970, Italy 5 of 1970, France 7 – Aug 1970, Australia 16 of 1970, US BB 26 of 1970, POP 26 of 1970, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, US CashBox 35 of 1970, Germany 45 of the 1970s, DDD 47 of 1970, RYM 61 of 1970, Acclaimed 2195
3	Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge over Troubled Water	1970		UK 1 – Feb 1970, US BB 1 – Feb 1970, Canada 1 – Feb 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Mar 1970, Grammy in 1970, DDD 2 of 1970, Germany 4 – Apr 1970, US CashBox 5 of 1970, Netherlands 5 – Feb 1970, Switzerland 5 – Mar 1970, Australia 5 of 1970, Norway 7 – Apr 1970, US BB 9 of 1970, France 10 – Apr 1970, Europe 18 of the 1970s, RYM 19 of 1970, 28 in 2FM list, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1970, POP 41 of 1970, WXPN 41, Rolling Stone 47, Acclaimed 64, Scrobulate 66 of oldies, Belgium 162 of all time, Germany 239 of the 1970s
4	Shocking Blue	Venus	1970		US BB 1 – Dec 1969, Canada 1 – Dec 1969, France 1 – Apr 1970, Switzerland 1 – Oct 1969, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Aug 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Jan 1970, Norway 2 – Feb 1970, Germany 2 – Jan 1970, Netherlands 3 – Jul 1969, Italy 3 of 1970, US CashBox 6 of 1970, South Africa 7 of 1970, UK 8 – Jan 1970, Japan 15 of all time (international songs), POP 17 of 1970, Australia 19 of 1970, Europe 20 of the 1960s, US BB 21 of 1970, RYM 26 of 1969, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1969, DDD 34 of 1969, Germany 261 of the 1960s
5	Led Zeppelin	Whole Lotta Love	1970		France 1 – Jan 1970, Germany 1 – Mar 1970, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Sep 1970, Australia Goset 1 – Feb 1970, TheQ 1, DDD 1 of 1969, Canada 2 – Dec 1969, US BB 4 – Dec 1969, Netherlands 4 – Dec 1969, Switzerland 5 – Mar 1970, RYM 8 of 1969, Australia 11 of 1970, Europe 11 of the 1960s, Scrobulate 11 of classic rock, US BB 38 of 1970, POP 38 of 1970, Belgium 48 of all time, US CashBox 54 of 1970, Poland 74 of all time, Rolling Stone 75, Acclaimed 85, Germany 120 of the 1970s, WXPN 400

Singles released

1. Instant Karma John Lennon
2. War Edwin Starr

Births

• January – Frank Mullen, American rock singer (Suffocation)
• January 2
  • Eric Whitacre, composer
  • Karen Kamensek, orchestra conductor
• January 9
  • Lara Fabian, Belgian singer
  • Mia X, rapper
• January 12
  • Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine)
  • Raekwon, rapper
• January 18 – DJ Quik, rapper and record producer
• January 20 – Edwin McCain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• January 23 – Brendan O'Connor, Irish singer and television host
• January 26 – Kirk Franklin, gospel singer
• January 27 – Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel)
• January 31
  • Minnie Driver, actress and singer
  • Danny Michel, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
• February 18
  • Susan Egan, American actress and singer
  • Raine Maida, Canadian musician and beat poet
• February 26 – Linda Brava, Finnish violinist
• March 5 – John Frusciante, guitarist (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
• March 7 – Vladislav Adelkhanov, Russian classical violinist and writer
• March 9
  • La India, salsa singer
  • Shannon Leto, American drummer (Thirty Seconds to Mars)
• March 17 – Gene Ween, guitarist and vocalist (Ween)
• March 18 – Queen Latifah, American rapper, singer and actress
• March 24 – Sharon Corr, Irish musician
• March 25 – Teri Moïse, American singer
• March 27 – Brendan Hill, drummer (Blues Traveler)
• April 4 – Sean Kelly, Canadian musician
• April 5 – Miho Hatori, Japanese singer and songwriter (Cibo Matto)
• April 6 – Joe Gittleman, guitarist (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones)
• April 10 – Mike Mushok, guitarist (Staind)
• April 11 – Delroy Pearson, British singer (Five Star)
• April 12 – Nick Hexum, American singer and guitarist
• April 13
  • Eduardo Capetillo, Mexican actor and singer
  • Seagram, American rapper (d. 1996)
• April 17 – Redman, rapper
• April 18 – Greg Eklund, American rock drummer (Everclear)
• April 19 – Luis Miguel, Mexican singer
• April 20 – Phife Dawg, rapper
• April 22 – Regine Velasquez, Filipino singer, actress, model and record producer
• April 26 – Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, singer and songwriter TLC
• May 4 – Gregg Alexander, singer-songwriter (New Radicals)
• May 9 – Ghostface Killah, American rapper
• May 10 – Perry Blake, Irish singer-songwriter
• May 15 – Attrell Cordes (P.M. Dawn)
• May 17 – Jordan Knight, American singer (New Kids on the Block)
• May 18 – Billy Howerdel, guitarist, songwriter and producer (A Perfect Circle)
• June 2 – B-Real, rapper (Cypress Hill)
• June 3 – Peter Tägtgren, Swedish musician (Hypocrisy)
• June 10 – Mike Doughty, American singer
• June 13 – Rivers Cuomo, singer, guitarist and songwriter (Weezer)
• June 15 – Claus Norreen, Danish musician and record producer (Aqua)
• June 17 – Sasha Sokol, Mexican singer
• June 19
  • MJ Hibbett, English singer-songwriter
  • Brian Welch, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Korn and Love and Death)
• June 21
  • Eric Reed, American pianist and composer (Black Note)
  • Pete Rock, American rapper and producer (Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
• June 22 – Steven Page, Canadian singer and songwriter (Barenaked Ladies)
• June 23 – Yann Tiersen, Breton musician
• June 24 – Glenn Medeiros, American singer
• July 4 – Christian Giesler, American bass player (Kreator)
• July 6 – Morten Ryelund Sørensen, Danish violinist and conductor
• July 8 – Beck, singer-songwriter
• July 10
  • Gary LeVox, American singer
  • Jason Orange, British singer (Take That)
• July 12 – Juba Kalamka, American rapper (Deep Dickollective)
• July 14 – Thomas Lauderdale, American pianist (Pink Martini)
• July 15 – Chi Cheng (musician), American rock bassist
• August 3 – Itamar Golan, Israeli pianist
• August 11 – Andy Bell, bassist
• August 19 – Joseph Cartagena (Fat Joe), American rapper
• August 23 – River Phoenix, actor and singer of Aleka's Attic (d. 1993)
• August 24 – Kristyn Robyn Osborn, American country singer (SHeDAISY)
• August 28 – Sherrié Austin, actress and singer
• August 30 – Guang Liang, Malaysian singer
• August 31 – Debbie Gibson, American singer-songwriter
• September 4 – Daisy Dee, singer
• September 5 – Liam Lynch, songwriter and music video director
• September 7 – Chad Sexton, drummer (311)
• September 8 – Benny Ibarra, Mexican singer
• September 9 – Macy Gray, singer
• September 10
  • Jeff Marx, American Broadway composer
  • Ménélik, French rapper
• September 14 – Craig Montoya, bassist (Everclear)
• September 15 – Jukka Jokikokko, Finnish musician and studio engineer
• September 19 – Takanori Nishikawa, singer and actor (T.M. Revolution)
• September 23 – Ani DiFranco, singer, guitarist and songwriter
• October 5 - South Park Mexican,Chiacno rapper
• October 6 – Amy Jo Johnson, American actress and singer
• October 15 – Eric Benét, American singer
• October 21 – Tony Mortimer, British singer (East 17)
• October 24 – Jarkko Martikainen, Finnish rock musician
• October 27 – Adrian Erlandsson, Swedish drummer
• October 31 – Linn Berggren, Swedish musician (Ace of Base)
• November 2 – Ely Buendia, Filipino rock lead singer and rhythm guitarist (The Eraserheads)
• November 7 – Neil Hannon, Northern Irish musician (The Divine Comedy)
• November 9
  • Susan Tedeschi, American musician and singer
  • Scarface, American rapper
• November 12 – Sarah Harmer, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• November 15 – Jack Ingram, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• November 20 – Q-Tip, rapper
• December 1 – Jonathan Coulton, American folk rock singer-songwriter
• December 2
  • Sergei Krylov, violinist
  • Treach, American rapper (Naughty by Nature)
• December 6 – Ulf Ekberg, Swedish musician (Ace of Base)
• December 9 – Kara DioGuardi, American songwriter
• December 14 – Beth Orton, British singer-songwriter
• December 16 – Benjamin Kowalewicz, Canadian musician
• December 18
  • DMX, American rapper
  • Cowboy Troy, American singer and rapper
• December 24 – Will Oldham, American musician
• December 29 – Aled Jones, Welsh boy soprano, later baritone
• date unknown - Ralph Farris, American violist, violinist, composer, arranger, producer and conductor (ETHEL)

Deaths

• January 5 – Roberto Gerhard, composer, 73
• January 9 – Jani Christou, composer, 44 (car accident)
• January 17
  • Simon Kovar, bassoonist
  • Billy Stewart, scat singer, 32 (car accident)
• January 25 – Jane Bathori, opera singer, 92
• January 31 – Slim Harpo, blues musician, 46 (heart attack)
• February 1 – Blaž Arnič, composer, 69 (car crash)
• February 12
  • Ishmon Bracey, blues musician, 69
  • Nick Pantas, guitarist (Elf) (car accident)
  • André Souris, composer and writer, 70
• February 19 - Pavel Ludikar, operatic bass, 87
• February 20 – Albert Wolff, conductor, 86
• March 1 – Lucille Hegamin, blues singer, 75
• March 16 – Tammi Terrell, singer, 24 (brain tumor)
• April 12 - Kerstin Thorborg, operatic contralto, 73
• April 20 – Shakeel Badayuni, songwriter, 53 (diabetes-related)
• April 21 – Earl Hooker, blues musician, 41 (tuberculosis)
• April 23 – Adeline Genée, ballerina
• April 24 – Otis Spann, blues musician, 40 (liver cancer)
• April 26 – Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque entertainer, 59 (cancer)
• May 11 – Johnny Hodges, jazz musician
• May 14 – Jack Fina, pianist and bandleader, 56 (heart attack)
• May 22 - John Waterhouse, Canadian violinist, conductor, and music educator, 92
• May 23 – Nydia Westman, actress and singer
• June – Calvin Boze, trumpeter and bandleader
• June 11 – Earl Grant, pianist and singer, 39 (car accident)
• June 16
  • Heino Eller, composer and music teacher
  • Lonnie Johnson, blues and jazz musician
• July 7 – Charles Tobias, US songwriter and singer
• July 12 – L. Wolfe Gilbert, Russian-born US songwriter
• July 13 – Roger Edens, composer and arranger, 64
• July 14 – Luis Mariano, singer and actor
• July 17 – Stanley Wilson, conductor, arranger and film composer, 54 (heart attack)
• July 23 – Leith Stevens, composer, 60 (heart attack)
• July 29 – Sir John Barbirolli, conductor and cellist, 70 (heart attack)
• July 29 - Jonel Perlea, conductor, 69
• July 30 – George Szell, conductor and composer, 73 (cancer)
• July 31 – Booker Ervin, jazz musician, 39 (kidney failure)
• August 10 – Bernd Alois Zimmermann, composer, 52 (suicide)
• September 2
  • Mercedes Llopart, operatic soprano, 75
  • Kees van Baaren, composer and music teacher, 63
• September 3 – Alan Wilson, singer of Canned Heat, 27 (drug overdose)
• September 18
  • Jimi Hendrix, guitarist and singer, 27 (asphyxiated)
  • Maxwell Davis, saxophonist, 54
• September 25 - Yefim Golyshev, Ukrainian violinist, painter and composer, 73
• October 2 – Bo Linde, Swedish composer, 37
• October 4
  • Janis Joplin, singer, 27 (heroin overdose)
  • George Frederick McKay, composer, 71
• October 13 – Julia Culp, operatic soprano ("the Dutch nightingale"), 90
• October 22
  • Pauline Donalda, operatic soprano, 88
  • Samson François, pianist, 46
• October 28 – Baby Huey, singer, 26 (heart attack)
• October 31 – Arvid Andersen, violinist, conductor and composer
• November 6 – Agustín Lara, composer, 73
• November 7 – Eddie Peabody, banjo player, 68
• November 19 – Maria Yudina, pianist, 71
• November 25 – Albert Ayler, saxophonist and composer, 34
• December 19 - Giulia Recli, composer and writer, 80
• December 23 – Mimi Benzell, operatic soprano, 46 (cancer)
• December 31
  • Ray Henderson, songwriter, 74
  • Cyril Scott, composer, 91
• date unknown
  • Efisio Melis, folk musician
  • Rokneddin Mokhtari, Iranian violinist

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1970

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1970