Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1971.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Opening day at the Walt Disney World Theme Park

In 1971, a stairway crush at the Rangers vs Celtic football match left 66 dead, several bombs were exploded around the UK by the Angry Brigade– a left-wing revolutionary group, Qatar gains independence from the UK, the death toll in The Troubles in Northern Ireland reaches 100 with the death of 14yr-old Annette McGavigan who got caught in crossfire between British soldiers and the IRA, the first CAT scan took place at Wimbledon hospital, the House of Commons voted to join the EEC (European Economic Community), the UK became the sixth nation to successfully launch a satellite into orbit, the world’s first domestic violence shelter opens in West London, 15 people are killed and 17 are injured in a bomb attack in Belfast, border battles between India and Pakistan erupt into full-blown war, The Walt Disney World Theme Park opens, the United Arab Emirates is established, Jim Morrison is found dead in a bathtub in Paris, Apollo 14 lands on the moon and a Clockwork Orange, Dirty Harry, Fiddler on the Roof, Shaft, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Get Carter, Walkabout and Diamonds Are Forever are all released.

Only 5 years left and then we’re done, gang! I’m going to miss doing these. Another week of music from the past, another week of legendary tunes. Here’s my favourites from 1971, in no particular order.

1. Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield

2. I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King

3. Spanish Harlem by Aretha Franklin

4. Let’s Stay Together by Al Green

5. Rainy Days and Mondays by the Carpenters

6. Maggie May by Rod Stewart

7. What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye

8. Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves by Cher

9. I’m Still Waiting by Diana Ross

10. Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner

Carole King or Curtis Mayfield? Carole or Curtis? Imma gonna go for Curtis. You know the score, tell me your favourite this week below in the comments. Cheers!

See you next week for a review of 2018 (including a top ten tunes from 2018). Top Ten Tunes from 1972 will be published the following week on 4th January. Happy Christmas y’all!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1970.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

The first Glastonbury Festival

In 1970, the half crown coin ceased to be legal tender, the grave of Karl Marx was vandalised by anti-Germanic racists at Highgate, London, four years after the declaration of independence Rhodesia is finally declared a republic and severs ties with the British Crown, 18 victims of Thalidomide are awarded £370,00 in compensation, Paul McCartney announces that he has left the Beatles and files a lawsuit against the other members of the band- effectively ending the band, Tonga became independent from the UK, the World Cup takes place in Mexico, the bodies of two children are discovered in shallow graves in woodlands in Essex and they form the Babes in the Woods case, the first General Election takes place where 18 year-olds can vote– the Conservatives win and Edward Heath becomes Prime Minister, British Army officers battle with the IRA in Belfast and 3 civilians are killed & 10 officers injured, 112 people are killed when a Manchester to Barcelona plane crashes into mountains in Spain- no one survives, dockers vote to strike which led to a state of emergency as food supplies become short, the Commonwealth Games take place in Edinburgh, riots take place in Notting Hill, Jimi Hendrix dies in London from a suspected drug-induced heart attack, the first Glastonbury Festival is held, the Gay Liberation Front arranged it’s first march in London, the Apollo 13 mission has a problem, the world’s first Jumbo Jet has its first commercial flight from New York to London, the US invades Cambodia, a cyclone in Bangladesh kills 500,000, 100,000 gallons of oil are spilled into the English Channel creating a huge oil slick, a fire at a nightclub in France leaves 142 teenage clubbers dead, Janis Joplin dies of a heroin overdose and the films Kelly’s Heroes, MASH, Catch-22, Airport, The Railway Children and Let It Be are released.

Welcome to the 70s! As bereft as I was to wave goodbye to the 60s, the 70s start off strong.  Here’s all my favourites, in no particular order. Spotify playlist at the end as always.

1. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine by James Brown

2. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Stevie Wonder (we played this at our wedding as we signed the register. Terribly tacky, I know, but we cared very little)

3. Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell

4. (They Long to Be) Close to You by Carpenters

5. Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel (controversial that I picked this instead of Bridge Over Troubled Waters?)

6. ABC by the Jackson 5 (Interestingly, I have featured The Jackson 5/The Jacksons more than I ever did with Michael Jackson as a soloist in these lists)

7. Band of Gold by Freda Payne (the dancing in this video is sublime)

8. Lola by the Kinks

9. Your Song by Elton John

10. Let It Be by the Beatles (the last time the lads will feature in these lists *sniff*)

Some people may be sick of hearing this song, but I think my favourite this week is Elton. Pray tell me, WHICH ONE IS YOURS?

See you next week for 1971!

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1969.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 1969, the Space Hopper toy and the Raleigh Chopper bike were introduced to the UK, the Beatles perform for the final time on the rooftop of Apple Records, the very first flight of Concorde takes place, Ronnie & Reggie Kray are imprisoned for life, John Lennon & Yoko Ono marry, Paul McCartney marries Linda, Lulu representing the UK came joint first in the Eurovision Song Contest, the voting age is lowered from 21 to 18, rioting takes place in Derry, Northern Ireland, Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired it’s first episode on the BBC and Sesame Street also airs for the first time, regular colour television is broadcast on the BBC and ITV, the first man- Neil Armstrong- lands on the moon (or did he?), the music festival Woodstock takes place, the Beatles record their final album Abbey Road together, members of a cult led by Charles Manson kill 5 people, Richard Nixon becomes President of the US, former Rolling Stones guitarist Brain Jones is found drowned in his swimming pool and the films Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Midnight Cowboy, Easy Rider, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Italian Job, Hello Dolly!, Kes and Sweet Charity are all released. 

Times are a’changing. You can really see a shift in music style now as we reach the end of the 60s (sniff). We also see a baby David Bowie for the first time and miraculously there’s the Rolling Stones this week! Here’s my favourites from 1969, in no particular order.

1. I Want You Back by The Jackson 5 (this video will make you happy- I promise)

2. Wonderful World, Beautiful People by Jimmy Cliff

3. My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder

4. Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin

5. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones

6. Come Together by the Beatles

7. The Israelites by Desmond Dekker

8. Spinning Wheel by Peggy Lee

9. Space Oddity by David Bowie

10. My Way by Frank Sinatra (this recording of Frank was done a little after 1969, but I thought you’d appreciate it anyway)

It’s almost a 4 way tie between The Beatles, Peggy Lee, The Jackson 5 and Bowie this week, but I’m going to pick  Bowie as my favourite.

See you next week for 1970!