The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1970, as well as singles which peaked in 1969 and 1971 but were in the top 10 in 1970. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
One-hundred and twenty-two singles were in the top ten in 1970. Eleven singles from 1969 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Grandad" by Clive Dunn, "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5 and "Ride a White Swan" by T. Rex were all released in 1970 but did not reach their peak until 1971. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" by Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell, "Melting Pot" by Blue Mink, "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley and "Tracy" by The Cuff Links were the singles from 1969 to reach their peak in 1970. Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1970. Chicago, Deep Purple, Hot Chocolate, The Jackson 5 and Neil Diamond were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1970.
The 1969 Christmas number-one, "Two Little Boys" by Rolf Harris, remained at number-one for the first four weeks of 1970. The first new number-one single of the year was "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse. Overall, fourteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1970, with fourteen unique artists having singles hit that position.
Background Multiple entries One-hundred and twenty-two singles charted in the top 10 in 1970, with one-hundred and twelve singles reaching their peak this year.
Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1970. Elvis Presley and The Jackson 5 shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1970 with four hit singles each.
Christie was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Yellow River". Andy Williams, The Dave Clark Five, Gerry Monroe, Marmalade and Stevie Wonder were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1970.
Chart debuts Fifty artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1970, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, five went on to record another hit single that year: Chairmen of the Board, Chicago, Christie, Gerry Monroe and White Plains. The Jackson 5 had three other entries in their breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entriesBadfinger1"Come and Get It"4—Edison Lighthouse1"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"1—Arrival1"Friends"8—Peter, Paul and Mary1"Leaving on a Jet Plane"2—Chicago2"I'm a Man"8"25 or 6 to 4" (7)4"I Want You Back"2"ABC" (8), "The Love You Save (7), "I'll Be There" (4) Lee Marvin1"Wand'rin' Star"1—White Plains2"My Baby Loves Lovin'"9"Julie, Do Ya Love Me" (8)Brotherhood of Man1"United We Stand"10—Pickettywitch1"That Same Old Feeling"5—Sacha Distel1"Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"10—Steam1"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"9—Bob and Marcia1"Young, Gifted and Black"5—Dana Rosemary Scallon1"All Kinds of Everything"1—Norman Greenbaum1"Spirit in the Sky"1—1"Gimme Dat Ding"6—England World Cup Squad 19701"Back Home"1—Frijid Pink1"House of the Rising Sun"4—Christie2"Yellow River"1"San Bernadino" (7)Roger Whittaker1"I Don't Believe in If Anymore"8—Ray Stevens1"Everything Is Beautiful"6—Mr. Bloe1"Groovin' with Mr. Bloe"2—Mungo Jerry1"In the Summertime"1—Free1"All Right Now"2—Gerry Monroe2"Sally"4"My Prayer" (9)Nicky Thomas1"Love of the Common People"9—Hotlegs1"Neanderthal Man"2—Ten Years After1"Love Like a Man"10 —Fair Weather1"Natural Sinner"6—Three Dog Night1"Mama Told Me Not to Come"3—Chairmen of the Board2"Give Me Just a Little More Time"3"(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" (5)Bread1"Make It with You"5—Freda Payne1"Band of Gold"1—Hot Chocolate1"Love Is Life"6—1"Which Way You Goin', Billy?"7—Bobby Bloom1"Montego Bay"3—Deep Purple1"Black Night"2—Black Sabbath1"Paranoid"4—1"(They Long to Be) Close to You"6—Clarence Carter1"Patches"2—Matthews Southern Comfort1"Woodstock"1—Edwin Starr1"War"3—1"The Witch"8—Melanie1"Ruby Tuesday"9—Don Fardon1"Indian Reservation"3—Neil Diamond1"Cracklin' Rosie"3—T. Rex1"Ride a White Swan" 2—McGuinness Flint1"When I'm Dead and Gone"2—Clive Dunn1"Grandad" 2—Gilbert O'Sullivan1"Nothing Rhymed"8—
Notes Yoko Ono and John Lennon both made their first appearances in the chart where they are given individual credit, both having appeared under the guise of Plastic Ono Band, the latter as a member of The Beatles. Plastic Ono Band debuted in 1969 with "Give Peace a Chance".
Fair Weather was set up by Andy Fairweather Low, formerly of the newly disbanded group Amen Corner, who had four top 10 singles between 1966 and 1969, including number-one "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice". Dave Edmunds had been part of Love Sculpture's line-up in the late 1960s, "Sabre Dance" becoming a surprise hit. "I Hear You Knocking", his debut solo single, was 1970's Christmas number-one.
Songs from films Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Come and Get It" (from The Magic Christian) and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).
Best-selling singles Mungo Jerry had the best-selling single of the year with "In the Summertime". The single spent eleven weeks in the top 10 (including seven weeks at number one). "The Wonder of You" by Elvis Presley came in second place. Freda Payne's "Band of Gold", "Spirit in the Sky" from Norman Greenbaum and "Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel made up the top five. Singles by the England World Cup Squad 1970, Free, Lee Marvin, Christie and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.
Top-ten singles Key SymbolMeaning‡Single peaked in 1969 but still in chart in 1970.♦Single released in 1970 but peaked in 1971.(#)Year-end top-ten single position and rankEnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered(week ending) Weeksintop10 Single Artist Peak Peak reached(week ending) WeeksatpeakSingles in 1969 14"Sugar, Sugar" ‡ 1 6 8"Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" ‡Stevie Wonder 2 1 12"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" ‡Kenny Rogers and the First Edition 2 6 2"The Liquidator" ‡ Harry J All Stars 9 1 12"Two Little Boys" ‡Rolf Harris 1 6 8"Melting Pot"Blue Mink 3 1 9"Suspicious Minds"Elvis Presley 2 1 4"Winter World of Love" ‡Engelbert Humperdinck 7 1 6"Tracy" 4 1 7"All I Have to Do Is Dream"Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell 3 1 2"Without Love (There is Nothing)" ‡Tom Jones 10 2Singles in 1970 3"Good Old Rock 'n' Roll" 7 1 5"Reflections of My Life"Marmalade 3 3 5"Come and Get It"Badfinger 4 1 7"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"Edison Lighthouse 1 5 2"Friends"Arrival 8 1 6"Leaving on a Jet Plane"Peter, Paul and Mary 2 1 4"The Witch's Promise"/"Teacher"Jethro Tull 4 1 2"I'm a Man"Chicago 8 1 5"Temma Harbour"Mary Hopkin 6 1 5"Let's Work Together"Canned Heat 2 1 3"Venus"Shocking Blue 8 1 5"I Want You Back" 2 1 9"Wand'rin' Star" (#8)Lee Marvin 1 3 5"Instant Karma!"John Lennon & Yoko Ono with Plastic Ono Band 5 2 2"My Baby Loves Lovin'"White Plains 9 2 1"United We Stand"Brotherhood of Man 10 1 10"Bridge over Troubled Water" (#5)Simon & Garfunkel 1 3 3"Years May Come, Years May Go"Herman's Hermits 7 1 4"Let It Be" 2 1 5"That Same Old Feeling"Pickettywitch 5 2 1"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"Sacha Distel 10 1 8"Can't Help Falling in Love"Andy Williams 3 4 3"Don't Cry Daddy"Elvis Presley 8 1 2"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"Steam 9 1 5"Young, Gifted and Black"Bob and Marcia 5 1 5"Knock, Knock Who's There?" Mary Hopkin 2 1 2"Everybody Get Together" 8 1 2"Something's Burning"Kenny Rogers and the First Edition 8 1 7"All Kinds of Everything" Dana 1 2 9"Spirit in the Sky" (#4)Norman Greenbaum 1 2 4"Gimme Dat Ding" 6 2 3"Farewell Is a Lonely Sound"Jimmy Ruffin 8 1 1"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"Four Tops 10 1 3"Never Had a Dream Come True"Stevie Wonder 6 1 1"Good Morning Freedom"Blue Mink 10 1 8"Back Home" (#6) England World Cup Squad 1970 1 3 5"House of the Rising Sun"Frijid Pink 4 1 1"When Julie Comes Around" 10 1 5"Daughter of Darkness"Tom Jones 5 3 2"Travelin' Band"Creedence Clearwater Revival 8 1 3"I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top" 7 1 5"Question" 2 1 8"Yellow River" (#9)Christie 1 1 3"Brontosaurus" 7 1 2"I Don't Believe in If Anymore"Roger Whittaker 8 2 5"Honey Come Back"Glen Campbell 4 1 3"Up the Ladder to the Roof" 6 1 3"Everything Is Beautiful"Ray Stevens 6 1 7"Groovin' with Mr. Bloe"Mr. Bloe 2 1 2"ABC" 8 1 11"In the Summertime" (#1)Mungo Jerry 1 7 7"Cotton Fields" 5 2 9"All Right Now" (#7)Free 2 5 5"Sally"Gerry Monroe 4 1 4"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)"Fleetwood Mac 10 4 4"Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha"Cliff Richard 6 1 1"Abraham, Martin and John"Marvin Gaye 9 1 6"It's All in the Game"Four Tops 5 2 5"Up Around the Bend"Creedence Clearwater Revival 3 1 2"Love of the Common People" Nicky Thomas 9 2 7"Lola" 2 1 8"Something"Shirley Bassey 4 1 11"The Wonder of You" (#2) Elvis Presley 1 6 7"Neanderthal Man"Hotlegs 2 2 4"I'll Say Forever My Love"Jimmy Ruffin 7 1 2"Lady D'Arbanville"Cat Stevens 8 1 2"Love Like a Man"Ten Years After 10 2 3"Natural Sinner"Fair Weather 6 2 5"Rainbow"Marmalade 3 1 7"The Tears of a Clown" (#10)Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 1 1 2"The Love You Save" 7 1 3"25 or 6 to 4"Chicago 7 2 5"Mama Told Me Not to Come"Three Dog Night 3 2 5"Give Me Just a Little More Time"Chairmen of the Board 3 2 4"Make It with You"Bread 5 1 1"Sweet Inspiration"Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon 10 1 10"Band of Gold" (#3)Freda Payne 1 6 2"Wild World"Jimmy Cliff 8 1 3"Love Is Life" Hot Chocolate 6 1 6"You Can Get It If You Really Want"Desmond Dekker 2 2 5"Which Way You Goin' Billy?" 7 2 5"Montego Bay" Bobby Bloom 3 1 7"Black Night"Deep Purple 2 2 5"Paranoid"Black Sabbath 4 1 3"(They Long to Be) Close to You" 6 1 4"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"Diana Ross 6 1 6"Me and My Life" 4 3 4"Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" 7 2 6"Patches"Clarence Carter 2 3 6"Woodstock"Matthews Southern Comfort 1 3 1"Still Water (Love)"Four Tops 10 1 4"War"Edwin Starr 3 1 3"The Witch" 8 3 3"Ruby Tuesday"Melanie 9 3 5"Indian Reservation"Don Fardon 3 2 5"Voodoo Chile" 1 1 2"San Bernadino"Christie 7 2 2"It's Wonderful (To Be Loved by You)" Jimmy Ruffin 6 1 10"Cracklin' Rosie" Neil Diamond 3 4 10"I Hear You Knocking"Dave Edmunds 1 6 9"Ride a White Swan" ♦ T. Rex 2 1 3"I've Lost You"Elvis Presley 9 2 2"Julie, Do Ya Love Me"White Plains 8 1 4"(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String"Chairmen of the Board 5 1 8"When I'm Dead and Gone"McGuinness Flint 2 3 6"It's Only Make Believe"Glen Campbell 4 4 6"Home Lovin' Man"Andy Williams 7 4 8"I'll Be There" ♦ 4 1 10"Grandad" ♦Clive Dunn 1 3 5"Nothing Rhymed"Gilbert O'Sullivan 8 4 3"My Prayer"Gerry Monroe 9 3
Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1970, including singles that reached their peak in 1969 or 1971. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1970 is also shown.