1970 in music

Specific genres

• 1970 in country music
• 1970 in heavy metal music
• 1970 in jazz
• 1970 in progressive rock

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 Bethel, 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-minute 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 record their live album 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 – Elvis Presley performed at the Houston Astrodome. The King of Rock and Roll broke previous attendance records with a crowd of 36,299 - which was 10,000 more than the previous record.
• 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 11 – The 12th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and Atlanta. Blood, Sweat & Tears' self-titled album wins Album of the Year, The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" wins Record of the Year and Joe South's "Games People Play" wins Song of the Year. Crosby, Stills & Nash win Best New Artist.
• 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 (music and lyrics by Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith). 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 that he has left The Beatles in a press release, written in mock-interview style, that is included in promotional copies of his first solo album and headlined in the Daily Mirror newspaper in the United Kingdom.
• 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 present 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 3 – The Kinks singer Ray Davies makes a 6000-mile round trip from New York to London and back- interrupting the band's American tour- to re-record one word on their latest single "Lola". In order to get any airplay in Great Britain he has to change the word "Coca-Cola" to a more subtle "cherry cola".
• 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 (now Charles III). 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 – Release in the United States of the album Songs of the Humpback Whale produced by Roger Payne, publicly demonstrating whale vocalization for the first time. It becomes an unexpected bestseller and influential in public support for whale conservation.
• 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 16 – Jimi Hendrix makes his last appearance, with Eric Burdon & War jamming at Ronnie Scott's Club in London.
• September 18 – Death of Jimi Hendrix: Jimi Hendrix, aged 27, dies from a barbiturate overdose at his London hotel.
• October 4 – Janis Joplin, aged 27, is found dead from a heroin overdose in her bedroom in the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood.
• 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 9 – The blues rock studio double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, the only album by Derek and the Dominos, is released, initially in the United States, the first presentation of the classic title track, "Layla", by English guitarist Eric Clapton and American drummer Jim Gordon.
• 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 20 – The Kinks singer Ray Davies flies to a London studio to re-record one word in a new Kinks single for the second time in 1970. This time, he has to change a line in "Apeman"- "The air pollution is a-foggin' up my eyes" which sounds too much like "a-fuckin'".
• 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 Morrison's unpredictable live persona.
• December 31 – Paul McCartney files a lawsuit against the other members of The Beatles to dissolve their partnership, formally ending the band after 10 years.
• Undated
  • Seiji Ozawa is named the music director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

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)
• Dave Clark 5 Many members would leave and new members formed 'Dave Clark & Friends' which lasted until 1973.

Albums released

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

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release date unknown

Billboard Top popular records of 1970

from Billboard December 26, 1970 - Record Talent Edition pg TA-30

"Top Records OF 1970 (Based on Billboard's Charts) The information compiled for the Top Records of 1970 is based on the weekly chart positioning and length of time records were on the respective charts from the Billboard issue dates of January 3 through November 28, 1970. These recaps, as well as the weekly charts, do not reflect actual sales figures. The ratings take into account the number of weeks the disk was on the chart, plus the weekly positions it held during its chart life. Each disk was given points accordingly for its respective chart, and in addition, the No. 1 disk each week was assigned bonus points equal to the total number of positions on its respective chart.

Unfortunately, Billboard's late December print deadline prevented approximately 60 records from completing their full chart runs, and their formula also included approximately 50 records from 1969, some of which had enough points to rank in the 1970 chart. Joel Whitburn's Records Research books, archived issues of Billboard for November–December 1969 and December 1970-March 1971, and Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the December 26 year-end chart reprinted here.

The completed chart is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 during November–December 1969 (only when the majority of chart weeks were in 1970), January to November–December 1970 (majority of chart weeks in 1970). Records with majority of chart weeks in 1969 or 1971 are included in the year-end charts for those years, respectively, and multiple appearances are not permitted. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks in top ten, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks on Hot 100 chart.

The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Cashbox rankings were derived by same process as the Billboard rankings. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs, but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "All I Have to Do Is Dream" - Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell (# 66 US, # 30 U.S. Billboard Easy Listening Chart, # 79 U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart)
• "All Kinds of Everything" – Dana (Won the Eurovision song contest)
• "Baby Hold On" – The Grass Roots
• "Beaucoups of Blues" – Ringo Starr (# 35 CAN, # 43 GERM, # 66 AUS, # 87 US)
• "The Bells" – The Originals
• "Betty" – The Commodores (Not from Tuskegee, but a white quintet from Chatsworth, California)
• "(Blame It) On The Pony Express" – Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon
• "Blowing Away" – The 5th Dimension
• "Border Song (Holy Moses)" – Aretha Franklin
• "Born to Wander" – Rare Earth
• "The Boxer" – Simon & Garfunkel
• "Brontosaurus" – The Move # 7 (UK), # 36 (Canada)
• "Brother Rapp (Parts 1 & 2)" – James Brown
• "Call Me" – Aretha Franklin
• "Can't Help Falling in Love" – Andy Williams
• "Celebrate" – Three Dog Night (# 8 CAN, # 15 US)
• "Check Out Your Mind" – The Impressions
• "Chestnut Mare" – The Byrds (# 19 UK)
• "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" – Grand Funk Railroad
• "Come Running" – Van Morrison
• "Come Saturday Morning" – The Sandpipers
• "Cupid" – Johnny Nash (# 19 IRE, # 30 CAN, # 39 US)
• "Daughter of Darkness" – Tom Jones
• "Deeper and Deeper" – Freda Payne
• "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" – The Delfonics
• "Do It" – Neil Diamond
• "Do the Funky Chicken" – Rufus Thomas
• "Do What You Wanna Do" – Five Flights Up
• "Do You See My Love (for You Growing)" – Jr. Walker & the All-Stars
• "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" – Aretha Franklin
• "Engine Number 9" – Wilson Pickett
• "Everybody's Got the Right to Love" – The Supremes
• "Everybody's Out of Town" – B. J. Thomas
• "Everything's Tuesday" – Chairmen of the Board
• "Evil Ways" – Santana
• "Express Yourself" – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
• "Farewell is a Lonely Sound" – Jimmy Ruffin
• "For the Love of Him" – Bobbi Martin
• "Friends" – Arrival
• "Everybody Get Together" - The Dave Clark Five (# 8 UK)
• "The Girls' Song" – The 5th Dimension
• "God, Love and Rock & Roll" – Teegarden & Van Winkle
• "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha" – Cliff Richard
• "Gotta Hold on to This Feeling" – Jr. Walker & the All Stars
• "Govinda" – Radha Krishna Temple
• "Groovin' with Mr. Bloe" – Mr. Bloe
• "Groovy Situation" – Gene Chandler
• "Gypsy Woman" – Brian Hyland
• "Hand Me Down World" – The Guess Who
• "Heed the Call" – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
• "Hey Lawdy Mama" – Steppenwolf
• "Hey There Lonely Girl" – Eddie Holman # 2 (US)
• "Hi-De-Ho" – Blood, Sweat & Tears
• "Home Lovin' Man" – Andy Williams (# 7 )(UK)
• "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" – Cliff Richard
• "I Am Somebody (Part 2)" – Johnnie Taylor
• "I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top" – The Hollies
• "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" – Roger Whittaker
• "(I Know) I'm Losing You" – Rare Earth
• "I Really Don't Want to Know" – Elvis Presley
• "I Will Survive" – Arrival
• "If I Were Your Woman" – Gladys Knight & the Pips
• "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" – Ronnie Dyson
• "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" – Dionne Warwick
• "I'll Say Forever My Love" – Jimmy Ruffin
• "I'm A Man" – Chicago # 8 (UK) - # 13 (Ireland) - # 49 (United States)
• "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper" – The Flaming Ember
• "It's a New Day (Parts 1 & 2)" – James Brown
• "It's All in the Game" – Four Tops
• "It's So Easy" – Andy Williams (# 13 UK, # 19 IRE)
• "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" - Tommy Roe # 5 (Australia, Canada) - # 8 (United States)
• "Jennifer Tomkins" – Street People
• "Joy of Living" – Cliff & Hank
• "Lady Barbara" – Herman's Hermits
• "Lay a Little Lovin' on Me" – Robin McNamara
• "Let A Man Come in and Do the Popcorn (Part 2)" – James Brown
• "Let's Work Together" – Canned Heat
• "Long Lonesome Highway" – Michael Parks
• "Long, Long Time" – Linda Ronstadt
• "Love Land" – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
• "Love of the Common People" – Nicky Thomas
• "Love on a Two-Way Street" – The Moments
• "Lucretia MacEvil" – Blood, Sweat & Tears
• "Midnight Cowboy" – Ferrante & Teicher
• "Mississippi Queen" – Mountain # 21 (US)
• "Mongoose" – Elephant's Memory
• "Most of All" – B. J. Thomas
• "New World Coming" – Mama Cass
• "One Day of Your Life" – Andy Williams
• "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" – Neil Young
• "On the Beach (In the Summertime)" – The 5th Dimension
• "Overture from Tommy (A Rock Opera)" – The Assembled Multitude
• "Psychedelic Shack" – The Temptations
• "Puppet Man" – The 5th Dimension
• "Rainbow" – Marmalade
• "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" – Bobbie Gentry
• "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" – Sacha Distel (dubbed)
• "Rainy Night In Georgia" – Brook Benton
• "Rubber Duckie" – Ernie (Jim Henson)
• "Save the Country" – The 5th Dimension
• "See Me, Feel Me" – The Who
• "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" – Joe Cocker
• "Shilo" – Neil Diamond
• "Sly, Slick & The Wicked" – The Lost Generation
• "Solitary Man" – Neil Diamond
• "Somebody's Been Sleeping" – 100 Proof (Aged in Soul)
• "Something's Burning" – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
• "Son of a Preacher Man" – Aretha Franklin
• "A Song of Joy (Himno A La Alegria)" – Miguel Rios
• "Soolaimon (African Trilogy II)" – Neil Diamond
• "Spirit in the Dark" – Aretha Franklin
• "Stand By Your Man" – Candi Staton
• "Steal Away" – Johnnie Taylor
• "Still Water (Love)" – Four Tops
• "Stoney End" – Barbra Streisand
• "Stop the War Now" – Edwin Starr
• "Sugar, Sugar" – Wilson Pickett
• "Summertime Blues" – The Who
• "Super Bad (Parts 1 & 2)" – James Brown
• "Sweet Gingerbread Man" – Mike Curb Congregation
• "Sweet Inspiration" – Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon
• "Teach Your Children" – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• "Tell It All Brother" – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
• "Temma Harbour" – Mary Hopkin
• "Temptation Eyes" – The Grass Roots
• "Tennessee Bird Walk" – Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
• "That's Where I Went Wrong" – Poppy Family
• "The Thrill Is Gone" – B. B. King
• "Ticket to Ride" – The Carpenters
• "Tighter, Tighter" – Alive N Kickin'
• "Tobacco Road" – Eric Burdon & War
• "Tracy" – The Cuff Links
• "Travelin' Band" – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Turn Back the Hands of Time" – Tyrone Davis
• "25 or 6 to 4" – Chicago
• "Ugena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)" – The Temptations
• "United We Stand" – Brotherhood of Man
• "Up Around the Bend" – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Up on Cripple Creek" – The Band
• "Up the Ladder to the Roof" – The Supremes
• "Vehicle" – The Ides of March
• "Viva Tirado (Part 1)" – El Chicano
• "Voodoo Chile" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" – Joe South
• "Wand'rin' Star" – Lee Marvin
• "We Gotta Get You a Woman" – Runt (Todd Rundgren)
• "Westbound #9" – The Flaming Ember
• "What Is Truth" – Johnny Cash
• "When I'm Dead And Gone" – McGuinness Flint
• "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" – Poppy Family
• "Whole Lotta Love" – C.C.S.
• "Who'll Stop the Rain" – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Who's Your Baby" – The Archies
• "Wild World" – Cat Stevens
• "The Witch" – The Rattles
• "The Witch's Promise"/"Teacher" – Jethro Tull
• "Without Love" – Tom Jones
• "The Wonder of You"/"Mama Liked the Roses" – Elvis Presley
• "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" – Jimmy Cliff
• "Woodstock" – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• "Woodstock" – Matthews Southern Comfort
• "Years May Come, Years May Go" – Herman's Hermits
• "Yellow River" – Christie
• "You Can Get It If You Really Want" – Desmond Dekker
• "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" – Elvis Presley
• "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" – Gladys Knight & the Pips
• "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" – Chairmen of the Board
• "Young, Gifted and Black" – Bob and Marcia

Published popular songs

• "An American Trilogy" medley written & arranged by Mickey Newbury
• "Bein' Green" w.m. Joe Raposo, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" w.m. John C. Fogerty
• "I Love youuuuuu" w.m. Jeff Moss, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "If Not For You" w.m. Bob Dylan
• "Kentucky Rain" w.m. Eddie Rabbitt & Dick Heard
• "The Ladies Who Lunch" w.m. Stephen Sondheim. Introduced by Elaine Stritch in the musical Company.
• "Lookin' out My Back Door" w.m. John C. Fogerty
• "People in Your Neighborhood" w.m. Jeff Moss, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "Rubber Duckie" w.m. Jeff Moss, from the TV series Sesame Street
• "Teach Your Children" w.m. Graham Nash
• "(They Long to Be) Close to You" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
• "Who'll Stop the Rain" w.m. John C. Fogerty
• "Where Do I Begin" (Love Story) – w. Carl Sigman, m. Francis Lai

Classical music

• Sir Arthur Bliss – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
• Pierre Boulez - Cummings ist der Dichter
• George Crumb
  • Ancient Voices of Children for mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, amplified piano (and toy piano), and percussion (three players)
  • Black Angels (Images I) for electric string quartet
• Mario Davidovsky – Synchronisms No. 6 for piano and electronic sound
• Charles Dodge – Earth's Magnetic Field
• Henri Dutilleux – Figures de résonances for two pianos
• Morton Feldman
  • Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety
  • The Viola in My Life 1, 2 and 3
• Luc Ferrari – Presque rien No. 1 "Le Lever du jour au bord de la mer"
• Miloslav Kabeláč – Symphony No. 8 "Antiphonies"
• György Ligeti – Continuum
• Witold Lutosławski – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
• Olivier Messiaen – La Fauvette des Jardins
• Allan Pettersson – Symphony No. 9
• Poul Ruders – Piano Sonata No. 1
• Karlheinz Stockhausen
  • Expo for three players with short-wave radios, and sound projectionist
  • Mantra for two pianos and live electronics
  • Pole for two players with short-wave radios, and sound projectionist
• John Tavener – The Whale (recording)

Opera

• Herman D. Koppel – Macbeth

Jazz

Musical theater

• 1776, London production
• Applause (book: Betty Comden & Adolph Green, lyrics: Lee Adams, music: Charles Strouse) – Broadway production opened at the Palace Theater and ran for 896 performances
• The Boy Friend (Sandy Wilson) – Broadway revival
• Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) – Vienna production
• Company (Stephen Sondheim) – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theater and ran for 705 performances
• Dames at Sea, Broadway revival
• Georgy, Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theater and ran for four performances
• Golden Bat Off-Broadway production opened at the Sheridan Square Playhouse on July 21 and ran for 152 performances
• The Great Waltz, London production
• Look to the Lilies (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) – Broadway production opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran for 25 performances
• The Me Nobody Knows, started as an off-Broadway production, then moved to Broadway, where it ran for 378 performances
• Minnie's Boys, Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 80 performances
• Purlie, Broadway production opened at The Broadway Theatre and ran for 688 performances
• The Rothschilds (book: Sherman Yellen, lyrics: Sheldon Harnick, music: Jerry Bock), Broadway production opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 19 and ran for 507 performances. Starring Hal Linden, Jill Clayburgh and Paul Hecht.
• Two by Two, Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 351 performances

Musical films

• The Aristocats, animated feature film with the voices of Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Thurl Ravenscroft, Hermione Baddeley and Sterling Holloway
• Darling Lili, starring Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, Lance Percival and Jeremy Kemp
• Dastak, Hindi film starring Sanjeev Kumar
• Johny Mera Naam, Hindi film starring Dev Anand and Pran
• Let It Be, a documentary film featuring The Beatles
• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever starring Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand and Bob Newhart
• Peau d'Âne, starring Catherine Deneuve and Jean Marais, with music by Michel Legrand
• Scrooge, starring Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Kenneth More, Suzanne Neve and Anton Rodgers
• Song of Norway, starring Toralv Maurstad, Florence Henderson and Harry Secombe.
• Woodstock, a documentary film featuring Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat and others

Births

• January – Frank Mullen, American rock singer (Suffocation)
• January 2
  • Eric Whitacre, composer
  • Karen Kamensek, orchestra conductor
• January 5 – Jeffrey Jey, Italian musician and singer-songwriter (Eiffel 65)
• January 9
  • Carl Bell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • Lara Fabian, Canadian-Belgian singer
  • Mia X, rapper
  • Alex Staropoli, Italian keyboard player and songwriter
  • Yang Hyun-suk, South Korean rapper (Seo Taiji and Boys)
• January 12
  • Raekwon, American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan)
  • Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine)
• 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, American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer and rapper
• January 27 – Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel)
• January 31
  • Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • Danny Michel, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
• February 3 – WC, American rapper and actor
• February 12 – Jim Creeggan (Barenaked Ladies)
• February 13 – Karoline Krüger, Swedish singer and composer
• February 16 – Armand van Helden, American DJ, songwriter, remixer and record producer
• February 18
  • Susan Egan, American actress and singer
  • Raine Maida, Canadian musician and beat poet (Our Lady Peace)
  • Jez Williams, English guitarist (Doves)
  • Andy Williams, English drummer (Doves)
• February 19 – Lord Finesse, American rapper and hip-hop
• February 20 – Son Ji-chang, South Korean singer (The Blue)
• February 26 – Linda Brava, Finnish violinist
• February 28 – Daniel Handler, accordionist and arranger (The Magnetic Fields)
• March 1 – Jason V Brock, American author, filmmaker, artist, scholar and musician
• March 5 – John Frusciante, American guitarist, singer, producer and composer (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
• March 7 – Vladislav Adelkhanov, Georgian classical violinist and writer
• March 8 - Van Hunt, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
• March 9
  • La India, salsa singer
  • Shannon Leto, American drummer and songwriter (Thirty Seconds to Mars)
• March 12 – Roy Khan, Norwegian singer-songwriter
• March 16
  • Britt Walford, American musician (Slint)
  • Alex Lee, English musician (Suede)
  • Paul Oscar, Icelandic pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey
• March 17 – Gene Ween, guitarist and vocalist (Ween)
• March 18 – Queen Latifah, American rapper, singer and actress
• March 21 – Jaya, Filipino singer and television personality
• March 24
  • Sharon Corr, Irish musician
  • Vincent Mason, American rapper, producer and DJ (De La Soul)
• March 25
  • Teri Moïse, American singer
  • Oh Hyun-kyung, South Korean actress
• March 27 – Brendan Hill, drummer (Blues Traveler)
• April 4 – Sean Kelly, Canadian guitarist
• 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)
  • Q-Tip, rapper, record producer, singer, and DJ (A Tribe Called Quest)
• April 11
  • Delroy Pearson, British singer (Five Star)
  • Whigfield, Danish model, singer, songwriter and record producer
  • Remi Kabaka Jr., English record producer (Gorillaz)
• April 12 – Nick Hexum, American singer and guitarist
• April 13
  • Eduardo Capetillo, Mexican actor and singer
  • Seagram, American rapper (d. 1996)
• April 14 – Shizuka Kudo, Japanese singer and actress
• April 17 – Redman, rapper
• April 18
  • Greg Eklund, American rock drummer (Everclear)
  • Tess Merkel, Swedish singer (Alcazar)
• April 19 – Luis Miguel, Mexican singer
• April 20 – Sarantuya, Mongolian soprano
• April 22 – Regine Velasquez, Filipino singer, actress, model and record producer
• April 26 – Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, singer and songwriter (TLC)
• April 29 – Master P, American rapper
• May 1
  • Bernard Butler, English musician (Suede, The Tears)
  • Sacha Perry, American jazz pianist and composer
• May 4 – Gregg Alexander, American singer, songwriter and producer (New Radicals)
• May 5 – Driss El Maloumi, Moroccan oud player and composer
• May 8 – Felix Buxton, (Basement Jaxx)
• May 9 – Ghostface Killah, American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan)
• May 10
  • Perry Blake, Irish singer-songwriter
  • Craig Mack, American rapper (d. 2018)
• May 15 – Attrell Cordes (P.M. Dawn)
• May 17
  • Jordan Knight, American singer (New Kids on the Block)
  • Angelica Agurbash, Belarusian singer and model
• May 18 – Billy Howerdel, guitarist, songwriter and producer (A Perfect Circle)
• May 19 – Merethe Trøan, Norwegian singer
• May 23 – Matt Flynn, American musician (Maroon 5)
• May 28 – Jimi Goodwin, British musician (Doves)
• June 2 – B-Real, rapper (Cypress Hill)
• June 3
  • Peter Tägtgren, Swedish musician (Hypocrisy)
  • Esther Hart, Dutch singer
• June 4 – Kelly Moneymaker, American singer, songwriter, producer and director (Exposé)
• June 5 – Claus Norreen, Danish musician (Aqua)
• June 6 – James Shaffer, musician
• June 7 – Kenny Dope, American record producer and disc jockey (Masters at Work)
• June 8 – Seu Jorge, Brazilian pop samba singer=songwriter
• June 10 – Mike Doughty, American singer
• June 11 – MF Grimm, American rapper
• June 13
  • Cheryl "Coko" Clemons, American singer
  • Rivers Cuomo, American singer, guitarist and songwriter (Weezer)
• June 14 – Ray Luzier, American drummer (Korn)
• June 15 – Leah Remini, American actress
• 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)
  • D-Nice, American DJ, record producer and rapper (Boogie Down Productions)
• June 20
  • Jason Robert Brown, American playwright and composer
  • Pandora, Swedish singer and songwriter
• 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
  • Christian Meier, Peruvian actor and singer
  • Yann Tiersen, Breton musician
  • Britt Synnøve Johansen, Norwegian singer
• June 24
  • Glenn Medeiros, American singer
  • Andres Raag, Estonian actor and singer
  • Alexandros Panayi, Greek-Cypriot singer
• June 25 – Roope Latvala, Finnish guitarist
• July 1 – Tajči, Croatian singer
• July 2 – Monie Love, English rapper and actress
• July 4
  • Christian Giesler, American bass player (Kreator)
  • Coo Coo Cal, American rapper
• July 6
  • Harald Nævdal (Demonaz Doom Occulta), Norwegian musician
  • Inspectah Deck, American rapper and hip-hop producer (Wu-Tang Clan)
• July 8 – Beck, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist
• 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
• July 17 – Mandy Smith, English model and singer
• July 18 – Gruff Rhys, Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author
• July 19 – Sandee Chan, Taiwanese singer
• July 25 – Brian Blade, American drummer and composer
• July 26 – Joan As Police Woman (Joan Wasser), American singer-songwriter
• August 3
  • Itamar Golan, Israeli pianist
  • Gina G, English singer
  • DJ Spinderella, American DJ, rapper and producer (Salt-N-Pepa)
• August 7 – Kim Hill, singer
• August 11
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad, American hip hop DJ, record producer, rapper and bass guitarist (A Tribe Called Quest)
  • Andy Bell, British bassist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer
• August 19 – Joseph Cartagena (Fat Joe), American rapper
• August 20 – Fred Durst, American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and director (Limp Bizkit)
• August 23
  • Brad Mehldau, American pianist and composer
  • River Phoenix, American actor and singer of Aleka's Attic (d. 1993)
• August 24 – Kristyn Robyn Osborn, American country singer (SHeDAISY)
• August 27
  • Park Myung-soo, South Korean singer
  • Tony Kanal, American musician (No Doubt)
• August 28 – Sherrié Austin, Australian actress and singer
• August 30 – Guang Liang, Malaysian singer
• August 31
  • Debbie Gibson, American singer-songwriter
  • Epic Mazur, American vocalist, rapper, and record producer
• September 1 – Vanna, Croatian pop singer
• September 4 – Daisy Dee, Dutch singer
• September 5 – Liam Lynch, songwriter and music video director
• September 6
  • Cheyne Coates, Australian EDM-pop singer-songwriter and producer (Madison Avenue)
  • Kim English, American electronica, soul, gospel, and house music singer (d. 2019)
  • Dean Fertita, American multi-instrumentalist (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather)
  • DJ Spooky, American turntablist and producer
• September 7
  • Chad Sexton, drummer (311)
  • Brad Houser, American bassist (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians)
• September 8
  • Benny Ibarra, Mexican singer
  • Neko Case, American singer-songwriter (K D LANG, case/lang/veirs, The New Pornographers)
• September 10
  • Jeff Marx, American Broadway composer
  • Ménélik, French rapper
• September 14 – Craig Montoya, bassist (Everclear)
• September 14 – Mark Webber, English guitarist (Pulp)
• September 15 – Jukka Jokikokko, Finnish musician and studio engineer
• September 19 – Takanori Nishikawa, singer and actor (T.M. Revolution)
• September 20
  • Robbie Chater, Australian DJ (The Avalanches)
  • Dominika Peczynski, Polish-Swedish singer (Army of Lovers)
• September 23 – Ani DiFranco, American singer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, songwriter, feminist icon and businesswoman
• September 25 – Dean Ween, American singer/songwriter (Ween)
• October 3 – Jimmy Ray, English singer, songwriter and musician
• October 5
  • South Park Mexican, Chicano rapper
  • Slimkid3, American rapper (The Pharcyde)
• October 6 – Amy Jo Johnson, American actress and singer
• October 7 – Neil Halstead, English musician, singer, lyricist and guitarist of Slowdive
• October 9 – Jennifer Aspen, American actress
• October 13 – Paul Potts, British tenor
• October 14 – Maxine, Dutch singer
• October 15
  • Eric Benét, American singer
  • Ginuwine, American singer, songwriter, dancer and actor.
• October 21 – Tony Mortimer, British singer (East 17)
• October 24
  • Jarkko Martikainen, Finnish rock musician
  • Jeff Mangum, American singer, songwriter, and musician (Neutral Milk Hotel)
• October 25 – Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies)
• October 27 – Adrian Erlandsson, Swedish drummer
• October 28 – Kurt Rosenwinkel, American guitarist, composer and keyboardist
• October 29 – Toby Smith, English keyboardist (Jamiroquai) (d. 2017)
• October 30 - Tommy Walter, American bassist (Eels, Abandoned Pools)
• October 31 – Linn Berggren, Swedish musician (Ace of Base)
• November 1 – Sherwin Campbell, Barbadian cricketer
• November 2 – Ely Buendia, Filipino rock lead singer and rhythm guitarist (The Eraserheads)
• November 4 – Efrim Menuck, Canadian musician (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)
• November 7 – Neil Hannon, Northern Irish musician (The Divine Comedy)
• November 8 – Diana King, Jamaican singer-songwriter
• November 9
  • Susan Tedeschi, American musician and singer
  • Scarface, American rapper (Geto Boys)
  • Tracy Young, American DJ, record producer and remixer
• November 10
  • U-God, American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan)
  • Warren G, American rapper, DJ and producer
• November 11 – Elina Konstantopoulou, Greek singer
• November 12 – Sarah Harmer, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• November 15 – Jack Ingram, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• November 20 – Phife Dawg, American rapper (A Tribe Called Quest) (d. 2016)
• November 24
  • Julieta Venegas, Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer
  • Chad Taylor, American guitarist (Live).
• November 28
  • Richard Osman, English television presenter, producer and novelist
  • Matt Cheslin, English bassist (Ned's Atomic Dustbin)
• December 1 – Jonathan Coulton, American folk rock singer-songwriter
• December 2
  • Sergei Krylov, violinist
  • Treach, American rapper (Naughty by Nature)
• December 5 - Michel'le, African-American singer
• December 6
  • Christian Savill, English musician (Slowdive)
  • Ulf Ekberg, Swedish musician (Ace of Base)
• December 9 – Kara DioGuardi, American singer-songwriter, producer, television judge, musician, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality
• December 14
  • Beth Orton, British singer-songwriter
  • Anna Maria Jopek, Polish singer, songwriter and musician
• December 18
  • DMX, American rapper (d. 2021)
  • Cowboy Troy, American singer and rapper
  • Yannis Ploutarchos, Greek singer and songwriter
• December 19 – Stacy Jones, American musician, songwriter and producer (Veruca Salt)
• December 24
  • Will Oldham, American musician
  • Young Zee, American rapper, songwriter and producer (Outsidaz)
• December 26 – Dave Westlake, English musician and drummer (Sneaker Pimps)
• December 29
  • Aled Jones, Welsh boy soprano, later baritone
  • Glen Phillips, American singer/songwriter (Toad the Wet Sprocket)
• December 30 – Traa Daniels, American guitarist (P.O.D.)
• 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, 62 (heart attack)
• May 14
  • Jack Fina, pianist and bandleader, 56 (heart attack)
  • Fred Hufsmith, tenor
• 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, Romanian 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, German 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 12 – Ottilie Sutro, piano duettist, 98
• September 18
  • Jimi Hendrix, guitarist and singer, 27 (pulmonary aspiration)
  • 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)
• 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