July 1970

Fifty years ago this month, what what happening on the music charts?

Well, during the 4 weeks of July 1970, there were 54 songs that spent time in the Top 40. Lots of great stuff.

Three (3) songs made the Top spot: Ray Stevens started the month #1, carrying over from May.  The Jackson 5 opened the month on Top, with "The Love You Save" finishing its 2 week run at #1.  Three Dog Night took over the the middle 2 weeks, with "Mama Told Me Not To Come".  And July closed with The Carpenters' "Close To You" reached the top in the last week.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month:

• Mama Told Me (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night - 1.5
• The Love You Save/I Found That Girl - Jackson 5 - 2.3
• Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) - The Temptations - 4.3
• Band Of Gold - Freda Payne - 4.8
• Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image - 5.8
• (They Long To Be) Close To You - Carpenters - 6.25
• Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins Singers - 7.8
• Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fare - 9.5
• Gimme Dat Ding - The Pipkins - 11.3
• O-o-h Child - The 5 Stairsteps - 11.5

16 songs made their Top 40 debut, here they are (ranked by entering position):

• Tighter, Tighter - Alive and; Kicking - 20
• Make It With You - Bread - 20
• War - Edwin Starr - 25
• (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You? - Ronnie Dyson - 26
• Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash and; Young - 30
• In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry - 32
• I Just Can't Help Believing - B.J. Thomas - 36
• Lay A Little Lovin' On Me - Robin McNamara - 37
• Spill The Wine - Eric Burdon And War -38
• Steal Away - Johnnie Taylor - 38
• Maybe - The Three Degrees - 38
• Tell It All Brother - Kenny Rogers and The First Edition - 39
• Silver Bird - Mark Lindsay - 39
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours - Stevie Wonder - 39
• The End Of Our Road - Marvin Gaye - 40
• Trying To Make A Fool Of Me - The Delfonics - 40