Best Song: Freda Payne - Band Of Gold
Freda Payne was once the support act for a Four Tops & Temptations gig I went to. Tube delays meant I missed the bulk of it but I got to my seat just in time for her to finish with this song. It was great to hear this out loud and its a song I've really liked since it came on a free CD with a newspaper many years ago.
Worst Song: Frank Sinatra - My Way
I picked this as worst song for 1969 in my best year search and in Christmas 1970 here it is still in the Top 40. Nothing much to add really, one of those legendary records that everyone knows and I've never liked.
Top 40 Review
The first Christmas charts of the 70s which is seen by some as the decade of the Christmas song, but not a Christmas record in sight.
The Christmas number one was "I Hear You Knocking" by Dave Edmunds which is OK. This more or less sets the scene for the rest of the Top 40 with a whopping 15 records getting half marks.
The biggest genre of music in this Top 40 was soul music, but just 2 of them get half marks. More crucially though the rest of the soul records all get full marks. This includes Freda Paynes other song "Deeper and Deeper", "It's Wonderful" by Jimmy Ruffin and the northern soul record "Blame It On The Pony Express" by Johnny Johnson And The Bandwagon. Adding funk to the mix as well we have "War" by Edwin Starr.
The other record to score full marks was of an easy listening variety which was "Home Lovin Man" by Andy Williams, proof that even questionable music genres can still produce decent tunes.
There's a notable presence of soft rock records, the majority of which are alright without being spectacular. We see the tail end of the Top 40 careers of 60s groups Herman's Hermits and The Tremeloes.
The Bee Gees were back in the Top 40 following a brief break up and picked up where they left off in the 60s with "Lonely Days" but it's not as good as their 60s records.
Meanwhile Tyrannosaurus Rex were back in the Top 40 as T Rex with "Ride A White Swan". They'd left their folk roots behind to start doing what we'd come to know as glam rock. Not a bad record.
Led Zeppelin are known for doing the Top of the Pops theme music in the 70s with "Whole Lotta Love", but it was actually the CCS version which was used. It's in this Top 40 and once again not a bad record.
Overall it's not a bad Top 40, just could do with some more good records as opposed to average ones.
Score: 17.5
Table
Another year where the Christmas charts is better than the best year charts. It's only just better though:
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