Music can serve many functions in our lives, not least of which is making us feel good. Songs that lift our spirits stick with us for many reasons, from a resonating message to the fact that we listen to these tracks often because feeling good feels good. For baby boomers, that includes these four songs from 1970, all of which this generation can still likely sing by heart.
“I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 released “I’ll Be There” on August 28, 1970, garnering the vocal group their fourth No. 1 hit in a row. The ballad not only showed the world that the Jackson brothers could handle loftier material than, say, “ABC”, but it also showed the world that Michael Jackson was going to be a star. Most baby boomers can likely sing along to this quintessential feel-good song from 1970, including Michael’s impassioned ad-libs in his young voice.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” by Stevie Wonder
Even if you don’t have a special someone in your life, singing along to love songs like Stevie Wonder’s 1970 release “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” still feels good. It’s fun to imagine feeling that way about someone (or imagining the person about whom you do feel that way). Thus, most baby boomers will remember singing along to this track when it first came out, regardless of their relationship status. “Here I am, baby, signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours.”
“Venus” by Shocking Blue
Long before Gillette razors co-opted “Venus” as the primary song of their television commercial campaign, Shocking Blue released the original version of this now-iconic track in the summer of 1969. The Dutch rock ‘n’ rollers eventually climbed global charts in February 1970. Subsequent covers by Bananarama and, of course, those highly ubiquitous razor ads from the early 2000s ensured that every baby boomer can still sing along to “she’s got it, yeah, baby, she’s got it.”
“Lola” by The Kinks
The Kinks were far ahead of their time when they released their sex-positive, gender-affirming track “Lola” in 1970. Moreover, their laid-back, infectious rock groove was so universally liked that they were able to disperse this message far and wide—even to audiences who wouldn’t typically seek out that type of narrative. Indeed, The Kinks reminded everyone that “girls will be boys and boys will be girls, it’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook-up world.”
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