Best 1970

"M*A*S*H" is a 1970 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman, depicting the experiences of a team of medical personnel at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The plot focuses on the doctors' use of dark humor, pranks, and insubordination as coping mechanisms against th...

Bomp! was a zine dedicated to American rock music, primarily focusing on the vibrant sounds of the 1970s. Founded by Greg Shaw in 1970, it became renowned for its passionate advocacy of power pop and early punk movements alongside comprehensive coverage of rock’s broader history. The publication cat...

"The Personal Is Political" is a foundational feminist essay written by Carol Hanisch in 1969 and published in 1970. The paper argues that women's seemingly personal struggles are actually rooted in systemic political and social structures. By making this connection, the text provided a vital organi...

Motown Chartbusters Vol. 4 is a compilation album released in 1969, part of a highly successful series distributed in the United Kingdom by Tamla Motown. The album gathers several major hit singles from Detroit's Motown label, showcasing the distinct soul and pop sound of the era. It features tracks...

Third is the third studio album by the English rock band Soft Machine, released in 1970. It is a double LP consisting of four compositions, each of which occupies an entire side of vinyl, featuring elements of jazz fusion and progressive rock. The album is largely instrumental and emphasizes extende...

McCoy Tyner’s “Extensions,” released in 1970, is a seminal jazz album exploring intricate harmonic structures and dynamic rhythms. Featuring collaborations with Wayne Shorter and Art Blakey, it demonstrates the quartet's exceptional improvisational skill. This recording remains notable for its depth...

Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Stone Flower” (1970) is a significant jazz album exploring the fusion of bossa nova and established jazz harmony. Featuring a substantial ensemble, it represents a pivotal moment in Jobim's compositional development. The recording is notable for its rich textures and sophisti...

H to He, Who Am the Only One is the third studio album by the English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, released in 1970 on Charisma Records. The album develops the band's characteristically dark and dense compositional style, driven by Peter Hammill's intense vocals and David Jackson's...

Sisterhood Is Powerful is a feminist anthology edited by Robin Morgan and published in 1970. The book compiles essays, manifestos, and writings from various authors central to the United States women's liberation movement. It is recognized as a significant landmark of second-wave feminism and played...

John Coltrane's “Transition” represents a pivotal moment in his musical evolution. Released in 1970, this album documents his embrace of modal improvisation, moving away from traditional harmonic structures towards sustained explorations of scales and tone color. It’s notable for its expansive compo...

Vengeance! is a 1970 Shaw Brothers wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh. It’s notable for its dramatic portrayal of revenge and influential swordplay sequences within the genre. David Chiang and Ti Lung star as warriors seeking retribution against those who wronged them. The film helped solidify the em...

Willie Dixon’s *I Am the Blues* (1970) is a significant collection showcasing the Chicago blues legend’s songwriting prowess. This Columbia Records album features Dixon's direct contributions to some of the genre’s most enduring songs. It’s notable for offering a concentrated exploration of his musi...

Released in 1970, If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You is the second studio album by the English band Caravan. It is a foundational release of the Canterbury scene, a subgenre of progressive rock known for blending psychedelic rock, jazz improvisation, and whimsical lyrics. The al...

The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other is the second studio album by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, released in 1970 on Charisma Records. It was the band's first album to reach a wider audience and established their distinctive sound built around Peter Hammill's dramatic v...

Young Lust is an American underground comix anthology created by Bill Griffith and Jay Kinney and first published in 1970. It parodied the plots, visual conventions, and sentimental morality of mainstream romance comics through explicit sex, satire, and countercultural humor, with work by multiple u...

On the Comet is a 1970 Czechoslovak fantasy adventure film directed by Karel Zeman and adapted from Jules Verne's novel Hector Servadac. The story follows people whose part of Earth is carried into space after a comet passes near the planet. Zeman combines live-action performers with animation, pain...

Relearning the Alphabet is a 1970 poetry collection by Denise Levertov, a British-born American poet associated with postwar experimental and politically engaged poetry. The collection reflects her opposition to the Vietnam War alongside sustained attention to perception, nature, moral responsibilit...

'Magma' is the debut double studio album by the French progressive rock band Magma, released in 1970. Led by drummer and composer Christian Vander, the record introduces the overarching science fiction narrative of the planet Kobaïa. It also marks the first recorded use of the constructed Kobaïan la...

Darker is a poetry collection by Mark Strand, published in 1970. Strand served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1990 to 1991 and received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1999 for his collection Blizzard of One. His poetry is noted for its existential and surrealistic qualities, often addressing themes of...

Recorded in 1978 during a live performance at the Village Vanguard, *From Left to Right* features pianist Bill Evans and bassist Scott LaFaro accompanied by drummer Chip Jackson, capturing a seminal session considered groundbreaking for its harmonic innovation and emotional depth within jazz improvi...

"Lizard" is the third studio album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 1970. It is characterized by heavily jazz-influenced arrangements, utilizing instruments like the saxophone, Mellotron, and vibraphone. The album features vocalist Gordon Haskell on bass, and the extend...

Valdez Is Coming is a 1970 Western novel by American writer Elmore Leonard. It follows Bob Valdez, a Mexican-American constable who seeks compensation for the family of a man wrongly killed after a confrontation manipulated by the rancher Frank Tanner. When Tanner and his associates answer the reque...

Festival Express is a 2003 documentary directed by Bob Smeaton about a 1970 Canadian concert tour whose performers traveled between cities aboard a chartered train. Its archival footage features Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, the Band, Buddy Guy, and other musicians performing onstage and informal...

“Tide” is a 2009 album by Antônio Carlos Jobim featuring collaborations with Joshua Redman, Mark Lettieri, and Ricardo Herz, showcasing the composer’s enduring melodic style within a contemporary jazz context.

“Moto Grosso Feio” by Wayne Shorter features a dense, complex harmonic language rooted in Brazilian music and modal jazz, showcasing his innovative approach to improvisation and rhythmic exploration within a large ensemble setting.

Released in 1972, *The Chinese Boxer* is a Hong Kong action film depicting the 19th-century Boxer Rebellion through the lens of a group of martial arts practitioners fighting against foreign powers and Qing dynasty corruption.

Looking In is a studio album by the British blues rock band Savoy Brown, released in 1970 on Parrot and Decca records. Led by guitarist Kim Simmonds, the album features the classic lineup of the band, which included vocalist Dave Walker and rhythm section Dave Peverett, Tone Stevens, and Roger Earl,...

In the Wake of Poseidon is the second studio album by the English progressive rock band King Crimson, released in 1970. The album's structure and cover art parallel the band's 1969 debut, featuring a mix of gentle acoustic tracks and chaotic, jazz-influenced rock suites. It includes vocalist and bas...

"Cotton Comes to Harlem" is a 1970 American neo-noir action comedy directed by Ossie Davis, adapted from the novel by Chester Himes. The film stars Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques as Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, two hardboiled detectives working in Harlem. The plot follows thei...