Three Chord Thursday at Three: 50th birthday

Songs that were born in 1970 are 50 years old this year. Which ones require only three chords to accompany and have withstood the test of time? Our second session (continuation) is scheduled for October 15th, 2020 to follow the first and previous one on August 13, 2020.

Betty Lou Music has listed songs that made it to number one on the US and UK charts in 1970. Which of these require only three chords? Which are VERY famous? Do you remember the songs that made it to the top 100 in 1970? For inspiration, watch or listen to the number hits of 1970 on Youtube playlist.

Bolded song titles link to song sheets that are easily transposable from that webpage. Priority will be given to those that can be accompanied with just THREE chords and are actually “born” in or became widely popular (hit the charts) in the year 1970.

1. ABC – Jackson Five
2. All Kinds of Everything – Dana
3. All Right Now – Free – Sue B. (UK) in C (2-page PDF)
4. After the Gold Rush – Neil Young
5. Band of Gold – Freda Payne
6. Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell – Emily S. (FL) (2-page PDF)
7. Black Magic Woman – Santana
8. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
9. Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel – Anne, Maureen D. (MA), Eve M. (TX)
10. Close to You – The Carpenters – Adrienne (TX) & Bruce (IT) (2 page pdf)
11. Come Together – The Beatles (1969)
12. Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond – Tiki Dave (HI) (1 page pdf)
13. Everything is Beautiful – Ray Stevens
14. Fire and Rain – James Taylor – Susan O. (NC)
15. Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Adrienne (TX) (1-page PDF) — use this 1-page PDF
16. In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
17. Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
18. Imagine – John Lennon (1971) (1-page with riff) Mike S. (NJ)
19. If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot – Laura S. (MA)
20. Knock Three Times – Tony Orlando and Dawn
21. Lady Madonna – The Beatles
22. Layla – Eric Clapton – Derek & The Dominos
23. Leaving on a Jet Plane – Peter, Paul, Mary – Mike S. (FL)
24. Let It Be – The Beatles – Beth A. (MA)
25. Life On Mars – David Bowie (1971)
26. Lola – The Kinks
27. Long and Winding Road, The – The Beatles
28. Lookin’ Out My Back Door – Creedence Clearwater Revival
29. Make It With You – Bread
30. Me and Bobby McGee – Kris Kristofferson – Maureen D. (MA)
31. Moonshadow – Cat Stevens – Anne (UK) & Adrienne (TX)
32. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
33. One After 909 – Lennon/McCartney – Pat B. (CT) (1-page PDF)
34. Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Kiss Him Good-bye – Steam (1969) – Tina J. (WA) in D (1-page PDF)
35. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head – Bacharach and David – Jeannie & Patty (MA)
36. See Me, Feel Me – The Who
37. Something – George Harrison (1969)
38. Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
39. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin (1971)
40. Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
41. Travelin’ Band – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Pat B. (CT)
42. Vehicle – Ides of March (1 page pdf)
43. Venus – Shocking Blue
44. We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
45. Who’ll Stop the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
46. Wild World – Cat Stevens 
47. Yellow Submarine – Lennart B. (MA) in D

To celebrate the 50th birthday of these songs AND also our 20th consecutive week in ZOOM, please light a candle – and then we will blow ours out together in Zoom. Also bring a glass of anything so we can toast to our 20th consecutive week in Zoom.

Line-Up @ 8/13/2020 1:55 PM EDT

1. Moonshadow – Cat Stevens – Anne (UK) & Adrienne (TX)
2. Close to You – The Carpenters – Adrienne (TX) & Bruce (IT) (2 page PDF)
3. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head – Bacharach and David – Jeannie & Patty (MA)
4. Fire and Rain – James Taylor – Susan O. (NC) in C
5. If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot – Laura S. (MA)
6. Me and Bobby McGee – Kris Kristofferson – Maureen D. (MA)
7. Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond – Tiki Dave (HI) (1 page pdf)
8. Travelin’ Band – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Pat B. (CT)
9. Let It Be – The Beatles – Beth A. (MA) – tag (relay)
10. Ain’t No Mountain – Virginia K. (NY)

Line-Up @10/15/2020 for October 15, 2020
(in chronological order of date of release of the song)

We will use the PDF linked from the right side of the performer’s name.

1. Yellow Submarine – The Beatles (album released January 1969) Lennart B. (MA) (3-page PDF)
2. Leaving on a Jet Plane – Peter, Paul, Mary (October 1969) – Mike S. (FL) (3-page PDF)
3. Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Kiss Him Good-bye – Steam (November 1969) – Tina J. (WA) in D (1-page PDF)
4. All Right Now – Free (March 1970) – Sue B. (UK) in C (2-page PDF)
5. Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell (April 1970) – Emily S. (FL) (2-page PDF)
6. Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel (April 1970) – Anne, Maureen D. (MA), Eve M. (TX) (3-page PDF)
7. One After 909 – Lennon/McCartney (May 1970) – Pat B. (CT) (1-page PDF)
8. Imagine – John Lennon (1971) Mike S. (NJ) (1-page with riff)
9. Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1971) – Adrienne (TX) (1-page PDF)